Raff vs Hetzner: Cloud VPS Comparison (2026)

Introduction

Raff and Hetzner are both strong cloud infrastructure providers, but the comparison only makes sense when shared cloud and dedicated cloud are kept separate. Raff Technologies offers two clearly defined VM categories: General Purpose for shared-vCPU workloads and CPU-Optimized for dedicated-vCPU workloads. Hetzner also separates these ideas: its Regular Performance line is based on shared resources, while its General Purpose line is based on dedicated vCPUs.

That distinction matters because a shared instance and a dedicated instance do not solve the same problem, even if the monthly prices look close. In this updated version, I compare Raff General Purpose against Hetzner Regular Performance, and Raff CPU-Optimized against Hetzner General Purpose. That keeps the article aligned with how someone would actually evaluate the two providers in 2026.

There is also a second reason to rebuild the page: raw VM pricing is only one part of the decision. Included bandwidth, backups, snapshots, firewalling, networking, and recovery access all affect the real operating cost. A useful comparison should help you choose the right platform, not just the cheapest visible number.

Raff Overview

Raff Technologies is a U.S.-hosted cloud infrastructure provider focused on virtual machines, storage, networking, and predictable platform economics. Its current public pricing is split into General Purpose and CPU-Optimized, which makes the platform easy to explain. Raff’s current pricing page lists General Purpose tiers starting at 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 50 GB NVMe SSD for $4.99/month, and CPU-Optimized tiers starting at 1 vCPU / 1 GB / 25 GB SSD for $3.99/month.

Raff General Purpose

Raff General Purpose is the shared-vCPU line. It is designed for websites, staging systems, development environments, internal tools, and everyday workloads that do not need permanently dedicated CPU performance.

Current public tiers are:

• 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM / 50 GB NVMe SSD — $4.99/month
• 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / 120 GB NVMe SSD — $9.99/month
• 8 vCPU / 16 GB RAM / 240 GB NVMe SSD — $23.99/month
• 12 vCPU / 32 GB RAM / 360 GB NVMe SSD — $43.99/month
• 16 vCPU / 64 GB RAM / 480 GB NVMe SSD — $69.99/month

Raff CPU-Optimized

Raff CPU-Optimized is the dedicated-vCPU line. It is intended for production applications, databases, CI/CD workloads, and systems where CPU consistency matters more than the lowest entry price.

Current public tiers include:

• 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM / 25 GB SSD — $3.99/month
• 1 vCPU / 2 GB RAM / 50 GB SSD — $9.99/month
• 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM / 80 GB SSD — $19.99/month
• 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / 120 GB SSD — $36.00/month
• 8 vCPU / 16 GB RAM / 180 GB SSD — $64.00/month
• 8 vCPU / 32 GB RAM / 240 GB SSD — $128.00/month
• 16 vCPU / 64 GB RAM / 480 GB SSD — $256.00/month

Across both VM categories, Raff’s current product reference includes AMD EPYC processors, NVMe SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, IPv4 + IPv6, DDoS protection, snapshots, automated backups, firewall, private networking, web console access, block storage, instant resize, and API/CLI access.

Hetzner Overview

Hetzner Cloud is popular because it is familiar, straightforward, and often aggressively priced. But the platform only compares fairly to Raff when its shared and dedicated lines are kept distinct.

Hetzner Regular Performance

Hetzner’s Regular Performance page explicitly says this family is based on shared resources and is intended for web applications, small databases, and test or development environments that do not need maximum computing power all the time. That makes it the correct comparison point for Raff General Purpose.

Hetzner General Purpose

Hetzner’s General Purpose page explicitly says this family uses dedicated vCPUs and is aimed at workloads with higher and more predictable CPU requirements. That makes it the correct comparison point for Raff CPU-Optimized.

For this article, the Hetzner prices below are based on the current values you shared from those two pages and should be treated as:

• displayed in EUR
• excluding VAT
• hourly billed with a monthly cap

Shared Cloud Comparison: Raff General Purpose vs Hetzner Regular Performance

For shared cloud, the correct comparison is Raff General Purpose vs Hetzner Regular Performance. Hetzner’s own wording is clear that Regular Performance is the shared-resource line, while Raff General Purpose is also a shared-vCPU category. That is the right shared-to-shared comparison.

Shared Pricing Comparison

This shared comparison is much cleaner than the earlier draft because it stays inside the same resource model. Raff General Purpose remains strong because the platform story around the VM is broader: unmetered bandwidth, IPv4 + IPv6, snapshots, automated backups, firewall, private networking, and web console access all sit inside the current VM reference.

That matters because a shared-cloud decision is rarely only about CPU and RAM. It is also about how much operational friction comes with the server after launch.

Dedicated Cloud Comparison: Raff CPU-Optimized vs Hetzner General Purpose

For dedicated cloud, the correct comparison is Raff CPU-Optimized vs Hetzner General Purpose. Hetzner’s General Purpose page explicitly identifies these plans as dedicated-vCPU infrastructure, so this is the right dedicated-to-dedicated comparison. Hetzner Regular Performance should not appear in this section at all.

Dedicated Pricing Comparison

This dedicated comparison shows the trade-off much more honestly.

Where Raff is stronger in dedicated cloud

Raff is stronger on lower dedicated entry points. Hetzner’s dedicated line starts at 2 vCPU / 8 GB, while Raff lets you start with 1 vCPU / 1 GB or 1 vCPU / 2 GB. That matters if you want dedicated CPU behavior without immediately paying for a larger RAM footprint than you actually need.

Where Hetzner is stronger in dedicated cloud

Hetzner’s General Purpose line is stronger on raw larger-tier dedicated pricing. Once you move into 8 vCPU / 32 GB and above, the visible Hetzner dedicated monthly prices are materially lower than Raff’s CPU-Optimized equivalents.

So the dedicated conclusion should not be “Raff is cheaper.” The accurate version is:

• Raff is stronger for smaller dedicated entry points and bundled platform simplicity
• Hetzner is stronger for larger dedicated raw-instance pricing

CPU, Storage, and Hardware Positioning

Raff’s current VM reference is straightforward: the platform is positioned around AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage across current VM categories.

Hetzner’s current Regular Performance and General Purpose pages both present AMD in the visible plan layout you shared, which is a positive signal for the current lineup. But Raff’s hardware story is still simpler to explain because the product reference keeps the platform language more uniform across the catalog: AMD EPYC and NVMe-backed VM categories with one consistent feature bundle.

Storage wording also deserves precision. Raff explicitly states NVMe SSD in its product reference. Hetzner’s current cloud plan pages label disks as SSD on the public page structure. For a clean comparison, the article should stick to those public labels instead of assuming both providers describe storage the same way.

Networking, Bandwidth, and Real Platform Cost

This is one of the biggest operational differences between the two providers.

Raff’s current VM reference includes:

• unmetered bandwidth
• IPv4 + IPv6
• private networking
• snapshots
• automated backups
• firewall
• web console
• DDoS protection

That matters because infrastructure cost is not only about CPU and RAM. It is also about:

• whether bandwidth is capped or predictable
• whether snapshots and backups are part of daily operations
• whether the platform gives you recovery access through a browser console
• whether the networking model is easy to explain to teams and clients
• whether surrounding cloud features are bundled cleanly around the VM

This is where Raff remains stronger as a bundled infrastructure experience, even in parts of the market where Hetzner may beat it on raw larger-instance price.

Platform Features and Operational Fit

Choose Raff when you want:

• lower shared-cloud entry pricing
• lower dedicated entry points
• unmetered bandwidth
• included IPv4 + IPv6
• bundled cloud features around the VM
• AMD EPYC + NVMe consistency
• a U.S.-hosted cloud platform with a simpler feature story

Choose Hetzner when you want:

• aggressively priced larger dedicated cloud instances
• broader infrastructure geography
• a familiar provider with a strong reputation among self-managed cloud users
• a model where raw instance pricing matters more than bundled platform convenience

That is the honest framing. It does not overstate Raff, and it does not understate Hetzner.

Who Should Choose Raff?

Raff is the better fit if your workload looks like this:

• websites
• development environments
• staging
• early SaaS infrastructure
• self-hosted apps
• teams that care about predictable bandwidth economics
• MSPs or agencies that want simpler quoting and fewer cloud-billing surprises

Raff also makes more sense if you want dedicated CPU behavior without immediately stepping into a 2 vCPU / 8 GB dedicated entry tier.

The most relevant Raff product references are:

• Linux VMs
• Pricing
• Private Cloud Networks

Who Should Choose Hetzner?

Hetzner is the better fit if your main priority is:

• raw larger-tier dedicated cloud price
• broader cloud geography
• a provider already familiar to European infrastructure buyers
• workloads where bundled bandwidth and bundled platform extras matter less than monthly instance cost

Hetzner’s dedicated line is especially compelling when you need more CPU and RAM and are already comfortable assembling more of the surrounding operational model yourself.

Conclusion

Raff and Hetzner are both good cloud providers, but they should not be compared with one flat pricing story.

The correct comparison is:

• Raff General Purpose vs Hetzner Regular Performance
• Raff CPU-Optimized vs Hetzner General Purpose

Once you do that, the picture becomes much clearer.

Raff is stronger when you want:

• a simpler bundled infrastructure platform
• lower shared-cloud entry pricing
• lower dedicated entry points
• unmetered bandwidth
• included IPv4 + IPv6
• AMD EPYC + NVMe consistency

Hetzner is stronger when you want:

• lower raw dedicated-instance pricing at larger tiers
• broader region availability
• a more self-assembled cloud model built around instance cost first

That is the version of the comparison I would publish now. It is cleaner, more accurate, and much more defensible than mixing Hetzner’s dedicated and shared lines into the same pricing argument.