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From the Cloud backup & online storage comparison

Hetzner Storage Box compared: pricing model, features, assessment

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B Backup

Use cases

Target for NAS backups (for example Synology Hyper Backup via rsync), for backup programs such as BorgBackup, Restic or Rclone, and as an archive you mount as a drive via WebDAV or SMB.

Our assessment

Suits you if you want to back up your NAS or computer with your own backup software and care about storage in Germany and a data processing agreement. Less suited to beginners without technical knowledge, as there is no app or web interface.

In use at TutKitWe've been using the 10 TB version ourselves for years, and it has never let us down. I especially find the ability to use snapshots for even greater security very convenient!

  • Germany or EU – selectable – not confirmed for the plan considered
  • End-to-end encryption: Not available
  • Cancellation and term: No minimum term, cancellation with immediate effect
Published
12 Oct 2026
Updated
12 Oct 2026
Provider
10
Stefan Petri Selection, review and responsibility

Strengths

  • Storage location in Germany or Finland, your choice[4]
  • Data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR directly in your customer account, no signature required[4][6]
  • Many access methods: SFTP, SCP, rsync, BorgBackup, WebDAV, SMB and FTPS[3][7]
  • Automatic snapshots on a freely configurable schedule[1][3]
  • No minimum contract term, cancellation with immediate effect[4]

Weaknesses

  • No web interface for managing files[10]
  • Snapshots are stored on the same box and use its storage space[9][3]
  • Rather for tech-savvy users: without an app you need backup software and some time to learn it Editorial assessment

Fact sheet

Product
Hetzner Storage Box
Vendor
Hetzner Online GmbH
Licence
proprietary
Pricing model
Subscription (monthly)
Plan
BX21, 5 TB, monthly
Data location
Germany, EU
Company headquarters
Germany
Location selectable
Yes
Location applies to this plan
not stated
Note on location
Storage location Germany or Finland, depending on your choice
Data processing agreement (GDPR Art. 28)
Yes
End-to-end encryption
Not available
Note on encryption
No integrated end-to-end encryption feature of the storage service. Client-side encryption is possible with your own backup software such as BorgBackup; you manage the keys there. No information on server-side encryption at rest.
Two-factor authentication
Yes
Version history
Up to 20 manual and 20 automatic snapshots
Retention of deleted files
not published by the provider (No trash described; recovery via snapshots)
Behaviour after accidental deletion
You recover deleted or overwritten files via snapshots, which you create manually or automatically on a schedule; they are stored on the same box and use its storage.
External drives and NAS
Back up NAS and computers via SFTP, SCP, rsync, BorgBackup, Restic, Rclone, WebDAV, SMB or FTPS
Number of devices
not stated
Cancellation and term
No minimum term, cancellation with immediate effect

Storage location and data protection

Hetzner Online is based in Gunzenhausen, Germany. For the Storage Box, Hetzner names Germany or Finland as the storage location; you choose the location when ordering. Both countries are in the EU.

If you back up client data, you need a data processing agreement. At Hetzner you conclude it directly in your customer account; no handwritten signature is required. According to Hetzner, it does not draw up or sign individual agreements – the standard agreement applies.

Hetzner gives no information on server-side encryption of stored data. Depending on the protocol, the transfer is encrypted: WebDAV and FTPS are encrypted, plain FTP is not, and SMB connections may be unencrypted. If you want to be sure that nobody but you can read the data, encrypt it before uploading – for example with BorgBackup, which the Storage Box explicitly supports.

Access, NAS and backup programs

The Storage Box is pure storage. There is no desktop app or web interface; you work via standard protocols. Hetzner lists FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP, SMB/CIFS, HTTPS, WebDAV and SSH on port 23. Via SSH, rsync and BorgBackup are available; Restic and Rclone run via the SFTP backend.

This makes the box a good match for many NAS systems. A guide from the Hetzner community shows, for example, how to back up Synology Hyper Backup to the Storage Box via rsync. On Windows you mount the box as a drive via SMB, on other systems via WebDAV.

For some access methods you need to enable the option "External reachability" in the Hetzner Console; according to Hetzner, the additional services can be activated free of charge. Up to 100 sub-accounts allow separate logins, for example for a NAS and a laptop.

The two-factor login documented by Hetzner applies to Hetzner Accounts and account management. It does not establish an additional two-factor prompt for direct SFTP, SMB or other protocol access to the Storage Box.

Snapshots instead of a trash

Hetzner does not describe a trash for the Storage Box. Protection against accidental deletion or overwriting comes from snapshots: point-in-time copies of the whole box that you create manually or automatically on a freely configurable schedule. How many you can keep depends on the plan – the number of manual and automatic snapshot slots increases with each larger plan.

Once all slots for automatic snapshots are full, the box deletes the oldest one. Important: snapshots are stored on the same Storage Box and take up part of its storage space. So plan some headroom if your data changes often.

Versioning of individual files is handled by your backup program. BorgBackup and Restic keep several states themselves and store only the changes.

Plans and billing

The Storage Box comes in four sizes: BX11 with 1 TB, BX21 with 5 TB, BX31 with 10 TB and BX41 with 20 TB. None of the plans has a minimum contract term, cancellation takes effect immediately, and according to the plan overview there is no setup fee. Traffic is unlimited.

You can switch to a larger or smaller box at any time without losing data. That makes the Storage Box flexible as your archive grows. You'll find the current prices in Hetzner's plan overview.

Who the Storage Box suits

In our view, the Storage Box suits you above all if you already run a NAS or are willing to set up a backup program such as BorgBackup, Restic or Synology Hyper Backup. You then get plenty of storage in the EU, a data processing agreement without paperwork and full control over how often and how securely your data is backed up.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for an app that uploads photos from your phone or backs up your laptop with one click, a service with its own software is more convenient. For small teams, the sub-accounts help connect devices or people separately.

Who is Hetzner Storage Box suitable for?

Editorial assessment

  • For photographers partly suited

    Target for NAS or Lightroom archive backups

    Plenty of storage and a German location; without an app you need a backup program or a NAS.

  • For designers partly suited

    Project archive with snapshots

    Scheduled snapshots protect project states; file versions require a backup program.

  • For freelancers and small teams well suited

    NAS backup with a DPA

    DPA in your customer account, storage in the EU, many protocols and sub-accounts for several devices.

Conclusion

The Storage Box is not a ready-made backup program but storage space you fill with tools of your choice. That is exactly what makes it interesting for NAS owners and technically minded freelancers: many protocols, scheduled snapshots, a data processing agreement in your customer account and no minimum term. If you just want to back up photos from your laptop, you'll need additional software and some time to learn it.

Visit provider – Hetzner Storage Box. Opens the provider’s website in a new tab

Sources

  1. Storage Box: Günstiger Online Speicher und Datenarchivierung · provider · Storage Box plan overview, plan card (location setting € / 19% VAT) · As of 11 Oct 2026
  2. BX21 · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  3. Storage Box Überblick - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  4. BX11 · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  5. Impressum · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  6. Datenschutz bei Hetzner - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  7. Zugriff mit SSH/rsync/BorgBackup - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  8. Zwei-Faktor-Authentifizierung - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  9. Storage Box Snapshots - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  10. Storage Box vs Storage Share - Hetzner Docs · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  11. BX31 · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026
  12. BX41 · provider · As of 11 Oct 2026

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