Contabo : Full Review, Testing, and Presentation (2024)

What is Contabo?

Contabo is a company specialized in web hosting and server services.

Founded in 2003 in Germany, Contabo has established itself as a reliable and affordable hosting service provider, offering a range of solutions adapted to the varied needs of businesses and individuals.

• Virtual Private Servers (VPS) : Contabo offers VPS with various performance configurations, offering a balance between cost and power for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as for individual projects.
• Dedicated servers : For businesses requiring high performance and large capacity, Contabo offers dedicated servers with exclusive hardware resources.
• Web hosting : They also provide web hosting services, adapted to a variety of needs, from personal websites to e-commerce sites.

In summary, Contabo is a popular choice for those looking for reliable, high-performance, and affordable web hosting and server solutions that are suitable for a wide range of applications and business needs.

Features

1. Ease of Use with cPanel

Contabo integrates cPanel for simplified hosting management on Linux, offering a user-friendly interface and automation tools.

• Practical interface: cPanel makes server and website management accessible, even for less technical users.
• Various Tools: A complete suite of tools for managing websites, e-mails, and databases.

Conclusion : The ease of use of Contabo's cPanel is a major asset for users of all levels, making web hosting management more intuitive.

2. Domain Name Management

It offers you the possibility of obtaining at least one domain name for free with the purchase of any hosting service.

Domain names offered

Contabo offers the registration and transfer of domain names.

Once you are a customer, you can easily manage your domain names via cPanel. The customer has the option of registering, transferring or updating domain names.

Depending on the registry you've chosen, most domain registrations and updates are done automatically in real time.

3. Expanded Email Offer

Contabo offers more email accounts than other hosting providers in the same price range.

Number of email addresses in Contabo

The number of email accounts offered depends on the plan you purchased.

• The “WebSpace Package M” plan gives 1000 email accounts.
• The “WebSpace Package L” plan includes 2000 email accounts, the “WebSpace Package XL” plan provides 5000 email accounts
• The “WebSpace Package XXL” plan offers unlimited email accounts.

It is possible to generate sub-accounts for customers and give them full or limited access to webmail.

Moreover, it is also possible to create filters via webmail and to use email account contacts for commercial purposes.

4. MySQL Databases Included

Contabo offers databases in all its plans, the amount will depend on the plan chosen.

• The “WebSpace Package M” plan, Contabo provides 20 MySQL databases.
• The “WebSpace Package L” plan includes 50 databases, the “WebSpace Package XL” plan provides 100 databases
• The “WebSpace Package XXL” plan offers unlimited databases.

All databases are easily managed from the cPanel.

5. Apps

One of the advantages it offers is that all of its applications are self-installing.

Applications available under Contabo

In addition, it has a large number of applications that can be quickly installed to facilitate the work of users.

With Webspace 2.0 Contabo offers 22 categories with more than 250 web applications that are easily accessible from the cPanel in a single click. Contabo provides automatic open source installations for user web pages.

6. Storage

All of this will depend on the storage capacity of the chosen plan.

It is really competitive in terms of storage capacity, especially in VPS and dedicated servers. Contabo's hosting plans don't skimp on storage. However, it is possible to buy unlimited storage depending on the plan.

Storage available under Contabo

This increases storage capacity and customers with a VPS or dedicated plan can choose from three cPanel options.

It's possible to buy a shared hosting plan with 50GB of storage, but that capacity can be expanded to 500GB with the more expensive plan.

HDD and SSD storage drives are offered in Contabo's VPS hosting plans. Even with the cheapest plan in this category, both storage drives are accessible.

7. Transfer

It is capable of carrying out domain transfers in a simple way through the administration portal of each user's account.

To transfer a domain you must be a Contabo customer. During the transfer process, the user will need to provide the authentication code known as an EPP code, EPP key, domain key, or authentication information. This code is assigned to each individual domain.

To start the transfer, it is necessary to have this authentication code that the user must obtain from the company where the domain is currently hosted.

8. Multisite

With the Webspace 2.0 cloud plan, it is possible to access several multi-sites, such as Joomla, WordPress, Drupa, Tupo3, with a single click from the cPanel.

The auto-installer improves the interface and allows easy access to any of the popular multi-sites such as WordPress, without having to go through the process of installing individual scripts.

Thus, installations become safe and fast, without the need for expert programming knowledge. The most practical and the most novel is that it is already included in all the proposed plans.

9. SSL certificate

It offers the possibility of obtaining a free SSL certificate for each domain used in any web space plan. It does not need to be purchased separately. This also applies to new domains that you want to buy in the future.

The technical implementation of this option is carried out by the Let's Encrypt project. The process of creating and renewing an SSL certificate works automatically. These certificates are considered reliable by any Internet browser, which is crucial for creating the trust of those who visit a website.

This feature makes Contabo's web space plans more appealing.

Types of Services Offered

Dedicated servers

Contabo offers customizable dedicated servers, offering high performance and large storage capacity for businesses with intensive resource needs.

• Advanced Customization: Options to specify hardware configurations as required.
• Choice of Operating Systems: Availability of Linux and Windows Server operating systems.
• RAID storage: RAID storage options for better performance and data security.

Conclusion : Contabo's dedicated servers are ideal for businesses looking for a powerful and highly customizable hosting solution.

VPS servers

Contabo VPS servers combine flexibility and efficiency, offering an intermediate solution between shared hosting and dedicated servers.

• VPS with SSD Booster or SSD Pure: Choice between traditional VPS with SSD booster and VPS with pure SSD for optimal performance.
• Full Features: Full root access, reboot via interface, and operating system management.
• Dedicated IP Addresses and DNS Management: Provides a dedicated IP address and DNS management options.

Conclusion : Contabo VPS offer a perfect balance between cost and performance, suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Shared hosting

Contabo's shared hosting is an affordable solution for small and medium-sized website traffic, with features included for easy management and security.

• Varied 'WebSpace Package' plans: Four different plans offering capabilities and functionalities adapted to various needs.
• Free SSL and Multisite Certificates: Includes free SSL certificates and supports multi-site platforms like WordPress.
• Auto-Installable Applications: Access to more than 250 web applications facilitating the establishment and management of websites.

Conclusion : Contabo shared hosting is an economical option for those who are just starting out or have less demanding web hosting needs.

Domain registration

Contabo offers a domain registration service with a wide range of extensions available, making it easy to create and manage online identity.

• Large Selection of Extensions: Over 300 domain extensions available for registration.
• Easy Domain Transfer: Easily transfer your existing domain to Contabo.
• Domain Management via cPanel: Manage all aspects of your domain easily via cPanel.

Conclusion : Contabo's domain registration service is a practical complement to its hosting offers, offering centralized and easy management for website owners.

Customer support

Technical support by phone 365 days a year and cPanel has available to manage the website more easily.

It also has a forum for users who can consult each other and resolve doubts.

The attention and technical support service are efficient and there is virtually no waiting time. Contabo Technical Support works with a ticket system that guarantees a response in one hour and the resolution of the problem in 48 hours.

User reviews in general agree that the technical support is excellent, not only because of the quality of its technicians but also because of the speed with which they solve problems.

Some user comments highlight the lack of live chat to resolve questions in real time. However, the Contabo website offers several tutorials that are easy to follow.

Pricing

Contabo has the particularity of attracting a large number of customers at very low prices. The prices are extremely competitive, especially for their VPS and dedicated server plans.

One of the cheapest hosting providers

The price range for “WebSpace Package” shared hosting plans ranges from 2.99 euros per month, going through 4.99 euros per month, 7.99 euros per month to 9.99 euros per month for the most comprehensive plan. These prices do not include VAT.

The cost of VPS server plans ranges from 3.99 euros per month to 26.99 euros per month, depending on the features purchased. Dedicated server plans range from 49.99 euros per month to 109.99 euros per month.

The duration of the contract is one year. The discount is always respected.

Final Verdict

Undoubtedly, Contabo is a good option when choosing a company for small projects that seek significant growth, but also for large projects due to the quality of its VPS and dedicated servers.

All services are upgraded and offer a cPanel that is very easy to use, even without much programming knowledge.

I count on a service of professionals who quickly resolve any doubts and inconveniences that may arise. Although it has several tutorials on its website, it would be necessary to incorporate online chat and increase customer service hours.

Contabo offers very competitive costs when evaluating the quality of service and the storage resources offered. Having Linux and cPanels available for free reduces installation costs even further.