Hetzner vs GCP (GKE): Kubernetes Cost Comparison (2026)
Hetzner is 74% cheaper than GCP (GKE) for a 3-node Kubernetes cluster (€43 vs €166/mo)
The 3-node cost gap is 74% (€123/mo) in Hetzner's favour. On storage throughput, GCP (GKE) leads by ~47×, a meaningful gap for stateful Kubernetes workloads. Hetzner is EU-headquartered and not subject to the CLOUD Act as a US-owned entity; GCP (GKE) is US-owned and falls under US jurisdiction. Choose Hetzner for cost-efficient Kubernetes on a budget; choose GCP (GKE) for IOPS-intensive stateful applications.
Moving off GCP (GKE) could save ~€123/mo on a 3-node cluster.
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 Hetzner |  GCP (GKE) | |
|---|---|---|
| HQ / Country | Germany | United States |
| Managed Kubernetes | No (DIY) | Yes |
| Control Plane Cost | Self-managed | €73/mo |
| Cheapest Node | €7.13/mo 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM | €34.37/mo 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM |
| 3-Node Cluster* | ~€42.78/mo | ~€165.95/mo |
| 6-Node HA Cluster* | ~€64.17/mo | ~€269.06/mo |
| Egress | 20 TB free | €0.103/GB |
| S3 Storage | €0.010/GB | €0.017/GB |
| Certifications | ISO27001, C5, PCI-DSS | ISO27001, SOC2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS |
| CLOUD Act Exposure | No | Yes (US-owned) |
* Estimated using cheapest available node. DIY providers include 3 additional control plane nodes. Use the calculator for exact pricing with your specs.
Data freshness: Hetzner as of Jun 2026, GCP (GKE) as of May 2026.
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