Contabo is the name that comes up as soon as you look for a VPS with a lot of RAM for a few euros. The headline price is real, but it does not tell the whole story: it applies to 24 months, it excludes VAT, it does not include automatic backups, and the server is yours to run. This review lays out those four points before you order.
How we wrote this review
This review is based on Contabo's Cloud VPS page, read on 24 October 2026: price grid, specifications, FAQ and footer notices. We did not benchmark a Contabo server for this article, so we publish no performance figures: it is a documentary review that says what you buy and on which terms.
Contabo runs an affiliate programme and we earn a commission if you order through our links. That does not change your price, and the "Limits" section below is written to talk you out of it if your project does not fit.
The Cloud VPS grid (Core range), checked on 24/10/2026
| Plan | vCPU / RAM | Storage | Snapshots | Port | Price/month excl. VAT (first 24 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud VPS 4 | 4 / 8 GB | 100 GB SSD | 1 | 200 Mbit/s | €4.40 |
| Cloud VPS 6 | 6 / 12 GB | 200 GB SSD or 100 GB NVMe | 2 | 300 Mbit/s | €6.00 |
| Cloud VPS 8 | 8 / 24 GB | 300 GB SSD or 150 GB NVMe | 3 | 600 Mbit/s | €11.20 |
| Cloud VPS 12 | 12 / 48 GB | 400 GB SSD or 200 GB NVMe | 3 | 800 Mbit/s | €20.00 |
| Cloud VPS 16 | 16 / 64 GB | 500 GB SSD or 250 GB NVMe | 3 | 1 Gbit/s | €29.60 |
| Cloud VPS 18 | 18 / 96 GB | 600 GB SSD or 300 GB NVMe | 3 | 1 Gbit/s | €39.20 |
Every plan includes a dedicated IPv4 and IPv6, a firewall, DDoS protection and unbilled traffic under a fair use policy (the asterisk on "Unlimited Traffic"). VAT is added depending on your country.
To compare this cost with shared hosting over several years, use our real hosting cost calculator.
Strengths
RAM per euro. This is what sells Contabo, and it holds up: 24 GB of RAM for €11.20 per month excl. VAT on Cloud VPS 8. For reference, Hetzner listed 16 GB for €16.49 per month (CX43) the same day; details in our Contabo vs Hetzner comparison. For software that mostly eats memory (Nextcloud, a Docker stack, a mail server with spam filtering, several WordPress sites), this is what matters.
Disk space. Even the entry plan has 100 GB, and Contabo offers a storage extension up to 1.2 TB on the largest size. Handy for backups or a file server.
Snapshots included, plus an API, a CLI, cloud-init and custom images: enough to automate setup, even though the platform is less geared to throwaway servers than Hetzner.
Locations beyond Europe: Contabo lists 9 regions and 11 locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, India and Australia.
Limits to know before you order
The price covers 24 months. The grid amounts apply to the first 24 months, and the page does not print the price charged afterwards. Note the renewal date and check the rate in your customer panel before the term ends. For a one-week test, an hourly-billed host will cost less.
The Core range is not built for heavy compute. Contabo itself describes it as optimised for cost on light, predictable workloads, for teams who value cost efficiency over raw speed. For a busy database, compiling or AI inference, Contabo points to its Performance VPS range (AMD EPYC CPUs, NVMe), which costs more.
Automatic backups are an add-on. The included snapshots do not replace a backup: they sit on the same platform. Add Auto Backup or send your backups to another provider.
The server is unmanaged. Contabo says so in its footer: maintenance, upgrades and troubleshooting are the customer's responsibility. SSH hardening, firewall rules, system updates: that is your job.
The first non-card payment is manual. According to Contabo's FAQ, if you pay by anything other than a credit card, the first payment is made by hand using the details shown after ordering.
Who Contabo is for
Our verdict
Contabo sells exactly what it advertises: a lot of resources for little money, on a long commitment, with no service on top. For a personal server or a small project that has to run continuously, it is the cheapest plan we know of at an established European host. Take the backup add-on or organise your own, note the 24-month renewal date, and pick the next size up if in doubt: going from 8 to 12 GB of RAM costs €1.60 per month excl. VAT.
To see how we choose the hosts featured on this site, read our review criteria.
Frequently asked questions
Is Contabo reliable?
Contabo is a German host with more than twenty years in business and advertises 99.9% uptime on its Cloud VPS. Contabo itself describes its entry range, Core VPS, as optimised for cost on lighter workloads, for teams who value cost efficiency over raw speed. It is a good server for a website, a VPN or Nextcloud, not for a heavily loaded database.
How much does a Contabo VPS cost in 2026?
On 24 October 2026, Cloud VPS 4 (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD) cost €4.40 per month excluding VAT, Cloud VPS 6 (6 vCPU, 12 GB) €6.00, Cloud VPS 8 (8 vCPU, 24 GB) €11.20 and Cloud VPS 12 (12 vCPU, 48 GB) €20.00, all excluding VAT and for the first 24 months. The page does not show the price after those 24 months.
Is Contabo traffic really unlimited?
Contabo writes "Unlimited Traffic" with an asterisk: traffic is not billed, but a fair use policy applies. The practical limit is port speed: 200 Mbit/s on Cloud VPS 4, 300 Mbit/s on 6, 600 Mbit/s on 8, up to 1 Gbit/s on the largest plans.
Are backups included with Contabo?
No. Each Cloud VPS includes one to three snapshots depending on size, but automatic backup (Auto Backup) is a paid add-on. A snapshot is not a backup: it lives on the same platform as the server. Budget for the add-on or back up to another provider.
Is Contabo good for beginners?
Only if they want to learn Linux administration. Contabo states that maintenance, upgrades and troubleshooting of the server are the customer's responsibility. To put a website online without running a server, shared hosting is a better fit.