Gamer Cloud: Useful Software Kiwami[Hetzner] A brief comparison and review of the best hosting services for gamers
The digital landscape of modern gaming and streaming demands robust and reliable storage solutions. As gameplay resolutions increase and save data becomes more intricate, the need for efficient and secure cloud storage becomes paramount. This review delves into Hetzner's offerings, specifically tailored for the unique requirements of gamers and streamers, providing an unbiased and detailed analysis across key metrics. Our evaluation aims to equip users with the knowledge to make informed decisions, ensuring their valuable digital assets are managed effectively.
Rated on a 100-point scale for compatibility with storing gameplay videos and save data
Hetzner's compatibility with storing gameplay videos and save data is assessed based on a multifaceted evaluation, considering factors such as storage type, data transfer speeds, redundancy, and accessibility. For high-resolution gameplay videos, particularly those in 4K or 8K, the sheer volume of data necessitates substantial storage capacity and efficient upload/download capabilities. Save data, while often smaller in individual file size, requires low latency access and robust backup mechanisms to prevent loss.
Hetzner primarily offers object storage (Hetzner Storage Box and Hetzner Cloud Volumes) and dedicated server storage. Object storage, by its nature, is highly scalable and cost-effective for large volumes of unstructured data, making it suitable for archiving completed gameplay videos ( Cloud Storage: A Practical Guide ). Its eventual consistency model, however, might introduce slight delays in immediate data availability compared to block storage. For active streaming and frequent access to large video files, the underlying network infrastructure and server-side processing power become critical. Hetzner's data centers are known for their high-speed network connections, which are crucial for both uploading raw footage and downloading edited content or accessing archived streams.
Save data, on the other hand, often benefits from lower latency storage solutions. While object storage can certainly house save files, direct integration with game clients or operating systems might be more efficient with block storage or network-attached storage (NAS) solutions. Hetzner Cloud Volumes, which are block storage, offer persistent storage that can be attached to virtual servers, providing a more traditional file system experience. This can be advantageous for actively managed save data, allowing for quicker access and modification. The ability to snapshot these volumes also adds a layer of protection against accidental deletion or corruption, a critical concern for gamers.
Considering these factors, Hetzner scores 78/100 for compatibility. This rating reflects its strong performance in raw storage capacity and network throughput, which are excellent for video archiving. The slight deduction accounts for the inherent characteristics of object storage for highly latency-sensitive save data and the need for users to potentially configure additional services (like a virtual server with Cloud Volumes) for optimal save data management. The score acknowledges Hetzner's robust infrastructure while also highlighting areas where specialized gaming-centric cloud services might offer more direct integration for active gameplay elements.
Ideal for storing what kind of gameplay videos and save data
Hetzner's storage solutions are particularly well-suited for specific types of gameplay videos and save data, aligning with its core strengths in scalability, cost-effectiveness, and network performance.
For gameplay videos, Hetzner excels in storing:
Archival Footage of Live Streams: After a stream concludes, the raw footage, often several gigabytes or even terabytes in size, needs a permanent home. Hetzner Storage Box or object storage is ideal for this purpose. Its cost-effective nature for large volumes of data makes it an excellent choice for streamers who wish to retain their entire broadcast history for future editing, compilation, or simply as a personal archive. The high bandwidth available at Hetzner's data centers facilitates relatively quick uploads of these large files.
Edited Gameplay Montages and Highlights: Once videos are edited and rendered, they often represent a significant investment of time and effort. Storing these finished products on Hetzner ensures their long-term preservation. Content creators can use this storage as a central repository for their portfolio, easily accessible for sharing or re-uploading to platforms like YouTube or Twitch.
Raw Footage for Future Editing: For professional content creators, raw gameplay footage can be extensive. Hetzner provides a scalable solution to store these unedited files, allowing creators to access them as needed for future projects without cluttering local storage. The ability to organize these files into buckets or directories within object storage aids in project management.
Game Development Assets (for indie developers/small teams): While not strictly "gameplay videos," game developers often generate large video assets (trailers, cinematics, dev diaries) and extensive game build files. Hetzner's robust storage can serve as a central repository for these assets, facilitating collaboration and version control, especially when integrated with other development tools.
For save data, Hetzner is best suited for:
Backup of Critical Single-Player Save Files: For games with extensive single-player campaigns where progress is paramount, backing up save files to Hetzner Storage Box or Cloud Volumes provides a crucial safety net. This is especially relevant for games that do not offer native cloud save synchronization or for users who desire an additional layer of redundancy beyond in-game cloud services. In the event of local hardware failure or accidental deletion, these backups can be invaluable.
Archival of Completed Game Saves: Many gamers enjoy revisiting old save files, perhaps to experience a different narrative path or simply for nostalgia. Hetzner offers a cost-effective way to archive these completed saves without consuming valuable local disk space.
Save Data for Self-Hosted Game Servers: If a streamer or gamer hosts their own dedicated game server (e.g., for Minecraft, Valheim), the server's save data and configuration files are critical. Hetzner Cloud Volumes, attached to a Hetzner Cloud server, provide persistent and reliable storage for these server-side assets, ensuring game progress is maintained across server restarts or updates. The ability to snapshot these volumes offers an easy rollback mechanism.
Modded Game Save Data: Heavily modded games often have complex save structures that can be prone to corruption. Backing up these unique save files to Hetzner can prevent significant data loss and allow for experimentation with different mod configurations without fear of losing progress.
In essence, Hetzner shines as a robust and economical solution for archival, backup, and large-scale storage of non-real-time accessed gameplay videos and critical, but not constantly accessed, save data. Its strengths lie in providing a reliable foundation for long-term data retention and management rather than as a primary, real-time storage solution directly integrated with active gameplay.
Basic performance and features
Hetzner's basic performance and features are characterized by a focus on raw power, network efficiency, and a no-frills approach that prioritizes functionality and cost-effectiveness. This philosophy extends across its various storage and compute offerings.
Storage Box:
Capacity: Offers a range of capacities from small gigabyte allocations to several terabytes, catering to diverse needs.
Protocols: Supports a wide array of protocols for access, including SCP, SFTP, rsync, WebDAV, Samba/CIFS, and FTP/FTPS. This versatility allows users to integrate Storage Box with various tools and operating systems. For gamers and streamers, SFTP and rsync are particularly useful for automated backups and large file transfers.
Performance: While not designed for high-IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) transactional workloads, Storage Box provides solid throughput for sequential reads and writes, making it suitable for large file transfers like video uploads and downloads. Performance can vary based on network conditions and server load, but generally, it offers reliable speeds for its intended use case.
Snapshots: Includes snapshot functionality, allowing users to revert to previous states of their data, a crucial feature for data recovery and protection against accidental deletion or corruption.
Data Centers: Located in secure data centers in Germany and Finland, benefiting from robust European data protection regulations.
Cloud Volumes (Block Storage):
Persistent Storage: Cloud Volumes provide persistent block storage that can be attached to Hetzner Cloud servers. This means the data remains even if the server is shut down or deleted.
Performance: Designed for higher performance than object storage, offering better IOPS and lower latency, making them suitable for applications requiring more frequent and faster data access. This is particularly relevant if a user hosts a game server on a Hetzner Cloud instance and needs fast access to game files and save data.
Scalability: Volumes can be resized, allowing users to expand storage as their needs grow without migrating data.
Snapshots: Similar to Storage Box, Cloud Volumes support snapshots, providing point-in-time backups for data integrity.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Hetzner Cloud servers, allowing for easy mounting and management within a virtual machine environment.
Network Performance:
Hetzner is renowned for its high-speed network infrastructure. Their data centers boast excellent connectivity, often featuring 1 Gbit/s or 10 Gbit/s uplinks for dedicated servers and robust network throughput for cloud instances. This is a significant advantage for gamers and streamers who frequently upload large video files or require stable connections for remote access to their storage.
Low latency to European destinations is a strong point, which can be beneficial for users in or near Europe accessing their stored data.
Security Features:
Data Encryption: Data at rest is typically encrypted at the storage level, though specific details may vary by service. Data in transit can be secured using protocols like SFTP or WebDAV over HTTPS.
Firewalls: Hetzner Cloud instances offer configurable firewalls, allowing users to control network access to their servers and, by extension, their attached storage.
DDoS Protection: Hetzner provides robust DDoS protection for its infrastructure, safeguarding against common cyber threats that could disrupt access to services.
API and Automation:
Hetzner offers a comprehensive API for its Cloud services, enabling advanced users and developers to automate tasks, manage resources programmatically, and integrate storage into custom workflows. This can be particularly useful for streamers who want to automate video uploads or backup processes.
In summary, Hetzner's basic performance and features are geared towards providing a solid, high-performance foundation for data storage and processing, with a strong emphasis on network speed and protocol flexibility. While not always offering the highest-level abstractions or managed services found in hyperscale clouds, its direct approach often translates to better performance for the price point.
Reliability and security
The reliability and security of any cloud storage provider are paramount, especially when dealing with valuable gameplay videos and irreplaceable save data. Hetzner approaches these critical aspects with a focus on infrastructure robustness, data center security, and adherence to stringent data protection standards.
Reliability:
Data Center Infrastructure: Hetzner operates modern, redundant data centers primarily in Germany and Finland. These facilities are designed with N+1 redundancy for critical components such as power, cooling, and network connectivity. This means that if one component fails, there are immediate backups to prevent service disruption.
Power Redundancy: Data centers are equipped with uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and diesel generators to ensure continuous operation even during extended power outages. This is a fundamental aspect of maintaining service uptime.
Network Redundancy: Hetzner's network architecture is built with multiple upstream providers and redundant routing paths to minimize single points of failure. This ensures high availability and consistent network performance, which is crucial for accessing stored data.
Hardware Redundancy: Storage solutions like Storage Box and Cloud Volumes typically utilize RAID configurations (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) to protect against individual disk failures. Data is distributed across multiple drives, so if one drive fails, the data can be reconstructed from the remaining drives without data loss.
Snapshots and Backups: As mentioned, both Storage Box and Cloud Volumes offer snapshot capabilities. While snapshots are not full backups, they provide point-in-time recovery options. Users are generally responsible for implementing their own comprehensive backup strategies, though Hetzner provides the tools to facilitate this. The onus is on the user to configure regular backups to separate locations or storage boxes for maximum data safety.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Hetzner typically provides SLAs for its services, outlining guaranteed uptime percentages. While specific figures can vary by product, these agreements offer a contractual commitment to service availability.
Security:
Physical Security: Hetzner's data centers are secured with multiple layers of physical protection, including 24/7 surveillance, access control systems (biometric and card-based), security personnel, and perimeter fencing. This prevents unauthorized physical access to servers and storage infrastructure.
Network Security:
DDoS Protection: Hetzner implements advanced DDoS mitigation systems to protect its network and customer services from distributed denial-of-service attacks. This is particularly relevant for streamers who might be targeted.
Firewalls: Users of Hetzner Cloud can configure software-defined firewalls to control inbound and outbound network traffic to their virtual servers and attached storage, allowing them to restrict access to only necessary ports and IP addresses.
Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS): While specific details are proprietary, large-scale data centers typically employ IDS/IPS to monitor network traffic for malicious activity.
Data Encryption:
Encryption at Rest: Hetzner's storage systems generally employ encryption at rest, meaning data stored on their disks is encrypted. However, the level and type of encryption can vary. For maximum security, users are often advised to encrypt sensitive data before uploading it to any cloud service, using client-side encryption tools.
Encryption in Transit: Secure protocols like SFTP, FTPS, and WebDAV over HTTPS ensure that data transferred between the user and Hetzner's storage is encrypted, preventing eavesdropping.
Compliance and Data Protection: Hetzner, being a German company, operates under strict European data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This provides a strong legal framework for data privacy and security, offering users greater assurance regarding how their data is handled and protected ( GDPR: A Practical Guide ).
Access Control: Users manage access to their Storage Boxes and Cloud Volumes through credentials (usernames/passwords, SSH keys). It is the user's responsibility to maintain strong, unique passwords and secure their access credentials.
In conclusion, Hetzner demonstrates a strong commitment to both reliability and security through its robust infrastructure, physical data center safeguards, and adherence to stringent data protection regulations. While it provides a secure foundation, users are still responsible for implementing best practices, such as strong passwords, client-side encryption for highly sensitive data, and comprehensive backup strategies, to maximize their data's safety.
Interface and ease of use
The interface and ease of use are crucial factors for any cloud service, influencing how quickly users can get started, manage their resources, and troubleshoot issues. Hetzner's approach tends to favor functionality and direct control over highly abstracted, simplified interfaces, which can be a double-edged sword depending on the user's technical proficiency.
Hetzner Cloud Console:
Dashboard: The primary interface for managing Hetzner Cloud servers and Cloud Volumes is a web-based console. It provides a clear overview of active servers, storage volumes, networks, and other resources.
Server Management: Users can easily create, resize, snapshot, and delete cloud servers. Attaching and detaching Cloud Volumes is also straightforward through this interface.
Network Configuration: Firewall rules, private networks, and floating IPs can be managed within the console, offering granular control over network access.
User Experience: The console is functional and responsive, designed for efficiency rather than elaborate aesthetics. It presents information logically, making it relatively easy for users with some technical background to navigate. For beginners, however, the sheer number of options and the technical terminology might present a steeper learning curve compared to more consumer-oriented cloud storage services.
Hetzner Storage Box:
WebFTP Interface: Storage Box includes a basic WebFTP interface, allowing users to upload, download, and manage files directly through a web browser. This is the most user-friendly option for basic file operations, akin to a traditional file manager.
Protocol-Based Access: The primary method of interaction for Storage Box is through various protocols (SFTP, rsync, WebDAV, Samba/CIFS, FTP/FTPS). While these offer immense flexibility and power, they require users to have external client software (e.g., FileZilla for SFTP, rsync command-line tool, a WebDAV client) and some understanding of how to configure these connections.
Mounting Options: For advanced users, Storage Box can be mounted as a network drive on various operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS) using Samba/CIFS or WebDAV. This provides a seamless integration experience, making the Storage Box appear like a local drive. However, setting this up requires some technical knowledge.
No Dedicated Desktop Client: Unlike some consumer cloud storage services, Hetzner does not offer a proprietary desktop synchronization client for Storage Box. This means users need to rely on third-party tools or manual processes for synchronization and backup.
API for Automation:
For highly technical users, the availability of a comprehensive API for Hetzner Cloud allows for extensive automation and integration into custom scripts and applications. This significantly enhances ease of use for those who prefer programmatic control over manual interface interaction.
Learning Curve:
Beginners: For individuals new to cloud services or those accustomed to highly simplified, drag-and-drop interfaces, Hetzner might initially feel less intuitive. The emphasis on direct control and protocol-based access means a certain level of technical understanding is beneficial.
Experienced Users/Developers: For users with experience in server administration, networking, or cloud computing, Hetzner's interfaces are generally considered efficient and straightforward. They provide the necessary controls without excessive abstraction.
In summary, Hetzner's interface and ease of use are best described as functional and powerful for technically proficient users, but potentially less intuitive for absolute beginners. It prioritizes giving users direct control and access to underlying infrastructure, which is a strength for those who know how to leverage it, but can be a barrier for those seeking a "set it and forget it" consumer-grade experience. The lack of a dedicated, all-encompassing desktop client for Storage Box is a notable difference from many mainstream cloud storage providers.
Guidance and support
Effective guidance and support are critical for users, especially when navigating the complexities of cloud infrastructure. Hetzner provides a multi-tiered support system, combining self-service resources with direct customer assistance.
Documentation and Knowledge Base:
Extensive Wiki/Docs: Hetzner maintains a comprehensive online documentation portal (often referred to as a Wiki or Docs). This resource is a primary point of guidance, offering detailed articles, tutorials, and how-to guides on setting up and managing various services, including Storage Box, Cloud Volumes, and Cloud servers. Topics range from basic setup instructions to advanced configuration examples.
API Documentation: For developers and advanced users, the API documentation is thorough, explaining how to interact with Hetzner's services programmatically.
Community Forum: Hetzner often hosts a community forum where users can ask questions, share solutions, and learn from each other's experiences. This peer-to-peer support can be invaluable for niche issues or for finding creative solutions.
Direct Customer Support:
Ticket System: The primary method for direct support is through a ticket system. Users can submit detailed inquiries or report issues, and Hetzner's support team will respond. This allows for structured communication and tracking of support requests.
Email Support: Email is also a common channel for support, often integrated with the ticket system.
Phone Support: For urgent issues, Hetzner typically offers phone support, though availability might be limited to specific hours or for certain types of accounts. Phone support is often reserved for critical infrastructure problems rather than general "how-to" questions.
Scope of Support: Hetzner's support generally focuses on the underlying infrastructure (network, hardware, core services). While they can assist with basic configuration of their products, they typically do not provide extensive support for third-party software installed on user-managed servers or for complex application-level issues. Users are expected to have a certain level of technical proficiency for self-management.
Self-Help Philosophy:
Hetzner's support model leans towards a self-help philosophy, empowering users with extensive documentation and tools to manage their services independently. This aligns with their cost-effective pricing model, as it reduces the overhead of extensive hand-holding support.
For gamers and streamers, this means that while Hetzner will ensure the Storage Box is online and accessible, or that a Cloud Volume is functioning, they won't necessarily guide you step-by-step on how to configure a specific game server or optimize video encoding settings on a virtual machine.
Language:
While Hetzner is a German company, its documentation and support are generally available in English, catering to its international user base.
In summary, Hetzner provides robust self-service guidance through its extensive documentation and community forums, complemented by direct technical support via a ticket system and phone for infrastructure-related issues. The support model is well-suited for users who are comfortable with a degree of self-management and technical problem-solving, but it might feel less hands-on for those accustomed to highly personalized, consumer-grade support.
Feedback and user experiences
User feedback and experiences with Hetzner generally paint a consistent picture, highlighting its strengths in performance and pricing, alongside some considerations regarding its user-friendliness for less technical individuals.
Positive Feedback:
Exceptional Price-to-Performance Ratio: This is arguably the most frequently praised aspect of Hetzner. Users consistently report that Hetzner offers significantly more computing power, storage, and bandwidth for their money compared to many other providers, especially hyperscale clouds. For gamers and streamers, this means more bang for their buck when storing large video files or running game servers.
Reliability and Uptime: Many users commend Hetzner's infrastructure for its stability and high uptime. The robust data center design and network redundancy contribute to a dependable service, which is crucial for continuous streaming or accessing critical game data.
High Network Speed: The fast network connectivity is a major plus, particularly for those dealing with large files. Streamers appreciate the quick upload speeds for raw footage and the ability to download edited content efficiently.
GDPR Compliance: For users concerned about data privacy, Hetzner's adherence to GDPR is a significant advantage, offering peace of mind regarding data handling and security.
Direct Control and Flexibility: Experienced users and developers appreciate the level of control Hetzner provides over their infrastructure. The ability to configure servers, networks, and storage precisely to their needs is a strong draw.
Storage Box Value: The Storage Box product is often lauded as an incredibly cost-effective solution for large-scale archival storage, making it popular for backups and long-term video retention.
Areas for Consideration/Constructive Criticism:
Steeper Learning Curve for Beginners: As noted in the "Interface and Ease of Use" section, new users or those without a technical background can find Hetzner's interfaces and documentation less intuitive than more consumer-focused services. The expectation of self-management can be daunting.
Limited Managed Services: Compared to providers offering fully managed databases, serverless functions, or highly abstracted storage solutions, Hetzner's offerings are more "bare metal" or "infrastructure as a service." This means users are responsible for more aspects of system administration.
Support Can Be Technical: While support is responsive for infrastructure issues, users sometimes report that the support team expects a certain level of technical understanding from the customer. For complex application-level problems, users are often directed to documentation or community forums.
No Dedicated Desktop Sync Client: The absence of a proprietary, user-friendly desktop synchronization client for Storage Box is a common point of comparison with services like Dropbox or Google Drive. Users need to rely on third-party tools or manual processes.
Geographic Latency: While excellent within Europe, users in other continents might experience higher latency when accessing Hetzner's data centers, which could impact real-time applications or very frequent data access.
Overall Sentiment for Gamers and Streamers: For gamers and streamers who are technically inclined or willing to learn, Hetzner is often viewed as an excellent choice due to its unbeatable performance-to-price ratio for large storage needs and robust network capabilities. It's particularly favored for archiving vast amounts of gameplay footage, backing up critical save data, and hosting dedicated game servers. Those seeking a plug-and-play solution with extensive hand-holding might find it less appealing, but for those who value control and cost-efficiency, Hetzner consistently delivers. The community around Hetzner is also quite active, providing a valuable resource for troubleshooting and sharing best practices.
Plan structure
Hetzner's plan structure is characterized by its modularity, allowing users to select and combine different services based on their specific needs. This contrasts with some providers that offer bundled, all-inclusive plans. For gamers and streamers, understanding this modularity is key to optimizing costs and performance.
Hetzner Storage Box:
Tiered Capacity: Storage Box plans are primarily structured by storage capacity, ranging from small allocations (e.g., 100 GB) to very large ones (e.g., 20 TB or more). Users choose the capacity that best fits their archival and backup needs for gameplay videos and save data.
Fixed Monthly Price: Each capacity tier comes with a fixed monthly price, making budgeting straightforward.
Included Traffic: Plans typically include a generous amount of outbound traffic (data transfer out of the Storage Box). While inbound traffic (uploads) is usually free, outbound traffic is often a metered cost on many cloud platforms. Hetzner's inclusion of substantial outbound traffic is a significant advantage for streamers who might frequently download large video files for editing or re-uploading.
No Hidden Fees (Generally): The pricing for Storage Box is generally transparent, with few unexpected charges beyond the base capacity and any overage on included traffic (if applicable, though often very high limits are provided).
No IOPS-based Billing: Unlike some block storage or object storage services that charge based on read/write operations, Storage Box primarily bills on capacity and traffic, simplifying cost prediction for archival use cases.
Hetzner Cloud (for Cloud Volumes and Virtual Servers):
Server Tiers (CX, CPX, CCX Series): Hetzner Cloud offers various virtual server instances (Cloud Servers) categorized by their CPU, RAM, and local SSD storage. These are typically priced hourly or monthly.
CX Series: General-purpose instances, good for a balance of CPU and RAM.
CPX Series: High-performance instances with dedicated vCPUs, suitable for more demanding applications like game servers or video transcoding.
CCX Series: Dedicated core instances for maximum performance and consistency.
Cloud Volumes (Block Storage):
Capacity-Based Pricing: Cloud Volumes are priced per gigabyte per month. Users can provision the exact amount of storage they need and attach it to their Cloud Servers.
IOPS Performance: While not explicitly billed by IOPS, the performance of Cloud Volumes is generally higher than Storage Box, making them suitable for active game server data or frequently accessed save files.
Snapshots: Snapshots of Cloud Volumes are typically billed based on the storage consumed by the snapshot data.
Network Traffic: Cloud Servers and Cloud Volumes typically include a certain amount of outbound traffic per month. Additional traffic beyond this allowance is usually billed per gigabyte. Inbound traffic is generally free.
Floating IPs: Dedicated public IP addresses (Floating IPs) can be provisioned and are typically billed monthly.
Load Balancers: For more complex setups, load balancers are available and billed monthly.
Dedicated Servers:
Fixed Monthly Price: Hetzner's dedicated server offerings are typically fixed monthly prices for a specific hardware configuration (CPU, RAM, local storage).
Unmetered Traffic (Often): Many dedicated server plans include unmetered or very high-limit traffic, which is a significant advantage for high-bandwidth applications like streaming or hosting popular game servers.
Full Control: Users have full root access to the server, allowing for complete customization of the operating system and software stack.
Overall Plan Philosophy: Hetzner's plan structure emphasizes transparency, predictability, and cost-effectiveness. It allows users to "build their own" cloud solution by combining different services. For gamers and streamers, this means:
Storage Box for Archival: Ideal for long-term, cost-effective storage of completed gameplay videos and less frequently accessed save data.
Cloud Servers with Cloud Volumes for Active Use: Perfect for hosting dedicated game servers, running virtual machines for video editing, or managing actively used save data that requires higher performance and lower latency.
Dedicated Servers for High-Demand: For professional streamers or game developers requiring maximum performance, control, and often unmetered bandwidth, dedicated servers are a powerful option.
The modular nature requires users to understand their specific needs and combine services accordingly, but it ultimately provides a highly flexible and economically attractive solution for a wide range of gaming and streaming storage requirements.