Provision first, migrate second
Bring up the Incognito VPS server while your Hetzner instance is still serving. Nothing is disrupted and you can take as long as the initial sync needs.
Mainstream hosting · Germany / Finland · 1997
An alternative to Hetzner
The price-performance benchmark of European hosting, with enormous datacentres in Germany and Finland and a famously cheap server auction.
Answer
Incognito VPS suits users who need hosting without identity verification. We operate 16 datacentres, require no KYC, accept only crypto, and start at $4.00 monthly. Hetzner is excellent if privacy or jurisdiction is not your concern; if it is, Incognito VPS likely fits better.
What they do better
Hetzner is, straightforwardly, the best value in mainstream hosting. Their auction boxes cost less per core than anything we will ever sell, their network is excellent, and their reliability record is outstanding. If you do not need privacy or jurisdictional distance, use Hetzner.
We list what every competitor does better than us. A comparison with no concession is an advertisement.
§01 Where we differ
Four things Incognito VPS does that Hetzner does not
- 01
No identity verification — Hetzner runs full KYC and has been known to request ID
- 02
Crypto-only settlement with no card or SEPA path
- 03
Jurisdictions outside German enforcement and EU judicial cooperation
- 04
No usage-policy enforcement tied to German content law
§02 Side by side
Incognito VPS and Hetzner, feature by feature
| Incognito VPS | Hetzner | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Distributed · 8 jurisdictions | Germany / Finland |
| Identity required | None | Full KYC |
| Cryptocurrency | Native · 12 coins | Not accepted |
| Monero | Yes | No |
| Locations | 16 | 3 |
| Bare metal | Yes | Yes |
| GPU compute | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $4.00/mo | $4.50/mo |
| Five Eyes country | No | No |
Figures for Hetzner are taken from their published pricing and documentation and were last checked on 2026-08-13. If something here is out of date, tell us at [email protected] and we will correct it — an inaccurate comparison helps nobody.
§03 Switching over
Moving from Hetzner
Lower the TTL 48 hours ahead
Drop DNS records to a 300-second TTL two days before the cutover. This is the step everyone skips and everyone regrets.
Cut over and verify
Final rsync, promote the database replica, update DNS. Wait 72 hours and watch the old logs before destroying anything.
Where Incognito VPS operates
16 locations against Hetzner’s 3, 8 of ours chosen for their legal properties rather than their latency. Each location page publishes the statutes behind its claims and an explicit account of what it does not protect against.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
01 What is the best alternative to Hetzner?
Yes, if your reason is privacy or KYC. Incognito VPS collects no identity, runs in 8 privacy-oriented locations, and starts at $4.00 monthly. Hetzner still wins on raw price per core.
02 Is Incognito VPS cheaper than Hetzner?
Incognito VPS's entry price is $4.00 per month, while Hetzner's is about $4.50. Note that the entry tiers differ substantially in specifications.
03 How do I migrate from Hetzner?
Set up the new server, sync data with rsync or a DB replica, lower DNS TTL 48 hours before, then switch. Downtime is minutes, not hours. See our migration guide.
04 When should I stay with Hetzner?
Hetzner is the price-performance benchmark. Their auction boxes cost less per core, network is excellent, reliability outstanding. If you don't need privacy, stick with Hetzner.
Other mainstream hosting
55-second deploy
Pick a jurisdiction. Pay in crypto. Be running in a minute.
No account to create, no email to confirm, no card to enter.