Updated September 29, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
Contabo vs PlanetHoster
Contabo
Higher score in this comparison
PlanetHoster
Contabo vs PlanetHoster: the differences
| Compare | ContaboReviewVisitVisit | PlanetHosterReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | €4.40Lower | €5.49 |
| Hosting types | Core VPS, Performance VPS, Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS), Storage VPS, Windows VPS, GPU VPS, Dedicated Servers | Shared hosting, Semi dedicated hosting, Cloud/VPS, Dedicated server |
| Features | Backups, CDN, Email | Free SSL, Backups, CDN, EmailCovers more |
| Data centres | Germany (Europe), New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Portsmouth, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, India | Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | €19.99 |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 days |
| Websites allowed | Not confirmed | unlimited |
| Uptime guarantee | Not confirmed | 99.9% to 99.99% |
Same on both: Intro price term (months) (24 months).
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Key differences
- Contabo scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.1.
- Intro price is lower at Contabo: €4.40 vs €5.49.
- Hosting types: only Contabo offers Core VPS, Performance VPS, Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS).
- Hosting types: only PlanetHoster offers Shared hosting, Semi dedicated hosting, Cloud/VPS.
- Features: only PlanetHoster offers Free SSL.
- Data centres: only Contabo offers Germany (Europe), New York, Seattle.
- Data centres: only PlanetHoster offers Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Our verdict on each
Contabo
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.
PlanetHoster
PlanetHoster suits beginners, small business users and enterprise teams wanting hosting with unlimited sites through unlimited alongside backups, CDN and email, with introductory pricing at €5.49 for World Hosting that later moves to renewal pricing, so budget for the jump before committing.
Score breakdown
| Area | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Higher | 8.8Introductory pricing at €5.49 sits near mid market levels. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.3HigherCatalog spans shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS with included free SSL, backups and CDN. |
| Trust | 9.4 | 9.4Support covers email, chat and phone with long operating history. |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Germany | Not confirmed |
A third option
easyname has intro price at €0.99 to €1.99, against €4.40 for Contabo and €5.49 for PlanetHoster.
easyname reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Business email hosting | 5 of 425 | 11 of 425 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise |
| Legal entity | Contabo GmbH | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | Germany | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2003 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Website builders
| Fact | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | €7.99 |
| Free plan | Not confirmed | No |
| E-commerce plan price | Not confirmed | €7.99 |
| Builder type | Not confirmed | Site, Store |
Domain registrars
| Fact | Contabo | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| .com first year | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| .com renewal | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| .com transfer | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| Free WHOIS privacy | Not confirmed | No |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Contabo | PlanetHoster | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro price | €4.40above the median | €5.49above the median | €2.99 |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | €19.99highest quarter | €5.99 |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | Not confirmed | 99.9% to 99.99%above the median | 99.9 |
| Intro price term (months) | 24 monthsabove the median | 24 monthsabove the median | 12 months |
Median across 380 listed software products.
Pros and cons
Contabo
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.
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.
PlanetHoster
Pros
- Covers shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS, giving room to grow from shared hosting to cloud and dedicated servers.
- Allows unlimited with free SSL, backups and CDN, useful for portfolios of small business sites.
- Provides data centers in Paris, France, Montreal, Canada and Lausanne, Switzerland, supporting European and Canadian audiences.
Cons
- Renewal pricing at €19.99 for World Hosting is markedly higher than introductory pricing at €5.49 for World Hosting.
- Staging is not among its free SSL, backups and CDN, which may matter for testing site changes before release.
- Free plan is no, so there is no no cost route into hosting types in shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS.
Who each suits
Contabo
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.
PlanetHoster
Who it suits
- Beginners and small business users needing shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS with room to upgrade, rather than Krystal Hosting for lower entry pricing.
- Owners managing several sites who value unlimited plus free SSL, backups and CDN, rather than checkdomain when store focused simplicity matters.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers seeking lower entry pricing should consider WebHosting because its introductory pricing at £3.29 contrasts with PlanetHoster introductory pricing at €5.49.
- Shoppers seeking privacy included with domains should consider Krystal Hosting because Free WHOIS privacy is no at PlanetHoster.
Current offers
PlanetHoster
Current offer
Discount code
New Subscription Promo: pack of 10 Web Project Standard for 5.49 EUR/month: 5.49 EUR/month for a pack of 10 projects (0.55 EUR/project), renews at 19.99 EUR/month
24-month cycle; also applies to 1 Web Project Ultra at 5.49 EUR/month, renews at 19.99 EUR/month; 60-day guarantee
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Free domain name for the first year: domain registration free for 1 year (listed TLDs include .eu,.fr,.ca,.re,.be,.de,.ch,.es,.lu,.li,.xyz)
requires an annual billing cycle or higher; domain renewed at standard rates afterwards
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Contabo
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.
PlanetHoster
What does PlanetHoster charge at signup and at renewal for hosting+
PlanetHoster introductory pricing is €5.49 for World Hosting, while renewal pricing is €19.99 for World Hosting. That structure means early savings fade at renewal, so readers comparing hosting should budget around the renewal figure and the linked term of 24.
What does PlanetHoster charge for dot com domains+
PlanetHoster charges $18.99 for dot com registration, $18.99 for dot com renewal, and $18.99 for dot com transfer. Pricing stays flat across registration and renewal, which simplifies domain budgeting, although Free WHOIS privacy is no.
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