Hetzner Price Adjustment (June 15th, 2026)
In this technical retrospective (2026), @tuhtah shares practical architectural lessons learned from running, scaling, or migrating production software under lean constraints.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Defaulting to simpler architectures (such as monolithic frameworks, SQLite, or managed VPS) prevents early engineering bankruptcy.
Evaluating true compute and egress costs reveals that high cloud bills can often be slashed by 80%+ through judicious re-platforming.
Code you write at 2 AM as a solo engineer must be easy to debug six months later without complex microservice dependencies.
Community Debate Themes:
HN engineers debated the tradeoffs between cloud convenience and raw server economics, database indexing strategies, and resisting premature architectural complexity.
CATEGORY Frugal Engineering →
HISTORICAL ERA Post-ZIRP & AI (2023–2026)
COMMUNITY SCORE 5 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 1 comments
Little bit of number crunching shows that the median increase is 112%, so a 2.12x increase. Median for GER/FIN region is 120%, USA region is 157%, and Singapore is 71%. Worst of all increases is the Euro pricing for USA plan CPX41 with a 209% increase, or 3.09x.
Raw number comparison for those interested: Tried to format it to be readable but its [Plan] [Old Hourly] [New Hourly] [Percent Change] [Old Monthly] [New Monthly] [Percent Change]
``` Germany (FSN/NBG) / Finland (HEL) Euro Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CAX11 0.0072 0.0096 33.33% 4.49 5.99 33.41% CAX21 0.0128 0.0168 31.25% 7.99 10.49 31.29% CAX31 0.0256 0.0336 31.25% 15.99 20.99 31.27% CAX41 0.0505 0.0657 30.10% 31.49 40.99 30.17% CCX13 0.0256 0.0689 169.14% 15.99 42.99 168.86% CCX23 0.0505 0.1378 172.87% 31.49 85.99 173.07% CCX33 0.1001 0.2219 121.68% 62.49 138.49 121.62% CCX43 0.2003 0.4423 120.82% 124.99 275.99 120.81% CCX53 0.4006 0.855 113.43% 249.99 533.49 113.40% CCX63 0.6001 1.3678 127.93% 374.49 853.49 127.91% CPX22 0.0128 0.0312 143.75% 7.99 19.49 143.93% CPX32 0.0224 0.0569 154.02% 13.99 35.49 153.68% CPX42 0.0408 0.1114 173.04% 25.49 69.49 172.62% CPX52 0.0585 0.161 175.21% 36.49 100.49 175.39% CPX62 0.0809 0.2083 157.48% 50.49 129.99 157.46% CX23 0.0064 0.0088 37.50% 3.99 5.49 37.59% CX33 0.0104 0.0136 30.77% 6.49 8.49 30.82% CX43 0.0192 0.0256 33.33% 11.99 15.99 33.36% CX53 0.036 0.0473 31.39% 22.49 29.49 31.12% Germany (FSN/NBG) / Finland (HEL) Dollar Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CAX11 0.0088 0.0112 27.27% 5.49 6.99 27.32% CAX21 0.0152 0.02 31.58% 9.49 12.49 31.61% CAX31 0.0296 0.04 35.14% 18.49 24.99 35.15% CAX41 0.0593 0.0777 31.03% 36.99 48.49 31.09% CCX13 0.0296 0.0809 173.31% 18.49 50.49 173.07% CCX23 0.0593 0.1626 174.20% 36.99 101.49 174.37% CCX33 0.1186 0.2612 120.24% 73.99 162.99 120.29% CCX43 0.2364 0.5216 120.64% 147.49 325.49 120.69% CCX53 0.4727 1.0088 113.41% 294.99 629.49 113.39% CCX63 0.7083 1.6138 127.84% 441.99 1006.99 127.83% CPX22 0.0152 0.0368 142.11% 9.49 22.99 142.26% CPX32 0.0256 0.0673 162.89% 15.99 41.99 162.60% CPX42 0.0481 0.1314 173.18% 29.99 81.99 173.39% CPX52 0.0689 0.1907 176.78% 42.99 118.99 176.79% CPX62 0.0953 0.2452 157.29% 59.49 152.99 157.17% CX23 0.008 0.0104 30.00% 4.99 6.49 30.06% CX33 0.0128 0.016 25.00% 7.99 9.99 25.03% CX43 0.0224 0.0296 32.14% 13.99 18.49 32.17% CX53 0.0425 0.0561 32.00% 26.49 34.99 32.09% USA (ASH/HIL) Euro Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CCX13 0.0272 0.0697 156.25% 16.99 43.49 155.97% CCX23 0.0545 0.1402 157.25% 33.99 87.49 157.40% CCX33 0.1042 0.2259 116.79% 64.99 140.99 116.94% CCX43 0.2083 0.4479 115.03% 129.99 279.49 115.01% CCX53 0.4167 0.863 107.10% 259.99 538.49 107.12% CCX63 0.625 1.3782 120.51% 389.99 853.49 118.85% CPX11 0.0096 0.028 191.67% 5.99 17.49 191.99% CPX21 0.0192 0.0513 167.19% 11.99 31.99 166.81% CPX31 0.0336 0.1001 197.92% 20.99 62.49 197.71% CPX41 0.0625 0.1931 208.96% 38.99 120.49 209.03% CPX51 0.125 0.3814 205.12% 77.99 237.99 205.15% USA (ASH/HIL)Dollar Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CCX13 0.032 0.0817 155.31% 19.99 50.99 155.08% CCX23 0.0641 0.165 157.41% 39.99 102.99 157.54% CCX33 0.1234 0.266 115.56% 76.99 165.99 115.60% CCX43 0.246 0.528 114.63% 153.49 329.49 114.67% CCX53 0.492 1.0184 106.99% 306.99 635.49 107.01% CCX63 0.738 1.642 122.49% 460.49 1014.49 120.31% CPX11 0.0112 0.0328 192.86% 6.99 20.49 193.13% CPX21 0.0224 0.0601 168.30% 13.99 37.49 167.98% CPX31 0.04 0.1178 194.50% 24.99 73.49 194.08% CPX41 0.0745 0.2267 204.30% 46.49 141.49 204.35% CPX51 0.1482 0.4479 202.23% 92.49 279.49 202.18% Singapore (SIN) Euro Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CCX13 0.0441 0.0865 96.15% 27.49 53.99 96.40% CCX23 0.0825 0.1739 110.79% 51.49 108.49 110.70% CCX33 0.1554 0.2796 79.92% 96.99 174.49 79.91% CCX43 0.286 0.5465 91.08% 178.49 340.99 91.04% CCX53 0.613 1.0449 70.46% 382.49 651.99 70.46% CCX63 1.0048 1.661 65.31% 626.99 1,036.49 65.31% CPX12 0.0128 0.0248 93.75% 7.99 15.49 93.87% CPX22 0.0256 0.0425 66.02% 15.99 26.49 65.67% CPX32 0.0521 0.0785 50.67% 32.49 48.99 50.78% CPX42 0.0897 0.1498 67.00% 55.99 93.49 66.98% CPX52 0.125 0.2155 72.40% 77.99 134.49 72.45% CPX62 0.161 0.2756 58.42% 100.49 171.99 58.43% Singapore (SIN) Dollar Product OLDHR NEWHR Δ%HR OLDMTH NEWMTH Δ%MTH CCX13 0.0521 0.1017 95.20% 32.49 63.49 95.41% CCX23 0.0969 0.2051 111.66% 60.49 127.99 111.59% CCX33 0.1835 0.3301 79.89% 114.49 205.99 79.92% CCX43 0.3373 0.6442 90.99% 210.49 401.99 90.98% CCX53 0.7235 1.2332 70.45% 451.49 769.49 70.43% CCX63 1.1851 1.9607 65.45% 739.49 1,223.49 65.45% CPX12 0.0152 0.0288 89.47% 9.49 17.99 89.57% CPX22 0.0296 0.0497 67.91% 18.49 30.99 67.60% CPX32 0.0617 0.0929 50.57% 38.49 57.99 50.66% CPX42 0.1058 0.1763 66.64% 65.99 109.99 66.68% CPX52 0.1482 0.254 71.39% 92.49 158.49 71.36% CPX62 0.1899 0.3253 71.30% 118.49 202.99 71.31% ```
Hetzner Founder and CEO Martin Hetzner shared a response to the critics in the Hetzner Forum (user benji) over here: https://forum.hetzner.com/index.php?thread/32635-standardisierung-und-preisanpassung-unserer-server-produkte-ab-15-juni-2026-stan/&postID=313155#post313155 ↗
Translated from German via Claude:
"For better understanding, I would like to provide some additional notes: Hetzner Online's pricing strategy has remained unchanged for many years. Our prices are based on the respective purchasing conditions as well as internal operating costs. The key pricing factors — for example, depreciation periods and profit margins — have remained constant over many years and will continue to do so. The past nine months were an exception. During this period, we have increasingly subsidized new server hardware and passed on the increased purchasing costs to our customers only with significant delay. We are currently observing a similar development at numerous other data center operators as well. The increased purchasing prices will likely lead to a new market level. However, our established price-performance ratio will change as a result only temporarily — if at all — until the market has adjusted to the new conditions. Hetzner Online has always stood for an outstanding price-performance ratio, and that will not change in the future either. I am convinced that the current hardware crisis will neither sustainably improve nor worsen our competitive position. Rather, I expect that our relative position in the market will hardly change even within the new pricing structure. In the short term, shifts may indeed occur, since the individual market participants make their price adjustments at different points in time. In the medium and long term, however, I do not expect any significant changes to the competitive landscape."
That's the difference between European and US companies and that's exemplification of the problem that Europe has. A big problem.
Firstly, Hetzner is really great, they have good service, good offers, they are rock solid, they shine especially in dedicated servers area - often better than all the cloud fad for many, many applications that does not need to scale crazily.
Having said that...
They expanded to a certain level and... just stopped. They do not have services that are making AWS/Azure attractive (all this identity/security stuff, MS Exchange like functionality), they are not even providing any viable messaging service, etc. Basic stuff.
As a result, companies who would even like to use them because they are solid, reliable, etc. simply can't, as Hetzner is missing basic services from business perspective.
So, they are not able to jump to the first league, have big customers, make big money, be able to invest into custom chips/infra, they are 100% dependent on US and Chinese providers. When something happens, like certain hardware shortage they are on the mercy of others and stop being able to compete.
Frankly, I don't fully get what the problem is. Luck of founders with vision, all those Jobs, Wozs, Zukerbergs, Elons, Bezosses? Luck of boring but effective CEOs (people like Eric Schmidt or Satya Nadella)?
I am no environmental activist, but Hetzner's carbon footprint is so much worse than the rest that it's hard to ignore. I've always avoided them as a matter of principle.
Two of their 3 datacenters are located in Germany, which has some of the worst carbon emissions in Europe due to their stubborn refusal of nuclear and reliance on coal/gas. As I write this, we're talking 20x higher carbon intensity compared to France or the Nordics (https://app.electricitymaps.com/ ↗).
Besides carbon, coal-related air pollution is responsible for dozens of thousands of early deaths per year in Europe, and Germany has 6 of the top 10 worst offending plants. Until they fix that (not anytime soon), it's not a country that should be hosting foreign workloads on top of their national needs.
Hetzner seem to have a DC in Finland, which can only be better. Not sure if prices are competitive.
Scaleway and OVH are good alternatives if you want to host in Western Europe.
Prices are going insane, and I am going for an alternative provider in the US.
I have 5 app nodes, 2 background workers, 1 DB replica, and 4 dev/staging instances.
On new Hetzner US pricing:
5 x CCX23 (app nodes): $514.95/mo 2 x CCX13 (workers): $101.98/mo 1 x CCX23 (DB replica): $102.99/mo 4 x CX33 (dev/staging): $39.96/mo Total: ~$759/mo or $9,108/year
On 3HCloud with equivalent specs:
5 x 16 GB 4 vCPU dedicated: $160/mo 2 x 8 GB 2 vCPU dedicated: $32/mo 1 x 16 GB 4 vCPU dedicated: $32/mo 4 x 4 GB 2 vCPU shared: $24/mo Storage ~250 GB total (SSD smart): ~$7.50/mo Total: ~$255/mo or $3,066/year
I will let you do the math.