Comparison Guide
Hetzner GPU vs AWS vs SUPA
Developer Experience Comparison
Stop thinking about infrastructure. Just build. Compare the real cost of GPU hosting: time + mental overhead, not just $/hour.
The Bottom Line
Hetzner GPU
Best prices, but you manage everything. Great for teams with DevOps capacity and training workloads.
AWS
Enterprise-grade but complex pricing. Best if you're already in the AWS ecosystem.
SUPA
Fastest to production. Pay per token, no infrastructure. Best for inference and GDPR-first teams.
The Real Cost: Time + Mental Overhead
Hourly GPU pricing is just the beginning. Factor in setup time, maintenance, and the opportunity cost of your engineering team.
Days
Hetzner bare metal setup
Hours
AWS configuration
Minutes
SUPA API key
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hetzner GPU | AWS | SUPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Days (bare metal setup) | Hours (complex config) | Minutes (just API calls) |
| Pricing Model | Hourly (pay while idle) | Complex (instance + egress + storage) | Simple pay-per-token |
| CUDA Management | Manual driver setup | Managed (some AMIs) | None needed |
| Scaling | Manual (order new servers) | Auto (complex config) | Auto (zero config) |
| German Servers | Yes (Falkenstein, Nuremberg) | Frankfurt only | Yes (Hetzner datacenters) |
| GDPR Native | Yes (German company) | No (US Cloud Act) | Yes (German infrastructure) |
| Free Tier | No | Limited (complex) | Yes (sandbox tier) |
| DevOps Required | Significant | Moderate | None |
When to Choose Each Option
Hetzner GPU
- Full control over hardware
- Custom model training workloads
- Long-running batch jobs
- In-house DevOps team available
AWS
- Existing AWS infrastructure
- Enterprise compliance requirements
- Need multiple cloud services
- Global deployment required
SUPA
- Fast prototyping and iteration
- GDPR-first requirements
- Inference workloads (not training)
- Minimal DevOps overhead
Our Recommendation
For developer experience and speed to production: Choose SUPA. You'll be making API calls while others are still configuring CUDA drivers.
For full control and custom training: Choose Hetzner GPU. You get excellent hardware at great prices, but bring your DevOps team.
For enterprise AWS shops: Stick with AWS if you're already invested in the ecosystem and have the expertise to navigate it.
Want to try self-hosting first? Read our complete guide to Hetzner AI hosting, including a step-by-step Ollama tutorial.