Hostinger vs Hetzner: guide for 2024

Hostinger vs Hetzner: Final verdict

Looking over Hostinger vs. Hetzner, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

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  Hostinger (Overall grade: 8.7)
  
  
  provides a comprehensive array of hosting options, from shared to VPS and cloud hosting, making it a versatile choice. Its standout performance in uptime and speed is complemented by advanced features like NVMe storage and LiteSpeed web servers. Hostinger excels in WordPress and eCommerce hosting and offers a highly intuitive hPanel control panel and seamless site migration. Customer support is readily available 24/7 via live chat, and users benefit from free add-ons like SSL certificates and domains in many plans. However, some users point out occasional issues with renewal pricing and the limitations of lower-tier plans.
  
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  Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  
  is known for its robust hardware options and strong scalability features, particularly benefiting high-traffic and enterprise-level websites. Offering dedicated hosting plans and extensive PHP configuration options, Hetzner caters well to experienced users. The platform excels in operational security and compliance, providing a solid infrastructure for GDPR-regulated operations. Though its konsoleH interface and manual site migration processes might be less user-friendly, Hetzner’s pricing can be quite competitive depending on user needs. However, the lack of live chat support and certain automated features might steer less technically-savvy users towards other options.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

Section 1:
🏆 Winner Hostinger: Reliable uptime and extensive features for optimal website performance.

Hostinger guarantees 99.9% uptime and has impressively maintained an average of 99.97% over the past six months. Testing showed a perfect 100% uptime over 10 weeks, ensuring that Hostinger consistently delivers excellent performance. With data centers around the globe and features like enhanced DDoS protection and Cloudflare protected nameservers, Hostinger makes sure your website runs smoothly.

Hetzner Online also offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, backed by strong network availability and data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA. Their 24/7 monitoring with SMS notifications ensures quick response to potential issues. While Hetzner provides reliable uptime and essential features, Hostinger stands out with its near-perfect uptime record and global infrastructure, making it the better choice for consistent website availability.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: High-performance hosting with advanced features for exceptional website speed and security.

Both Hostinger and Hetzner deliver impressive performance, but they excel in different areas. Hostinger utilizes NVMe storage for fast data access and is packed with performance-enhancing features like LiteSpeed Web Servers and the LSCWP Cache Plugin. Hostinger’s global data centers are located in the USA, UK, France, India, Singapore, Brazil, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, ensuring speed and reliability. Hetzner also offers NVMe SSD disk space and a robust network with Juniper backbone technology to maintain low latency. Hetzner data centers are in Germany, Finland, and the USA. While both have unlimited bandwidth and impressive uptime guarantees, Hostinger’s additional features like Cloudflare Protected Nameservers and a variety of caching options tip the scales in their favor.

Website Speed

Hostinger is designed for blazing fast load times, boasting improvements in website response time by up to 3x and speed scores increased by up to 40% thanks to Hostinger CDN. This, combined with HTTP/3 and IPv6 support, ensures low latency and rapid data transfer. Hetzner, while offering solid performance through SSD storage and high-performance hardware, focuses more on stability and reliability rather than pushing the speed envelope as aggressively as Hostinger.

Scalability

Hostinger’s hosting plans offer room to grow with straightforward upgrade options. Their higher-tier plans come with priority support and advanced features like AI tools and unlimited websites. Hostinger provides dedicated resources like RAM and CPU cores and allows smooth upgrades without friction. Hetzner also supports scalable solutions with options like shared vCPU, dedicated vCPU, and managed servers, but the exact scaling costs are not specified. Without clear cost details for scaling, Hostinger stands out with its transparent pricing and elastic scaling options.

🏆 Winner Hetzner: For those seeking a robust security infrastructure and comprehensive compliance.

Both Hostinger and Hetzner, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Hostinger offers extensive technical security features like 24/7 server monitoring and advanced security modules. It includes firewall protection, consistent security configurations, and regular vulnerability scans. It also provides anti-malware protection and enhanced DDoS protection. Hetzner, on the other hand, includes SSL certificates from Symantec and Let’s Encrypt, as well as advanced mail security with DKIM and SPF. Hetzner also features perimeter DDoS protection and secure connections for various protocols. Both providers offer PHP version controls, but Hetzner supports a wider range of PHP extensions, adding more versatility.

Operational security measures:

Hostinger has a dedicated internal security team that enforces strict policies and procedures, two-factor authentication (2FA), and OWASP secure coding practices. It also encourages responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities and offers free WHOIS privacy protection. Hetzner includes system integrity checks, automated defenses against brute force attacks, and escalation concepts for urgent issues. Additionally, Hetzner conducts daily backups and has 24/7 monitoring with SMS notifications for technicians. While both provide around-the-clock monitoring, Hetzner’s comprehensive approach gives it an edge.

Compliance and certifications:

Hostinger complies with GDPR but does not aim for PCI or HIPAA compliance. It also lacks ISO 27001 and SOC certifications, although it follows extensive security practices. Hetzner operates its data centers under GDPR regulations and holds ISO 27001 certification in Nuremberg, Falkenstein/Vogtland, and Helsinki. While both comply with GDPR, Hetzner’s ISO 27001 certification solidifies its credibility in adhering to regulatory requirements.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: A comprehensive hosting solution with an intuitive website builder and robust security features.

Hostinger and Hetzner both provide a wide array of features aimed at different user needs. Hostinger’s custom-built hPanel control panel makes website management straightforward for beginners, while its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder helps users create a functional, visually appealing site with ease. For more tech-savvy users seeking control and security, Hostinger offers SSH access, Git integration, and Cloudflare DNS Firewall protection. It also stands out with additional perks like free domains and SSL certificates in most plans, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users.

Hetzner, on the other hand, emphasizes flexibility and scalability with its NVMe SSD disk space and robust email hosting capabilities, supporting protocols such as Exchange Active Sync (EAS) and CalDAV. Hetzner offers a range of customizable features tailored for advanced users, including extensive PHP configuration options and the ability to open additional ports. While it does not provide a built-in website builder, it supports various CMS platforms like WordPress and Joomla. However, Hetzner requires additional fees for domain registration and specific features, which could be a consideration for users conscious about ongoing costs.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hostinger and Hetzner offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email Services:

Hostinger provides email hosting with features like email forwarding, webmail, and built-in spam and virus protection. It supports various developer tools but does not highlight transactional email capabilities or integrations with third-party services. Hetzner’s email hosting is more comprehensive, offering unlimited mailboxes, SMTP (TLS/SSL secured), and support for synchronization protocols such as Exchange Active Sync (EAS) and CalDAV. It also includes a built-in autoresponder, making it ideal for users needing robust email capabilities for business or personal use.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Offers a wide range of affordable plans with extensive features.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Hostinger provides various hosting options such as web, cloud, VPS, and WordPress hosting, starting from $0.99/month. It offers impressive features like free domains, unlimited SSL, and extensive storage. Hetzner, with prices starting from €2.09/month, emphasizes robust data transfer allowances and a range of domains, but generally includes fewer additional features. Hostinger’s cloud hosting scales higher in terms of CPU and RAM, while Hetzner maintains competitive pricing across its vServer and cloud plans. For enterprises, Hetzner’s Managed Server offerings present a strong contender alongside Hostinger’s expansive cloud hosting options.

Enterprise plans

Hostinger caters well to enterprises with its Cloud Enterprise plan, offering vast storage, RAM, and CPU capabilities along with unlimited bandwidth, daily backups, and managed WordPress—ideal for high-traffic sites. Hetzner’s enterprise-level vServers, like the vServer MC60, provide extensive RAM, NVMe SSD storage, and guaranteed bandwidth at competitive hourly pricing. This makes Hetzner’s plan a viable choice for enterprises needing a balance of performance and flexibility.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: A user-friendly hosting provider with a rich set of features for both beginners and advanced users.

Hostinger offers a custom-built control panel called hPanel. Designed with user accessibility in mind, this panel provides a clean, intuitive interface that is easy for beginners to navigate while also offering advanced options for experienced users. Tasks like setting up a professional email address, installing a content management system, or using the built-in website builder can be performed with just a few clicks. The inclusion of AI tools further simplifies content creation, making it straightforward for those who lack technical skills.

Hetzner uses the konsoleH administration interface for managing accounts. While not as intuitive as hPanel, konsoleH provides a practical and efficient environment for performing tasks such as setting up domains, email addresses, and websites. Although it may take users some time to familiarize themselves with its extensive set of features, the interface is robust enough to handle various administrative tasks once mastered. This makes it more suitable for users with a moderate to advanced level of technical knowledge.

Hostinger excels in providing seamless site migration, offering free automatic website migration with no downtime. This feature makes it incredibly convenient for users who wish to transfer their website without experiencing any interruptions. In contrast, Hetzner also provides steps for migrating domains, websites, emails, and databases but requires manual intervention. Although thorough, their process does not offer the same level of ease and automation as Hostinger, potentially making it more cumbersome for non-technical users.

Hostinger’s help center is comprehensive, featuring a vast number of tutorials and guides, an academy for video tutorials, and 24/7 multilingual support via live chat and email. This ensures that users can quickly find answers or get assistance when needed. Hetzner also offers extensive documentation, detailed guides, and 24/7 support through telephone and email. Plus, their community contributions provide additional tutorials. However, Hostinger’s additional resources and accessibility make it stand out.

🏆 Winner: Hostinger: Excellent user management and intuitive access controls.

Hostinger and Hetzner both offer substantial user management features, albeit in different ways. Hostinger uses its hPanel allowing quick client onboarding and centralized management, which is efficient. It also provides detailed access levels based on role specificity. On the other hand, Hetzner relies on user groups and quotas to manage permissions, offering versatility but potentially more complexity in setup. Both services provide differentiated roles, but Hostinger seems more streamlined in granting particular access without the need to establish groups first. Such ease allows for quicker user role assignment and adaptability in managing permissions.

In terms of user interface and tools for managing users, Hostinger’s hPanel provides a simple point-and-click method to manage access levels and services. It includes centralized sections for websites and domains management, making it user-friendly. Hetzner has a detailed and functionally rich interface with many steps for tasks like adding new users or creating groups but might come off as a bit more confusing for beginners. Hetzner’s use of intricate settings, combined with a comprehensive administrative account, might be more complex than Hostinger’s approach, which appears cleaner and more intuitive.

Hostinger’s access control measures are effective, with the ability to grant specific permissions to individuals while maintaining overall security boundaries. Restrictions ensure that users cannot alter critical account details or backend settings, safeguarding the account owner’s control. Hetzner offers more granular control through quotas and group admin rights, which can manage a considerable number of users but demands a more in-depth setup process. Hostinger’s straightforward revocation and monitoring of shared access also seem simpler for continuous management, while Hetzner’s detailed administration may provide more comprehensive control at the cost of user-friendliness.

Hostinger user roles table:

Hetzner user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Hostinger excels with its comprehensive customer support options and quick response time, providing an effective platform for all types of hosting needs.

Hostinger offers 24/7 live chat support, email support for various queries, a rich knowledge base, and Hostinger Academy with video tutorials. Their support team is fluent in multiple languages and they provide very quick response times. Additionally, priority support is included in certain plans, such as Cloud Professional and Cloud Enterprise.

Hetzner, on the other hand, provides phone support, email support, and a ticketing system, with extensive documentation for self-service. They lack live chat support, which is a significant drawback for many users. While quality support is usually available via their ticketing system, some users report slow or unhelpful responses regarding account and billing issues.

Hostinger vs Hetzner: User feedback

Hostinger receives high praise for its user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and robust performance. Customers appreciate the wide range of features, including seamless website migration, the intuitive hPanel, and excellent uptime. The standout feature, consistently mentioned across reviews, is the exceptional and responsive customer support available 24/7 via live chat, although some users express a desire for phone support. On the downside, a few customers report issues with renewal pricing, occasional slow support response times, and the limitations of the lower-tier plans.

Users generally find the hosting provider to be cost-effective with robust performance capabilities, able to handle demanding tasks reliably. Many reviewers appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the fast, reliable infrastructure. While customer support is often praised for its availability and helpfulness, some users believe it could still see improvements. The platform’s dashboard and additional features could benefit from enhancements, but overall, users are satisfied with the value and quality of service provided.

Hostinger vs Hetzner: FAQ