Hetzner vs Portainer: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of Hetzner and Portainer. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Hetzner starts at $4.09/mo, making it $6/mo cheaper than Portainer ($10/mo). Portainer offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Hetzner vs Portainer: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | Hetzner | Portainer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $4.09/mo | $10/mo |
| Number of Plans | 3 | 4 |
| Free Tier | No | Yes |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | freemium |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
Hetzner is the more affordable option, starting at $4.09/mo compared to Portainer's $10/mo. Both are Hosting & Infra tools with 7 combined pricing plans and 23 features compared.
Portainer stands out with a free plan for getting started. Hetzner uses usage-based pricing while Portainer uses freemium pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Hosting & Infra needs.
| Pricing Plans |  Hetzner Try it free |  Portainer Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Cost-Optimized $4/month $49 / year Includes
| |
| Tier 2 | Regular Performance $6/monthCheapest $67 / year Includes
| ProPopular $10/month $8 / year Includes
|
| Tier 3 | General Purpose $14/monthCheapest $169 / year Includes
| Business $25/month $21 / year Includes
|
| Tier 4 | — | Enterprise Custom pricing Includes
|
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Portainer
Portainer offers a free plan, offers 4 tiers vs 3.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: Portainer
Try Portainer freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose Hetzner if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—Hetzner starts at $4.09/mo, saving $5.91/mo compared to Portainer at $10/mo
- •You want more features built-in—Hetzner offers 1 additional features across its plans
- •You prefer Hetzner's usage-based model with its 3-tier structure
Choose Portainer if:
- •You need a free plan with Basic features, Community support—Portainer offers no-cost access with no credit card required
- •You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Portainer offers negotiated terms for large deployments
Portainer offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Hetzner requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Portainer a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Portainer's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately $10/mo provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Hetzner's tiering starting at $4.09/mo to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Portainer's 4 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Hetzner's 3 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Portainer is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.
Frequently Asked Questions: Hetzner vs Portainer
Which is cheaper, Hetzner or Portainer?
How many pricing plans does Hetzner have vs Portainer?
Does Hetzner or Portainer offer a free plan?
Can I save money by paying annually for Hetzner or Portainer?
What is the most popular Portainer plan?
Does Hetzner or Portainer offer custom enterprise pricing?
What pricing models do Hetzner and Portainer use?
Sources
- Hetzner Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- Portainer Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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