Hetzner Alternatives Without Passport Verification (2026)

Hetzner’s cheap server is real. The signup is the hard part. A new order can be held until you prove who you are. Hetzner’s own help page gives two ways: a photo of a passport or national ID card, or an advance payment on your own credit card. A real passport can still be rejected. And the cheap plan is a Europe plan. The US cities, Ashburn and Hillsboro, do not sell it. Policies and prices checked: October 2026.

We earn commissions when you shop through the links below. Prices and signup rules change. If the order page disagrees with this article, trust the order page.

This page is not a trick for getting past the check. It is for a real buyer who will not upload a passport, who already uploaded one and was told no, or who thought the €6 server existed in Virginia.

Start with the problem you actually have

A virtual private server is a rented computer. You get your own slice of processor, memory, and disk. Hetzner, a German host, was popular because that slice was very cheap in Europe.

KYC is the name for the identity check. It means the host asks who you are before it turns the server on. Hetzner does not ask every account. It asks when the fraud check is unsure. The published choices are an ID photo, or a prepayment on a credit card in your name.

The cheap plan name changed in June 2026. CX22 is gone. The new name is CX23. It is sold in Germany and Finland, not in the United States. CPX11 is the small US plan. It costs more, and it includes less memory and less traffic.

Your situation	What to do
You will not upload a passport, and the job is a normal site or app	Open Clouvider or InterServer and read the signup form this week. If it asks for an ID, walk away.
A lighter European check is fine	Netcup. Stock and the traffic rule are on the Netcup page. This page does not repeat them.
You are in Europe, you can pass the check, and CX23 is in stock	Stay. Hetzner is still the cheap one when the order button works.
You are in the US and you wanted the €6 plan	That plan is not in Ashburn or Hillsboro. Budget about $20.49 before the address fee, or leave.
You wanted a cheap dedicated machine, not a cloud server	OVHcloud ECO or Kimsufi. One section below. Not a second article.
You already have a Hetzner server from before 15 June 2026	Stay. A new order can cost more. Do not cancel a cheap server to buy the same memory again.

I will not upload an ID · I can pass the check and want the cheap EU plan

Why Hetzner asks for a passport

Hetzner’s fraud-prevention page, last changed on 5 August 2026, says a new order can wait until the account is verified. One path is a government ID, such as a passport or a national ID card, so the form matches the person. The other is an advance payment on your own credit card.

The same page asks you not to sign up with a free mailbox, and not to use a VPN while you register. A VPN hides your location and makes the fraud check harder. Incomplete or false details can delay the account or get it rejected. That is their rule. This page does not tell you how to get around it.

The card path is not a secret door around the ID path. Money you add for the check is credit, not a bill. They bill you after the server is provided. Unused credit comes back only if you close the account and nothing is owed. Adding credit does not put a sold-out plan back on the shelf.

Older support replies have mentioned a small PayPal credit in some unclear cases. The current help page names the credit card. Do not count on PayPal unless the screen in front of you offers it. Hetzner does not take crypto.

A real passport is not a yes. Public complaints in late 2025 and September 2026 describe accounts rejected after an ID upload. In May 2026 Hetzner’s own social account said the extra checks exist because of abuse risk. They do not promise that a matching document passes.

A big first order gets a second look. A costly first order, or an order with many products, may not go through on its own. A smaller first server is their suggestion. That is a size hint, not a way around the check.

If you already have a server from before 15 June 2026, the June price change applied to new orders and to resizing. Do not cancel a cheap server to buy the same memory at the new price.

What the signup table can and cannot say

The table is the page. It is not a ranking. “Not checked this week” means we did not finish a signup on that brand in the first week of October 2026. An empty cell is not a promise that the form is empty.

Port 25 is the door mail servers use to hand mail to each other. Many hosts keep it shut on a new cloud server so a fresh account cannot send spam in the first hour.

Provider	ID at signup	Card prepay	PayPal or crypto	Refused after a check?	Port 25	Setup fee
Hetzner	When unsure. Passport or national ID.	Your own credit card is the other published path.	Crypto no. PayPal is not the current path.	Yes. A matching ID is not a yes.	Cloud: 25 and 465 blocked. Ask after a paid bill.	No cloud setup fee.
Netcup	Lighter European check in reports. Not checked this week.	Card and bank debit. Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.
Clouvider	Not checked this week.	Card is on the public list.	PayPal and bank listed. Crypto not checked.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.
InterServer	Not checked this week.	Card checkout. Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Term length changes the monthly price.
Cherry Servers	Not checked this week.	Card is the public path.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.
Infomaniak	Swiss account check. Not checked this week.	Card is the normal path.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.
OVHcloud	Can hold an order for an ID. Not every signup.	Card and a prepaid account.	PayPal listed. Crypto no.	Not checked this week.	Often open on a VPS. Confirm on the order.	ECO and Kimsufi fees vary.
Scaleway	ID check exists. Sometimes required before you order more.	A payment method is required.	Not checked this week.	A bad ID photo can block it.	Not checked this week.	Not checked this week.
Akamai Linode	Can ask for a photo ID and the card’s last digits.	Card is the normal path.	Not checked this week.	A VPN or a far address can trigger it.	Often blocked on new accounts.	No setup fee on the shared price.
DigitalOcean	Can ask for extra checks. Not a skip.	Card is the normal path.	Some accounts can pay USDC. Not Bitcoin.	Not checked this week.	Blocked by default. Ask in a ticket.	No setup fee on the Droplet price.

Can anyone match the price?

Mostly no. And only when CX23 is actually in stock.

CX22 is retired. On 15 June 2026 Hetzner raised prices for new orders and for resizing. The new Europe price for CX23 is €5.49 a month. That leaves out tax and the IPv4 address. The dollar column on the same sheet is $6.49. The server is 2 shared processor cores, 4 GB of memory, 40 GB of fast disk, and 20 TB of traffic in Europe. Shared means other customers use the same chip. You are not promised the whole chip.

IPv4 is the older internet address. Most sites still need one. Hetzner’s address page lists a cloud IPv4 at €0.50 a month, or $0.60, before tax. The newer IPv6 address is free. That address page is older than the June sheet, so check it on order day. German tax is 19%. €5.49 plus tax is about €6.53, before the address.

Stock is the other half. A public tracker on 8 October 2026 showed CX23 in some European cities and never offered in Ashburn or Hillsboro. A price you cannot click is not a deal. Other tables put extra Europe and US traffic near $1.20 per terabyte. Confirm that line before you budget a busy site. This page does not price Singapore.

OVHcloud’s small VPS is the closest public price in late 2026 roundups, sometimes near $5 for 2 cores and 4 GB in Europe. The included traffic is not 20 TB. Close on the bill. Not the same server.

Hetzner alternatives for the US

The US list is a different product. The June price sheet’s US block lists CPX and CCX plans. It does not list CX23. A stock tracker on 8 October 2026 showed that cheap class never offered in Ashburn, Virginia, or Hillsboro, Oregon.

CPX11 is the small US plan. After the June change it is about $20.49 a month, before the address fee. The old US figure on that sheet was $6.99. It is 2 shared cores, 2 GB of memory, 40 GB of disk, and about 1 TB of traffic. Half the memory of CX23, much less traffic, and about four times the euro price before you convert.

The bars are list prices, not a speed test. Europe CX23: €5.49 before tax and before the address, 4 GB, 20 TB, Europe only. US CPX11: $20.49 before the address, 2 GB, about 1 TB, Ashburn or Hillsboro.

If your visitors are in the US and the bill has to stay near the old European number, leave Hetzner’s US cloud. A US yearly VPS is the usual exit. Whether that address can send mail is a different article.

Nine hosts, with a skip on each

Netcup

Netcup is the European neighbor when a lighter ID check is acceptable. Take it for a normal Linux server in Europe, or in Virginia when that city is in stock. Skip it if the order button is dead. Stock and the traffic rule live on the Netcup alternatives page.

Clouvider

Clouvider is a UK host with cloud servers and dedicated machines. Card, PayPal, and bank transfer are on the public payment list. Take it when you will not upload an ID and the job is a normal site, app, or bot. A check in this cluster found a small VPS near £5 before tax on the cart, not in a lab. Skip it if the form asks for a passport the week you order, or if you needed 20 TB and this plan does not include it. Port 25 was not checked this week.

I will not upload an ID

InterServer

InterServer is the US price-lock path. The monthly number depends on how long you pay for. Take it when visitors are in the US, you want the renewal to stay put, and you will not upload a passport. Skip it if checkout asks for an ID, or if you came for unlimited mail. Mail on cheap US addresses is the RackNerd page’s job. We did not finish a signup this week.

Cherry Servers

Cherry Servers is a Lithuanian host with hourly cloud servers and dedicated machines in Europe and the United States. Take it for a normal card checkout and a wider city list. Skip it if you needed the €5.49 price. Public tables in 2026 put a small cloud server near €6 to $11. The ID rule at signup was not confirmed this week.

Infomaniak

Infomaniak is the Swiss company option. It runs its own data centers, at a higher price than CX23. Take it when you want a European company and you can pass a normal account check. Skip it if the search was Hetzner’s price. It was not confirmed as ID-free this week.

OVHcloud

OVHcloud sells VPS servers, public cloud, and a cheap dedicated shelf under the names ECO and Kimsufi. Take the VPS for a low European price if you can live with less included traffic than Hetzner’s 20 TB. Skip it as a passport escape. OVH can hold an order for an ID, a photo of the card, or a selfie. That does not happen on every signup. It happens often enough that “no KYC” is the wrong label.

Scaleway

Scaleway is a French cloud. Take it when the team wants a European control panel and will verify if asked. Skip it if the search was “no passport.” Its docs describe an ID check with a national ID or passport, sometimes required before you can order more. A bad photo can block the check.

Akamai Linode

Linode, now under Akamai, is a developer cloud. People still quote a $5 shared plan. Take it for a US or European city if you can pass a review when the signup is flagged. Skip it as a passport alternative. Linode staff replies say some signups are asked for a government photo ID and a picture of the card showing the last digits, not the full number. A VPN, or an address far from the signup, is a common trigger. New accounts often have port 25 closed until you open a ticket.

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is the other developer cloud. A Droplet is their name for the virtual server. Take it when the team already knows that panel and the price is acceptable. Skip it if you came here to avoid an identity check. It can ask for extra verification. Some accounts can pay in USDC, a dollar-pegged coin, through a card processor. That is not Bitcoin. Port 25 is blocked by default. A ticket is the ask, not a promise. The smallest Droplet is not CX23. Read the live price.

DigitalOcean pricing

What replaces the server auction?

Hetzner’s server auction is a list of used whole computers, not a cloud plan. The help page still points first-time buyers at it. A machine you can click today may be gone tomorrow. If the account check is the blocker, the auction does not help. The same account has to pass.

If you wanted a cheap whole computer, look at OVHcloud ECO or Kimsufi. Setup fees and stock move. Neither publishes a “no ID” promise. Walk away if the order page asks for a passport you will not send.

OVHcloud ECO · Kimsufi · Hetzner auction, if you can pass

Why you might just comply

If you are in Europe, the job is a normal site or app, and CX23 is in stock, the ID check is the price of the cheap plan. The card path is the other published door. Use your own card. Adding credit does not create stock. False details are the fastest way to a rejection the help page already warns about. Stay if you already have the old price. The June change did not ask old customers to cancel and buy again.

I can pass the check and want the cheap EU plan

Why you should not switch

A rejected account is not proof that every other host is cleaner. Scaleway documents an ID check. Linode documents a photo ID on some signups. OVH can hold an order. DigitalOcean can ask for more verification. Netcup is a lighter European check in public reports, not a published skip.

Pages that rank for “no KYC” are often the host selling itself. Crypto-only hosts get one warning, not the verdict. A company site does not belong there. Several of those hosts still ask for an ID at the first abuse ticket. An email-only signup is not a host that can never identify you later. This page does not name a winner in that category.

Contabo shows up because the memory number on the sticker is large. That is a crowded-server contrast, not an ID answer. No button.

This is not the Netcup page, and not the mail page

Two neighboring questions keep getting glued to this URL. They should not be.

Netcup’s 2026 story is stock and a plan change. New orders moved to a pricier line. Old contracts kept a price. The cheap line slows the port instead of sending a surprise bill. That page is Netcup alternatives. Use it if the question is “can I still order the cheap Netcup box?”

The other neighbor is mail. Cheap US yearly servers often have a bad address history. Port 25 can be closed, or open and still useless, because the address was used for spam before you rented it. That job belongs on the RackNerd mail and IP page. That URL was not live on DiscoverVibe when this pack was written. A low year price is not a mail server.

This page owns a smaller question. Hetzner wants an ID, rejected the account, or the cheap plan is Europe-only. The buyer is real. The order has to exist this week.

Questions people ask before they upload anything

Why does Hetzner ask for a passport?

Fraud prevention on a new order. Hetzner’s own help page says an account can be held until it is verified. The two published paths are a government ID, such as a passport or national ID card, or an advance payment on your own credit card. A free mailbox and a VPN at signup make that check harder. That is their rule.

Can I verify with a card instead of an ID?

Yes, when Hetzner offers that path. The current help page says an advance payment on your own credit card can confirm the account. The credit is not a bill. Unused credit is refunded only if you close the account and nothing is owed. Adding credit does not put a sold-out plan back in stock.

Can Hetzner reject a valid passport?

Yes. A matching ID lets them compare the form with the document. It is not a promise of approval. Public complaints in late 2025 and September 2026 describe rejections after an upload. Hetzner’s published reason is fraud prevention. Incomplete or false details can also get the account rejected.

Which alternatives skip ID at signup?

None of the nine hosts on this page publish a guarantee. Clouvider and InterServer are the first screens to open if you will not upload an ID. Read the form the week you order. Scaleway and Akamai Linode can ask for a photo ID. A crypto-only host is a different product, and some of them ask for an ID at the first abuse ticket.

Is anyone as cheap as Hetzner?

Mostly no, and only when CX23 is actually in stock. The June 2026 new-order price is €5.49 a month before tax and before the IPv4 fee, for 2 cores, 4 GB of memory, 40 GB of disk, and 20 TB in Europe. OVHcloud’s small VPS can land near that price. It is not the same traffic allowance, and it is not a passport workaround.

Does Hetzner have cheap US servers?

Not the CX class. A public stock tracker on 8 October 2026 showed CX23 never offered in Ashburn or Hillsboro. The US entry on the regular line is CPX11 at about $20.49 a month before the IPv4 fee, with 2 cores, 2 GB of memory, and about 1 TB of traffic. Extra traffic is a separate line.

What replaces the server auction?

Hetzner’s auction is still a used dedicated list, not a cloud plan. If you cannot pass the account check, look at OVHcloud ECO or Kimsufi for a cheap whole computer. Setup fees and stock move. This page does not rank those machines.

Is port 25 open after the first invoice?

Not automatically. On Hetzner Cloud, outbound ports 25 and 465 are blocked by default. Write-ups from operators describe a support request after about a month and a paid bill, decided case by case. Port 587 stays open for sending through another mail service. Dedicated servers are a different product. Confirm on the order.

Close

If you will not upload an ID, open Clouvider or InterServer and read the form before you pay. If you can pass the check and CX23 is in stock in Europe, stay on Hetzner and add tax plus the address fee. If you wanted that €6 plan in Ashburn, it is not for sale there. CPX11 is about $20.49 before the address, with 2 GB of memory and about 1 TB of traffic.