Railway vs Hetzner
Railway is infrastructure platform that makes deploying apps from GitHub as simple as pushing code, while Hetzner is german cloud provider with high-performance servers at unbeatable prices. The biggest difference up front: Railway is free, while Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. Railway is built for developers wanting instant deployments from git, whereas Hetzner targets european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers.
| Feature | Railway | Hetzner |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | ✓ | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Block Storage | — | ✓ |
| Cloud VMs | — | ✓ |
| Cron Jobs | ✓ | — |
| Databases | ✓ | — |
| Dedicated Servers | — | ✓ |
| Environments | ✓ | — |
| Git Deploy | ✓ | — |
| Load Balancers | — | ✓ |
Pricing: Railway is completely free ($5 free credits/month), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Railway offers Cron Jobs, Databases and Environments that Hetzner lacks. Hetzner brings Block Storage, Cloud VMs and Dedicated Servers that Railway does not have.
Team fit: Railway is geared toward small teams teams, while Hetzner is aimed at any size teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Railway's biggest strengths are: includes git deploy as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows. databases turn notes into structured data with views, filters, and relations. Hetzner's biggest strengths are: includes dedicated servers as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows. includes cloud vms as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows.
Watch out for: With Railway, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Hetzner, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay €3.29/mo from day one to use it.
choose Railway if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting instant deployments from git
- Budget is a hard constraint — Railway is free, Hetzner is not
- You specifically need Cron Jobs and Databases
- You care about databases turn notes into structured data with views, filters, and relations
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Railway is designed for
choose Hetzner if
- You need a tool built for european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers
- You specifically need Block Storage and Cloud VMs
- You care about includes cloud vms as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows
- Your team size fits the any size profile Hetzner is designed for
frequently asked
What is the difference between Railway and Hetzner?
Railway is infrastructure platform that makes deploying apps from GitHub as simple as pushing code, while Hetzner is german cloud provider with high-performance servers at unbeatable prices. The biggest difference up front: Railway is free, while Hetzner starts at €3.29/mo. Railway is built for developers wanting instant deployments from git, whereas Hetzner targets european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers.
Should I use Railway or Hetzner?
Railway is the free option; Hetzner charges €3.29/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Railway over Hetzner?
Choose Railway if Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting instant deployments from git; Budget is a hard constraint — Railway is free, Hetzner is not; You specifically need Cron Jobs and Databases; You care about databases turn notes into structured data with views, filters, and relations; Your team size fits the small teams profile Railway is designed for.
When should I choose Hetzner over Railway?
Choose Hetzner if You need a tool built for european developers wanting affordable, powerful servers; You specifically need Block Storage and Cloud VMs; You care about includes cloud vms as a core feature, purpose-built for cloud hosting workflows; Your team size fits the any size profile Hetzner is designed for.
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