If you’re searching for a Hetzner free trial, you’re not alone.
The cloud platform is widely known for its high-performance servers, strong European network, and aggressive pricing, which naturally makes people want to test it first before committing.
Here’s the honest truth upfront
Hetzner does NOT offer a free trial or free tier at all.
But don’t close this tab yet.
If your real goal is to test a powerful VPS risk-free, there is a practical workaround, and in this guide, I’ll show you the best Hetzner free trial alternative that actually gives you 30 days free.
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
❌ Hetzner Free Trial: Not available
❌ Hetzner Free Tier: Not available
✅ Best Alternative: Kamatera (30-Day Free Trial)
✅ Ideal For: Developers, bloggers, startups, agencies, SaaS founders
Does Hetzner Offer a Free Trial in 2026?
No.
As of 2026, it does not provide:
To use the cloud or dedicated servers, you must do the following:
- Create a verified account
- Add valid payment details
- Pass manual account checks (often strict)
- Pay from day one
Even their “low starting prices” are still paid services, not trials.
Why Are So Many People Searching for “Hetzner Free Trial”?
Various types of people are searching for the type of offer. I categorize them:
- Developers who want to test network latency & performance
- Bloggers and WordPress users exploring VPS hosting
- Startups validating MVPs
- Agencies testing deployment environments
- Users comparing Hetzner with AWS, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, or GCP
In short, people don’t want cheap only; they want proof before payment. Yeah, it’s a good way to save your hard-earned money before investing.
But here the giant falls short.
Can You Test Hetzner Risk-Free Anyway?
Realistically? Not really.
Here’s why:
- No trial credits
- No guaranteed refunds for “testing”
- Account approval can be rejected
- Strict abuse and compliance checks
- Limited flexibility once billed
However, it is excellent after commitment but not friendly for trial-first users.
So if your intent is “try before I pay,” actually you need an alternative.
Best Hetzner Free Trial Alternative: Kamatera (30-Day Free Trial)
If Hetzner had a free trial, it would look a lot like Kamatera.
It is a global cloud infrastructure provider offering a real 30-day free VPS trial, with no gimmicks. Its servers are built of enterprise-grade infrastructure that is capable of running any complex applications and big businesses securally.
Why Kamatera Is the Closest Thing to a Hetzner Free Trial
✅ Actual 30-day free usage
✅ No forced long-term contracts
✅ Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure
✅ Fully customizable VPS
✅ Root access included
✅ Suitable for real production testing
✅ Free $100 Credit
This makes Kamatera ideal for users who want to test performance, stability, and scalability before paying.
What You Get with Kamatera’s 30-Day Free Trial
During the trial, you can deploy a VPS with:
- Custom CPU cores
- Dedicated RAM
- SSD storage
- Linux or Windows OS
- Full root/admin access
- 24 Global data centers (US, Europe, Asia, Middle East)
- Advanced networking options
- 10 gbps port speed
Unlike many “fake trials,” it allows real workloads, not crippled demo environments.
Kamatera vs Hetzner (Trial-Focused Comparison)
| Feature | Hetzner | Kamatera |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | No | 30 Days |
| Free Tier | No | No |
| Upfront Payment | Required | Not during trial |
| VPS Customization | Limited | Fully flexible |
| Global Data Centers | Mostly Europe | Worldwide |
| Trial Risk | High | Zero |
| Beginner Friendly | Moderate | High |
Verdict:
If testing matters, Kamatera wins, no contest.
Who Should Choose Kamatera Over Hetzner?
Kamatera is the better choice if you want real-world testing without financial commitment. It’s especially suitable for users who value flexibility, experimentation, and low-risk onboarding.
Bloggers & WordPress Users
If you’re planning to move from shared hosting to a VPS, it lets you test real performance, including page speed, caching layers, traffic spikes, and plugin behavior, without paying upfront.
This is ideal for fine-tuning WordPress setups before committing to long-term infrastructure.
Developers
It provides a clean environment for deploying applications, APIs, Docker containers, CI/CD pipelines, and staging servers.
Since it’s a true free trial, you can benchmark performance, test scaling, and experiment freely without worrying about unexpected charges.
Startup Founders
For early-stage startups, infrastructure decisions matter. The cloud platform allows you to validate your tech stack, estimate real costs, and test scalability before locking into a monthly cloud expense. It is perfect for MVPs and proof-of-concept builds.
Digital Agencies
Agencies can spin up temporary demo servers, client previews, or development environments without billing pressure. This makes client onboarding smoother and avoids paying upfront for short-lived test servers.
VPS Beginners
If you’re new to VPS hosting, it offers a low-pressure learning environment. You can practice server setup, security basics, and performance tuning without the fear of wasting money if you make mistakes.
When Hetzner Still Makes Sense (Even Without a Free Trial)
To be fair, Hetzner is excellent if:
- You want ultra-cheap long-term pricing
- You’re comfortable paying upfront
- You need dedicated servers
- You primarily target European audiences
- You already trust Hetzner’s ecosystem
But it’s a commit-first platform, not a test-first platform.
How to Start Kamatera’s 30-Day Free Trial
- Create a Kamatera account
- Verify basic details
- Deploy your VPS (Linux or Windows)
- Use it freely for up to 30 days
- You can cancel or continue as you choose.
FAQ
Does Hetzner offer any free VPS?
No. Hetzner does not offer free VPS, trials, or free credits.
Is Kamatera really free for 30 days?
Yes. Kamatera provides a genuine 30-day free trial for cloud servers.
Can I run WordPress on Kamatera’s free trial?
Absolutely. You can install WordPress, test themes, plugins, and performance.
Is Hetzner cheaper than Kamatera long-term?
Yes, in many cases. But Kamatera offers more flexibility and a risk-free start.
What happens after Kamatera’s trial ends?
You can either cancel with no charge or continue on a paid plan.
Ravi Kumar is a Server Performance Analyst with over 4 years of experience benchmarking cloud infrastructure. He has optimized and stress-tested over 150+ websites, digging deep into uptime, disk latency, and CPU performance. Whether you’re looking for a free trial or a high-performance production server, Ravi uses real-world data to help you find the perfect host.