Hetzner VPS Review 2026: How Good Is the Cloud Server Performance?

Hetzner has been a major player in the hosting industry for years. The provider's VPS options are especially appealing to developers, freelancers, and small businesses. But how well does Hetzner's VPS offering perform in real-world use?

We set up a VPS and went through the entire process, covering registration, management, performance, costs, and support. Our analysis offers a realistic picture of what to expect from Hetzner.

Getting started with Hetzner is a straightforward process. After registering via email, you land directly in the dashboard. However, first-time users must complete a verification process before they can proceed.

For our business account, Hetzner requested a commercial register extract. Private users provide ID information instead; in some cases, a copy of their ID may also be required.

Hetzner accepted our commercial register extract without any follow-up questions. About ten minutes later, our account was active, and all features were fully available.

The Hetzner Console is your central hub for all server-related tasks. Here you can manage not only VPS instances but also load balancers, networks, firewalls, and other infrastructure. Everything is available in one unified interface.

The home page displays project details, including the number of rented servers, configured firewalls, and recent user activity. You can customize the view by hiding the world map in the background, for example. There's also a dark mode.

Setting up a VPS at Hetzner begins with a wide range of configuration options. Right from the start, you choose which data center your server will run in. Available locations include Nuremberg and Falkenstein (both in Germany), Helsinki, Singapore, and several US sites.

For operating systems, you can choose from Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and openSUSE. You can even upload your own ISO files if needed.

Hetzner also offers pre-configured app images for tools like Docker, WordPress, or Nextcloud. This saves time and simplifies getting started, as you skip the manual installation.

When selecting a server type, Hetzner distinguishes between shared and dedicated vCPU options. There are 19 configurations available, each featuring different combinations of CPU cores, RAM, and storage. If you exceed the included 20 TB data volume, an extra fee is charged per additional terabyte.

During setup, you can add an SSH key for secure access. You can also enable backups, firewalls, or additional volumes immediately.

As soon as your order is complete, Hetzner starts provisioning your server. It usually takes just a few seconds until your VPS is ready, including an IP address. You also receive an email confirming the successful setup.

That said, beginners may struggle without explanations or context-based recommendations. For example, there is no guidance on choosing the right instance type or understanding how CPU, RAM, and storage work together.

Hetzner provides a wide range of features for managing your VPS. The options might feel overwhelming at first, but they offer a lot of flexibility and control over your system in day-to-day use.

In the top right corner of the console, you'll find the most important quick actions. These allow you to restart, shut down, or power off your server. You can also enable protection against accidental deletion or move your server to a different project.

The Rebuild feature allows you to install a new operating system when needed. Hetzner offers dozens of Linux distributions here, including Ubuntu, Debian, and numerous other options. A rebuild usually takes just a few minutes.

If you encounter problems, the built-in rescue system can help. On the next boot, your server will not start normally. Instead, it loads a minimal live system with SSH access. From there, you can fix configuration errors, back up data, or reset the root password.

The monitoring is more detailed than what many other hosts offer. The Console displays CPU load, RAM usage, network traffic, and disk activity in graphical form.

If you require additional monitoring features or alerts, you can connect external tools like Grafana or Prometheus through the open API. This allows you to expand your monitoring options as needed.

For data protection, a paid backup feature is available. You must activate it separately for each server. It includes daily backups that are stored for seven days.

Once enabled, Hetzner handles all backup management. Billing is proportional to your chosen plan. The higher your plan costs, the more you will pay for auto-backups.

Alternatively, you use snapshots to save your current server state. This type of backup is ideal for short-term purposes, such as before an update or installing new software. Snapshots remain stored until you manually delete them. Billing is based on storage usage.

If you require more (or less) power, you can use the built-in scaling feature. This allows you to switch directly to a more powerful plan, as long as it is compatible with your existing server architecture.

You can also adjust only the CPU and RAM without changing the disk size. The switch to the new plan happens quickly, and data stored on the disk remains unchanged.

For protection against DDoS attacks, a filter system is active by default. It detects suspicious network traffic in real time and reroutes it through a central infrastructure.

Activation happens automatically, and no additional settings are required. If you require more control or custom protection profiles, you can use third-party services like Cloudflare.

Here is how Hetzner's key server features compare to other providers:

For our performance review, we analyze five metrics that determine how fast and reliably a VPS performs in everyday use:

We subject all servers in our comparison to benchmark tests under load. We measure how fast they process, read, and write data. Here's a detailed explanation of how we get our benchmark results:

We use Geekbench 6 for our CPU tests. This benchmark simulates typical tasks like data processing, graphics operations, and AI computations. It measures both single-core performance and the combined performance of all cores.

The tested VPS scored 1,442 points in the single-core benchmark. That's a solid result, but it doesn't quite reach the top spots:

The machine performs much better in the multi-core test. With 7,945 points, this server ranks among the stronger systems in our comparison.

We measure memory performance using the STREAM benchmark tool. Memory bandwidth is especially important here. It shows how much data the RAM can process per second. The CPX41 delivers an impressive bandwidth of 105,374 MiB/s.

This value is well above what many standard cloud instances offer. For memory-heavy workloads such as in-memory databases, caching, or parallel data processing, this is a clear advantage.

We test SSD speed using the fio tool.The focus is on IOPS (input/output operations per second). Performance with small block sizes matters most, since many applications rely on them frequently.

The tested VPS achieved 57,700 IOPS at a 4k block size. That's a good score and points to a fast, reliable SSD. However, compared to other providers, it only lands in the middle of the pack.

For our network test, we measure how quickly the server sends and receives data over the internet. With around 5 Gbit/s to London, Hetzner offers solid connectivity and a stable connection. It doesn't quite reach the top spots, though.

To compare prices fairly, we analyzed the cost of typical server configurations across different providers. We evaluated five categories that matter most in everyday use:

Each category is weighted using a fixed point system. The lower the price (or the shorter the billing cycle), the more points a provider can earn. Our ratings are based on regular list prices including VAT, without discounts or limited-time promotions. This allows for an objective assessment of which provider offers the best value for money.

Here's how Hetzner's costs compare to other providers:

Hetzner's shared vCPU plans are organized under the CX series (for example, CX22, CX32, CX42, or CX52). Key specifications increase with each tier:

You can pay by the hour, which adds up to the monthly price, or pay a fixed monthly rate for continuous use. It is a transparent and fair system.

Here's an overview of Hetzner's VPS plans:

The shared vCPU plans cover a wide performance range, from beginner setups to powerful virtual machines that can handle larger applications:

The differences are not only in RAM and storage. Higher tiers also handle traffic spikes better, even though the CPU is still shared. However, there's no guaranteed minimum performance. If you need consistently high performance, a dedicated vCPU plan (CCX series) is the better choice.

Hetzner Docs provides comprehensive technical documentation. The content is available in English and German, covering everything from cloud instances to network settings to API usage. The guides are well-organized, clearly written, and often include screenshots.

If you already have a basic technical understanding, you'll almost always find the right solution, often without needing to contact support at all. However, beginners may occasionally miss more accessible help resources. There's also no option to submit a support question directly from the documentation.

Support requests are submitted directly through the Hetzner Console. As you type your question, relevant support articles appear that may help solve your problem. Only after selecting "I need more help" can you actually submit your support request.

In our review, we received an accurate response to a simple support request within 30 minutes. Support is generally limited to infrastructure topics. Hetzner won't help with software questions or CMS issues. The response language depends on your user profile (German or English).

Hetzner offers a phone hotline for general and technical inquiries Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM. In our review, we connected quickly on a Thursday morning without having to wait on hold for long.

For emergencies involving dedicated hardware, there's a 24/7 on-call service at the data centers. This provides customers with business-critical services an extra layer of security. You'll need an activated phone password or one-time password to use this service.

However, our review showed that the bot can also assist with technical tasks. It correctly and clearly explained how to move a server between projects.

When asked, the chatbot can list numerous reasons why new customers should choose Hetzner. However, it prefers not to answer questions about whether customers might be better off with a competitor.

User reviews on platforms such as Trustpilot, Reddit, and hosting forums paint an overall positive picture. Customers generally view the support as knowledgeable and fast. Occasional criticism includes sporadic unavailability or unsatisfactory problem resolution attempts.

Hetzner is clearly designed for users who know what they're doing, and it has much to offer this audience. The provider delivers a solid overall package of performance, features, and support at fair prices, especially for the higher-tier plans.

If you value fast CPUs, plenty of RAM, and reliable infrastructure, Hetzner is a great choice. The support team stands out with quick response times and technical expertise, though live chat is no longer available.

Hetzner is less suitable for beginners. If you're looking for a provider that guides you step by step through a simple setup, you should look elsewhere.

Hetzner rewards self-reliance, but in return, you get a system that provides you with almost complete freedom. If you appreciate this approach, you'll find few providers that offer as much server performance for your money.

We analyzed ratings on review platforms and summarized the most common feedback. Online reviews generally paint a positive picture of Hetzner's servers:

Is Hetzner not the right provider for you? Here are some suitable alternatives:

You can find more alternatives to Hetzner here: