Getting Started with Hetzner Object Storage S3: A Beginner’s Guide

By Azon Vault On May 10, 2026

Introduction

Looking for a reliable, cost‑effective way to store files, backups, or media assets? Hetzner Object Storage S3 offers a fully compatible S3 API with the performance and pricing of a European data‑center powerhouse. In this guide we’ll walk you through the basics, set up your first bucket, and share tips to keep your storage secure and efficient.

What Is Hetzner Object Storage?

Hetzner Object Storage is a cloud‑based service that lets you upload, retrieve, and manage large amounts of unstructured data. It uses the same Amazon S3 API conventions you may already know, so you can reuse existing tools, SDKs, and scripts.

Key Benefits

Pay‑as‑you‑go pricing with no hidden fees.
Data residency in Germany and Finland – great for GDPR compliance.
High durability (99.999999999% – eleven 9s) and built‑in redundancy.
Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines, backups, and static‑site hosting.

How to Create Your First Bucket

Log in to the Hetzner Cloud Console. Navigate to Storage → Object Storage and click “Create Bucket”.
Name your bucket. Choose a globally unique name (e.g., my‑project‑assets) and select a region.
Set permissions. For public assets, enable "Read‑only for everyone"; otherwise keep it private and manage access via IAM policies.
Generate access keys. Click “Create Access Key” – you’ll receive an Access Key ID and Secret Access Key. Store these securely; they are the credentials your applications will use.
Test the connection. Use a tool like aws-cli:
```
aws --endpoint-url https://YOUR-REGION.obj.hetzner.cloud s3 ls
```
If the bucket lists correctly, you’re ready to upload files.

Uploading and Managing Files

Once your bucket is live, you can interact with it via:

Command‑line tools (AWS CLI, s3cmd, rclone).
Programming libraries (Boto3 for Python, AWS SDK for JavaScript, etc.).
Web‑based UI in the Hetzner console for quick manual uploads.

Here’s a quick aws-cli example to upload a folder:

aws --endpoint-url https://YOUR-REGION.obj.hetzner.cloud s3 sync ./local-folder s3://my-project-assets

Best Practices for Security & Performance

Secure Access

Never embed your secret key in public code – use environment variables or secret managers.
Enable Bucket Policies to restrict actions by IP or VPC.
Rotate access keys regularly (every 90‑180 days).

Cost‑Saving Tips

Use lifecycle rules to transition older objects to Cold Storage after 30‑90 days.
Delete unused objects with an automated script.
Monitor usage via the Hetzner dashboard to avoid surprises.

FAQ

Is Hetzner Object Storage truly S3‑compatible?: Yes. All standard S3 operations (PUT, GET, LIST, DELETE) work with the same signatures.
Can I host a static website?: While Hetzner does not provide a built‑in website endpoint, you can serve files via a CDN (e.g., Cloudflare) pointing to your bucket.
How does data durability compare to AWS?: Hetzner advertises eleven 9s of durability, matching major cloud providers.
What regions are available?: Germany (Falkenstein) and Finland (Helsinki) – both GDPR‑friendly.
Do I need to install extra software?: No. The S3 API works with any existing S3‑compatible client.

Conclusion

Hetzner Object Storage S3 gives you a powerful, affordable solution for all your file‑storage needs while keeping the familiar S3 workflow. Follow the steps above, apply the security best practices, and you’ll be ready to scale your projects without the overhead of managing hardware.

Ready to try it? Sign up for a Hetzner Cloud account, create your first bucket, and start uploading today!

Call to Action

Need help migrating existing data or setting up automated backups? Contact our team for a free consultation and a customized storage strategy.