---
title: "DigitalOcean vs Vultr vs Hetzner: Which VPS is Best?"
description: "Real benchmark numbers comparing DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Hetzner VPS servers. Disk speed, CPU, WordPress performance, and price per value."
date: 2026-02-26
categories: ["hosting"]
tags: ["vps","hosting"]
---

import { Picture } from "astro:assets";
import YouTubeEmbed from "../../layouts/components/widgets/YouTubeEmbed.astro";
import imgHetznerYabs from "../../assets/images/wordpress/hetzner_yabs_test-743x1024.webp";
import imgDoAmdYabs from "../../assets/images/wordpress/do-amd-yabs-test-743x1024.webp";
import imgDoIntelYabs from "../../assets/images/wordpress/do-intel-yabs-test-743x1024.webp";
import imgVultrHfYabs from "../../assets/images/wordpress/v-hf-intel-yabs-test-743x1024.webp";
import imgHetznerWp from "../../assets/images/wordpress/hetzner_whbt_test-663x1024.webp";
import imgDoAmdWp from "../../assets/images/wordpress/do-amd-whbt-test-650x1024.webp";
import imgVultrHfWp from "../../assets/images/wordpress/v-hf-intel-whbt-test-662x1024.webp";
import imgHetzner4Yabs from "../../assets/images/wordpress/hetzner-4cpu-yabs-test-743x1024.webp";
import imgHetzner4Wp from "../../assets/images/wordpress/hetzner_4cpu-whbt_test-652x1024.webp";

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.

<YouTubeEmbed
  url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0LZ5evXg3Hw"
  label="DigitalOcean vs Vultr vs Hetzner VPS Comparison"
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<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/hetzner" text="Hetzner VPS" />
<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/do" text="DigitalOcean $100 Free" />
<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/vultr" text="Vultr $100 Free" />

## Test 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

<Picture src={imgHetznerYabs} alt="Hetzner CPX11 yabs.sh benchmark results" />

### DigitalOcean AMD

<Picture src={imgDoAmdYabs} alt="DigitalOcean Premium AMD yabs.sh benchmark results" />

### DigitalOcean Intel

<Picture src={imgDoIntelYabs} alt="DigitalOcean Premium Intel yabs.sh benchmark results" />

### Vultr Intel High Frequency (best overall)

<Picture src={imgVultrHfYabs} alt="Vultr Intel HF yabs.sh benchmark results" />

## WordPress benchmark

### Hetzner

<Picture src={imgHetznerWp} alt="Hetzner WordPress benchmark score" />

### DigitalOcean AMD

<Picture src={imgDoAmdWp} alt="DigitalOcean AMD WordPress benchmark score" />

### Vultr Intel HF

<Picture src={imgVultrHfWp} alt="Vultr Intel HF WordPress benchmark score" />

## 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:

<Picture src={imgHetzner4Yabs} alt="Hetzner 4 CPU yabs.sh benchmark" />
<Picture src={imgHetzner4Wp} alt="Hetzner 4 CPU WordPress benchmark score" />

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.

<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/hetzner" text="Hetzner VPS" />
<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/do" text="DigitalOcean $100 Free" />
<Button link="https://go.bitdoze.com/vultr" text="Vultr $100 Free" />