How do we replace GKE?

Depending on requirements, we operate Kubernetes on Hetzner, for example with k3s or Talos. The operating model covers the control plane, upgrades and backups.

Has Hetzner raised prices, and is migration still worthwhile?

The comparison values on this page are dated 15 June 2026. Whether migration is worthwhile depends on workload and operations; see the pricing change article.

How long does a GCP-to-Hetzner migration take?

After assessing the existing environment, we agree the timeline with you based on data volume, dependencies, testing scope and available cutover windows.

What happens to my GCP managed services?

We map the GCP services actually in use to a target architecture individually. Possible components include managed PostgreSQL or MySQL instances, containers for suitable Functions workloads and S3-compatible object storage. Not every proprietary feature has a one-to-one replacement.

How much can I really save with Hetzner?

Savings depend on machine classes, Cloud SQL, storage, egress, discounts and the future operating model. We therefore compare the current GCP invoice with an appropriately sized Hetzner target architecture.

Is Hetzner privacy-focused?

Hetzner offers selectable locations in Germany and Finland, a data processing agreement and documented technical measures. Whether the specific system meets privacy requirements also depends on its configuration, subprocessors, integrations and actual data flows.

Why switch from Google Cloud?

A migration can make sense when egress, proprietary managed services, data location or the future operating model drive total cost. We compare the current GCP invoice with an appropriately sized target architecture instead of promising blanket savings.

What if something goes wrong?

The existing GCP infrastructure remains available until the validated cutover and throughout the agreed rollback window. Cutover, fallback criteria and decommissioning are defined in advance.

How does Cloud SQL migration work?

We migrate Cloud SQL to PostgreSQL or MySQL, depending on requirements. Databases can be replicated during migration to minimize downtime. The Cloud SQL guide covers PostgreSQL migration with pg_dump and pg_restore.

How are Cloud Functions replaced?

Suitable Cloud Functions workloads move to containers on Coolify or Kubernetes. Event sources and triggers require separate integration; costs and operations are assessed for the specific workload.

Can Cloud Storage be replaced 1:1 with Hetzner Object Storage?

Hetzner Object Storage is S3-compatible but does not implement every S3 feature. Replication, tagging and custom bucket domains are unavailable according to the documentation. We check used features and transfer data with rclone. The GCS migration guide covers transfers from Google Cloud Storage with rclone.

What happens to VPC Firewalls?

We replicate your firewall rules to Hetzner Firewalls and Linux iptables. Private Networks replace VPCs, Floating IPs replace external static IPs.

How does migration of GCE Snapshots work?

First, a custom image is created from the snapshot or disk. It is then exported to Cloud Storage and transferred to Hetzner. Import compatibility and drivers are checked. Alternatively, the application is migrated to a newly configured target environment.

What about Stackdriver/Cloud Monitoring?

We deploy Prometheus, Grafana, Loki and Alertmanager as open-source tools without license fees. Infrastructure and operations are assessed separately.

What is the alternative to Google App Engine or Cloud Run?

We migrate App Engine and Cloud Run to suitable Docker workloads with Coolify or Kubernetes. The deployment model (containers plus HTTP) remains similar; costs and scaling behaviour are assessed for the specific workload.

Migrate Google Cloud (GCP) to Hetzner: compare costs, plan cutover

We migrate your Google Cloud infrastructure to Hetzner - from Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, and storage to target architecture, testing, and cutover.

Compare current costs
EU locations selectable
privacy-focused
Planned cutover and rollback

Free initial consultation Case Study: 81% saved

Reviews

IT Beratung Service Consulting Soforthilfe

Companies worldwide trust WZ-IT

Read client reviews

Cost Comparison

Google Cloud vs. Hetzner: Building a Reliable Cost Comparison

Typical cost savings for a web application

Assessment: assess

Bandwidth / Egress

Compare the current invoice and traffic profile

Assessment: assess

Managed Services

Assess managed services and operating effort

Transparent Pricing

No hidden costs, everything included

Component	GCP	Hetzner	Assessment
Compute reference (4 vCPU, 8 GB)	current contract/invoice	€35.49*	after workload review
Storage	current contract/invoice	160 GB local included; Volume €0.044/GB**	including backup design
Outbound traffic	Premium Tier to Europe: 1 GiB free; then USD 0.12 / 0.11 / 0.085 per GiB (up to 1 / 10 / above 10 TiB)	at least 20 TB included***	by location and plan
Total / month	current spend	target architecture	project-specific

Google Premium Tier, destination Europe, as of 18 October 2026. Standard Tier: 200 GiB free monthly. Compute and Persistent Disk require calculation by region, machine type, commitment and disk type. Google Cloud: Network pricing
*CPX32: €35.49 net/month, excluding IPv4 and VAT. Price effective 15 June 2026. Official cloud pricing
**Volumes are billed separately and are not included in server backups or snapshots. Volume details
***For cloud servers at EU locations; verify plan and location before quoting. Traffic details
Note on pricing and savings: Prices, configurations, and savings estimates are based on publicly available data from the respective providers at the time of publication. Actual savings depend on workload, configuration, and current provider pricing. Please verify current terms independently with the respective provider.

Our Process

How Your GCP-to-Hetzner Migration Works

A proven 6-step process for secure migrations

01
Assessment & Analysis
We analyze your GCP infrastructure: Compute Engine, databases, storage, network and dependencies.
02
Architecture Design
Mapping your GCP services to Hetzner equivalents with optimized configuration.
03
Parallel Setup
Building Hetzner infrastructure parallel to GCP for seamless migration.
04
Data Synchronization
Transfer of databases, files, and configurations with a planned cutover and rollback point.
05
Traffic Cutover
DNS switching, final synchronization and gradual traffic migration.
06
Optimization & Support
Performance tuning, monitoring setup and ongoing support.

GCP Services and their Hetzner Equivalents

Compute Engine → Cloud Server (CPX/CAX)
Persistent Disk → Volumes (NVMe SSD)
Cloud Storage → Object Storage (S3-compatible)
Cloud SQL → Managed DB / Self-hosted
Cloud DNS → Hetzner DNS / Cloudflare
Cloud Monitoring → Prometheus + Grafana
Cloud Functions → Docker Container
VPC → Private Networks

Kubernetes

Migrating GKE clusters to Hetzner

Kubernetes resources usually carry over; the effort lies in the GKE-specific integrations. On Hetzner the target is a self-managed cluster, for example with k3s or Talos, whose control plane, upgrades and backups are part of the operating model.

What carries over
Deployments, services, ConfigMaps, Helm charts and GitOps repositories run on any conformant Kubernetes cluster.
What gets replaced
GKE load balancers and ingress, Persistent Disk as StorageClass, Workload Identity and IAM, Artifact Registry, plus Cloud Logging and Monitoring.
Target cluster on Hetzner
Cloud Controller Manager for load balancers and networking, CSI driver for volumes, cloud or dedicated servers as nodes; persistent data moved via Velero or database backups.

Building and operating the target cluster:

Managed Kubernetes on Hetzner Guide: Kubernetes on Hetzner Guide: cloud exit in phases

Case Study

Why WZ-IT for Your Migration?

EVA Real Estate: Cloud Migration with 81% Savings. Example from an AWS migration: EVA Real Estate migrated to Hetzner and saves $12,600 per year according to the case study.

Cost reduction: 81%
per month: $1,300 → $250
ROI: 4 months

Cloud Migration Experience
We plan inventory, test migration, cutover, validation and rollback for your GCP environment.
Controlled Cutover
Validation and an agreed rollback window reduce cutover risk.
Full-Service Support
Migration, managed hosting, monitoring and support from a single source - even after migration.
Proxmox Expertise
We use Proxmox for professional virtualization with HA cluster and live migration.
Privacy & contracts
German and Finnish locations are selectable. DPA, data flows and technical measures are documented for the target system.
Transparent Pricing
Defined scope and a transparent proposal following the initial assessment.

EVA Real Estate: Cloud Migration with 81% Savings

Read full case study

Pricing

Analysis, migration, operations: three steps with a stated price

The initial consultation is free of charge. The cloud exit assessment, migration and operations follow the prices in the service catalogue.

Step 2 · Cloud migrationfrom €1,990 excl. VATTarget architecture, test run, data transfer and cutover with a defined scope. The amount depends on workloads and data.

Configure migration

Payment

Bank transfer

The three steps build on each other without requiring each other. The analysis does not commit you to the migration, nor the migration to operations. All prices are net and exclude statutory VAT. The offers are addressed to businesses. Free & no obligation • ISO 27001 & BSI C5 datacenter

Before and after

Step 1

Cloud Exit Assessment

Cost picture, target architecture, migration path and a fixed-price quote for the migration.

from €1,490 excl. VATView the assessment →Step 3

Managed Server

Monitoring, updates, backups and response for the migrated systems at the agreed service level.

from €149.90 excl. VAT / server and monthView Managed Server →

GCP Migration FAQ

Answers to the most important questions

Further options: Kubernetes on Hetzner, other providers, open-source tools

We replace expensive GCP services with proven open-source solutions

Cloud Migrations from Other Providers to Hetzner

Open Source Tools for Your Migration

Migrations with measurable business impact

Cloud exit, Proxmox and sovereign operations with concrete results instead of architecture slides.

Networking & Provisioning

WZ-IT moved our studio infrastructure from decentralised individual devices to a central platform: every site is securely connected via VPN, new devices are onboarded automatically and an entire site is provisioned from a template, without manual steps on location. What impressed me most is the breadth and depth of their knowledge: Timo and Robin are not a typical IT provider who sets up a server and leaves. The two of them think their way into highly complex infrastructure and software topics, work through every requirement we put in front of them, and build networking, provisioning and operations so that everything fits together in the end. WZ-IT is an excellent partner for complex software, network and architecture projects.

Steve KirchnerManaging Director, nextGYM GmbH

View project

International

Built in Germany's Ruhr Valley. Running worldwide.

WZ-IT designs, develops and operates infrastructure and software for clients in Germany and internationally. We deliver projects remotely and continue supporting them in ongoing operations after go-live.

Selected projects

Read client reviews

Google Cloud to Hetzner

Assess a Google Cloud-to-Hetzner migration

Let us assess your GCP environment and show what a move to Hetzner brings.

Straight with Timo and Robin - no sales team, no pitch
A professional assessment of your situation
Concrete next steps for infrastructure, software or AI

The conversation is free and non-binding.

WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.

Jakob ÖschlbergerInno7 GmbH

Email[email protected]Phone+49 2922 875068

WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.

Jakob ÖschlbergerInno7 GmbH

Migrate Google Cloud (GCP) to Hetzner: compare costs, plan cutover