Top 5 Alternatives to Equinix Metal: A Detailed Analysis
By The ServerSearcher Team • Updated
Equinix Metal ends on June 30, 2026(new sales stopped November 7, 2024). This guide compares five alternatives on APIs, automation, locations, and billing—based on each provider's public documentation.
Introduction: The Shift Away from Equinix Metal
Equinix Metal began as Packet (acquired by Equinix in 2020 and rebranded later that year). Equinix announced end-of-sale on November 7, 2024 and end-of-life on June 30, 2026. Existing customers can run workloads until that date; Equinix is not selling new Metal subscriptions. Choose a replacement that matches your automation needs, locations, and budget—not just raw specs.
We compare Latitude.sh, Vultr, Cherry Servers, Clouvider, and Hetzner on deployment speed, global footprint, APIs, and billing. Latitude.sh joined Megaport in late 2025; day-to-day operations and APIs are unchanged for now, but worth noting if vendor ownership matters to you.
1. Latitude.sh - The Modern Bare Metal Cloud
Latitude.sh delivers bare metal servers across the globe with cloud-like flexibility. Deploy physical servers and manage them with the same tools you use today.
Key Information
API & Automation
Public REST API, CLI, Terraform provider, and client libraries for common languages
Latitude.sh is known for its developer-friendly API, Terraform provider, and CLI, enabling rapid deployment and infrastructure as code practices.
Latitude.sh joined Megaport in late 2025; existing APIs and billing are unchanged for customers at the time of writing.
Consider checking their official documentation for detailed API specifications, rate limits, and available client libraries (e.g., Python, Go, JavaScript).
Deployment & Hardware
Deployment Time: Typically minutes for standard bare metal and GPU configurations
Processor Options: See provider catalog for current CPU options.
Pricing Snapshot
Global Presence (26 Locations)
- Melbourne, AU
- Frankfurt, DE
- Ashburn 2, US
- Sydney, AU
- São Paulo, BR
- Buenos Aires, AR
- Singapore, SG
- Tokyo 4, JP
- London, GB
- Amsterdam, NL
- Silicon Valley, US
- Frankfurt, DE
- And more...
2. Vultr - High-Performance Global Cloud
Vultr is a cloud infrastructure provider offering cloud compute, cloud storage and bare metal.
Key Information
API & Automation
Comprehensive REST API and official Terraform provider covering most products
Vultr provides a REST API and official Terraform provider for VMs, bare metal, and related products.
Consider checking their official documentation for detailed API specifications, rate limits, and available client libraries (e.g., Python, Go, JavaScript).
Deployment & Hardware
Deployment Time: Seconds to minutes for VMs; typically minutes for bare metal
Processor Options: See provider catalog for current CPU options.
Pricing Snapshot
Global Presence (33 Locations)
- Amsterdam, NL
- Seattle, US
- Dallas, US
- Chicago, US
- Warsaw, PL
- Atlanta, US
- New Jersey, US
- Frankfurt, DE
- Los Angeles, US
- Silicon Valley, US
- Stockholm, SE
- Sydney, AU
- And more...
3. Cherry Servers - Customizable & Developer-Focused
Key Information
API & Automation
Public API, CLI, Python and Go SDKs, plus Terraform and Ansible integrations
Consider checking their official documentation for detailed API specifications, rate limits, and available client libraries (e.g., Python, Go, JavaScript).
Deployment & Hardware
Deployment Time: Often 12–15 minutes for pre-built bare metal; custom builds may take 24–72 hours
Processor Options: See provider catalog for current CPU options.
Pricing Snapshot
Global Presence (7 Locations)
- Tokyo, JP
- Šiauliai, LT
- Amsterdam, NL
- Chicago, US
- Singapore, SG
- Frankfurt, DE
- Stockholm, SE
4. Clouvider - High-Performance Network & Global Reach
Clouvider is a UK-based cloud infrastructure provider offering dedicated servers, colocation, and cloud hosting services.
Key Information
API & Automation
REST API for portal account and service management; dedicated provisioning is less API-native than bare-metal-cloud peers
Consider checking their official documentation for detailed API specifications, rate limits, and available client libraries (e.g., Python, Go, JavaScript).
Deployment & Hardware
Deployment Time: Typically hours for new dedicated servers; faster for reprovisioning
Processor Options: See provider catalog for current CPU options.
Pricing Snapshot
Global Presence (24 Locations)
- Manchester, GB
- London, GB
- Manchester, GB
- Dallas, US
- Dallas, US
- Amsterdam, NL
- Phoenix, XX
- Frankfurt, DE
- Ashburn, US
- Frankfurt, DE
- Frankfurt, DE
- Chicago, US
- And more...
5. Hetzner - Price-Performance Leader
Key Information
API & Automation
Cloud API with official Terraform provider and community tooling; Robot interfaces for dedicated servers
Consider checking their official documentation for detailed API specifications, rate limits, and available client libraries (e.g., Python, Go, JavaScript).
Deployment & Hardware
Deployment Time: Seconds to minutes for cloud instances; minutes to hours for dedicated servers
Processor Options: See provider catalog for current CPU options.
Pricing Snapshot
Contact provider for pricing.
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Latitude.sh | Vultr | Cherry Servers | Clouvider | Hetzner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | API-driven bare metal and GPU cloud platform | Global cloud platform with VMs, bare metal, storage, and managed services | Developer-friendly bare metal and virtual servers with open automation tooling | Network-optimized dedicated servers and colocation with multi-region presence | High value dedicated servers and cloud instances with strong price-performance |
| Deployment Speed | Typically minutes for standard bare metal and GPU configurations | Seconds to minutes for VMs; typically minutes for bare metal | Often 12–15 minutes for pre-built bare metal; custom builds may take 24–72 hours | Typically hours for new dedicated servers; faster for reprovisioning | Seconds to minutes for cloud instances; minutes to hours for dedicated servers |
| Global Locations | 26 locations | 33 locations | 7 locations | 24 locations | 0 locations |
| API & Automation | Public REST API, CLI, Terraform provider, and client libraries for common languages | Comprehensive REST API and official Terraform provider covering most products | Public API, CLI, Python and Go SDKs, plus Terraform and Ansible integrations | REST API for portal account and service management; dedicated provisioning is less API-native than bare-metal-cloud peers | Cloud API with official Terraform provider and community tooling; Robot interfaces for dedicated servers |
| Billing Model | Hour-based and monthly pricing options | Hourly and monthly billing depending on product | Hourly and monthly options with transparent pricing | Primarily monthly per dedicated server with bandwidth tiers | Per-hour billing for cloud, monthly for most dedicated servers |
| Founded Year | 2001 | 2014 | 2001 | 2014 | 1997 |
How to Migrate from Equinix Metal
Migrating from Equinix Metal involves careful planning. Consider these steps:
- Assess Your Needs: Document current server specs, workload characteristics, software dependencies, API integration points, and performance benchmarks.
- Shortlist Providers: Based on your assessment and the information above, identify 2-3 providers that best fit your technical and automation requirements.
- Test Performance & APIs: Provision test servers. Deploy a sample application. Test compute performance, storage I/O, network latency, and critically, the usability and completeness of their APIs and automation tools (CLI, Terraform, etc.).
- Evaluate Management Tools: Test the provider's control panel and ensure it integrates with your existing workflows or that API alternatives are sufficient.
- Plan Data Migration: Determine your data migration strategy. Options include rsync, dedicated migration tools, or database replication.
- Update DNS and Configurations: Prepare to update DNS records and any application configurations.
- Execute and Verify: Perform the migration, thoroughly test applications and automation scripts, and monitor performance.
Many providers offer migration assistance. Contact their support for guidance, especially regarding API-driven migrations.
Focusing on API-first bare metal? Read our dedicated Equinix Metal to Latitude.sh migration guide for live plan search, Terraform notes, and the current $200 new-user credit.
Conclusion: Choosing Your Path Forward
The end of Equinix Metal's service presents an opportunity to re-evaluate your infrastructure. Consider providers who not only offer raw performance but also robust APIs and automation capabilities that align with modern DevOps practices.
- Latitude.sh — strong bare-metal API, Terraform provider, and CLI; now part of Megaport.
- Vultr — large global footprint; REST API and Terraform cover VMs, bare metal, and related services.
- Cherry Servers — customizable dedicated and bare metal; dedicated GPU servers and discounted spot instances are both orderable via API (separate product lines).
- Clouvider — UK/EU-focused dedicated hosting with a REST API for account and service management; less Terraform-native than bare-metal-cloud specialists.
- Hetzner — strong European price-performance; Cloud API and Terraform for cloud, Robot interfaces for many dedicated servers.
Ultimately, the best Equinix Metal alternative depends on your specific requirements. We encourage you to use the information here as a starting point for your own research and testing, paying close attention to API documentation and automation features.
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