Show HN: We moved from AWS to Hetzner, saved 90%, kept ISO 27001 with Ansible

Re:Show HN: We moved from AWS to Hetzner, saved 90%, kept IS... by rz2k on Saturday June 21, 2025 @09:35AM (#44337486)

Isn’t $24k also a naive accounting of the annual cost of AWS in this case? What FTE-equivalent was required to set up the services they use at AWS? What FTE-equivalent is required to keep the annual bill down to $24k from say $48k or $100k?

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Re:Show HN: We moved from AWS to Hetzner, saved 90%, kept IS... by sksjvsla on Saturday June 21, 2025 @01:20PM (#44339149)

Before migration (AWS): We had about 0.1 FTE on infra — most of the time went into deployment pipelines and occasional fine-tuning (the usual AWS dance). After migration (Hetzner + OVHCloud + DIY stack): After stabilizing it is still 0.1 FTE (but I was 0.5 FTE for 3-4 months), but now it rests with one person. We didn’t hire a dedicated ops person.

I am curious why you think AWS services are more hands-off than a series of VPSs configured with Ansible and Terraform? Especially if you are under ISO 27001 and need to document upgrades anyway.

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Re:Show HN: We moved from AWS to Hetzner, saved 90%, kept IS... by rz2k on Saturday June 21, 2025 @01:35PM (#44339246)

I was emphasizing that if the new Hetzer expenses are naive, then it was also naive to consider that AWS only costs $24k per year.

My point was that AWS is not hands-off. You still have to set it up, you have to keep a close eye on expenses, and Amazon holds your hand less than many people seem to expect.

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