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Two Hetzner API tokens show how Akua-managed machines use Akua's account while BYOM machines use your own account.
Hetzner Cloud is the first and default provider for Akua-managed machines today. Hetzner offers high-performance cloud servers at significantly lower prices than hyperscalers, with data centers in Europe and the United States.

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Regions

The default region for Akua-managed machines is Falkenstein (fsn1).

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Instance types

Akua filters available instance types based on your plan. Available types in each region are verified against Hetzner’s datacenter availability (not just pricing data), so the types shown are guaranteed to be provisionable.

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Free tier

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Pro tier

All Hetzner Cloud server types are available, including:
ARM64 types (cax*) offer the best price-to-performance ratio. Use them unless your workloads require x86.

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BYOM (bring your own cloud key)

All instance types available in your Hetzner Cloud account, with no restrictions.

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Billing model

Hetzner bills per hour, rounded up. Servers are billed as long as they exist, even when powered off. Akua’s machine lifecycle model uses snapshots and server deletion for suspend flows rather than simply stopping the server.

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Snapshot pricing

Hetzner charges €0.01 per GB per month for snapshots. Snapshots are compressed; you pay for actual used space, not total disk capacity.

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How Akua provisions machines on Hetzner

  1. Akua creates a server via the Hetzner Cloud API with a cloud-init script.
  2. The cloud-init script installs Kubernetes, configures the worker, and joins your cluster.
  3. The machine appears in your dashboard within approximately 2 minutes.
  4. Akua monitors the machine and handles its full lifecycle: scaling, suspend, and deletion.
Akua uses its own Hetzner Cloud API token for managed machines. For BYOM, your token is used instead.

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Add your own Hetzner account (BYOM)

1

Create an API token

In the Hetzner Cloud Console, create an API token with Read and Write permissions.
2

Add the credential in Akua

Go to Compute in the Akua dashboard, click Add Credential, and paste your token. Akua validates it immediately.
3

Create a compute config

Click Create Config, select your credential, and choose a region.
Machines provisioned with this config appear in your Hetzner Console and bill to your account. No machine quotas or lifetime limits apply to BYOM machines.
Your API token is stored securely in an external secrets manager. Akua re-validates all tokens hourly and notifies you if a token becomes invalid (for example, if it was revoked or expired in the Hetzner Console).

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Suspend and IP volatility

When you suspend a machine on Hetzner, Akua snapshots the disk and deletes the cloud server. On resume, a brand-new server is provisioned from the snapshot. This means the public IP address changes on every resume. Hetzner has no stop state that preserves the IP and instance. If you need a stable public IP across suspend and resume cycles, use a floating IP, short-TTL DNS, or a load balancer in front of the machine.

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Limitations

  • No Hetzner Volume attachment on suspend and resume: Hetzner Volumes use server IDs for attachment. If you use Hetzner CSI Volumes (not local storage or LINSTOR), additional steps may be needed on resume. Local storage and LINSTOR volumes work without issues.
  • Powered-off servers still bill: Unlike AWS and GCP, stopping a Hetzner server does not reduce costs. Use Akua’s suspend feature instead.
  • IPv6 only on some instances: The most affordable Hetzner plans may include IPv6 only. Akua handles this through the cluster’s internal networking.

Machine lifecycle

Full machine lifecycle including provisioning, suspension, and deletion.

Compute overview

Akua-managed machines, BYOM keys, and manual worker paths.

Plans and pricing

Compare plans and understand instance type access.