Best web hosting 2026 Guides Hetzner vs DigitalOcean: which VPS is cheaper in 2026?
Hetzner vs DigitalOcean: which VPS is cheaper in 2026?
Hetzner vs DigitalOcean for VPS hosting in 2026: RAM per euro, included traffic, docs, managed databases, and which cloud to pick for Europe vs the US.
Hetzner vs DigitalOcean is the VPS comparison that actually moves money. Both give you a virtual machine, a public IP, and root. Neither is a WordPress control panel. If you wanted one-click hosting, you are on the wrong page — start with Hostinger instead.
On hardware, Hetzner usually wins. A CX23-class instance with about 4GB of RAM is often around €5.49/mo with generous included traffic. A DigitalOcean droplet with similar RAM is typically more, and bandwidth overage is less forgiving. If the only variable is the monthly number and an EU (or Hetzner US) region is fine, pick Hetzner.
DigitalOcean wins the surrounding product. Managed databases, Spaces, load balancers, Kubernetes, and a documentation library that still beats most of the industry at “paste this, it works.” People stay on DigitalOcean after they could save money on Hetzner because the next service is already in the account.
Traffic is a quiet killer. Hetzner’s included transfer on similarly sized cloud instances is one of the reasons developers recommend it in 2026. DigitalOcean’s entry droplets look cheap until a podcast, a file dump, or a crawler spike shows up as overage.
Regions: DigitalOcean is easier if you need to put a VM near users in more places. Hetzner is the default for Europe-heavy products and GDPR-shaped constraints. If your audience is US west coast and you wanted a managed database two clicks away, DigitalOcean is the less stubborn pick.
Operations: both expect you to patch the OS unless you add a panel or pay Cloudways to sit on top of DigitalOcean. Hetzner’s UI is drier. DigitalOcean’s onboarding is friendlier if this is your first droplet. Neither replaces backups you actually test.
Short take: pick Hetzner for side projects, APIs, and bots where RAM and traffic dominate the bill. Pick DigitalOcean when tutorials, managed Postgres, and extra regions are the product. If you want DigitalOcean-shaped hardware without SSH, that is Cloudways, not a cheaper droplet.
Who should buy what
FAQ
Is Hetzner cheaper than DigitalOcean?
Usually yes at the same RAM, especially once you count included traffic. DigitalOcean can still be the right buy if you need managed databases or a region Hetzner does not cover well.
Which is better for a first VPS?
DigitalOcean if you will follow tutorials. Hetzner if you already know how to install Caddy or Docker and you care about the invoice.
Can I run WordPress on Hetzner or DigitalOcean?
Yes, but you install it. For WordPress without Linux, Hostinger or Cloudways is less pain per hour.