Short answer
As of October 23, 2026, Hetzner Cloud wins more of the head-to-head checks (5 vs 2) and ranks higher overall (#38 of 160). Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start ($5.00 vs $6.71 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 6).
Verdict
Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start: Nanode 1 GB costs $5.00 per month against $6.71 at Hetzner Cloud, but Hetzner Cloud gives more RAM for the money ($1.75 vs $6.00 per GB, median).
Akamai Cloud (Linode) has the wider footprint with 26 locations in 15 countries, against 6 in 4 at Hetzner Cloud; both offer Ashburn and Singapore.
On features, only Akamai Cloud (Linode) offers a managed option.
Customers rate Hetzner Cloud higher on Trustpilot: 3.0 from 3,001 reviews versus 2.5 from 207.
Overall Hetzner Cloud ranks #38 and Akamai Cloud (Linode) #48 of 160 providers we track. Choose Hetzner Cloud if its plan line-up fits your workload better; choose Akamai Cloud (Linode) if price matters most or you need a wider choice of locations.
Hetzner and Linode side by side
| Hetzner Cloud | Akamai Cloud (Linode) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | CX23: $6.71/mo | Nanode 1 GB: $5.00/mo |
| Entry plan specs | 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe, 20 TB traffic | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB traffic |
| Cheapest Windows plan | No Windows | No Windows |
| Median price per GB RAM | $1.75 | $6.00 |
| Data-center locations | 6 in 4 countries | 26 in 15 countries |
| Regions | Asia, Europe, North America | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America |
| Virtualisation | KVM | KVM |
| Hourly billing | Yes | Yes |
| NVMe storage | Yes | — |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| Backups | Paid | Paid |
| Managed option | No | Yes |
| Payment methods | card, paypal, sepa, wire | card, paypal, wire, other |
| Money-back | 14 days | Not published |
| Uptime SLA | 99.9% | 99.99% |
| Trustpilot | 3.0 (3,001 reviews) | 2.5 (207 reviews) |
| Founded / HQ | 1997, Gunzenhausen DE | 2003, Cambridge US |
Highlighted cells mark the better value where the comparison is objective (lower price, more locations, higher rating).
Plans at the same size
The closest matching plans by RAM from each provider.
| RAM | Hetzner | $/month | Linode | $/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | no plan | — | Nanode 1 GB (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $5.00 |
| 2 GB | no plan | — | Linode 2 GB (1 vCPU, 50 GB) | $12.00 |
| 4 GB | CX23 (2 vCPU, 40 GB) | $6.71 | Linode 4 GB (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 |
| 8 GB | CX33 (4 vCPU, 80 GB) | $10.07 | Linode 8 GB (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $48.00 |
| 16 GB | CX43 (8 vCPU, 160 GB) | $18.47 | Linode 16 GB (6 vCPU, 320 GB) | $96.00 |
Locations
Hetzner Cloud operates 6 locations (Asia, Europe, North America); Akamai Cloud (Linode) operates 26 (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America).
Cities both offer: Ashburn and Singapore.
Only Hetzner: Falkenstein, Helsinki, Nuremberg and Portland.
Only Linode: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chennai, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Madrid and 14 more.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hetzner Cloud or Akamai Cloud (Linode) better?
As of October 23, 2026, Hetzner Cloud wins more of the head-to-head checks (5 vs 2) and ranks higher overall (#38 of 160). Akamai Cloud (Linode) is cheaper to start ($5.00 vs $6.71 a month) and Akamai Cloud (Linode) has more locations (26 vs 6).
Is Hetzner Cloud cheaper than Akamai Cloud (Linode)?
Akamai Cloud (Linode) has the lower entry price: $5.00 against $6.71 per month. The plans-at-equal-RAM table compares them size by size.
Which has more data centers, Hetzner Cloud or Akamai Cloud (Linode)?
Akamai Cloud (Linode), with 26 locations in 15 countries versus 6 at Hetzner Cloud. Both operate in Ashburn and Singapore.
Do Hetzner Cloud and Akamai Cloud (Linode) offer Windows VPS?
Neither offers Windows Server.
Sources
Prices, plans and locations were read from these pages; last checked October 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.