NHN Cloud vs UpCloud: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of NHN Cloud and UpCloud to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
NHN Cloud
5.9/10
South Korean OpenStack-based public cloud from NHN, offering compute, Kubernetes, managed databases, storage, CDN and security services from Korean and Japanese regions.
UpCloud
7/10
A Finnish cloud infrastructure provider offering cloud servers, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, object storage, and networking to developers and businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | €3/mo Starter |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | €3/mo Starter |
| Features | ||
| API and CLI | ||
| Automatic Backups | ||
| Cloud Compute | ||
| Content Delivery Network | ||
| Managed Databases | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| DDoS Protection | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | Not listed | |
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
| VPS Hosting | Not listed | |
NHN Cloud vs UpCloud cost by team size
| Team size | NHN Cloud | UpCloud |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | €3/moStarter |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | €3/moStarter |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | €3/moStarter |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | €3/moStarter |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | €3/moStarter |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose NHN Cloud
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose UpCloud
- Higher Support score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Reliability score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for developers (9/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
NHN Cloud
Pros
- Very broad catalog for a regional provider: compute, NKS, serverless, managed RDS for four engines, CDN, security, and AI services.
- Holds CSAP certification, which suits Korean public-sector and regulated buyers.
- An official Terraform provider, published by NHN Cloud on GitHub, supports infrastructure as code.
- Korea-specific services such as KakaoTalk Bizmessage notifications and support for local databases like Tibero and CUBRID.
Cons
- Only four regions, three in Korea and one in Tokyo, so it reaches few markets outside Korea.
- The pricing pages we checked showed no per-unit rates; buyers have to use the calculator or ask for a quote.
- Documentation and console are Korean-first, and independent English-language reviews are scarce.
- Some services, such as Data Transporter and Storage Gateway, are still in alpha or beta.
UpCloud
Pros
- Independent benchmarks recorded very low p99 disk latency on its MaxIOPS storage
- Advertises a 100% uptime SLA with 50x credits for downtime
- Fixed plan prices include data transfer, which keeps bills predictable
- Official Terraform provider, REST API, and CLI support infrastructure as code
- Broad managed portfolio covering Kubernetes, four database engines, object storage, and a CDN
- EU headquarters, ISO 27001 certification, and GDPR focus suit European buyers
Cons
- Reviewers find it several times more expensive than Hetzner for similar specs
- Fewer locations than larger providers, concentrated in Europe
- Smaller community and fewer third-party reviews than DigitalOcean or Vultr
- One user reports outbound port 25 is blocked by default, which hinders mail servers
- Pricing is changing in November 2026, so older published prices may be out of date
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
UpCloud scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 7/10 against 5.9/10 for NHN Cloud. The largest gap is in Ease of Use: 5/10 for NHN Cloud and 7/10 for UpCloud.
No, neither NHN Cloud nor UpCloud lists a free plan.
UpCloud is the better fit for developers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 6/10 for NHN Cloud.
