Contabo review
Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Contabo suits small businesses and developers who want their own server with email, backups and a content delivery network in the same place. Entry is €4.40 across 24, and the hosting range stretches from Core VPS through GPU VPS to dedicated servers.
Key facts
- Best for
- Entry to self-managed hosting with email, backups and a CDN already listed.
- Intro price
- €4.40 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Hosting types
- Core VPS, Performance VPS, Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS), Storage VPS, Windows VPS, GPU VPS, Dedicated Servers (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Backups, CDN, Email (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Data centres
- Germany (Europe), New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Portsmouth, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, India (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Intro price term (months)
- 24 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Contabo GmbH (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2003 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Official website
- contabo.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Backups, a content delivery network and email all appear in backups, cdn and email, so the common extras are covered.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, which is more than a single channel.
- Servers sit in Germany (Europe), New York and Seattle, so you can place them near your users.
- Trading since 2003 as Contabo GmbH, so the provider is an established one.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone line among the listed channels.
- The entry price of €4.40 comes with a 24 term to see out.
- On entry price Contabo ranks 181 of 282 brands tracked, so cheaper entry points sit with other brands in the field.
Who it suits
- Small businesses that want a server they run themselves, with email and backups already listed.
- Developers who need room to move up through Core VPS, Performance VPS and Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS) without changing provider.
- Buyers who want a spread of regions, with sites listed at Germany (Europe), New York and Seattle.
Who should look elsewhere
- Afrihost, listed at ZAR 84, suits buyers who want a mainstream shared host rather than a server.
- Hosting.cl, at CLP 159,900, is the pick for readers who want a locally priced option.
- Host Chile, at CLP 1,491.67, fits readers who want a plain web hosting entry point.
Intro and renewal prices
The entry price is €4.40 and it is tied to a 24 term, so the price covers the whole stretch rather than a single month. Treat that figure as introductory and check the renewal figure for the term after it before you commit the budget.
Core features
Plans span Core VPS, Performance VPS and Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS), so you can start smaller and move up inside a single account. The listed features are backups, cdn and email, which covers the everyday needs of a business site. Servers sit in Germany (Europe), New York and Seattle, giving a spread across Europe, North America, Asia and India. Backups and email sit alongside the content delivery network, so a small team covers its everyday needs without adding another provider.
How Contabo compares
Contabo vs ScalaHosting9.2 vs 9.2
Contabo vs Cloudways9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.6- Contabo vs WebHosting9.2 vs 9.2
Contabo vs Krystal Hosting9.2 vs 9.2
Contabo vs Krystal9.2 vs 9.0- Contabo vs easyname9.2 vs 9.1
- Contabo vs Ultra Web Hosting9.2 vs 9.3
- 9.2 vs 8.6
- Contabo vs checkdomain9.2 vs 9.1
Contabo vs PlanetHoster9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.8
Contabo vs HostPapa HK9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.9
9.2 vs 8.8- 9.2 vs 8.8
- 9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.1
9.2 vs 8.0
Frequently asked questions
What does Contabo cost to get started?+
The entry figure is €4.40 and it is tied to a 24 term, so the price covers the full stretch rather than a single month. Readers on a short budget get a low headline number but a long commitment attached to it.
What happens to the price at renewal?+
Renewal pricing is a separate figure from the entry price, so budget for the term after the 24 you sign up for. Across business email hosting, renewal prices typically sit at €5.48, and the higher band of the field sits at €9.69.
Does the entry price include email hosting?+
Email is one of the listed features, backups, cdn and email, alongside backups and a content delivery network. That means the entry figure of €4.40 covers a server with those extras rather than a bare machine, so it suits business email on a tight budget.
What can I host on Contabo?+
The plan range covers Core VPS, Performance VPS and Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS), so you can start on a smaller VPS and step up to dedicated servers as a site grows, all under the same account and the same support channels.
Where are Contabo servers located?+
Locations are listed as Germany (Europe), New York and Seattle, so you can place a server close to the audience you serve rather than in a single region, and can keep a copy on another continent if you want one.
How do I reach Contabo support?+
Support is listed as email, chat and help centre, which covers written help and live chat, plus a help centre for self service. There is no phone line among the listed channels, so urgent issues have to go through email or chat.
How does Contabo's price compare with the field?+
On entry price, Contabo ranks 181 of 282 brands tracked, and its cost score is 5.5. Buyers shopping mainly on the lowest starting figure will find cheaper entry points with other brands, so weigh the 24 term against the headline number before you commit.
How does Contabo compare with local providers?+
Hosting.cl lists CLP 159,900, Afrihost lists ZAR 84 and Host Chile lists CLP 1,491.67. Each is quoted in other currencies, so compare €4.40 after conversion rather than side by side, and weigh whether you want your own server at all.
Sources
- contabo.com/en/about-us checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Features, Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity
“NextcloudSelf-Hosted MailCDN from vshosting”
- contabo.com/en/locations checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Data centres, Intro price, Intro price term (months)
“You can choose between US East (New York), US West (Seattle) and US Central (St. Louis) Regions.”
- contabo.com/en/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Hosting types
“Dedicated ServersSingle-tenant bare metal servers with full control over individual hardware configuration.”
- help.contabo.com/en/support/solutions checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“How do I chat with Contabo Customer Support? How to contact Contabo Customer Support?”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Renewal price, Money-back period.