Running root or cloud servers at Hetzner and don't want to handle operations yourself? We take over updates, hardening, monitoring with response and backups in your Hetzner account - see Hetzner server management or book an initial consultation.
Hetzner offers two very different ways to have a server looked after: its own Managed Server, where Hetzner runs operations and customers work without root access, and the root or cloud server that you operate yourself or with a service provider. Both are often called "managed" in everyday use, but they solve different problems.
This article shows what a Hetzner Managed Server delivers, where its limits are and what the alternatives cost. All Hetzner details come from Hetzner's product pages, price data and service agreement (as of October 2026).
Table of contents
- What Hetzner means by Managed Server
- Plans and prices at a glance
- What a Managed Server includes
- The limits: root, Docker and configuration
- What the alternatives cost
- Decision guide: which option fits
- Moving from a Managed Server to a root server
- Our approach at WZ-IT
- Further guides
What Hetzner means by Managed Server
On a Hetzner Managed Server, Hetzner installs the operating system and the required server software and then takes care of security updates, hardware issues, backups and administration. Customers have no root access; they work as regular Linux users and manage domains, databases, SSL certificates, websites and mailboxes in the konsoleH control panel.
A LAMP stack on Debian comes preinstalled: Apache, MariaDB or PostgreSQL, PHP and Perl, plus Redis, the Exim mail server with spam and virus filtering, and ProFTPD. Managed Servers are designed for web hosting, email and databases. Compared with web hosting, the resources belong to a single customer, but the software is the same.
Plans and prices at a glance
Hetzner offers two virtual plans (MC) in Hetzner Cloud and three dedicated plans (MA) on their own hardware, all in Nuremberg (NBG1):
| Plan | Type | CPU | RAM | NVMe | Accounts | Traffic | Net price/month | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MC30 | vServer | 4 vCores | 16 GB | 200 GB | 5 | 20 TB | €34 | €34 |
| MC60 | vServer | 8 vCores | 32 GB | 400 GB | 15 | 20 TB | €54 | €54 |
| MA80 | dedicated | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X | 64 GB ECC | 2 × 512 GB | unlimited | unlimited | €79 | €79 |
| MA130 | dedicated | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X | 128 GB ECC | 2 × 960 GB | unlimited | unlimited | €139 | €139 |
| MA200 | dedicated | AMD EPYC 7502P | 256 GB ECC | 2 × 1.92 TB | unlimited | unlimited | €199 | €199 |
- Net: The website adds VAT depending on the selected country; with 19% German VAT, an MC30 shows as €40.46.
- Traffic: On the MC plans, every TB above 20 TB costs €1.19 including 19% VAT.
- Contract: no minimum term, immediate cancellation, a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is available.
What a Managed Server includes
| Area | Service |
|---|---|
| Updates | Operating system and software updates on a uniform level, including timely security updates |
| Backup | Daily full backup, kept for 7 or 14 days depending on the plan, restore via konsoleH |
| Monitoring | External checks of ping, HTTP, SMTP, POP3, FTP and DNS every minute, internal checks of critical processes every 5 minutes |
| Security | Brute-force protection, system log analysis every 15 minutes, spam and virus filtering |
| Support | Free phone and written support during support hours |
| Certificates | Let's Encrypt certificates via the SSL manager |
According to Hetzner, the data centers in Nuremberg, Falkenstein and Helsinki are certified to ISO 27001:2022.
The limits: root, Docker and configuration
The service agreement for Managed Servers draws clear lines. They are the reason why many teams end up with a root server despite the managed offering:
| Question | Hetzner Managed Server | Root or cloud server with server management |
|---|---|---|
| Root access | no, SSH with user permissions only | yes, stays with the customer |
| Docker and containers | not possible, software that needs root is excluded | possible |
| Own software | user level only, support installs nothing | free choice, managed within the agreed scope |
| Configuration | generally no changes, exceptions for PHP and MySQL | free |
| Long-running processes | process monitor terminates processes with excessive runtime or RAM use | as needed |
| Operating system | Hetzner Linux based on Debian | free choice, e.g. Debian, Ubuntu or RHEL derivatives |
| Outage at night | without Sorglospaket business hours only, emergency requests billed per started quarter hour | depending on service level |
| Move to a root server | not done by Hetzner | part of a migration project |
Docker is the most frequent question. The Docker daemon always runs as root, and rootless mode also requires helper programs such as newuidmap to be installed on the host. On a Managed Server, software that needs root privileges to install or run is generally not possible under the service agreement.
Node.js, Python services or your own workers can be installed at user level, and Hetzner provides a compiler on request. The process monitor, however, terminates processes that run too long or use too much memory; exceptions must be approved by system administration. For permanently running application servers this is a risk, not a detail.
What the alternatives cost
| Option | Running costs (net/month) | Who operates it |
|---|---|---|
| Hetzner Managed Server | from €34 (MC30) | Hetzner, within a fixed scope |
| Unmanaged cloud server, self-operated | from €5.99 (Cloud CPX02, without IPv4) plus your own working time | your team |
| Root or cloud server with Linux server management | server costs plus management from €149.90 for the first server | WZ-IT, root stays with you |
Since 6 October 2026 the CPX02 (1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM) has been the smallest orderable cloud server; the cheaper CX types are currently unavailable (Hetzner Cloud, What's new). How cloud and dedicated servers compare per vCPU and GB of RAM is shown in Hetzner Cloud vs. dedicated server. Linux server management is tiered from the second server (€119.90, from the sixth €99.90) and includes 250 GB of backup storage per server. Higher service levels with response outside business hours cost extra.
For classic PHP websites and email, a Hetzner Managed Server is therefore considerably cheaper. Server management is not the cheaper option; it pays off when the Managed Server does not meet the requirements.
Decision guide: which option fits
| Starting point | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| WordPress, TYPO3, Shopware or other PHP applications on LAMP, plus email | Hetzner Managed Server |
| Many small client websites of an agency with client logins | Hetzner Managed Server (dedicated MA plan with unlimited accounts) |
| Docker, Docker Compose or Kubernetes | Root or cloud server with server management |
| Node.js, Python or Java services, own workers and queues | Root or cloud server with server management |
| Own database tuning, special packages, own firewall rules | Root or cloud server with server management |
| Evidence for audits and NIS2, such as documented patching and immutable logs | Server management with a fixed operating scope |
| Agreed response around the clock | Server management with a 24/7 service level |
| Small budget and Linux skills in the team | Unmanaged server, self-operated |
Moving from a Managed Server to a root server
Hetzner only moves accounts between its own web hosting and Managed Servers, not to root servers or vServers. A switch is therefore a project of its own:
- Take stock: accounts, domains, databases, mailboxes, cron jobs and PHP settings.
- Build the target server: operating system, web server, database, PHP versions and mail server matching the current setup.
- Transfer data and test: migrate files and databases, check applications on the target server.
- Switch over: change DNS records with a short TTL, plan mail forwarding for the transition period.
- Define operations: updates, backups and monitoring are now your job or that of a service provider.
Our approach at WZ-IT
We take over operations of root and cloud servers in your own Hetzner account. Your contract and billing with Hetzner stay with you, and so does root access.
- Start: A server audit records patch level, access, backups and risks.
- Ongoing operations: OS patching, hardening, monitoring with response, backup management with 250 GB of storage per server and central logs.
- Response time: depending on the service level, from "next business day" to 30 minutes around the clock.
- Moving from a Managed Server: migration as a separate project, followed by handover into operations.
If a Hetzner Managed Server meets your requirements, we will tell you that too.
Further guides
- Hetzner server management - operations for root and cloud servers in your account
- Outsourcing Hetzner server maintenance - patching, monitoring and backups in detail
- Managed vs. unmanaged Linux servers - responsibilities clearly divided
- What does server management cost? - market prices and billing models
- Docker server management - operating Docker and Compose
Your project needs root, containers or an agreed response time? We review your Hetzner environment and propose the right operating model. Book an initial consultation
