Hetzner isn’t necessarily a bad host, but it does leave a lot to be desired. Its control panel is awkward and clunky to navigate. It also lacks additional proprietary tools, such as cache options or AI integrations that other hosts offer, and it delivers slow performance outside Germany. And let’s not forget that Hetzner has a history of arbitrary account cancellations and unresponsive customer support.
We’ve tested dozens of the most popular hosting providers in the market for the best Hetzner alternatives and found seven options that stood out above the rest. These hosts each shine in aspects Hetzner lacks, such as performance, user-friendliness, support, and more.
Short on Time? These Are the Best Alternatives to Hetzner in 2026
- Kamatera – Best for complete custom server configuration with worldwide performance.
- ScalaHosting – Best for high-performance managed VPS options.
- Liquid Web – Best for high-quality customer support on a managed VPS.
Testing Methodology
We evaluated each potential alternative to Hetzner on performance, ease of use, European data center availability, value for money, and support quality.
- Performance. We used data gathered from our in-house tests of key performance metrics such as time to first byte, time to full load, and first contentful paint, using a testing server near our main data center and a series of worldwide data centers.
- Ease of use. Hetzner’s konsoleH control panel is outdated and difficult to navigate, especially compared to the widely available cPanel. We evaluated how quickly each provider gets you up and running, and how intuitive the account dashboard is for both beginners and more technical users. We looked at the quality of each control panel – whether proprietary or standard – and assessed how easily users can perform common tasks like managing domains, configuring firewalls, and scaling resources.
- Support. Hetzner’s history of arbitrary account suspensions and limited support channels is something many users mention. We tested the availability, responsiveness, and support channels of each alternative to see which providers could help us solve critical errors.
- Value. Though Hetzner offers seemingly good prices, it lacks overall value for money. We analyzed each alternative host by its price-to-quality ratio to ensure you get the most value for what you pay.
- Uptime. Hetzner doesn’t offer a formal uptime guarantee. We only chose hosts that promised at least 99.9% uptime with compensation offers to back it up.
Like Hetzner, Kamatera offers cloud and VPS services, but Kamatera delivers much better performance. Our performance tests showed loading times up to 0.9 seconds faster at locations far from the server. Kamatera is also highly customizable, allowing you to specify the exact resources you need, such as vCPUs, RAM, SSDs, server images, and server locations. Hetzner, on the other hand, forces you to choose from a list of pre-made VPS instances with fixed resources.
Kamatera also meets specific compliance requirements, with certified options for HIPAA, PCI, and GDPR.
While Hetzner does generally offer slightly higher resource limits, Kamatera lets you pay only for what you use right down to the second, so you can ensure you’ll get full value out of every cent.
You can find our detailed comparison of Kamatera with Hetzner here.
Pros
- 24 global data centers. While Hetzner only offers data centers in Germany, Finland, the US, and Singapore, Kamatera offers those locations and additional options in the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Israel, Australia, and China.
- Stellar performance. Kamatera utilizes high-end Intel Xeon Platinum/Ice Lake processors and enterprise-grade NVMe SSDs, ensuring blazing-fast read/write speeds that rival or exceed Hetzner’s standard cloud instances.
- 30-day free trial. Kamatera lets you try a cloud VPS with up to $100 in credit. You can fully customize and configure the server as you wish. If you’re not a fan, you can cancel the trial at any time without paying a thing.
- Extensive pre-Configured app marketplace. While Hetzner has its own app marketplace, Kamatera boasts an incredibly deep library of 100+ pre-installed OS images, including instant-deploy Docker, cPanel, Plesk, Magento, and Node.js environments.
- Built-in white-label reseller program. If you are a web agency, Kamatera offers a dedicated white-label hosting system.
Cons
- Costly managed add-ons. Kamatera’s base unmanaged servers are cheap, but if you are not used to the role of sysadmin, the managed plans are significantly pricier.
- Steep learning curve. Kamatera’s high level of customization also means it’s easy to get confused by all the different options and settings.
- Paid add-ons. You’ll need to pay an extra fee for SSL certificates, domains, and backups.
Want to know more? Check out our expert Kamatera review.
| Data center locations | 5 in the US, 1 in Canada, 3 in Europe, 5 in the Middle East, 1 in Asia |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | 30-day free trial |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% |
| Starting Price | $4.00 |
With some hosting providers, the only way to get their best features is to pay more. ScalaHosting is different in that respect. Yes, you have to pay more to host your website on more powerful servers. On the other hand, all the goodies that come with the top-level hosting plans are included with the entry-level ones, too.
ScalaHosting’s perks include daily data backups, SSH access, and Cloudflare integration. Its AMD EPYC 9474F CPUs also deliver superior performance over Hetzner’s server hardware. ScalaHosting also offers easy access to upgrades and downgrades to suit your needs.
ScalaHosting provides a set of preconfigured server builds for you to choose from. Alternatively, you can custom-configure your own server to meet your exact needs. The ability to get only what you want is part of what sets ScalaHosting apart from Hetzner, which forces you to choose from either too little or too much server for your needs.
Pros
- Proprietary SPanel. ScalaHosting’s proprietary SPanel is user-friendly and streamlined, even for inexperienced users.
- Unlimited bandwidth. ScalaHosting offers unlimited bandwidth with every server package. This way, you won’t have to worry about traffic surges overpowering your server’s ability to manage them.
- SShield security. ScalaHosting’s proprietary SShield tool offers 100% automated, AI-powered security for your server, with active malware prevention, vulnerability fixes, and automatic notifications about suspicious behavior.
- SWordPress Manager. A native tool that allows for 1-click WordPress staging, cloning, and security locking, bridging the gap between a standard VPS and managed WordPress hosting.
- Anytime money-back guarantee. ScalaHosting offers a full money-back guarantee for unused resources at any time.
Cons
- Strict resource enforcement. Because it is a highly monitored managed environment, you cannot run aggressive custom scripts or push the server to 100% CPU 24/7 without being asked to upgrade.
- LiteSpeed Enterprise costs extra. While OpenLiteSpeed is supported, accessing the full LiteSpeed Enterprise web server requires an additional purchase.
- No phone support. ScalaHosting offers stellar ticketing and live chat support, but there’s no phone support.
Read our expert ScalaHosting review for more details.
| Data center locations | 5 in the US, 1 in Canada, 5 in Europe, 4 in Asia, 1 in Australia |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | Any time, 100% |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99% |
| Starting price | $19.95 |
Unlike Hetzner, Liquid Web’s support team is one you can actually count on when problems occur. If your Hetzner server runs into a critical error, its support engineers will not fix it if the problem has occurred outside of business hours – unless you pay huge fees on top of the money you’re already paying for managed service. Liquid Web, on the other hand, will fix issues as they occur at no extra cost, regardless of the time or date.
Furthermore, Liquid Web guarantees a response within 59 seconds on a live chat enquiry or phone call, or within 59 minutes on a support ticket. If this isn’t fulfilled, you’ll be due compensation. This kind of dedication to your needs is sorely missing with Hetzner, but that being said, Liquid Web does command a higher price.
Pros
- 100% uptime guarantee. Liquid Web will compensate you generously for any downtime, no matter how little. The compensation will comprise a service credit equal to 10x the amount of downtime experienced.
- Beginner-friendly managed WordPress. If you’re looking for a simpler solution, Liquid Web also offers feature-filled managed WordPress plans. These include automatic AI-supervised plugin updates, daily backups, performance monitoring, and other nice extras.
- Full root access. Despite being a managed solution, you’ll still have full root access to your server. This allows you to customize your server as you desire. Conversely, Hetzner disallows full root access on its own managed servers.
- Built-in ServerSecure security. Hardens your server right out of the gate, configuring firewalls, blocking malicious IPs, and securing server core files without manual intervention.
- Free, white-glove migrations. A dedicated migration team handles moving your sites from your old host to Liquid Web with zero downtime.
Cons
- Premium pricing. Liquid Web’s base VPS is significantly more expensive than Hetzner’s entry-level cloud instances. You are paying heavily for the management layer.
- No windows on the entry plans. If you need a Windows VPS, you have to bypass the cheapest tiers and pay a premium, as entry plans are strictly Linux.
- Premium add-on costs. Essential extras for growing businesses – like advanced offsite backups, premium SSLs, or extra IPs – are noticeably more expensive.
For more details, read our Liquid Web review.
| Data center locations | 2 in the US, 1 in Europe |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 100% |
| Starting Price | $5.00 |
Some hosts, like ScalaHosting and Kamatera let you customize your server setup to suit your exact needs. Others, like Hetzner, only offer static plans or packages – you have to take what you can get. InterServer splits the difference, you might say. Each additional VPS core or “slice” you purchase increases your memory, storage, and bandwidth. So while you can’t customize everything, you can get closer to just what you need. That includes storage servers too, starting at 1TB HDD.
Another thing I like about InterServer’s modular setup is that you get managed VPS support if you buy 4 or more cores. You can opt out, but it’s nice to know someone has your back 24/7/365. I also appreciated that there’s no additional charge for managed support. It just kicks in when you purchase that fourth core.
Lastly, there’s the payment model. You can only get a monthly payment arrangement with InterServer. There are no money-back guarantees because if you aren’t happy, you can simply cancel at the end of the current month. That’s one thing Hetzner and InterServer have in common, so if Hetzner’s payment model was a primary reason for your choice, you’ll feel right at home switching to InterServer.
Pros
- Price lock guarantee. InterServer does not increase prices after the first billing period, which is extremely rare in the hosting industry.
- Choice of server type. InterServer lets you choose from Linux VPS, Windows, or HDD storage servers.
- Choice of control panel. Your VPS hosting package includes free DirectAdmin. For a small monthly fee, you can choose either cPanel or Plesk to manage your sites and server.
- “Self-healing” hardware. InterServer is configured so that if your server goes down, an AI-driven system detects the issue and redirects your site to another server while it attempts to diagnose and repair it.
- No contract lock-ons. InterServer operates primarily on month-to-month billing cycles by default, allowing you to test environments without committing to multi-year terms.
Cons
- US-centric data centers. Unlike Hetzner’s massive footprint in Germany and Finland, InterServer’s data centers are exclusively located in the United States.
- Lack of advanced cloud tools. InterServer doesn’t provide features like native load balancers, managed databases, or floating IPs.
- No default backups. Automated daily cloud backups often require setting up and paying for an external add-on or backup service tier.
Read our expert InterServer review for more details.
| Data center locations | 5 in NJ, 1 in Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | None |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.90% |
| Starting price | $3.00 |
While Hetzner’s low prices for shared hosting are a powerful draw if you’re looking to save money, we found the performance to be disappointingly slow at times. Hostinger is the best-performing shared hosting provider we’ve tested, managing to compete with much more expensive hosts.
Despite this, it’s also one of your least expensive options. Hetzner is still ever so slightly cheaper, but is saving a few cents really worth putting up with weaker performance?
Hostinger also features a more modern and beginner-friendly control panel. Like Hetzner, it uses a proprietary control panel – but unlike Hetzner’s konsoleH, Hostinger’s hPanel’s clean and intuitive interface is a breeze to navigate.
Pros
- No setup fees. Hostinger waives its setup fee if you choose to commit to an annual payment plan or longer. As you’ll know if you’ve already signed up, Hetzner’s shared hosting plans come with a sizable setup fee, and if you cancel your plan, you won’t get this back.
- More SSD storage. Hostinger offers 5 times as much SSD storage on its basic plan as Hetzner. This gives you more room to grow and develop your site.
- Support for hundreds of sites. With Hetzner, you’re limited to a single domain with every shared hosting plan. On the other hand, Hostinger allows you to host hundreds of separate websites on its Premium Shared Hosting plan.
- AI WordPress agent. Hostinger includes an AI-powered WordPress agent with all standard WordPress plans, which can help you set up your site, create backups, and optimize it.
- Global data center coverage. Hostinger offers 11 locations worldwide to choose from.
Cons
- Steep renewal rates. Hostinger’s prices increase drastically after the first billing cycle.
- No Windows VPS options. Hostinger’s Cloud plans only support Linux configurations.
- No bare-metal servers. Hostinger doesn’t offer any options for bare-metal server hosting.
Learn more from our comprehensive Hostinger review.
| Data center locations | 1 in the US, 3 in Europe, 2 in Asia, 1 in South America |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% |
| Starting Price | $2.49 |
IONOS is one of the few hosts that can beat Hetzner’s prices, with huge discounts for new customers. For example, IONOS’ VPS XL plan offers 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, and 160GB SSD for just a couple of dollars per month.
The catch? This discount lasts only six months and then renews at a significantly higher price that is much more in line with the service you’d get from this hosting package. Still, the money you’d save in the beginning is a nice bonus if this is the level of plan you’re after.
IONOS’ VPSs feature unlimited traffic. If you have multiple high-traffic sites, this will help you save more money over Hetzner, which charges overage fees if you exceed the traffic limits of any given plan.
Pros
- Customizable firewall. Every IONOS VPS comes with a customizable firewall. While it’s preconfigured in a working and secure state, you can set your own custom rules with ease in the IONOS admin area.
- Dedicated support advisor. IONOS assigns a personal support advisor to every customer, even those with unmanaged VPS. This support agent will serve as your main point of contact for any queries and can even help with basic server administration. This includes server monitoring, external firewall rules, and more.
- Email service included. Unlike most unmanaged VPS solutions, IONOS includes an email service at no extra charge. This comes with unlimited mailboxes, each with 2GB of storage.
- Server management from a mobile app. IONOS offers a dedicated cloud management panel mobile app to help you manage resources, monitor server status, and even reboot your server on the go.
- ISO 27001 certified data centers. IONOS’s infrastructure meets strict international standards for security and data compliance.
Cons
- Control panel license fees. If you want a GUI panel like Plesk or cPanel, you will have to pay an extra fee on top of your regular server costs.
- Extra cost for backups. Automated, daily server-level backups via Acronis are offered as a premium add-on rather than being bundled into the base price of the cheapest plans.
- Aggressive upselling. The checkout process and user dashboard are heavily cluttered with prompts to buy additional IONOS services, which can be frustrating.
Check out our IONOS review for more details.
| Data center locations | 1 in the US, 3 in Europe |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99% |
| Starting Price | $2.00 |
If you’d like the convenience of a managed VPS, but you’re on a tight budget, Hostwinds is a great-value option. Hostwinds is your cheapest option for managed VPS – prices start at less than half the price of Hetzner.
Certainly, Hostwinds’ managed VPSs don’t offer the same level of resources as Hetzner’s offerings. However, if you’re running a small website or a lightweight project, you’ll likely find one of Hostwinds’ low-tier VPS packages to be highly suitable.
The scope of Hostwinds managed service exceeds that of Hetzner’s. You can request package installations and get help with server optimization, on top of 24/7 monitoring with proactive responses to any issues.
Pros
- Great value shared hosting plans. While it isn’t as cheap as Hetzner, Hostwinds shared hosting plans offer unlimited storage, bandwidth, and databases at a very affordable price.
- 99.9999% uptime guarantee. Hostwinds commits to providing 99.9999% uptime. If this promise isn’t met, you’ll be due compensation through service credits.
- Volumes and load balancers. You can buy more storage space whenever you want, or simply insert load balancers among multiple VPS. These top-notch services let you keep whatever you need and ensure you get maximum performance from your servers.
- User-friendly cloud control portal. Hostwinds lets you manage your managed VPS from a single, well-designed interface. You can use it to manage DNS, IP addresses, firewall rules, and much more.
- Instant Scalability. Upgrading to a more powerful VPS tier is a one-click process in the cloud control panel, with no manual migrations required.
Cons
- Limited European presence. Hetzner dominates Europe with massive data centers in Germany and Finland. Hostwinds offers only one European location (Amsterdam), which limits localized performance.
- Strict refund policy. Hostwind’s refund window is much more rigid than that of other hosts, often limited to just 72 hours after your first purchase.
- Backups cost extra. Unlike some modern cloud alternatives that bundle local backups, Hostwinds charges an additional monthly fee for its cloud backup service.
Read through our Hostwinds review for a detailed analysis.
| Data center locations | 2 in the US, 1 in Europe |
|---|---|
| Money-back guarantee | No guarantee – prorated refunds for services cancelled within 72 hours of purchase |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9999% |
| Starting Price | $8.24 |
Which Hetzner Alternative Is the Best?
There are many outstanding alternatives to Hetzner, and the absolute best option will depend on your specific needs. For the best performance and flexibility, Kamatera offers customizable server configurations. ScalaHosting is great for managed performance, and Liquid Web has fantastic customer support. If you’re unsure about the best option for you, take a look at our comparison table below.
| Standout feature | Data center | Beginner friendly? | Starting price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamatera | Highly customizable cloud VPS with great performance | 5 in the US, 1 in Canada, 3 in Europe, 5 in the Middle East, 1 in Asia | ✘ | $4.00 | |
| ScalaHosting | Proprietary SPanel and SShield Security | 5 in the US, 1 in Canada, 5 in Europe, 4 in Asia, 1 in Australia | ✔ | $19.95 | |
| Liquid Web | Reliable managed service with a fast support response time guarantee | 2 in the US, 1 in Europe | ✔ | $5.00 | |
| InterServer | Modular server setup | 5 in NJ, 1 in Los Angeles | ✔ | $3.00 | |
| Hostinger | Fast shared hosting performance at budget prices | 1 in the US, 3 in Europe, 2 in Asia, 1 in South America | ✔ | $2.49 | |
| IONOS | Very cheap unmanaged VPS with unlimited traffic | 1 in the US, 3 in Europe | ✘ | $2.00 | |
| Hostwinds | Affordable managed VPS with impressive scope of support | 2 in the US, 1 in Europe | ✔ | $8.24 |
