How much does a VPS server cost?
A small VPS server costs from EUR 5.49 to about EUR 6.55 per month in the verified Hetzner and Scaleway price lists, before public IPv4 and extra storage.
Verifiable answer
A small VPS server costs from EUR 5.49 to about EUR 6.55 per month in the verified Hetzner and Scaleway price lists, before public IPv4 and extra storage.
- How much does a VPS server cost?
- €5.49 / server per month
- €5.49 – €6.55
- European cloud providers available from Italy
- 16 September 2026
- Confidence: High
- Hetzner CX23 virtual instance; Scaleway DEV1-S virtual instance; 2 GB RAM in the compared configurations
- Public IPv4 address; Extra or block storage; Managed backups; Domain, licences and server administration
- Required RAM and vCPUs; Local or persistent storage; Public IPv4 address; Data-centre region; Self-managed or assisted operation
- 2 sources
Short answer
The virtual machine fee is only the starting point. Backups, disk space, public IPv4 and managed services can increase the bill, so this comparison uses the declared instance price only.
A VPS is a virtual machine used for a website, application, development environment or small always-on service. The monthly price can look straightforward, but configurations differ in CPU, RAM, disk, data-centre location and separately billed resources. To avoid comparing unlike products, this guide looks at two entry-level European instances with 2 GB of RAM: Hetzner's CX23 and Scaleway's DEV1-S. Their official price lists place the entry point between EUR 5.49 and EUR 6.55 a month. That is a useful cost for the machine itself, not a full quote for a managed service.
What is included
- Hetzner CX23 virtual instance
- Scaleway DEV1-S virtual instance
- 2 GB RAM in the compared configurations
What is not included
- Public IPv4 address
- Extra or block storage
- Managed backups
- Domain, licences and server administration
How the price breaks down
| Item | Type | Frequency | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hetzner CX23 cloud serverPublished monthly fee for CX23; an IPv4 address is not included. | Compulsory | per month | €5.49 |
| Scaleway DEV1-S instanceApproximate monthly price for an instance with 2 vCPUs and 2 GB RAM, without extra storage or public IPv4. | Compulsory | per month | €6.55 |
What the price depends on
- Required RAM and vCPUs
- Local or persistent storage
- Public IPv4 address
- Data-centre region
- Self-managed or assisted operation
Hidden costs
- A public IPv4 address may be necessary for older services
- Backups and snapshots are not automatically included with the machine
- More RAM or CPU changes the monthly charge
- Security updates require time or outside support
Three realistic scenarios
Essential
€5.49
A CX23 without public IPv4, for a service compatible with the base configuration.
Small project
€6.55
A DEV1-S with 2 vCPUs and 2 GB RAM, paying the instance charge shown in the list.
To be priced
€6.55
The machine starts at the published fee, while IP, persistent storage and backups must be added for the actual use.
How to spend less
- Choose resources based on measured use rather than starting with an oversized machine.
- Check whether the application can use IPv6 before adding a paid IPv4 address.
- Set provider spending limits and alerts when using hourly billing.
- Arrange independent backups before saving money by removing snapshots or volumes.
- Compare prices including disk and IP, not just the CPU displayed on the landing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a EUR 6 VPS enough for a website?
It can be enough for a light website or small service, but traffic, databases, caching and images all matter. The machine fee does not replace checking actual resource use and backup needs.
Why are IPv4 and storage not included?
Providers may bill separately for scarce resources or resources with different characteristics from a virtual machine. The cited lists expressly state these exclusions, so they should not be added to the base price without checking the configuration.
Is a VPS better than shared hosting?
A VPS gives control of the system, but requires updates, security and monitoring. For a simple website, managed hosting may cost more or less while including work that is excluded here.
Sources and methodology
How we worked it out
We opened Hetzner's and Scaleway's official price lists and selected their small cloud instances advertised with 2 GB of RAM. Hetzner lists EUR 5.49 per month for CX23, excluding IPv4; Scaleway lists about EUR 6.55 per month for DEV1-S and says local or block storage and public IPv4 are excluded. This range is not an average of market offers: it reports two current list prices for comparable, but not identical, configurations. Domain names, licences, backups, support and Linux administration are outside the figure.
Why this confidence level
Confidence is High for the instance-only range because both figures come from current official provider price lists opened today. A single real-world cost is not claimed because required extras depend on the project architecture.
EUR 5.49 monthly price for a CX23 cloud server without IPv4
Hetzner Cloud price adjustment (opens in a new tab)
Hetzner · Official tariff · Verified on 16 September 2026
The official table effective from 15 June 2026 states the monthly price and makes clear that IPv4 is excluded.
Authority4/5
Approximate EUR 6.55 monthly price for a DEV1-S instance
Scaleway virtual instances pricing (opens in a new tab)
Scaleway · Official tariff · Verified on 16 September 2026
The official price list shows 2 vCPUs, 2 GB RAM and about EUR 6.55 per month; storage and a public IPv4 address are excluded.
Authority4/5
Revision history
First published on 16 September 2026 with two European list prices checked directly on Hetzner and Scaleway.
- 16 September 2026
- 16 September 2026
- 16 December 2026
What did you actually pay?
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