The verdict in three sentences
For a business application with 300 users handling HR data, hosting on Hetzner costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 100 to 350 EUR per month, versus 600 to 1,100 EUR on AWS or Azure for a comparable configuration, so roughly 2 to 4 times more. European providers bring the sovereignty argument (no exposure to the US Cloud Act), hyperscalers a much broader catalogue of managed services. In both cases the forgotten line is managed operations and disaster recovery, which can double the monthly bill.
Realistic sizing for a 300-user application
A business application for a mid-sized company in Berlin (production planning, HR, quality tracking) does not need hyperscale architecture. With 300 users and 80 concurrent at peak, a typical setup has two application servers, a managed PostgreSQL database with a replica, object storage for documents and off-site backups in a second region.
| Component | Hetzner (Falkenstein, Nuremberg) | OVHcloud / Scaleway (EU) | AWS (Frankfurt eu-central-1) | Azure (Germany West Central) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 app servers 4 vCPU, 16 GB | 30 to 70 EUR | 70 to 150 EUR | 230 to 330 EUR | 240 to 350 EUR |
| Managed PostgreSQL with replica | 40 to 150 EUR (managed via partner or self-run) | 60 to 200 EUR | 260 to 460 EUR | 270 to 490 EUR |
| Object storage 500 GB | 5 to 8 EUR | 5 to 12 EUR | 12 to 15 EUR | 10 to 14 EUR |
| Load balancer and IP | 6 to 15 EUR | 10 to 30 EUR | 20 to 35 EUR | 20 to 40 EUR |
| Backups in a second region | 15 to 50 EUR | 20 to 60 EUR | 40 to 120 EUR | 40 to 120 EUR |
| Outbound bandwidth (1 TB) | Included | Included or low | 80 to 90 EUR | 75 to 85 EUR |
| Monthly total excl. VAT | 100 to 350 EUR | 170 to 450 EUR | 640 to 1,050 EUR | 655 to 1,100 EUR |
These are 2026 estimates based on public list prices without commitment. With 1 or 3 year reserved instances, AWS and Azure drop by 30 to 50%, which narrows the gap without closing it. Hetzner's main trade-off is a thinner managed services layer: managed databases and Kubernetes are more limited than on hyperscalers.
Sovereignty, compliance and HR data
HR data is personal data, sometimes sensitive (sick leave, disciplinary records). GDPR does not ban US hyperscalers, but the Cloud Act theoretically allows US authorities to request data held in Europe by a US company. In Germany, works councils (Betriebsrat) have co-determination rights over systems that can monitor employees, and they often ask where data lives.
| Criterion | Hetzner / OVHcloud / Scaleway | AWS / Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Provider's governing law | German or French, outside the Cloud Act | US, Cloud Act applies |
| BSI C5 attestation | Available from some EU providers | Available |
| Managed services (AI, queues, analytics) | Narrower catalogue | Very broad catalogue |
| Sovereign cloud offers | Native EU providers | AWS European Sovereign Cloud, Azure sovereign options |
| Support in German | Native at Hetzner | Available, often via partners |
| Price predictability | Flat monthly pricing | Usage-based, needs cost monitoring |
Managed operations and recovery: the hidden budget
Hosting nobody watches is a risk. Managed operations (24/7 monitoring, security patching, incident handling) cost around 400 to 1,200 EUR per month for this scope, depending on recovery time commitments. Disaster recovery means backups in another region, tested at least twice a year, and a clear target: for example restart within 4 hours with at most 1 hour of data loss. A documented restore test costs 1,500 to 3,000 EUR per exercise with a managed services provider.
Mini case study
Jonas, CIO of an 850-employee manufacturer near Berlin, compares two options for his new HR and production app. Hetzner option: 260 EUR of infrastructure plus 800 EUR of managed operations (more hands-on work since fewer managed services), so 1,060 EUR per month and 12,720 EUR per year. AWS option with 1-year reserved instances: 650 EUR of infrastructure plus 700 EUR of managed operations, so 1,350 EUR per month and 16,200 EUR per year. The 3,480 EUR yearly gap funds two recovery tests, and EU-only hosting eased the works council agreement. He picks Hetzner with a containerised architecture that keeps a migration path open.
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FAQ
Is Hetzner reliable enough for a critical application?
Yes, provided the database is replicated and backups go to a second location. Hetzner's own SLA is basic, so resilience must be designed by your team or managed services partner.
How much does a later migration between clouds cost?
With a containerised app and standard PostgreSQL, expect 5,000 to 15,000 EUR. If you rely on proprietary AWS or Azure services, it can exceed 30,000 EUR.
Do we need a sovereign cloud for HR data?
Not legally for a private company. It becomes relevant for public sector clients or when the works council requires it, usually at a 30 to 80% premium.
What does 700 EUR per month of managed operations include?
Typically 24/7 monitoring, monthly security patches, backup management and response within 4 business hours. On-call with 1-hour recovery usually starts around 1,200 EUR.
Should hosting be priced in the development quote?
Yes, ask for a 3-year total cost including development, hosting, managed operations and maintenance. Over 3 years, operations often make up 30 to 45% of the total.
Let's scope your project. We price the hosting of your business application (sizing, sovereignty, managed operations, recovery plan) over 3 years, with an indicative monthly budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
