Software · head to head
Contabo vs AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Software
The leading cloud computing platform
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Contabo fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer; AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- They diverge on capability: Contabo covers VPS Hosting, AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Contabo and AWS (Amazon Web Services) actually diverge.
| Attribute | Contabo | AWS (Amazon Web Services) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €4.5/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows | Web, Api, Cli, Mobile |
| Founded | 2003 | 2006 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Contabo
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Servers
- Object Storage
- Snapshots
- DDoS Protection
- Custom ISO
- Multiple Locations
- SSD Storage
Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- EC2 - Virtual Servers
- S3 - Object Storage
- RDS - Managed Database
- Lambda - Serverless Computing
- CloudFront - CDN
- VPC - Virtual Network
- IAM - Access Management
- CloudWatch - Monitoring
Both cover
- Docker
- Kubernetes
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Contabo
- Web hosting
- Game serversnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Development environmentsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- VPN serversnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Web hosting
- Data storagenot Contabo
- Machine learningnot Contabo
- Big data analyticsnot Contabo
- Application developmentnot Contabo
Both are used for web hosting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Contabo
- Fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer
- No formal SLA with financial compensation for downtime violations
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
- Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
- Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
- Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
- The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Contabo
€4.5/month- Cloud VPS$4.5/month
- 4 vCPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 100 GB SSD
- Cloud VDS$39/month
- Dedicated cores
- 24 GB RAM
- 180 GB NVMe
- Dedicated Server$149/month
- AMD CPU
- 64 GB RAM
- 1 TB NVMe
AWS (Amazon Web Services)
Free- AWS Free TierFree
- EC2 750 hours/month
- 5GB S3 storage
- 20GB data transfer
- Pay-As-You-GoFree
- No upfront payment
- No long-term commitments
- Pay only for what you use
Which should you pick?
Choose Contabo if
- You need vps hosting.
- You work on Linux, Windows.
- You also want dedicated servers.
Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if
- You need ec2 - virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- You also want s3 - object storage.
Questions people ask
- Is Contabo or AWS (Amazon Web Services) better?
- Neither clearly leads. Contabo starts at €4.5/month and AWS (Amazon Web Services) at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Contabo or AWS (Amazon Web Services)?
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €4.5/month for Contabo and Free for AWS (Amazon Web Services).
- Does Contabo or AWS (Amazon Web Services) run on more platforms?
- Contabo runs on Linux, Windows. AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
- Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
- Yes. AWS (Amazon Web Services) has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Contabo starts at €4.5/month.
- What is Contabo best used for?
- Contabo is most often used for web hosting, game servers, development environments, vpn servers. Of those, game servers and development environments are not what AWS (Amazon Web Services) is typically brought in for.
- What can Contabo do that AWS (Amazon Web Services) cannot?
- Contabo covers VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Object Storage, Snapshots. AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Both handle Docker, Kubernetes.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Contabo: What is the base pricing for Contabo VPS?
Contabo Cloud VPS starts at EUR 4.50 per month (approximately $4.95 USD) with 4 vCPU cores and 8 GB RAM. Prices scale up to EUR 39+ per month for dedicated performance VPS with higher specs.
SourceContabo: Does Contabo raise prices at renewal?
No. Unlike many hosting providers, Contabo does not increase renewal prices. The promotional price you get at sign-up is locked in for future renewals.
SourceContabo: What data center locations does Contabo offer?
Contabo operates 9 global data center regions including multiple EU locations, US East/Central/West Coast, United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Japan, and Australia.
SourceContabo: Does Contabo provide managed services?
No. Contabo VPS is fully unmanaged. You handle all setup, security patching, and system maintenance. Managed hosting adds 2 hours per month of dedicated support for a fee.
SourceContabo: What is Contabo's uptime guarantee?
Contabo maintains a 99.996% uptime guarantee across all plans. The platform includes unlimited traffic and free DDoS protection.
Source