Head-to-Head Matrix · August 2026 Verified
Head-to-Head Comparison
Hetzner vs AWS S3
Hetzner offers unbeatable multi-terabyte to petabyte European scale economics with zero API operation fees and 100% GDPR compliance. AWS S3 provides global multi-region replication and complex enterprise lifecycle management.
Side-by-Side Cost & Feature Matrix
| Feature / Pricing Dimension | Hetzner Object Storage | S3 Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor & Parent | Hetzner | AWS |
| Storage Rate (USD/TB/mo) | $7.30 | $23.00 |
| Internet Egress (USD/TB) | $1.17 | $90.00 |
| Free Egress Policy | 1 TB / month | 0.1 TB / month |
| Write Requests (PUT/LIST per 1M) | $0 (Free) | $5.00 |
| Read Requests (GET/HEAD per 1M) | $0 (Free) | $0.40 |
| S3 API Compatibility | ✓ Standard S3 API | ✓ Standard S3 API |
| Durability | 99.999999999% (11 9s Ceph) | 99.999999999% (11 9s) |
| Availability SLA | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Object Lock (WORM) | ✓ Object Lock | ✓ Object Lock |
| Versioning | ✓ Supported | ✓ Supported |
| Sovereignty & Jurisdiction | 100% EU Sovereign (Germany & Finland) | US Cloud Act (Global regions) |
| Minimum Commitment | $7.57/mo base incl. 1 TB | None; 5 GB free tier (12 months) |
| Datacenter Regions | EU | US, EU, AP, SA |
Simulated Real-World Workload Scenarios
Starter / Web App
Hetzner Object Storage $7.57/mo
vs
S3 Standard $59.59/mo
🏆 Hetzner Object Storage saves ~$52.02/mo on this workload.
Growth / Backup
Hetzner Object Storage $75.59/mo
vs
S3 Standard $494.19/mo
🏆 Hetzner Object Storage saves ~$418.59/mo on this workload.
Data Lake / Scale
Hetzner Object Storage $381.55/mo
vs
S3 Standard $2504.89/mo
🏆 Hetzner Object Storage saves ~$2123.33/mo on this workload.
Decision Guide: Pros & Gotchas
Why Choose Hetzner Object Storage?
- ✓ Over 70% cheaper raw storage than AWS S3
- ✓ 100% Zero API request charges (Class A/B free)
- ✓ Housed in 100% green energy German & Finnish datacenters
- ✓ Immune to the US CLOUD Act
⚠️ Gotchas to Watch:
- ! Datacenters located in Europe only (Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki)
- ! No multi-region automatic replication outside EU
Why Choose S3 Standard?
- ✓ Global replication across many AWS regions
- ✓ Extensive enterprise compliance (HIPAA, SOC, FedRAMP)
- ✓ Tape and deep archive tiers available
⚠️ Gotchas to Watch:
- ! $90/TB egress fee creates massive lock-in
- ! Class A/B request fees can add thousands per month at scale
Have a Custom Workload?
Calculate your exact monthly bill with our interactive real-time calculator across all S3 storage providers in the catalog.
Open Interactive Storage Calculator →