New NVMe drives are installed in Contabo's high-performance VPS
Contabo is a web hosting company based in Munich that specializes in VPS and cloud solutions.
Contabo is a web hosting firm that was founded in 2003. Contabo, because of its unique features and smooth operation, cuts a handsome figure in shared web hosting, albeit with some limits, but it came in last in the speed test. Our test shows whether the VPS plan has the same benefits and drawbacks as shared hosting.
Our Contabo account was activated just a few minutes after we registered. The VPS ordering procedure was also straightforward, lasting barely 30 seconds. Contabo puts the operating system options ahead of the order. An employee then inspects the order after it has been completed. Our VPS package was enabled in 25 minutes (while we were on vacation), and we received an email with the server login details.
Overall, Contabo makes setup a breeze; however, the user interface isn't always up to date.
The main Contabo login page includes the control panel for your VPS. The user interface is a touch antiquated (after all, you got rid of the mascot since our last test! ), but it's still functional.
Under "Your Services," you'll find a list of all Contabo products, including VPS. By pressing the "Administration" button, you can also quickly access tasks such as the rescue system or start a new installation. This information is also available in the "VPS control" section.
Your VPS is mentioned individually in Contabo's VPS control. The control area is less than that of other providers: There is a separate button for each function in the list, in addition to the server IP, host system, and status report. With a single click, you can stop, start, or restart your server.
You can install a new Linux distribution under "Reinstallation." The operating systems you can install without a panel or with Plesk, LAMP, or Webmin are Arch Linux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, FreeBSD, openSUSE Leap, and Ubuntu. Contabo automatically generates a secure password for you.
The rescue system is a bootable image based on a Linux distribution that can be used in an emergency. Contabo offers three options: SystemRescueCD (64 bit), Debian 9 Live, and Clonezilla Live. When you click "Start rescue system," your server reboots and enters the rescue system. You can log in with the password you were given.
The same menu option can be used to create snapshots. This is a snapshot of your VPS as it is right now. All snapshots are presented in the VPS menu under the associated server, and you can restore them by selecting "Rollback." You cannot scale your server via the admin interface. If you want additional resources or to make do with less, you'll need to order a new tariff. In addition, you won't be able to see information about your statistics, such as traffic and usage. Contabo's features are limited to the necessities, yet they are organized in a very user-friendly way. Regrettably, the options for setting are limited.
While our biggest complaint about Contabo was its slow loading times in shared hosting, the provider's performance in VPS Servers is on the other end of the scale. In all four categories, Contabo and 1blu are tied for first place, with good to great results in each.
Telephone support is accessible from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and you may also send an email to the Contabo team. Unfortunately, however, there is no contact form or live chat available. Nonetheless, we spoke with a pleasant representative on the phone in less than a minute and received a thorough and helpful response to our questions by email in around 90 minutes.
Contabo offers seven distinct VPS packages, all of which are Linux and Windows compatible. Three of the rates are HDD-based with an SSD upgrade, while the other four are SSD-only. Apart from that, prices differ based on the number of processors, RAM, storage space, and bandwidth available. Snapshots are also restricted to SSD prices.
While we could only recommend Contabo's shared hosting packages with reservations due to insufficient availability, the VPS packages had few flaws: Contabo combines impressive performance with a high level of user-friendliness, with good support and a quick setup rounding off the experience. As a result, Contabo can be trusted when it counts. Unfortunately, the user interface isn't flawless, and there's a little more choice in terms of rates elsewhere.
Contabo is well-liked by users, with decent to great reviews on almost every review site. Many customers also like the friendly customer service and the good price/performance ratio.
In our performance test, only one other supplier could keep up with Contabo: 1blu. STRATO, on the other hand, does a fantastic job. Unfortunately, most other web hosting companies are behind (though still good), albeit some, like Netcup, have more up-to-date user interfaces.