netcup vs Hetzner vs Contabo
Three popular European VPS providers for self-hosting, compared on what matters for a home-lab-style server. I don't list prices here because all three change them often (netcup raised its VPS prices in September 2026), so check each provider's page before you buy. Last checked: .
The short version
- netcup: good RAM and disk for the money, especially on 12 or 24 month terms, and there are voucher codes. Best for a long-running server you set up once.
- Hetzner Cloud: the most polished. Hourly billing, an API, snapshots, private networks and plans on ARM. Best if you want to create and delete servers freely.
- Contabo: the most RAM and disk per euro on paper, with the trade-off of heavier sharing and slower support. Best for storage-heavy or non-critical projects.
Side by side
| netcup | Hetzner Cloud | Contabo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing | Monthly or long terms; discounts for 12/24 months | Hourly, capped monthly | Monthly or long terms |
| Strength | RAM and disk per euro | Tooling and ecosystem | Raw specs per euro |
| CPU | Shared on VPS; dedicated cores on root servers | Shared on cost-optimized plans, dedicated on CCX | Shared |
| Control panel and API | SCP web panel, API available | Modern console, full API and CLI | Customer panel, API available |
| Snapshots / extras | Snapshots, limited per plan | Snapshots, backups, volumes, load balancers, firewalls | Paid backup option |
| New-customer discounts | Voucher codes | Occasional credits | Occasional promos |
Pick netcup if
You want one stable server for a password manager, reverse proxy, VPN and a handful of containers, and you're fine committing for a year. The VPS voucher codes take a free month off the first bill. If your workload keeps the CPU busy for hours, go to a root server, and the VPS vs root server post explains how to tell.
Pick Hetzner if
You like to throw servers away: test a setup, snapshot it, delete it, pay for a few hours. Terraform and the CLI work well, and ARM plans are handy if you run multi-arch images. It's also a good second provider for off-site backups, since a backup on the same provider as the server isn't much of a backup.
Pick Contabo if
You need a lot of disk or RAM for little money and can live with lower and less consistent performance: archives, a test machine, a seedbox, a media library you can rebuild. Check recent reviews of the exact location you'd use. I wouldn't put the only copy of anything there.
What matters more than the logo
- Backups on a different provider. Whichever you choose, keep a second copy somewhere else.
- Memory first. Size by RAM and disk, not CPU count. The size calculator turns your app list into a number, and the RAM budget guide shows how to stretch it.
- Lock-in is low. A Docker Compose setup moves between all three in an afternoon.
Ready to start? Do the first 15 minutes on whichever box you pick.