For the EU examples below, a Hetzner CX23 plus a Primary IPv4 works out to €5.99 per month before VAT, while a CPX22 plus IPv4 works out to €19.99 before VAT. Those are dated list-price calculations, not all-in bills or proof that either instance can handle every FFmpeg workload.
The total you pay also depends on tax, location, outbound traffic and what FFmpeg is asked to do. Encoding a video in real time is a different compute task from forwarding or remuxing a file that is already encoded, so choose an instance only after identifying the workload and testing it.
Hetzner 24/7 stream cost at a glance
A basic monthly estimate has at least four separate parts: the cloud server, a public IP if you need one, applicable VAT or other tax, and any chargeable outbound traffic. The first two can be added as a transparent baseline; the latter two depend on your account, region and use.
Hetzner’s price adjustment table effective 15 June 2026 lists EU CX23 at €5.49 per month and CPX22 at €19.49 per month, before VAT and excluding Primary IPv4. Hetzner lists Primary IPv4 separately at €0.50 per month before VAT. On that basis, the examples are €5.99 and €19.99 respectively before VAT. The corresponding listed dollar calculations are $6.49 + $0.60 = $7.09, and $22.99 + $0.60 = $23.59, before tax.
These are calculations from Hetzner list prices, not a forecast of every invoice line. They exclude traffic overages and any other region- or account-specific charges. The amounts are based on Hetzner’s adjustment table dated 15 June 2026 and Primary IP pricing; check the ordering screen for the current price in your selected location.
| EU example | Server price per month | Primary IPv4 per month | Baseline before VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| CX23 | €5.49 | €0.50 | €5.99 |
| CPX22 | €19.49 | €0.50 | €19.99 |
As listed in Hetzner’s 15 June 2026 adjustment table, the monthly server prices are €5.49 for CX23 and €19.49 for CPX22; its Primary IPv4 documentation lists €0.50 per month. These figures are useful for comparing starting costs, not for deciding capacity from price alone. A lower monthly line does not establish that a particular FFmpeg command will run reliably all day.
If you want to compare the labour of maintaining a VPS with a managed approach, use the practical distinctions in VPS versus managed 24/7 streaming. The price calculation here focuses on Hetzner’s server and associated network costs; the ongoing work of configuring, monitoring and recovering a self-managed process is separate.
CX23 and CPX22 monthly price examples
The CX23 example is the smaller starting point in this comparison: €5.49 per month for the server plus €0.50 for a Primary IPv4, or €5.99 before VAT. In Hetzner’s dollar list prices, the arithmetic is $6.49 for the server plus $0.60 for IPv4, giving $7.09 before tax. Hetzner’s adjustment notice lists hourly as well as monthly rates and says billing is capped at the monthly amount when a server is kept for a full month.
The CPX22 example uses a higher server list price: €19.49 per month plus the same €0.50 Primary IPv4, or €19.99 before VAT. The listed dollar calculation is $22.99 plus $0.60, or $23.59 before tax. Do not read the larger price as a guarantee of a particular FFmpeg result. The available official pricing and server documentation do not provide a workload-specific FFmpeg benchmark for either instance.
The gap between these server prices is meaningful if you are keeping a channel running continuously, but it is only one comparison axis. Hetzner describes cloud server categories with shared and dedicated resources; the category, region, traffic allowance and performance under your own command all matter. Check the exact product details rather than treating two plan names as universal measures of encoding capacity.
For either instance, a useful decision is whether you need a VPS at all. A VPS gives you control over the operating system and FFmpeg command, but you also need to configure the process and respond when your source, connection or stream fails. If restarting a process after a reboot is part of your plan, read the operational steps in how to restart an Amazon EC2 YouTube stream automatically after a reboot; the provider differs, but the recovery question applies to any self-managed host.
Primary IPv4, VAT, and regional pricing
A server price is not necessarily the price of a publicly reachable stream host. Hetzner says cloud servers do not include public IP addresses; a Primary IP is required for a public network interface. Its Primary IP documentation lists IPv4 at €0.50 or $0.60 per month before VAT, and Primary IPv6 as free. Add only the address type you actually need, and confirm your network configuration before ordering.
VAT is separate from the pre-tax calculations above. The tax treatment depends on your billing details and applicable rules, so the baseline should not be mistaken for a tax-inclusive quote. The figures are not all-in totals including taxes or extras. Review what Hetzner shows for your account at checkout, rather than applying a tax rate from an example meant for a different customer or country.
Location affects more than currency. Hetzner’s included outbound traffic and overage pricing vary by plan and location, so an EU price line is not a reliable guide to the traffic terms for another location. Look at the region-specific plan details and traffic terms before choosing a data centre. A cheaper-looking plan can have a different network allowance, while a region that suits your audience may have different pricing.
Also account for server lifecycle billing. Hetzner’s cloud billing documentation says a created server continues to be billed until it is deleted, even if it is powered off. Turning a VPS off for a few days is therefore not the same as cancelling it. If you are testing a setup, track the server in your account and remove it when you no longer need it.
For a channel aimed at viewers in India, the server region is still a cost and routing choice, not a substitute for checking the channel’s own readiness. If your live access is not enabled yet, first work through YouTube Live streaming access pending in India. Keep that separate from deciding which Hetzner location and network allowance suits your stream.
What the VM does: encoding versus forwarding
The most important sizing question is what FFmpeg will do. If it decodes and re-encodes video in real time, the CPU has to do video processing continuously. The load depends on details such as codec, resolution, frame rate, filters and the source. If FFmpeg simply copies an already encoded stream or remuxes it into a different container without re-encoding, the compute profile can be quite different.
Bitrate helps estimate network transfer, but it does not tell you how much CPU an encode needs. YouTube’s current live encoder guidance covers RTMP/RTMPS and codecs including H.264, H.265 (HEVC) and AV1; it recommends RTMPS. Its recommended bitrate ranges vary with format and frame rate. For example, its H.264 guidance gives 5–14 Mbps for 1080p30 and 6–17 Mbps for 1080p60. Use the live YouTube encoder settings and bitrate guidance for your intended format rather than treating one setting as universal.
YouTube transcodes a live stream into output formats for viewers, but that does not remove the work from your own FFmpeg process if you choose to encode before sending it. Decide whether your source file is already in the format and bitrate you intend to send. If it is, test a copy or remux workflow where appropriate; if you need to change resolution, frame rate or codec, measure the re-encoding workload itself.
No official source cited here benchmarks CX23 or CPX22 for a particular FFmpeg command. Do not assume either named plan will sustain a chosen codec and resolution merely because its monthly price fits. Run a representative test with your actual source, command, settings and stream duration, and observe CPU use and dropped frames before treating the configuration as ready for continuous operation.
A VPS is most useful when you are comfortable controlling those details. If your requirement is simply to repeat a prepared video without keeping your own computer on or managing a process, a managed option can remove that particular operational burden. For instance, StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and runs it as a YouTube live stream without your computer needing to stay on, which avoids the overnight process-monitoring task described here.
Estimate bandwidth and storage separately
Network use is a separate line of the decision from compute. At a constant bitrate of 5 Mbps, a 30-day month transfers about 1.62 decimal TB before protocol overhead. At 12 Mbps, the same arithmetic gives about 3.89 decimal TB. These are calculated estimates: bitrate multiplied by 2,592,000 seconds and divided by eight bits per byte. They are not Hetzner-published traffic figures or a promise about a bill.
Use the bitrate you plan to send, multiply by the time you expect to stream, and compare the result with the outbound allowance for the specific plan and region. Only outgoing traffic is billed under Hetzner’s cloud billing rules; incoming and internal traffic are free. The included outgoing allowance and overage rate vary, so check the billing FAQ and relevant product details before ordering. Protocol overhead and changes in bitrate can push actual transfer above a simple constant-rate calculation.
| Constant outgoing bitrate | Approximate transfer over 30 days | What the estimate excludes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Mbps | 1.62 decimal TB | Protocol overhead and bitrate variation |
| 12 Mbps | 3.89 decimal TB | Protocol overhead and bitrate variation |
Treat the table as a planning aid. A variable-bitrate source, multiple simultaneous outputs or a different operating schedule changes the arithmetic. Use the actual outbound rate from your encoder when you can, and compare it with the current allowance for the exact server and location. Do not infer that the larger CPX22 price includes more traffic unless the current plan listing says so.
Storage also needs its own estimate. If the file is uploaded to the VPS, its size consumes disk space while present; any logs, temporary files or additional media consume space too. If the stream reads a remote source, that changes storage needs but may introduce another network dependency. Check the server’s included disk capacity and keep room for the operating system and working files; do not calculate storage from stream bitrate alone.
If the channel uses a playlist, file handling and continuity matter as much as the monthly host charge. A workflow that works for one loop may not suit a changing schedule; see how to keep FFmpeg streaming to YouTube after a video ends for the end-of-file problem. Test transitions and recovery with the content you actually plan to stream.
Check current prices before ordering
Prices and product terms can change, so treat the calculations above as dated examples. The CX23 and CPX22 amounts come from Hetzner’s price adjustment table effective 15 June 2026, and the separate IPv4 figure comes from its Primary IP documentation. Consult Hetzner’s price adjustment notice and Primary IP overview for those source figures, then verify the ordering screen for your region and account.
Before placing an order, write down the expected server monthly amount, any required Primary IPv4, the applicable tax treatment, included outbound transfer, and the price of excess traffic. Confirm whether the server will be billed for a whole month during testing, and remember that powering off does not stop billing while the server remains created. If you need to compare another provider or a managed service, use the same categories rather than comparing one provider’s bare compute price with another provider’s full monthly figure.
Then test the actual job. Start with the codec, resolution, frame rate and command line you will use in production, not a lighter test clip that avoids the expensive work. Observe whether encoding keeps up and whether the outbound stream remains stable; a price table cannot answer those questions. If the test fails, change the workload or select a different capacity and test again rather than assuming the next plan name guarantees a result.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Is €5.99 the full monthly cost of a CX23 stream?
No. It is the dated EU list-price calculation for a CX23 plus one Primary IPv4, before VAT. Traffic overages, applicable tax and any other account- or region-specific charges are not included, and you should verify current figures at checkout.
Does the CPX22 guarantee that FFmpeg can encode my video?
No. The CPX22 example has a higher listed server price, but the cited official sources do not benchmark it against a specific FFmpeg codec, resolution or frame rate. Test the actual command and source on the instance you intend to use.
Is a Primary IPv4 included with a Hetzner cloud server?
Hetzner’s cloud documentation says cloud servers do not include public IP addresses. Its Primary IP documentation lists IPv4 as a separate monthly charge and IPv6 as free; confirm the current requirements and prices for your configuration.
Will turning the VPS off stop the charge?
Not by itself. Hetzner’s cloud billing FAQ says a created server is billed until it is deleted, including when powered off. Check your account after a test and delete a server you no longer need.