The Infrastruktur Arbitrage Calculator
The Infrastruktur Arbitrage Calculator is a free tool that compares your current AWS/GCP/Azure instance costs against equivalent Hetzner dedicated infrastructure. In 30 seconds, you’ll see exactly how much you could save by moving compute and databases to bare metal using a risk-free Shadow Run. No email required.
Example AWS, GCP & Azure vs. Managed Platform Cost Comparison
Below are real-world scenarios comparing AWS, GCP, and Azure on-demand costs to a managed Hetzner-based platform. Numbers assume equivalent compute (vCPU/RAM matching). Management includes 24/5 platform engineering.
| Scenario | Current Spend | Infrastructure | Management | Managed Platform Cost | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency (AWS 12× m6a.2xlarge) | $3,600/mo | $384/mo | starting at $2,995/mo | $3,379/mo | ~$2.6k |
| Mid-size SaaS (GCP 16× n2-standard-8) | $4,480/mo | $512/mo | starting at $2,995/mo | $3,507/mo | ~$11.7k |
| Enterprise (Azure 16× E16bds v5) | $10,240/mo | $1,600/mo | starting at $2,995/mo | $4,595/mo | ~$67.7k |
| Fintech (AWS mix + RDS) | $12,500/mo | $1,400/mo | starting at $2,995/mo | $4,395/mo | ~$97k |
| AI Training (AWS 6× p3.2xlarge) | $13,200/mo | $1,200/mo | starting at $2,995/mo | $4,195/mo | ~$108k |
| Scenario | Current Spend | Infrastructure | Management | Managed Platform Cost | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency (AWS 12× m6a.2xlarge) | €3,600/mo | €384/mo | ab $2,995/mo | €3,234/mo | ~€4.4k |
| Mid-size SaaS (GCP 16× n2-standard-8) | €4,480/mo | €512/mo | ab $2,995/mo | €3,362/mo | ~€13.4k |
| Enterprise (Azure 16× E16bds v5) | €10,240/mo | €1,600/mo | ab $2,995/mo | €4,450/mo | ~€69.5k |
| Fintech (AWS mix + RDS) | €12,500/mo | €1,400/mo | ab $2,995/mo | €4,250/mo | ~€99k |
| AI Training (AWS 6× p3.2xlarge) | €13,200/mo | €1,200/mo | ab $2,995/mo | €4,050/mo | ~€109.8k |
Below ~$4k/mo cloud spend, the management retainer exceeds savings. Estimates based on on-demand pricing. Reserved/Committed use discounts reduce source cost.
Why Are You Paying a ‘Cloud Tax’ to AWS?
Public cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud charge a premium for managed services. While great for startups, scaling companies often pay 3x-5x more for compute than necessary. This calculator helps you identify the ‘Arbitrage Opportunity’: Keeping your stateful data (RDS, S3) on the robust public cloud, while moving your stateless compute (Kubernetes workers) to bare metal.
What Is Cloud Arbitrage and How Does It Work?
Standard Cloud (AWS/GCP)
- High Compute Costs (vCPU/RAM)
- Egress Fees Traps
- Pay for R&D you don’t use
- Vendor Lock-in
Managed Platform Exit
- Raw Metal Performance
- Zero/Low Egress Costs
- Pay only for Hardware
- Open Source Standards (K8s)
How Much Could You Save?
Get the free Google Sheet calculator. No email required.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the calculator work?
It compares your current AWS/GCP/Azure instance costs against equivalent Hetzner bare metal dedicated servers, factoring in a managed Kubernetes layer.
Is this estimate accurate?
It provides a conservative estimate based on public pricing. Your actual savings may vary based on reserved instances and specific workload types.
Is Hetzner reliable for production workloads?
Yes. Hetzner is a provider with data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA. We run production workloads for our Managed Platform clients on Hetzner.
Do I need to share any credentials?
No. The calculator uses public pricing data. For a detailed analysis with your actual usage, book an Infrastructure Audit (starting at $495).
What is the minimum spend where this makes sense?
Companies spending starting at $1,200/mo or more on cloud compute typically see meaningful savings. Below that, the operational overhead may not justify the migration.
Do I have to move my database?
No. The safest ‘Cloud Exit’ is a risk-free one. We recommend the Shadow Run migration, mirroring your traffic to Hetzner before completing the database cutover.
What is ‘Cloud Arbitrage’?
It is the practice of exploiting price differences between cloud providers for the same compute power. 16 vCPUs on AWS cost ~starting at $500/mo. 16 vCPUs on Hetzner cost ~$50/mo.
Can you help us migrate?
Yes. If the numbers look good, you can hire DevOps Squad to perform the ‘Cloud Exit’ migration. Start with an Infrastructure Audit.
What about egress fees?
Hetzner includes 20TB of free egress per server per month. AWS charges $0.09/GB. For data-heavy workloads, this alone can save thousands per month.
Is this GDPR compliant?
Yes. Hetzner’s datacenters are in Germany and Finland, fully GDPR compliant. Your data is subject to EU data protection law.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If the calculator shows meaningful savings, here’s what to do next:
discovery Zoom. We’ll review your AI workloads, data flows, and current cloud setup, then give you a clear Go / No-Go recommendation. If private inference, agent runtimes, or managed data services make sense for your architecture, we’ll show you the next step. If not, we’ll tell you directly.
Interested? Contact us.
Check out our RSS Feed to keep up with the cloud repatriation news