kubernetes
Vultr Kubernetes Cost Calculator
Calculate the monthly cost of a self-managed Kubernetes cluster on Vultr Cloud. Compare Cloud Compute (vc2), High Frequency (vhf), and Optimized (voc) instance types with verified pricing.
Vultr for Self-Hosted Kubernetes
Vultr is a global cloud provider with 32 data center locations — significantly more than Hetzner's 5. This makes it appealing for teams needing US-West, Asia-Pacific, or South America presence.
Vultr Instance Types for Kubernetes
| Type | CPU | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| vc2 (Cloud Compute) | Shared Intel | General workers, dev clusters |
| vhf (High Frequency) | Shared, NVMe | etcd nodes, I/O-heavy workloads |
| voc (Optimized) | Dedicated AMD | Production workers, CPU-intensive |
Cost vs Hetzner
| Config | Vultr (vc2) | Hetzner (cx) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 vCPU / 8 GB | $40/mo | €6.49/mo | Hetzner ~5× cheaper |
| 6 vCPU / 16 GB | $80/mo | €11.99/mo | Hetzner ~5× cheaper |
| 8 vCPU / 32 GB | $160/mo | €22.49/mo | Hetzner ~5× cheaper |
Included Traffic
Vultr includes 1–5 TB outbound per month depending on instance size. Hetzner includes 20 TB on all instances. High-traffic clusters should factor in bandwidth costs.
Recommended Use Cases for Vultr
- ›US-West, LatAm, or APAC presence required
- ›Multi-region active-active deployment
- ›GPU workloads (Vultr has A100 GPU instances, Hetzner does not)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Kubernetes cluster on Vultr cost?
A standard 3 control plane + 3 worker cluster on Vultr using vc2-4c-8gb control planes ($40/mo) and vc2-6c-16gb workers ($80/mo) costs approximately $350/month — 4–5× more expensive than the equivalent on Hetzner Cloud.
What is the difference between Vultr vc2, vhf, and voc?
vc2 (Cloud Compute) is the standard shared vCPU tier — good for most workloads. vhf (High Frequency) uses NVMe SSDs and newer CPUs at a 20% premium — ideal for etcd and I/O-heavy control planes. voc (Optimized Cloud) provides dedicated AMD vCPUs — best for CPU-intensive worker nodes.
Does Vultr have managed Kubernetes?
No. Vultr does not offer a managed Kubernetes service (no equivalent to AWS EKS or DOKS). You manage the full control plane, upgrades, and etcd backups yourself. This is why Vultr is priced lower than DigitalOcean (which includes DOKS management).
Is Vultr or Hetzner better for Kubernetes?
Hetzner is 3–5× cheaper for equivalent specs and includes 20TB outbound traffic. Vultr has 32 global locations vs Hetzner's 5, making it better for low-latency requirements in US-West or Asia-Pacific. See the full comparison at /compare/hetzner-vs-vultr.
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