DigitalOcean vs Vultr vs Hetzner: Which VPS is Best?
Real benchmark numbers comparing DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Hetzner VPS servers. Disk speed, CPU, WordPress performance, and price per value.
Dragos4 min read
I run my sites on VPS servers and have tried all three of these providers. This is a direct comparison with real benchmark data using yabs.sh, a WordPress benchmark plugin, and PageSpeed/GTMetrix speed tests, all done on identically configured servers in East Coast datacenters.
Pricing note (2026): Since I ran these benchmarks, all three providers have adjusted pricing. Hetzner raised prices by 30-37% effective April 2026 due to DRAM costs. DigitalOcean and Vultr have also shifted their plans. I’ve added a current pricing section at the bottom, but the benchmark results and relative performance rankings still hold.
Hetzner VPS DigitalOcean $100 Free Vultr $100 FreeTest setup
All servers ran Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with CloudPanel, MariaDB 10.9, WordPress, PHP 8.0, and the same Kadence starter template. No caching, no CDN — testing raw server performance. Specs were as close as each provider allows:
| Server | CPU | RAM | Disk | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetzner CPX11 | 2 vCPU (AMD) | 2 GB | 40 GB | $5.50 |
| DigitalOcean Premium Intel | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | 60 GB NVMe | $21 |
| DigitalOcean Premium AMD | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | 60 GB NVMe | $21 |
| Vultr Intel HP | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | 60 GB NVMe | $18 |
| Vultr Intel HF | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | 60 GB NVMe | $18 |
| Vultr AMD HP | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | 60 GB NVMe | $18 |
VPS benchmarks (yabs.sh)
Hetzner
DigitalOcean AMD
DigitalOcean Intel
Vultr Intel High Frequency (best overall)
WordPress benchmark
Hetzner
DigitalOcean AMD
Vultr Intel HF
Full results table
| Service | Read 4K | Write 4K | CPU Single/Multi | WP Bench | PageSpeed | GTMatrix | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetzner AMD | 144 MB/s | 144 MB/s | 959 / 1863 | 8.9 | 92 | 702ms | $5.50 |
| DO AMD | 90 MB/s | 90 MB/s | 659 / 1258 | 7.9 | 92 | 1.1s | $21 |
| DO Intel | 238 MB/s | 239 MB/s | 1037 / 1137 | 8.6 | 92 | 1.1s | $21 |
| Vultr AMD | 207 MB/s | 208 MB/s | 792 / 1137 | 8.4 | 92 | 703ms | $18 |
| Vultr Intel HP | 447 MB/s | 448 MB/s | 939 / 1857 | 9.1 | 91 | 702ms | $18 |
| Vultr Intel HF | 410 MB/s | 411 MB/s | 1074 / 2165 | 9.3 | 91 | 620ms | $18 |
Hetzner 4 vCPU / 8 GB bonus test
Since Hetzner is so cheap I also tested their next tier up (~$16/month). The numbers jump significantly:
For the same price as a 2 vCPU Vultr server, you get 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM on Hetzner — and still competitive benchmark scores.
Updated pricing (early 2026)
Prices have changed since the original benchmarks. Here’s where things stand now:
| Provider | Entry plan | 2 vCPU / 2 GB equivalent | 4 vCPU / 8 GB equivalent | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetzner | €3.49/mo (CX22, 2 vCPU / 4 GB) | €3.49/mo | ~€16/mo (rising to ~€21 from Apr 2026) | 20 TB/mo |
| DigitalOcean | $4/mo (1 vCPU / 0.5 GB) | ~$12/mo | ~$48/mo | 2-4 TB/mo |
| Vultr | $2.50/mo (1 vCPU / 0.5 GB, IPv6 only) | ~$12/mo | ~$48/mo | 2-4 TB/mo |
Hetzner’s bandwidth allowance (20 TB) is still far more generous than the others. That matters if you serve large files or have traffic spikes.
Conclusion
Vultr Intel HF wins on raw performance. Best disk speeds, best CPU scores, fastest WordPress benchmark at 9.3, page loads at 620ms. Worth the price if performance is the priority.
Hetzner wins on value. Even after the 2026 price increases, a Hetzner 4 vCPU / 8 GB server at ~€16/mo outperforms DigitalOcean and Vultr servers that cost more. The 20 TB bandwidth allowance is a big deal compared to 2-4 TB on the others. I’ve moved my own sites to Hetzner and haven’t looked back.
DigitalOcean has gotten expensive relative to what you get. The developer tools, managed databases, and app platform are nice, but for pure VPS performance per dollar it falls behind both Hetzner and Vultr.
Hetzner VPS DigitalOcean $100 Free Vultr $100 Free
