Updated 2026-08-30
Hosting prices, normalised so the comparison actually means something.
Every provider prices differently — per core, per gigabyte, per visit. This tool converts 6 providers onto the same basis: cost per vCPU, per GB of RAM and per GB of storage, from their own published list prices.
4 of 6 providers pay us a commission. The other 2 pay nothing and are listed anyway.
Cheapest compute per core
Ranked by monthly cost divided by vCPU. This is where the price gap between providers is widest, and where the headline monthly figure is most misleading.
Hetzner
CX32
$7.60
per month
- Specification
- 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM
- Storage
- 80 GB NVMe
- Included transfer
- 20 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $1.90
- Cost per GB RAM
- $0.95
- Annual
- $91
Not paidPricing pageHetzner
CX22
$4.60
per month
- Specification
- 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM
- Storage
- 40 GB NVMe
- Included transfer
- 20 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $2.30
- Cost per GB RAM
- $1.15
- Annual
- $55
Not paidPricing pageHetzner
CPX11
$5.20
per month
- Specification
- 2 vCPU / 2 GB RAM
- Storage
- 40 GB NVMe
- Included transfer
- 20 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $2.60
- Cost per GB RAM
- $2.60
- Annual
- $62
Not paidPricing pageHetzner
CPX31
$15.60
per month
- Specification
- 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM
- Storage
- 160 GB NVMe
- Included transfer
- 20 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $3.90
- Cost per GB RAM
- $1.95
- Annual
- $187
Not paidPricing pageVultr
Regular 1GB
$5.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM
- Storage
- 25 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 1 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $5
- Cost per GB RAM
- $5
- Annual
- $60
AffiliatePricing page
| Provider & plan | Monthly | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Transfer | / vCPU | / GB RAM | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hetzner CX32Not paid | $7.60 | 4 | 8 GB | 80 GB | 20 TB | $1.90 | $0.95 | Open |
Hetzner CX22Not paid | $4.60 | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB | 20 TB | $2.30 | $1.15 | Open |
Hetzner CPX11Not paid | $5.20 | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | 20 TB | $2.60 | $2.60 | Open |
Hetzner CPX31Not paid | $15.60 | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 20 TB | $3.90 | $1.95 | Open |
Vultr Regular 1GBAffiliate | $5.00 | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5 | $5 | Open |
All figures are the providers' own published list prices in USD, on-demand monthly, recorded on 2026-08-30. Nothing here is live or negotiated pricing. Hetzner publishes in euros, so its dollar figure moves with the exchange rate. Check the provider's pricing page before you commit.
The providers
Four of these pay commission and two do not. Both groups are documented to the same standard, including the weaknesses.
Akamai Cloud (Linode)
UnmanagedNot paidLong-running independent cloud, now inside Akamai
From $5.00/mo · 20 regions
Cloudways
ManagedAffiliateManaged layer on top of someone else’s cloud
From $14.00/mo · 25 regions
DigitalOcean
UnmanagedAffiliatePredictable unmanaged cloud with the gentlest learning curve
From $6.00/mo · 15 regions
Hetzner
UnmanagedNot paidThe cheapest real compute per dollar, if EU regions work for you
From $4.60/mo · 6 regions
Kinsta
ManagedAffiliatePremium managed WordPress, priced on traffic not cores
From $35.00/mo · 37 regions
Vultr
UnmanagedAffiliateThe widest region map among the budget cloud providers
From $5.00/mo · 32 regions
Head to head
Direct comparisons with the specification deltas worked out, including the cases where the honest answer is that the two providers are not comparable.
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs Cloudways
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs DigitalOcean
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs Hetzner
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs Kinsta
- Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs Vultr
- Cloudways vs DigitalOcean
Some links on this page are affiliate links, marked Affiliate, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through them. Hetzner and Akamai Cloud pay us nothing and are included anyway, because a comparison that hides the cheapest option is worthless. Commission never affects the ordering: every table on this site is sorted by the figures you choose.