Contabo

A budget German host known for unusually high RAM/storage per dollar and unlimited traffic under fair use — popular for memory-hungry self-hosting on a tight budget.

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Contabo is a budget German hosting provider known for offering unusually high RAM and storage allocations per dollar, with unlimited traffic under a fair-use policy. Its VPS lineup starts at comparatively large instances, making it popular for memory-hungry self-hosting on a tight budget.

Key features

Specs

CategoryVPS / IaaS
Pricing modelflat
Free tierNo
Managed databaseNo
Regions10+
Self-hostableYes
Docker-nativeNo
Git deployNo
Open sourceNo

Last reviewed 2026-07-16 — see our methodology. Specs, pricing and free tiers change often, so confirm current details on the provider before deciding.

Pros & cons

Our editorial assessment — not vendor-stated facts.

Pros

  • Exceptional RAM and storage per dollar
  • Unlimited (fair-use) traffic means no egress bill
  • Cheap entry point for large instances

Cons

  • Performance and network quality are more variable than premium hosts
  • Entry plan starts at 4 vCPU / 8 GB — no small tier
  • A setup fee applies on strict month-to-month; the best price needs a long commitment

Pricing

USD list pricing varies by term and region and was not verifiable on Contabo's official page in our last check (it rendered in EUR); long commitments (3-24 months) run cheapest and month-to-month adds a setup fee. Traffic is unlimited under fair use. No free tier.

Who should use Contabo?

Budget-focused self-hosters who want the most RAM and disk per dollar and can accept more variability than a premium cloud in exchange for the price.

Frequently asked questions

Does Contabo have a free tier?
No — Contabo has no free tier.
How much does Contabo cost?
USD list pricing varies by term and region and was not verifiable on Contabo's official page in our last check (it rendered in EUR); long commitments (3-24 months) run cheapest and month-to-month adds a setup fee. Traffic is unlimited under fair use. No free tier.
Who should use Contabo?
Budget-focused self-hosters who want the most RAM and disk per dollar and can accept more variability than a premium cloud in exchange for the price.

Contabo alternatives

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Hetzner Cloud

The price/performance benchmark for cloud VPS

~$7.09/mo

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Vultr

Wide region coverage and flexible instance types

~$5/mo

Self-hostManaged DB
VPS / IaaS

Akamai (Linode)

Simple, stable pricing on Akamai's network

~$5/mo

Self-hostManaged DB

See all Contabo alternatives →