When it comes to premium web hosting, one name that shines through the industry noise is Contabo. A leading provider of dedicated servers and VPS, Contabo brings unparalleled service, top-tier technology, and unrivaled dedication to its users across the globe. But why should you choose Contabo as your hosting partner? Here's why.
As an experienced web hosting content writer, I’ve reviewed Contabo’s services, evaluating its features, performance, customer service, value for money, and user-friendliness.
Contabo shines with top-tier features that set it apart in premium web hosting. Lightning-fast servers and cutting-edge hardware guarantee unmatched performance, while the user-friendly control panel and 24/7 customer support ensure a seamless experience.
Contabo has a rating of 4.2 stars from 693 reviews on Hostadvice, indicating that the majority of customers are generally satisfied with the brand, especially with their support and affordable prices. Contabo does not have a BBB rating as it is not a US-based company. Still, Trustpilot rated the platform 4.2 out of 5 from 2,873 user reviews.
Contabo fits the bill for a diverse range of users. Whether you need dedicated servers for ultimate control or cost-effective VPS options, Contabo has you covered. From startups and bloggers to high-traffic websites and e-commerce platforms, their generous resources and high-speed connectivity ensure optimal performance for every online venture.
In my honest opinion, Contabo is an outstanding hosting provider that I highly recommend, thanks to its reliable services, budget-friendly plans, and responsive customer support.
Contabo
Experience the unbeatable performance of Contabo's VPS and dedicated server plans, designed to meet your every need. Take action now, ensure your business's online success, and let Contabo’s superior VPS and dedicated plans fuel your growth!
In this section, I will appraise Contabo with HostAdvice’s rating methodology, which is an effective and easy technique for assessing web host brands.
Parameter
Score
Why did we give this score?
Pricing
9.6
Contabo offers budget-friendly web hosting plans. However, it got a 9.4 rating because it provides a 14-day money-back guarantee (less than a month) and does not accept crypto payments.
Performance
8.2
The provider boasts a relatively fast response rate, especially in the US. Still, it received an 8.2 rating because it offers an annual mean uptime of 95%.
Features
8.8
Contabo is an efficient cloud-powered platform with fundamental hosting components. But, it earned an 8.8 rating because it lacks some sophisticated features, like CDN and advanced security.
User Friendly
8.8
The web host employs the industry-standard cPanel control panel and allows you to set up an account effortlessly. However, it got an 8.8 rating because of its outdated appearance.
Support
8.6
Contabo has a decent support team and a comprehensive knowledge base. However, it received an 8.6 rating due to its lack of live chat and 24/7 support service.
Overall Score
8.6
Contabo is a great option for those seeking cost-effective VPS and dedicated servers. Regardless, it received an 8.6 rating overall because it lacks many modern features.
Contabo Prices & Plans – 2023
Contabo’s favorable pricing scheme is its main forte. One recurrent term in the provider’s customer reviews is “affordability”. After making my findings, I discovered that Contabo’s web hosting services were indeed very cheap compared to its competitors. The provider offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud VDS, and dedicated servers. It also provides a 14-day money-back guarantee and accepts payment via PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
Contabo’s shared hosting service is suitable for individuals who require simple and inexpensive hosting solutions for their websites. Each plan comes with free domains and SSL certificates, DDoS protection, PHP support, PhPMyAdmin, unlimited bandwidth, and cPanel. If you intend to start out with your first website, I recommend you choose the Webspace Package L plan as it is cheap ($6.99/month), has sufficient server resources and databases, and includes a one-click installer.
TipTip: If you are new to web hosting, want to host a simple website, or desire an economical web hosting service, shared hosting would be your best option.
Contabo’s virtual private servers are more sophisticated than its shared hosting plans because they offer guaranteed server resources. The web host offers both cloud and storage VPS, with both featuring 32 TB of traffic, private networking, constant DDoS protection, API, CLI, developer features, and DNS management. However, the cloud VPS plans present NVMe technology, while the storage VPS plans prioritize SSD storage capacity. If you need a speedy and inexpensive VPS plan with abundant server resources, I would suggest that you try Contabo’s Storage VPS L plan.
TipTip: If you need an NVMe-powered SSD disk and efficient cloud-based VPS services, you should go for a Cloud VPS plan. But, if you prefer a large storage space with rapid port speed, it is better to choose a Storage VPS plan.
Contabo’s cloud VDS (virtual dedicated servers) service is a hybrid of its cloud VPS and dedicated servers. Each VDS plan comes with private networking, dedicated server resources, Enterprise-level NVMe SSD storage, 32 TB Traffic, API, CLI, and dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. If you want budget-friendly access to dedicated server resources, NVMe, and a speedy virtual private cloud, I recommend the Cloud VDS M plan.
TipTip: If you have been hosting your website with virtual private servers and wish to use dedicated resources while retaining access to private networking, it would be helpful to choose a cloud VDS plan.
Contabo’s dedicated servers are a more advanced hosting type than its cloud VDS, featuring bare metal, 100% dedicated resource allocation, and individual hardware configuration. All plans present 32 TB traffic, remote management, web UI, always-on DDoS protection, and DNS management. If you seek a cost-effective immediate upgrade from cloud VDS and extra CPU cores, I suggest you purchase an Intel Dual 10-Core plan.
TipTip: If your website requires significant processing power and load handling, choose a dedicated server plan with an AMD processor. However, if you need a relatively low-cost high-performance CPU, choose a plan with an Intel processor.
Features
Some common web hosting tools and features that come with Contabo include:
cPanel control panel
Softaculous
PHP support
Ubuntu and Windows operating system
API
Developer features
IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
DDoS protection
Plesk
SSL certificates
MySQL databases.
ImportantUnique Feature: Unlike some providers, Contabo provides a unique drag-and-drop web UI for managing accounts and cloud services.
TipTip: If you want to use the Softaculous one-click installer in Contabo, you need to pay for the Webspace Package L plan or a higher package.
Learn more about Contabo:
Performance
Contabo is a reasonable web host when it comes to performance. In terms of speed, Contabo recorded favorable response times ranging from 36 ms to 384 ms when tested for five different locations (Dallas, London, Seattle, Tel Aviv, and Hong Kong). The fastest response time was in Dallas and the slowest was in Hong Kong. My server location was in the US, so the proximity may have influenced my result.
Its page loading times are also impressive with consistently quick load times of around 2-3 seconds. However, the provider recedes in uptime with an annual mean availability of 95% globally.
Contabo
Experience the unbeatable performance of Contabo's VPS and dedicated server plans, designed to meet your every need. Take action now, ensure your business's online success, and let Contabo’s superior VPS and dedicated plans fuel your growth!
Contabo offers fairly good customer service accessible via phone calls, email, support tickets, and its self-help/FAQ section (knowledge base). However, the provider does not provide live chat support.
Phone Support
Contabo’s technical agents can be reached via phone from 10 am to 8 pm CET (UTC+1) from Monday to Friday. The service team is helpful and strictly adheres to its period of operation. I tried putting a call across to the agents around 6 am to no avail but was able to reach them by 11 am. Fortunately, they don’t charge extra fees for phone support.
Email Support / Support Tickets
Contabo does not clearly specify its email support’s opening and response times. I sent an email to the support team but was informed that they had received a high number of emails from their customers. So, I was redirected to fill out a support ticket form and wait for a response. I got a response after 3 hours, although it was not helpful.
Self-Help / FAQ Section
Contabo’s self-help section features an extensive collection of common questions asked by customers and their answers. Unlike the other support mediums, it is always available and reliable.
Contabo
Experience the unbeatable performance of Contabo's VPS and dedicated server plans, designed to meet your every need. Take action now, ensure your business's online success, and let Contabo’s superior VPS and dedicated plans fuel your growth!
Signing up to use Contabo is pretty straightforward as you only have to fill in your personal data and payment details and follow the subsequent on-screen instructions. You can create an account with Contabo within 5 minutes even if you are a beginner.
Contabo Control Panel
Contabo features cPanel and Plesk control panels. The intuitive, industry-standard cPanel is particularly useful when managing a shared hosting account and environment. On the other hand, Plesk is suitable for managing cloud platforms, Linux, and Windows. You can also use its web UI to manage accounts and cloud services.
Installing WordPress on Contabo
Installing WordPress on Contabo is relatively easy as the web host employs a cPanel control panel and a Softaculous app installer. After logging into your cPanel account, scroll down to “application” to access WordPress manager and install WordPress.
Adding an Email Account with Contabo
You can easily add an email account on Contabo using the cPanel or Plesk control panel. For cPanel, go to “email accounts” and click “add an email account” after logging into your cPanel account. For Plesk, go to “mail” and click on “create email addresses” after logging into your Plesk account.
Contabo
Experience the unbeatable performance of Contabo's VPS and dedicated server plans, designed to meet your every need. Take action now, ensure your business's online success, and let Contabo’s superior VPS and dedicated plans fuel your growth!
From my research and personal experience, Contabo is a satisfactory web hosting provider for individuals whose websites don’t necessitate complex state-of-the-art technology and solutions. People who require dedicated servers and virtual private servers in Europe would also find Contabo valuable. The primary factor that draws website owners and businesses to Contabo is its relatively cheap pricing. Yet, another feature that deserves applause is its seamless integration of Windows with its VPS and VDS plans.
While Contabo may have several drawbacks, I would still recommend Contabo as it offers a promising web hosting service at an affordable price.
Still not convinced about Contabo? Check out Brand review of similar companies:
Kamatera
Kamatera caters to all with tailored hosting solutions, emphasizing their top-tier VPS and cloud services. Designed for optimal performance and scalability, their offerings ensure seamless website functionality for any user.
FastComet offers tailored hosting experiences for every user, from novices to established businesses, showcasing their premier shared and cloud hosting packages for streamlined website operations.
HostArmada provides bespoke hosting journeys for all, from beginners to seasoned enterprises, highlighting their top-tier web hosting solutions for optimized web management.
We used Contabo for website hosting for a few months now. Our experience has been very good. Everything works reliable for a very good price. Nothing to complain about so far.
You can request a full cancellation and refund within 14 days of the transaction.
How Long Does Provisioning Take?
By using PayPal or a Credit Card, the provisioning process is instantaneous. VPS, Virtual Dedicated Servers, and Workplace Plans are set up within minutes but can take up to three hours.
Does Contabo Have an Affiliate Program?
Contabo features an Affiliate Program at Commission Junction and Awin. You can earn up to €150 for every new customer you refer to them.
What Does the Name Contabo Actually Mean?
Contabo is an abbreviation of Content Across Borders.
Does Contabo Offer a Free Trial?
Unfortunately, Contabo Does not offer a free trial period, but you can cancel within 14 days and get your money back. However, this does not count the setup fee.
Does Contabo offer a free trial?
No, Contabo does not currently offer a free trial. However, they provide a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Does Contabo have an affiliate program?
Yes, Contabo has an affiliate program at Awin and Commission Junction. You could earn up to €150 if you successfully refer them to a new customer.
Can you request a refund from Contabo?
Yes, you can. Contabo offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to get a refund within 14 days of the transaction. However, the money-back guarantee does not include set-up fees.
How long does provisioning take on Contabo?
The provisioning process is instantaneous when you pay with a credit card or PayPal. VDS, VPS, and workplace plans are typically set up within minutes but can take up to three hours to become fully functional.
Does Contabo offer cPanel?
Yes, you can use a cPanel control panel to manage your accounts and hosting environment on Contabo.
What does Contabo mean?
Contabo is a shortened form of “Content Across Borders.”
Where are Contabo data centers located?
As of 2023, Contabo has 13 data centers located in five countries, including Germany, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and the US.
HostAdvice.com provides professional web hosting reviews fully independent of any other entity. Our reviews are unbiased, honest, and apply the same evaluation standards to all those reviewed.While monetary compensation is received from a few of the companies listed on this site, compensation of services and products have no influence on the direction or conclusions of our reviews. Nor does the compensation influence our rankings for certain host companies.This compensation covers account purchasing costs, testing costs and royalties paid to reviewers.
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