Compare / Hetzner
Peter van Doorn
Want Hetzner's control without being the sysadmin?
Hetzner Cloud sells excellent, inexpensive servers. A server is all it is: installing Docker or a tool like Coolify, running Postgres, renewing certificates, patching and backing up are your job.
The short answer. Pick Hetzner if you enjoy running servers and want the lowest raw price or EU-only hosting. Pick Django Cloud if you want the same sense of ownership, an app in your own cloud account, with the servers, Postgres and deploys looked after.
Why choose Django Cloud over Hetzner
- Run it in your own AWS account, or let us run it. On Self-hosted your app runs in your own AWS account: you pay AWS its list price directly and us $10 a month, with no markup on compute. On Fully managed we run a dedicated AWS account for you: $29 a month with a server and a database, and a bigger server or database adds the difference.
- Your own isolated environment, without cold starts. Your app is not squeezed onto servers shared with other customers' apps. It runs in an AWS environment of its own and stays on, so the first visitor after a quiet hour does not wait for a machine to wake up.
- Focused on Django, and nothing else. Static files, migrations before every release, encrypted secrets, rollbacks that warn about database changes and Postgres that connects itself. A generic platform asks you to work these out; we only do Django.
Hetzner and Django Cloud at a glance
| Hetzner | Django Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Virtual servers; the Cloud product has no managed Postgres or app platform | A deploy layer for Django on top of infrastructure in your own AWS account |
| Deploying | You set up Docker, a reverse proxy and a deploy process (or a tool such as Coolify) | One command, or push to GitHub |
| Postgres | You install, secure, back up and upgrade it | Managed Postgres, connected to your app automatically |
| HTTPS | You request and renew certificates | Handled, including for your own domain |
| Rollbacks and alerts | Build them yourself | Rollback to a recent deploy, alerts on CPU and memory spikes |
| Price | Among the lowest per server; see Hetzner's price list | $29 a month Fully managed, or $10 a month plus AWS list prices on Self-hosted |
Where the money really goes
| Hetzner | Django Cloud Self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Server and bandwidth | Very low, with large traffic allowances in the EU | AWS list price: for example $7 for a Nano or $15 for a Small |
| Your time on patching, backups, TLS and incidents | All yours | Handled by the platform and AWS |
Hetzner will almost always win on the monthly server price. The question is what an hour of your time is worth and what a lost database costs. If you value both, compare the whole bill, not just the server.
Start for free with AWS Activate credits
On the Self-hosted plan your app runs in your own AWS account, so AWS credits can pay for it. New AWS accounts can get up to $200 in credits, which is the amount most side projects can count on. Startups can also apply for up to $1,000 through AWS Activate, but AWS decides who qualifies and can change the terms.
Apply for AWS Activate creditsOpen an AWS account
When Hetzner is the better choice
- The lowest raw price per CPU, memory and terabyte of traffic
- European data centres and a European provider
- Complete freedom to run anything, not just Django
Questions
Is Hetzner cheaper than Django Cloud?
For raw server cost, yes. With Hetzner you also run Postgres, backups, certificates and deploys. With Django Cloud Self-hosted you pay AWS list prices plus $10 and that work is done for you.
Can I self-host Django Cloud on Hetzner?
No. Django Cloud runs on AWS, either in your own account (Self-hosted) or in a dedicated account we manage.
Can AWS credits pay for my Django hosting?
On the Self-hosted plan your app runs in your own AWS account, so AWS credits can cover the AWS bill. New AWS accounts can get up to $200 in credits, and startups can apply for up to $1,000 through AWS Activate. AWS decides who qualifies and can change the terms. You still pay Django Cloud $10 a month, unless we sponsor you: students, open source maintainers, non-profit and scientific projects and AWS Activate startups can apply.
Get your Django project live, the easy way
One command or a git push. We host it for you on AWS, or you keep it in your own AWS account, where AWS credits can cover the AWS bill.
Prices and features were checked in October 2026 against the vendors' own pages (Hetzner Cloud), and may have changed since. Hetzner is a trademark of its owner; Django Cloud is not affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.