Scaleway vs Hetzner
Hetzner is hard to beat on VPS value. Scaleway offers a broader European cloud platform. The choice depends on how many building blocks you need.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission when you sign up or buy through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our recommendations.
Short Version
Choose Hetzner for low-cost, high-value VPS and dedicated servers. Choose Scaleway when you need a wider European cloud platform with object storage, managed databases, Kubernetes, and more cloud services around the compute.
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Hetzner | Price | Scaleway | Price (est.) |
|---|
| 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 20-40GB NVMe | CX11 | ā¬3.75/mo | DEV1-S | ~ā¬4/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40-80GB NVMe | CX21 | ā¬7.50/mo | DEV1-M | ~ā¬8/mo |
| 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 80-160GB NVMe | CX41 | ā¬24.90/mo | DEV1-L | ~ā¬24/mo |
| Dedicated, 6c/12t, 32GB RAM | AX41-NVMe | ā¬36.90/mo | Bare metal | ā¬40+/mo |
At the VPS level, pricing is competitive. Hetzner's dedicated servers are the sharper value ā ā¬36.90 for physical hardware with 32GB RAM is exceptional.
Compute Value
Hetzner is famous for aggressive pricing and strong hardware value. For straightforward VPS, dedicated servers, and European infrastructure, it is often the first provider to compare against.
Scaleway can be competitive, but it is less narrowly focused on bargain compute. The product set is wider, and pricing depends more on which cloud services you combine.
Platform Services
Scaleway has the advantage when the project needs more than servers. Object storage, managed databases, serverless pieces, load balancers, Kubernetes, and private networking are part of the platform story.
Hetzner has useful cloud features (volumes, load balancers, firewalls, S3-compatible object storage), but many teams still treat it primarily as excellent compute. If you need managed databases or a larger managed-service ecosystem, Scaleway deserves a look.
Data Residency
Both are attractive for European infrastructure conversations. If the main requirement is "host in Europe with a European provider," either can fit.
Scaleway offers French datacenters (Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw). Hetzner offers German and Finnish datacenters. GDPR compliance is straightforward with either.
Verdict: Choose X If You Need Y
Choose Hetzner if you:
- Want maximum hardware value for the price
- Need dedicated servers (not just VPS)
- Have a Linux-competent team that manages its own stack
- Don't need managed databases or broader platform services
Choose Scaleway if you:
- Need managed databases, object storage, or Kubernetes alongside compute
- Want a broader European cloud platform with multiple service types
- Value French/EU data residency with a modern cloud platform
- Need more than pure compute ā serverless, IoT, or AI infrastructure
- [Hetzner vs DigitalOcean](/comparisons/hetzner-vs-digitalocean) ā European value vs developer platform
- [OVHcloud vs Scaleway](/reviews/ovhcloud) ā Larger European infrastructure comparison
- [Best Unmanaged VPS](/comparisons/best-unmanaged-vps) ā Top picks for self-managed hosting
Related Comparisons
We may earn a commission if you sign up through these links. This does not affect our reviews ā we recommend hosts we'd use ourselves, not the ones that pay best.
Want neither? Let OpsHelp handle everything.
Managed hosting with support, security, backups, and monitoring ā from Ā£50/mo. We handle the servers, you focus on your business.