Updated September 28, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
Contabo vs ScalaHosting
Contabo
Higher score in this comparison
ScalaHosting
Contabo vs ScalaHosting: the differences
| Compare | ContaboReviewVisitVisit | ScalaHostingReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | €4.40 | $2.95 |
| Hosting types | Core VPS, Performance VPS, Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS), Storage VPS, Windows VPS, GPU VPS, Dedicated Servers | Shared web hosting, Managed cloud hosting, Unmanaged cloud VPS hosting, Cluster hosting, Reseller hosting, Business email hosting, WordPress hosting |
| Features | Backups, CDN, Email | Free SSL, Backups, Staging, CDN, EmailCovers more |
| Data centres | Germany (Europe), New York, Seattle, St. Louis, Portsmouth, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, India | Dallas, USA, New York, USA, Seattle, USA, Ohio, USA, Virginia, USA, Oregon, USA, Montreal, Canada, Sofia, Bulgaria, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Helsinki, Finland, Madrid, Spain, Stockholm, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark, Stavanger, Norway, Warsaw, Poland, Dublin, Ireland, Paris, France, London, UK, Frankfurt, Germany, Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, Mumbai, India, Singapore, Sydney, Australia |
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $11.95 |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Websites allowed | Not confirmed | 1 on Mini, unlimited on Start, Advanced and Entry Cloud |
| Uptime guarantee | Not confirmed | 99.9% |
| Intro price term (months) | 24 months | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Hosting types: only Contabo offers Core VPS, Performance VPS, Cloud VDS (Max Performance VPS).
- Hosting types: only ScalaHosting offers Shared web hosting, Managed cloud hosting, Unmanaged cloud VPS hosting.
- Features: only ScalaHosting offers Free SSL, Staging.
- Data centres: only Contabo offers Germany (Europe), New York, Seattle.
- Data centres: only ScalaHosting offers Dallas, USA, New York, USA, Seattle, USA.
- Support channels: only ScalaHosting offers Phone.
- Founded is lower at Contabo: 2003 vs 2007.
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.
ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting suits small businesses and beginners who want one provider for sites and stores, and the range runs from shared web hosting to managed and unmanaged cloud VPS. Entry pricing is $2.95 and renewal is $11.95, so the second bill is the one to plan for.
Score breakdown
| Area | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Higher | 8.8Entry pricing of $2.95 is low next to €2.99, though e-commerce hosting costs $14.95 and renewals rise. |
| Offer | 9.1 | 9.6Higher |
| Trust | 9.4Higher | 8.9An uptime guarantee of 99.9%, support over email, chat and phone, and a provider founded in 2007. |
Choosing between them
Pick Contabo if cost and trust matter most.
Pick ScalaHosting if offer and features matter most.
Side by side, item by item
| Features | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Free SSL | No | Yes |
| Backups | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | No | Yes |
| CDN | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
Where these facts come from
Contabo
- contabo.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- help.contabo.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
ScalaHosting
- scalahosting.com: 13 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Business email hosting | 5 of 425 | 1 of 425 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Not confirmed | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise |
| Legal entity | Contabo GmbH | Scala Hosting LLC |
| Headquarters | Germany | United States |
| Founded | 2003Lower | 2007 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more |
Website builders
| Fact | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | $2.95 |
| Free plan | Not confirmed | No |
| E-commerce plan price | Not confirmed | $14.95 |
| Builder type | Not confirmed | Site, Store |
Domain registrars
| Fact | Contabo | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Domain endings | Not confirmed | 17 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Contabo | ScalaHosting | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewal price | Not confirmed | $11.95above the median | $7.67 |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | Not confirmed | 99.9%at the median | 99.9% |
| Intro price term (months) | 24 monthsabove the median | Not confirmed | 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.
ScalaHosting
Pros
- The shared web hosting, managed cloud hosting and unmanaged cloud VPS hosting range covers shared web hosting, managed and unmanaged cloud, cluster, reseller, WordPress and business email hosting.
- Included features list free SSL, backups, staging, a CDN and email under free ssl, backups and staging, and the builder covers sites and stores.
- A 30 day money-back period leaves room to change direction.
Cons
- Renewal of $11.95 is several times the $2.95 entry price and above the site median of €5.99.
- There is no free plan, so a first test runs on a paid plan starting at $2.95.
- Website counts differ by plan: 1 on Mini, unlimited on Start, Advanced and Entry Cloud, so a single site on Mini can be a tight fit.
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.
ScalaHosting
Who it suits
- Small business owners and first site builders, since beginners, small business and enterprise names beginners, small business and enterprise buyers.
- Teams that want hosting and a business mailbox on one account, since shared web hosting, managed cloud hosting and unmanaged cloud VPS hosting includes business email hosting.
- Buyers who want a broad server network, with data centres across Dallas, USA, New York, USA and Seattle, USA.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants a free first site: Render lists a free entry tier at $0.
- Visitors comparing prices in Chilean pesos: Hosting.cl quotes CLP 159,900.
- Buyers shopping in rand: Afrihost lists ZAR 84.
Current offers
ScalaHosting
Current offer
First period offer
Mini shared hosting intro offer: $2.95/mo for the first term instead of $11.95/mo (save 75%)
Introductory rate; renewal billed at $11.95/mo
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Start and Advanced plan intro offers: Start $5.95/mo (save 60%), Advanced $9.95/mo (save 50%)
Introductory rate; renews at $14.95/mo and $19.95/mo respectively
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Free domain name for the first year: Free .com, .net, .org or .eu domain for one year
Included with Start, Advanced, Entry Cloud and Managed Cloud packages; minimum initial service period of 1 year; using the 30-day money-back guarantee makes the domain chargeable at its normal price
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
$100 Speed Guarantee on Managed VPS: Full refund of the VPS purchase plus $100 compensation
Managed VPS bought after September 1st 2025 with a minimum 12-month term, deployed in Dallas, Seattle, New York or Sofia, for clients migrating an existing website; claim within 7 days of migration
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.
ScalaHosting
What does ScalaHosting cost for the first term and at renewal?+
Entry pricing is $2.95 and the same range renews at $11.95, so the second bill is the one to plan for. Renewal sits against a site median of €5.99, which is worth checking against cheaper entry offers.
Is there a free plan to try ScalaHosting on?+
The answer is no, so every account begins on a paid plan and the cheapest way in is $2.95. Support is reachable over email, chat and phone, so a trial means paying first and leaning on chat, phone, email or the help centre.
Other options to compare
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