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Head-to-head · Ubuntu VPS Hosting

Google Compute Engine vs Hetzner Cloud Servers

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score Google Compute Engine #2 in Ubuntu VPS Hosting 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan Visit Google Cloud
Hetzner Cloud Servers #5 in Ubuntu VPS Hosting 8.9/10 Paid Visit Hetzner

Google Compute Engine leads on 1 check, Hetzner Cloud Servers on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Compute Engine · 9.3/10
  • Free planonly Google Compute Engine

Google Compute Engine scores higher on our rubric for ubuntu vps hosting: 9.3 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.

Google Compute Engine offers free plan; Hetzner Cloud Servers doesn't.

Google Compute Engine is the better fit for ubuntu workloads needing a scalable cloud platform. Hetzner Cloud Servers is the better fit for ubuntu users prioritizing value, NVMe and DDoS defense.

  • Google Compute Engine fits best

    Ubuntu workloads needing a scalable cloud platform

  • Hetzner Cloud Servers fits best

    Ubuntu users prioritizing value, NVMe and DDoS defense

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Side by side

Feature Google Compute Engine 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Hetzner Cloud Servers 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.9
Ranking #2 in Ubuntu VPS Hosting #5 in Ubuntu VPS Hosting
Best for Ubuntu workloads needing a scalable cloud platform Ubuntu users prioritizing value, NVMe and DDoS defense
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price Free plan —
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web, Linux, Windows
Support Docs, Community · 24/7 Email, Docs · 24/7
Integrations 4 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Specs
vCPU cores Not checked yet Not checked yet
RAM Not checked yet 4 GB
NVMe storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
Bandwidth Not checked yet Not checked yet
Server locations Not checked yet Not checked yet
Managed support Not checked yet Not checked yet
DDoS protection Not checked yet Included
Our review
Pros
  • Autoscaling and load balancing support changing VM workloads
  • Preset or custom machine types suit varied compute requirements
  • Broad regions, zones and storage options support distributed deployments
  • CX23 includes 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB NVMe storage.
  • Hourly billing is capped at a monthly price.
  • Continuously active DDoS detection and filtering are included.
Cons
  • Usage-based pricing varies by machine type and configuration
  • Cloud-only deployment limits infrastructure placement choices
  • Proprietary platform rather than an open-source VM service
  • Backups are optional rather than included.
  • Server plans use shared or dedicated resources, which differ by type.
  • Pricing and plan availability vary by location.
Our verdict

Google Compute Engine is Google Cloud’s infrastructure-as-a-service offering for creating and running virtual machines. It fits teams managing Linux workloads such as web servers, application servers, databases, containers, analytics and…

Read the review →

Hetzner Cloud Servers provide virtual machines for running operating systems and applications on Hetzner infrastructure in Europe, the United States and Singapore. Ubuntu users can select an operating system and manage servers through the…

Read the review →
  1. Google Compute EngineUbuntu VPS Hosting 9.3Free plan
  2. Hetzner Cloud ServersUbuntu VPS Hosting 8.9Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Compute Engine — where it wins

    • Autoscaling and load balancing support changing VM workloads
    • Preset or custom machine types suit varied compute requirements
    • Broad regions, zones and storage options support distributed deployments

    Where it doesn't

    • Usage-based pricing varies by machine type and configuration
    • Cloud-only deployment limits infrastructure placement choices
    • Proprietary platform rather than an open-source VM service

  • Hetzner Cloud Servers — where it wins

    • CX23 includes 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB NVMe storage.
    • Hourly billing is capped at a monthly price.
    • Continuously active DDoS detection and filtering are included.

    Where it doesn't

    • Backups are optional rather than included.
    • Server plans use shared or dedicated resources, which differ by type.
    • Pricing and plan availability vary by location.

More comparisons

All ubuntu VPS hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update