Contabo vs IONOS Comparison
Compare Contabo vs IONOS features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Contabo
5.1/10
Munich-based provider of low-cost cloud VPS, dedicated servers and S3-compatible object storage, aimed at developers and small businesses that want a lot of resources for a low price.
IONOS
6.7/10
German hosting and cloud provider offering shared web hosting, VPS, dedicated servers and public cloud services for small businesses through to enterprises.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.1/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 3/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 10/10 | 8/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 2/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | €4/mo Cloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €4/mo Cloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Managed Kubernetes | ||
| API and CLI | ||
| Automatic Backups | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Dedicated Servers | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| Cloud Compute | Not listed | |
| Content Delivery Network | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | Not listed | |
| Managed WordPress | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
Contabo vs IONOS cost by team size
| Team size | Contabo | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €4/moCloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | €4/moCloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | €4/moCloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | €4/moCloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | €4/moCloud VPS 4 | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Contabo
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 8/10)
Why choose IONOS
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Reliability score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (6/10 vs 2/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Managed Kubernetes, which Contabo lacks
Pros & Cons
Contabo
Pros
- Very low prices for the RAM, CPU and disk you get, starting at about 4.40 euros a month on a 24-month term
- Unlimited traffic and DDoS protection included on every VPS
- Object storage has no egress fees and works with the AWS CLI, s3cmd and rclone
- Choice of 11 locations across Europe, the US, Asia and Australia
- REST API and CLI for automation
Cons
- Independent benchmarks rate CPU, disk and network performance near the bottom of the market
- Phone support was dropped for a chatbot-first live chat, and users report slow responses
- New servers can take hours to provision
- Backups, Windows licences and control panels all cost extra
- No managed Kubernetes, managed databases or integrated monitoring
IONOS
Pros
- Shared hosting renews at a modest $8 to $18 a month and includes daily backups, unlimited traffic and a wildcard SSL certificate
- VPS+ plans include root access, DDoS protection, a firewall and unlimited traffic from $2 a month as an introductory price
- The IONOS Cloud platform covers managed Kubernetes, S3-compatible object storage and managed databases, with a Terraform provider
- Data centers in the US, UK, Germany, Spain and France, plus GDPR and data-sovereignty commitments, suit EU buyers
- Some users say 24/7 support responds quickly and is technically knowledgeable
Cons
- The introductory price can rise sharply at renewal (the Plus plan goes from $1 to $14 a month)
- Reviews and complaints repeatedly mention aggressive auto-renewal and cancellations that are hard to complete
- The control panel is described as dated
- The lowest shared hosting plan has no CDN and only one email account
- Ratings are mixed, with a G2 average of about 3.5 out of 5
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
IONOS scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 6.7/10 against 5.1/10 for Contabo. The largest gap is in Analytics: 2/10 for Contabo and 5/10 for IONOS.
No, neither Contabo nor IONOS lists a free plan.
IONOS is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 2/10 for Contabo.
IONOS has Managed Kubernetes, which Contabo lacks.
