Hetzner Cloud
A German host renting virtual servers from 5.49 euros a month before VAT, in Germany, Finland, Singapore and the United States. Everything is driven through a REST API and a command line tool: an agent can create a machine, run a job on it, then destroy it.
Strengths
- Low entry price for a full machine: 5.49 euros a month before VAT
- REST API and command line: an agent creates the machine, works, then shuts it down
- Data centres in Europe, useful when files must stay there
Limitations
- No graphics card in the cloud range: transcription and rendering run on the CPU
- Bare server: security, updates and backups are on you
- A forgotten machine keeps billing
Best for
- A heavy one-off job an agent runs off your laptop: transcription, rendering, batch processing
- A self-hosted service behind Coolify once Railway gets too expensive