Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS

Compare Hetzner and Unomed Cloud PACS on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure

Logo: Hetzner

Hetzner

Germany· Cloud Computing

Needs review

Shortlist for German-owned IaaS/bare metal in DE/FI parks, API cloud VMs, inclusive-traffic EU economics, ISO 27001 + BSI C5 Type 2. Skip for hyperscaler PaaS depth, SOC 2-first audits, or zero US-group footprint (optional US Ashburn/Hillsboro + Singapore via subsidiaries/colocation). Prefer OVHcloud/Scaleway for broader EU portfolios; STACKIT for DE public-sector framing.

EU-operated (DE HQ)Owned DE/FI parksISO 27001:2022BSI C5 Type 2Bare metal + auctionOptional US/SG cloud
Logo: Unomed Cloud PACS

Unomed Cloud PACS

Switzerland· Cloud Computing

Needs review

Shortlist for Swiss practices that want a cloud DICOM archive, browser viewing and referrer sharing without replacing their PIS, and that accept a Zurich SaaS vendor with claimed Swiss image hosting. Skip when you need a default CE-marked diagnostic viewer, a fully public subprocessor and audit pack, or a self-hosted PACS you operate yourself. Consider PostDICOM or a classic on-prem PACS plus sharing tool when those constraints dominate.

Swiss-operatedCloud PACS / VNADICOM archiveBrowser viewerPIS overlay
Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: HetznerHetznerLogo: Unomed Cloud PACSUnomed Cloud PACS
Country of originGermanySwitzerland
CategoryCloud ComputingCloud Computing
Open sourceNoNo
Self-hostedNoNo
HeadquartersGermanySwitzerland
Legal entityHetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen (HRB 6089 Ansbach)Unomed AG
US parent / controlNo known US parentNo known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)MediumMedium
EU-hosted statusNot listedPartial
Hosting / residencyOwned parks: Nuremberg, Falkenstein (DE), Helsinki (FI). Non-cloud EU-only. Cloud optional US (Ashburn, Hillsboro) and Singapore on 3rd-party colocation. AV subprocessors: Hetzner Finland Oy; US: Hetzner US LLC, NTT Americas, QTS Hillsboro; SG: Hetzner Singapore, NTT SG1. Master data stays EU.Vendor claims primary hosting, databases and DICOM storage in Switzerland. Privacy policy lists identity/liveness processing in EU (Ireland) and speech recognition in EU (Denmark). API CSP references AWS S3 eu-central-2 (Zurich) and AWS Rekognition/Cognito eu-west-1; push via Firebase; website may use Cloudflare WAF cookies and Google Analytics. Named subprocessor list on request only.
Summary

German data center operator (Gunzenhausen): dedicated servers, Hetzner Cloud VPS, storage, and owned parks in Germany and Finland, with optional US and Singapore cloud locations.

Swiss cloud PACS and vendor-neutral archive for storing, viewing and sharing DICOM medical images in the browser, integrated with existing medical practice workflows.

Tags
At a glance: Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS
At a glanceLogo: HetznerHetznerLogo: Unomed Cloud PACSUnomed Cloud PACS
HQGunzenhausen, GermanyZurich, Switzerland
Legal entityHetzner Online GmbH (HRB 6089 Ansbach)Unomed AG (CHE-374.858.885)
EU parksNuremberg, Falkenstein (DE); Helsinki (FI)Not listed
Optional cloud regionsAshburn and Hillsboro (US); SingaporeNot listed
ModelIaaS / dedicated / hosting (unmanaged cloud and root)Not listed
Open sourceNo (commercial infrastructure)Not listed
Product typeNot listedCloud PACS / VNA SaaS
Self-hostedNot listedNo (local connector only)
Default viewerNot listedOHIF (not for diagnosis per GTCs)
Data residency regionsNot listedSwitzerland claimed for DICOM/hosting; some auxiliary processing in EU (IE/DK) per privacy policy
Key capabilities: Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS
Key capabilitiesLogo: HetznerHetznerLogo: Unomed Cloud PACSUnomed Cloud PACS
EU-operated (DE HQ)YesYes
Owned DE/FI parksYesNot listed
ISO 27001:2022YesNot listed
BSI C5 Type 2YesNot listed
Bare metal + auctionYesNot listed
Optional US/SG cloudYesNot listed
Cloud PACS / VNANot listedYes
DICOM archiveNot listedYes
Browser viewerNot listedYes
PIS overlayNot listedYes

Hetzner

  • Dedicated root servers and Server Auction

    Bare-metal root servers with full hardware isolation for predictable I/O and custom OS installs. The Server Auction lists surplus or end-of-primary-use machines at declining prices for labs, secondary environments, and cost-sensitive dedicated capacity.

  • Hetzner Cloud with API, networks, and apps

    VMs with shared or dedicated vCPU classes, managed via Console, REST API, and CLI. Private networks, stateful firewalls, load balancers, Linux images, Terraform/Ansible/Kubernetes integrations, and one-click apps (Docker, Nextcloud, GitLab CE, WireGuard, and more) for self-hosted stacks.

  • Owned EU data center parks plus optional US/Singapore cloud

    Company-operated parks in Nuremberg, Falkenstein (Germany), and Helsinki (Finland). Cloud also in Ashburn, Hillsboro (USA), and Singapore on third-party colocation. Non-cloud products and EU-selected cloud locations keep server data in the EU per Hetzner docs; master data stays in the EU.

  • ISO 27001, BSI C5 Type 2, and console DPA

    Public ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate for DE/FI park scope; BSI C5 Type 2 for cloud; Art. 28 DPA accept-in-console with published TOMs and annual external TOM review available to DPA customers. Not a SOC 2-first vendor.

  • Inclusive traffic-oriented European cloud pricing model

    Pay-as-you-go cloud (hourly or monthly) and list-based dedicated servers, with marketing emphasis on high inclusive traffic on European plans versus hyperscaler egress bills. Confirm current allowances and rates only on the official calculator—figures change by region and over time.

Unomed Cloud PACS

  • Cloud DICOM archive (VNA-style)

    Central archive for studies from in-house modalities and external institutes, with DICOM export so you can take the archive with you. Storage is billed as you grow; long-term statutory retention remains the customer's duty under Unomed's terms.

  • Zero-footprint browser viewer (OHIF default)

    Open studies in the browser with nothing installed on the workstation. OHIF is the default; other viewers can be connected on request. Unomed's GTCs state the standard viewer is not authorised for diagnostic reporting.

  • PACS inbox with assisted patient matching

    Inbound studies land in an inbox; Unomed suggests the matching patient (including fuzzy name matches) and a human confirms. Useful when institutes send studies that do not already carry a clean order from your record.

  • Share via messenger and guest links

    Send studies to colleagues, referrers and patients through Unomed messenger. Recipients without an account get a time-limited guest link; registered users keep the thread in case chat instead of CDs or ad-hoc portals.

  • Cloud Connector, Radiology Bridge and Medical API

    Connect DICOM modalities like a second destination printer, autoroute from an existing institute PACS via Radiology Bridge, or integrate via DICOMweb/Medical API. Keeps on-site PACS investments when you only need outbound routing to Unomed practices.

  • Overlay on existing practice software

    Opens studies from the patient record in supported web-based Swiss practice systems without replacing the PIS. Vendor lists 16+ systems with several official partners; desktop-only software needs a feasibility discussion.

Assurance & compliance: Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS
Assurance & complianceLogo: HetznerHetznerLogo: Unomed Cloud PACSUnomed Cloud PACS
Independent security / no-logs audit
Not applicable

Hosting/IaaS, not a no-logs VPN. Public ISO 27001, BSI C5 Type 2, and annual TOM review (TUV Rheinland) instead.

Not found

No public independent security audit report located on unomed.ch.

ISO 27001
Verified

ISO/IEC 27001:2022; public SOCOTEC certificate. Scope: infrastructure, operation, support of Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki parks.

Not found

No ISO 27001 certificate or registry entry found on the official site.

SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

Hetzner states focus on ISO 27001 rather than SOC 2 for international market.

Not found

No SOC 2/3 report referenced on public pages reviewed.

GDPR / EU data protection
Vendor claimed

German entity; public privacy policy, Art. 28 DPA, TOMs, subprocessor list. Customer remains controller for data on rented systems.

Vendor claimed

Swiss FADP (DSG) primary; privacy policy also cites GDPR bases. Confirm DPA/ABV for your use case.

US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
Partial

EU entity / no known US parent, but optional US cloud uses Hetzner US LLC and US colocation (NTT, QTS); Singapore similarly. EU placements keep server data in EU per docs. Not legal advice.

Partial

Swiss entity / no known US parent, but AWS (S3 Zurich region, Rekognition Ireland) and Firebase appear in public technical/privacy materials. Not legal advice.

Data processing agreement (B2B)
Vendor claimed

Standard DPA accept-in-console; sample PDF published; no custom wet-ink DPAs per vendor docs.

Vendor claimed

GTCs require an Auftragsbearbeitungsvertrag (ABV) when patient data is processed on behalf of the healthcare provider.

EU AI Act
Not applicable

Infrastructure hosting, not an AI system product.

Not applicable

PACS archive/viewer product; AI is used for assisted patient matching and other suite features, but this entry evaluates the imaging archive, not an AI-centric system.

BSI C5 (cloud)
Verified

Vendor publishes BSI C5 Type 2 attestation PDF for cloud services (German BSI catalogue).

Not listed
KRITIS / section 8a BSIG
Vendor claimed

Hetzner states BSI classification as operator of critical services and certification under section 8a BSIG.

Not listed
Diagnostic viewer certificationNot listed
Partial

Default OHIF viewer explicitly not for diagnosis per GTCs; certified third-party viewers optional.

Considerations & known limitations: Hetzner vs Unomed Cloud PACS
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: HetznerHetznerLogo: Unomed Cloud PACSUnomed Cloud PACS
Optional US and Singapore cloud regions
Medium

Ashburn, Hillsboro, and Singapore use third-party colocation and local subsidiaries; server content placed there leaves the EU. Zero-US-footprint policies may still reject the vendor even for EU-only workloads.

Not listed
Unmanaged cloud and dedicated servers
Medium

You own OS patching, app security, and backups. Platform firewalls help but do not replace customer ops. Poor fit if you need managed DBaaS and full-stack ops.

Not listed
Narrower managed-service catalog vs hyperscalers
Low

Strong IaaS and bare metal; weak match if procurement assumes AWS-parity managed services. Plan hybrid architecture early.

Not listed
ISO scope is DE/FI parks
Low

Published ISO 27001 scope centers on German and Finnish parks. Do not assume identical coverage for every US/Singapore deployment without reading current certificates.

Not listed
US-group cloud components in the data pathNot listed
Medium

Even with Swiss HQ and claimed Swiss image hosting, AWS and Firebase endpoints appear in public privacy/CSP materials. Procurement should obtain the named subprocessor annex and assess CLOUD Act residual risk.

Default viewer not for diagnosisNot listed
High

If radiologists must report from the included viewer, Unomed alone is the wrong shortlist item unless a certified diagnostic viewer is contracted.

No public ISO/SOC or independent auditNot listed
Medium

Assurance currently rests on vendor policies, Swiss entity status and contractual ABV rather than published certificates.

Subprocessor list not publishedNot listed
Medium

Privacy policy says processors can be requested at any time but does not name hosting vendors on the page. Blockers for security questionnaires until the annex is shared.

Fit

Hetzner

Best fit when

  • Teams that want German-jurisdiction hosting with owned parks in Germany and Finland
  • Workloads that need bare-metal root servers or cost-effective dedicated via Server Auction
  • Ops-heavy orgs comfortable with unmanaged IaaS (Console/API/CLI, Terraform, apps)
  • Buyers optimizing for EU residency plus inclusive traffic economics versus hyperscaler egress
  • German/EU checklists asking for ISO 27001, BSI C5, and an Art. 28 DPA in-console

Poor fit when

  • Orgs that need a full AWS/Azure-style managed services catalog (PaaS, serverless, AI)
  • Policies that forbid any US subsidiary, US colocation, or optional US region at group level
  • Buyers requiring SOC 2 as the primary assurance artifact (Hetzner focuses on ISO/C5)
  • Teams expecting fully managed OS patching, databases, and DR without operating the stack

Consider instead when

  • When: You need a broader European cloud portfolio or more managed service surface

    Consider: OVHcloud or Scaleway

    Still European operators; compare regions, bare-metal depth, and support models.

  • When: German public-sector sovereign cloud framing is the primary procurement driver

    Consider: STACKIT

    Different product and governance story; verify current certifications and residency.

  • When: You need hyperscaler managed depth more than EU-owned IaaS

    Consider: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud (accept US-group CLOUD Act posture)

    Trade EU operator control for catalog breadth.

  • When: You want a smaller EU regional cloud with a different feature/region mix

    Consider: Exoscale or UpCloud

    Compare locations, SLAs, and managed options against Hetzner's park scale.

Unomed Cloud PACS

Best fit when

  • Swiss medical or dental practices that want cloud DICOM archive and sharing without an on-site PACS project
  • Teams that must open imaging from an existing web-based practice system rather than a second patient search
  • Institutes that need to autoroute studies to referring practices while keeping an existing PACS (Radiology Bridge)
  • Buyers who prioritise a Swiss contracting entity and vendor-claimed Swiss image residency under the FADP
  • Workflows that share studies with referrers or patients via links instead of CDs or one-off portals

Poor fit when

  • Organisations that require the included viewer to be a certified diagnostic/reporting workstation out of the box
  • Buyers that need a published named subprocessor list and independent ISO/SOC evidence before first sales call
  • Teams seeking a fully self-hosted open-source PACS they operate themselves
  • Hospitals needing a full RIS/PACS suite beyond practice-oriented cloud archive and sharing

Consider instead when

  • When: You need a European cloud PACS peer outside Switzerland or broader multi-country packaging

    Consider: PostDICOM (Netherlands) or other EU cloud PACS vendors

    Feature parity is not claimed; compare residency contracts and viewer certification directly.

  • When: You primarily need raw cloud object storage or hospital-grade imaging services on a hyperscaler

    Consider: AWS or Azure health/imaging stacks with your own viewer and compliance design

    More infrastructure flexibility; you own more of the clinical workflow glue.

  • When: You must keep all image data on premises under your sole operational control

    Consider: Classic on-prem PACS plus a dedicated sharing portal

    Unomed is cloud SaaS with a local connector, not a self-hosted Unomed server product.

Open questions for due diligence

Hetzner

  • Does your policy allow a German provider that also offers US/Singapore regions if you only deploy in DE/FI?
  • Is BSI C5 Type 2 + ISO 27001 sufficient, or is SOC 2 mandatory for your auditors?
  • Which SKUs (cloud vs dedicated vs managed web hosting) match your backup and support needs?
  • Will you need regions or managed services Hetzner does not offer natively (CDN, managed DB, AI APIs)?

Unomed Cloud PACS

  • Will Unomed provide the current named subprocessor list (hosting, backup, email, SMS, identity) under NDA or in the ABV annex?
  • Which exact Swiss data-centre operators and certifications cover the DICOM archive?
  • Is a CE-marked / certified diagnostic viewer required for your reporting workflow, and which third-party option will Unomed integrate?
  • What SLA, backup/RPO and export support apply to your Cloud PACS tier?