Kubernetes: Hetzner vs Civo vs DigitalOcean (2025)

16/8/2025
6-minute read

Running Kubernetes in the cloud can be a rather expensive pastime—especially if you’re wedded to AWS or GCP. I’ve seen teams quietly despair as their monthly bills creep ever upwards, all for the privilege of keeping a handful of clusters ticking over. Fortunately, there’s a more sensible approach.

After a fair bit of research, I landed on Hetzner Cloud with Edka. The experience? Refreshingly straightforward. You get production-ready clusters, proper control, and a bill that won’t have you reaching for the smelling salts. No vendor lock-in, no mysterious surcharges—just honest, affordable infrastructure.

What makes Hetzner and Edka rather compelling?

The numbers alone are worth a second glance. You can reduce your Kubernetes costs by up to 70% compared to AWS or GCP—and before you roll your eyes, there are actual companies doing precisely this. Aicole, a French EdTech firm, trimmed their cloud bill by 64% after switching. TROI Ticketing Solution managed 72% savings. Not exactly pocket change.

But it’s not just about cost. Edka makes the whole business refreshingly straightforward: spin up a k3s cluster (that’s a lightweight Kubernetes distribution) in minutes, connect your GitHub or GitLab for GitOps (automated deployments from your code repository), and add databases or monitoring with a single click. None of the usual faff you’d expect from enterprise software.

The clever bit? You retain full access to your Hetzner account. Should you decide Edka isn’t for you, simply detach and your workloads carry on regardless. No vendor lock-in, no data migration headaches, no ransom demands. Just honest, affordable infrastructure with built-in dashboards that show you precisely where your money’s going.

If you’re in Europe (or simply want proper value for money), Hetzner remains one of the cloud industry’s best-kept secrets. Pair it with Edka’s management layer, and you get CNCF-compliant clusters, direct access to low-cost VMs and storage, and a flat per-cluster fee. One cluster is always free, so you can try it without risking anything more than your time.

How to get started (the practical bit)

Here’s the quick-and-dirty guide:

Sign up for Hetzner Cloud (Hetzner Cloud Console).
Create an Edka account (Edka Signup).
Use Edka’s UI to deploy a k3s-based Kubernetes cluster in your Hetzner account. (It really does take about 2 minutes.)
Connect your GitHub or GitLab for automated CI/CD and preview environments.
Install add-ons like CloudNativePG (Postgres), Prometheus, or Nginx with a single click (Edka Add-Ons).
Use the dashboards to monitor resource usage, cost, and performance.
Need to scale or back up? It’s all there—auto-scaling across regions, and S3 backups are coming soon.

How they stack up against the competition

Here’s how the main options compare:

Feature	Hetzner+Edka	Civo	DigitalOcean	AWS EKS	GCP GKE
Cost (monthly, 3 nodes)	~$40¹	~$32–$64¹	~$36–$72¹	$120+	$110+
Vendor lock-in	None	None	None	Significant	Significant
GitOps CI/CD	Built-in	Marketplace	Marketplace	Manual setup	Manual setup
One-click add-ons	Extensive	Good selection	Good selection	Limited	Limited
Monitoring/Analytics	Built-in	Built-in	Built-in	Extra cost	Extra cost
Free tier	1 cluster	None	None	None	None
Backup/restore	Coming soon	Marketplace	Add-on	Extra cost	Extra cost
Data residency	EU	UK/EU	US/EU	US/EU	US/EU
Unlimited data transfer	No	Yes	Generous allowance	No	No
Compliance	Standard	ISO27001, G-Cloud	Standard	Enterprise	Enterprise

¹ Pricing based on 3 nodes with 2–4GB RAM and 1–2 vCPUs. Lower end reflects smallest nodes; upper end typical production size. Excludes VAT, storage, and add-ons.

What about Civo and DigitalOcean?

It would be remiss not to mention Civo and DigitalOcean, both of which have made a name for themselves with managed Kubernetes offerings. Civo, a UK-based provider, is particularly popular with those who value predictable billing and rapid cluster launches. Their pricing is refreshingly clear—no charge for the control plane, and worker nodes start at just a few pounds a month. Data transfer is free and unlimited, which is a rare thing these days. Civo also boasts UK/EU data residency, ISO27001 and G-Cloud compliance, and a developer-friendly marketplace for one-click add-ons.

DigitalOcean, meanwhile, is a familiar face for many developers. Their managed Kubernetes (DOKS) service is straightforward, with a free control plane, simple node pricing, and generous bandwidth allowances. DigitalOcean’s platform is perhaps the most approachable for those just getting started, and their documentation is second to none. Whilst not as aggressively priced as Hetzner or Civo, it’s a safe, reliable choice—especially if you’re already in their ecosystem.

A quick word on the differences

In practice, all three providers—Hetzner+Edka, Civo, and DigitalOcean—offer a managed Kubernetes experience that’s a world away from the hyperscalers. Hetzner+Edka is the most cost-effective for those comfortable with a bit of DIY and who want direct access to their infrastructure. Civo is the go-to for those who want UK/EU data residency, compliance, and a developer-first approach, with the added bonus of unlimited data transfer. DigitalOcean is the most beginner-friendly, with a polished UI and a vast library of guides, but you’ll pay a little more for the privilege.

None of them will leave you scratching your head over the bill at the end of the month, which is more than can be said for certain other clouds.

What to watch out for

Let’s be honest—no solution is perfect, and these alternatives do have their limitations:

Hetzner+Edka: You’re dealing with a smaller company for the management layer (Edka), so enterprise support might not match what you’d get from AWS. If you need 24/7 phone support or have complex compliance requirements, this might not be your cup of tea.

Civo: Whilst their pricing is transparent, the platform is still relatively young compared to the giants. Some enterprise features you might expect are still in development, and their geographic reach is more limited.

DigitalOcean: The most mature of the three alternatives, but can work out more expensive for larger deployments. Their managed databases and other services, whilst good, can add up if you’re not careful.

All three are perfectly fine for most use cases, but if you’re running mission-critical workloads for a FTSE 100 company, you might want to think twice about straying from the beaten path.

The verdict

If you’re tired of cloud sticker shock and want a Kubernetes setup that just works (and keeps working, even if you leave the platform), any of these three options will serve you well. Hetzner+Edka offers the best bang for your buck, Civo provides excellent UK/EU compliance and data residency, and DigitalOcean delivers the most polished experience.

For most UK/EU teams, I’d recommend starting with Hetzner+Edka for cost savings, trying Civo if compliance is crucial, or choosing DigitalOcean if you want the smoothest onboarding experience. You really can’t go wrong with any of them—they’re all a damn sight better than paying through the nose for the privilege of vendor lock-in.

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