They’re not the same kind of product. Hetzner sells you a raw VPS you administer yourself. Cloudways sells a managed layer on top of other clouds. People compare them because the real question is the same: pay more for convenience, or pay less and do it yourself?
Cloudways vs Hetzner at a glance
| Cloudways | Hetzner | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Managed (on DO/Vultr/etc.) | Raw VPS (self-managed) |
| Who runs the server | Cloudways | You |
| Value (resources/$) | Lower (you pay for management) | Highest |
| Backups | Built-in (paid add-on) | You set them up |
| Best for | Hands-off hosting | Max value, full control |
| Underlying cloud | DO/Vultr/Linode/AWS/GCP | Hetzner’s own DCs |
When Cloudways wins
- You don’t want to patch the OS, configure a firewall, or babysit backups.
- You value your time over saving a few dollars a month.
- You want a dashboard and one-click stacks, not a terminal.
When Hetzner wins
- You’re fine on the command line and want the most resources per dollar.
- You want full root control with no abstraction layer.
- You’re running RAM/disk-heavy apps (media, photos) where value matters.
Hetzner is genuinely the better raw value here, and I’ll say so even though it doesn’t pay me a commission — that’s the point of testing honestly.
How I’m testing (methodology)
To keep this honest, the benchmark section will use the same stack on both: identical-tier instances, the same yabs.sh / fio / iperf3 runs, and the same real app deployment (Nextcloud). Raw numbers and the bills get published here — no vendor marketing figures.
📊 Benchmark + pricing tables: in progress — real data only.
Which should you pick?
- Most self-hosters who want it to “just work”: Cloudways.
- Tinkerers and value-seekers: Hetzner.
New to this? Start at the hub: Best VPS for Self-Hosting. Running it for a China audience instead? See the BandwagonHost HK review.
