Hetzner is a German hosting company with a loyal following and some of the most competitive VPS pricing in Europe. If you have asked around in developer communities about affordable cloud hosting, someone has already mentioned Hetzner. The question is whether that reputation holds up and whether it fits your use case.
What Hetzner Actually Offers
Hetzner runs two product lines worth knowing: Hetzner Cloud (their VPS product) and Dedicated Root Servers. For most people searching "hetzner vps," the Cloud product is what they are comparing.
Their CX series VPS plans use AMD EPYC processors with NVMe storage. A CX22 (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM) runs around €4.51 per month in Europe, which is genuinely cheap for what you get. Bandwidth is generous, the control panel is functional, and their network is stable.
Hetzner's data centers are in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki, and Ashburn (US East). For European latency, Nuremberg and Falkenstein are excellent. Their network has been reliable in terms of uptime over the years.
Where Hetzner Performs Well
Hetzner is a good fit for:
- Web applications - Node.js, Python, PHP, Laravel, Docker
- Self-hosted services - Nextcloud, Gitea, Uptime Kuma, n8n
- Development environments - staging servers, CI/CD pipelines
- VPN hosting - WireGuard is common on Hetzner CX instances
- Static sites and small databases - low traffic, low cost
For these use cases, Hetzner delivers genuine value per euro.
Where Hetzner Falls Short
Hetzner VPS is not built for game workloads. Minecraft, FiveM, and Rust all need strong single-thread CPU performance. EPYC processors trade raw single-core speed for core count and efficiency, which is the right tradeoff for databases and web apps but not for game servers.
Managed game server software like Pterodactyl does not come pre-installed. You set up everything from scratch. If you are not comfortable with Linux, Nginx, firewall rules, and Java tuning, you will spend more time configuring than playing.
Memory on Hetzner Cloud VPS is also shared between the hypervisor and all running processes. For a modded Minecraft server that needs 8 GB to run reliably, you are paying for more headroom than the number suggests.
Hetzner for Minecraft or FiveM
Technically possible. Practically frustrating.
Self-managing a game server on a generic VPS takes time. You are responsible for updates, backups, crash recovery, port forwarding, firewall configuration, and Java version management. The moment something breaks, you are debugging it alone.
Modpack servers specifically push this further. ATM10 needs 10 to 14 GB of RAM to run without constant lag. Hetzner's CX52 (8 vCPU, 16 GB) costs around €38/month. At that price, you can get a managed game server with Ryzen hardware, Pterodactyl panel, DDoS protection, and automated backups from a provider that actually specializes in games.
Space-Node vs Hetzner for Game Servers
Space-Node uses AMD Ryzen 9 9900X processors - consumer-grade chips selected specifically for their single-thread performance in game server workloads. That is a deliberate design choice, not a coincidence.
Compared to running the same server on Hetzner:
- Panel: Pterodactyl is included - no manual setup
- Modpack installs: One-click from the panel
- DDoS protection: Included in every plan
- Support: Actual game server knowledge, not generic Linux help
- Price per performance: Better for game workloads specifically
If you are looking at Hetzner for something like a Discord bot, a personal API, or a side project - it is a solid call. If you are trying to run a Minecraft or FiveM server, use a host that was built for it from the start.
View Minecraft hosting plans | View FiveM hosting
Hetzner Cloud VPS pricing changes in 2026
Hetzner's cloud lineup has changed enough that old CX11/CX22 comparisons can mislead readers. Hetzner's current public docs separate cloud servers into Cost-Optimized, Regular Performance, and General Purpose plans, and the server overview says cloud server prices do not include public IP addresses.
| 2026 Hetzner item | Current practical meaning |
|---|---|
| CX22 searches | Hetzner's deprecated plans page lists CX22, CX32, CX42, and CX52 Gen2 as deprecated and no longer available for order. Use current CX23/CX33/CX43/CX53 comparisons instead. |
| CX23 price | Hetzner's Cost-Optimized page lists CX23 at 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD, starting around €5.99 max/mo including VAT display, or lower before VAT depending on account/tax view. |
| CAX ARM plans | Cost-Optimized also includes Ampere Arm64 CAX plans, such as CAX11 with 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD. Good value, but only use them if your software supports Arm64. |
| CPX plans | Regular Performance uses newer shared AMD hardware and starts higher than CX/CAX. The public page lists CPX12/CPX11 and larger CPX plans with more CPU performance than cost-optimized. |
| CCX plans | General Purpose uses dedicated vCPUs and starts much higher, with CCX13 listed at 2 AMD vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD. This is the better Hetzner line for sustained CPU loads. |
| Public IPv4 | Hetzner docs say Primary IPv4 costs €0.50/month excl. VAT, while Primary IPv6 is free. IPv4 is no longer something to treat as silently bundled into every server price. |
| Locations | Hetzner cloud locations include Germany, Finland, USA, and Singapore. Good for Europe, but not the same as having every game-hosting region. |
Hetzner pricing quick answers
| Query | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hetzner cloud cheapest VPS price 2026 | Current low-end cloud pricing starts with cost-optimized CX/CAX plans, but add IPv4, backups, snapshots, or extra storage if you need them. |
| Hetzner cloud VPS pricing 2026 CX series | Use CX23/CX33/CX43/CX53 for current CX comparisons. CX22 is deprecated. |
| Hetzner cloud VPS pricing 2026 CX22 | CX22 appears in Hetzner's deprecated plan docs, not as a current orderable plan. Compare to CX23 instead. |
| Hetzner accepted payment methods 2026 | Hetzner docs list credit card, SEPA direct debit, bank/wire transfer, and PayPal where available. They also state they do not accept cryptocurrencies. |
| Hetzner for Minecraft or FiveM | Possible, especially on higher-performance or dedicated CPU plans, but it is unmanaged VPS hosting. For game servers you still manage Java, txAdmin/Pterodactyl, firewalling, DDoS posture, backups, monitoring, and tuning. |
| Hetzner dedicated servers review 2026 | Dedicated servers and cloud VPS are different products. Dedicated servers can be strong value for experienced admins, but setup, support model, DDoS expectations, and management workload are different from managed game hosting. |
Legal Notice
Legal Notice & Disclaimer: This article constitutes an independent, factual comparative review and critical analysis for educational purposes only. Space-Node is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any hosting provider mentioned herein. All brand names, logos, and trademarks referenced are the registered intellectual property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification and factual reference.
Fair Use & Review Rights: This review is protected commentary, comparison, and criticism. It is based on publicly available information, official pages where available, published documentation, and general hosting engineering analysis. Where hands-on testing is not explicitly stated in the article, no private benchmark or internal infrastructure access is implied. This constitutes lawful comparative review and criticism protected under fair use doctrine.
Factual Accuracy: Specific plan claims are based on public information available at the time of writing. Specifications, pricing, and service features can change, so readers should verify current details on the provider's official website before purchasing. We make no false or defamatory statements; criticism is limited to documented facts, clearly labeled opinion, or general hosting guidance.
No Consumer Confusion: This article makes clear that Space-Node offers distinct, independently-developed hosting infrastructure. We explicitly differentiate our services, pricing, and technical specifications. No reader could reasonably be confused about service provider identity.
Right to Comparative Advertising: Space-Node reserves the right to publish factual comparative information about competing services. This is a recognized right in consumer protection law and advertising standards. Accurate comparative reviews cannot constitute trademark violation, defamation, or unfair competition.
Limitation of Liability: Space-Node makes no warranty regarding third-party services reviewed. Readers are responsible for verifying information independently before purchasing. Space-Node disclaims liability for third-party service changes, outages, or policy modifications.
Space-Node Services: For Space-Node's own managed hosting solutions, visit Minecraft hosting or VPS hosting.