
5 Hetzner Object Storage Alternatives in 2026
Jonas ScholzHetzner Object Storage was a big deal for European developers. A lot of us waited years for Hetzner to offer an S3-compatible storage product that fit naturally next to its servers.
But Hetzner is not the only option. Maybe you want storage built into your app platform. Maybe you need different pricing. Maybe you want a broader EU cloud. Maybe you want no egress fees. Maybe you are just doing the responsible thing and checking alternatives before putting backups there.
Here are five Hetzner Object Storage alternatives worth comparing.
What Hetzner Object Storage is good at
Hetzner Object Storage is S3-compatible, GDPR-compliant according to Hetzner's product page, and available in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, and Helsinki.
It supports object locking, server-side encryption, pre-signed URLs, versioning, and object expiry. Hetzner says you can create up to 100 buckets, each up to 100 TB.
That makes it a natural product to evaluate if your infrastructure already lives at Hetzner, especially for durable backup storage and Hetzner-local workflows.
As of July 2026, Hetzner pricing starts at 6.49 EUR/month, excluding VAT, including 1 TB of storage and 1 TB of egress. Extra storage is listed at 8.70 EUR/TB-month, extra egress at 1 EUR/TB, and Hetzner lists ingress, internal eu-central traffic, and S3 API calls as free.
The caveat in 2026 is availability under load. On July 2, 2026, Hetzner's status page showed degraded Object Storage in multiple locations and an ongoing note that high Object Storage traffic may lead to timeouts. That does not erase the durability story, but I would be careful about putting availability-sensitive app paths on it until the product settles down.
The alternatives below are interesting when you want a different workflow, a different price model, or a provider that fits your broader stack better.
Quick comparison
| Provider | Why consider it over Hetzner? | Region angle | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | No per-bucket fees, egress fees, or request fees, app platform integration | Germany | Apps, uploads, backups |
| Scaleway | Storage classes and broader EU cloud | France/EU | Lifecycle and archive needs |
| IONOS Cloud | Large German provider | Germany | IONOS-heavy companies |
| Exoscale | European zones incl. Germany/Austria/Switzerland | Europe | GDPR-focused teams |
| Cloudflare R2 | Free egress and Cloudflare ecosystem | Global | Public assets and edge workflows |
1. Sliplane Object Storage
Sliplane Object Storage is the best Hetzner alternative if your actual goal is not "use Hetzner" but "get simple S3-compatible storage in Germany."
Sliplane is a German company headquartered in Berlin. Object Storage is available in Germany and is built into the same platform where you can run apps and managed services.
Pricing is simple: 5 EUR per 250 GB per month, excluding tax. The first GB is free. There are no request fees, no ingress fees, and no egress fees.
Sliplane does not charge per bucket, so splitting uploads, backups, staging assets, and customer files into separate buckets does not change the bill.
Use Sliplane if:
- You want German object storage.
- You want no egress or request fees.
- You run apps and want storage in the same dashboard.
- You want predictable billing more than infrastructure knobs.
Skip it if:
- You already run everything on Hetzner and want to keep it there.
- You need storage classes.
- You want a pure infrastructure provider rather than a developer cloud.
2. Scaleway Object Storage
Scaleway Object Storage is a good Hetzner alternative if you want a broader European cloud with storage classes.
Scaleway supports S3-compatible object storage and offers Standard Multi-AZ, Standard One Zone, and Glacier. That gives you more knobs for durability, availability, and cost.
Use Scaleway if:
- You want EU infrastructure.
- You need archive or lifecycle options.
- You want multiple storage classes.
Skip it if:
- You specifically need German storage.
- You want no egress fees.
- You only need a simple bucket.
3. IONOS Cloud Object Storage
IONOS Cloud Object Storage is a German alternative from a large German provider.
It is worth considering if your company already uses IONOS or wants a German vendor with a broad business-cloud catalog. The pricing page lists per-GB storage and free API operations, but traffic rules require attention.
Use IONOS if:
- You want a German cloud provider.
- You already use IONOS.
- Your company prefers larger local vendors.
Skip it if:
- You want no egress fees.
- You want developer-first simplicity.
- You do not want to interpret traffic categories.
4. Exoscale Object Storage
Exoscale Object Storage is a European S3-compatible storage service with zones across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
It is a good alternative if you want European data residency options and a smaller cloud provider, but not necessarily a German company.
Use Exoscale if:
- You want European zones, including Germany.
- You care about GDPR positioning.
- You want a cloud provider outside the big hyperscalers.
Skip it if:
- You want no egress fees.
- You want storage bundled into your app runtime.
- You want the lowest-friction developer onboarding.
5. Cloudflare R2
Cloudflare R2 is a very different kind of Hetzner alternative.
It is less about European infrastructure and more about global delivery and zero egress fees. R2 is S3-compatible, integrates well with Cloudflare Workers, and has a generous free tier.
The main thing to watch is request pricing. R2 has Class A and Class B operation fees after the free tier, so read-heavy workloads with many small objects need a quick estimate.
Use R2 if:
- Your files are public or CDN-adjacent.
- You already use Cloudflare.
- Egress costs are your main concern.
Skip it if:
- You want German object storage.
- You want no request fees.
- You do not want to rely more heavily on Cloudflare.
Which Hetzner alternative should you choose?
| If you care most about... | Pick |
|---|---|
| Simple German app storage | Sliplane |
| Storage classes and EU cloud | Scaleway |
| Large German provider | IONOS |
| European zones and GDPR positioning | Exoscale |
| Free egress and Cloudflare ecosystem | Cloudflare R2 |
Conclusion
Hetzner Object Storage is a feature-rich option, especially if your infrastructure is already on Hetzner, but in 2026 it has visible growing pains on the availability side.
But if you want German S3-compatible storage with no egress fees, no request fees, and a more app-focused workflow, Sliplane Object Storage is a very simple alternative.
If you are still learning the basics, start with our guide to getting started with Hetzner Object Storage, then compare it with object storage providers in Germany.