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Contabo vs IBM Cloud

Contabo logo

Contabo

Software

Affordable high-performance VPS hosting

From
€4.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IBM Cloud logo

IBM Cloud

Software

Enterprise cloud solutions from a trusted partner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IBM Cloud 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; IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
  • They diverge on capability: Contabo covers VPS Hosting, IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Contabo and IBM Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Contabo and IBM Cloud differ
AttributeContaboIBM Cloud
Starting price€4.5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsLinux, WindowsLinux, Windows, Api, Cli
Founded20032013

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 IBM Cloud

  • Virtual Servers
  • Bare Metal
  • Cloud Foundry
  • Watson AI
  • Blockchain
  • Databases
  • API Gateway
  • Terraform

Both cover

  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Contabo

  • Web hostingnot IBM Cloud
  • Game serversnot IBM Cloud
  • Development environmentsnot IBM Cloud
  • VPN serversnot IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud

  • Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Contabo
  • Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot Contabo

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

IBM Cloud

  • The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
  • The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
  • The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
  • The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
  • Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap

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

IBM Cloud

Free
  • Lite PlanFree
    • Free services
    • Limited resources
    • 30-day trial
  • Standard PlanFree
    • Pay-as-you-go
    • Enterprise support
    • Advanced services

Which should you pick?

Choose Contabo if

  • You need vps hosting.
  • You work on Linux, Windows.
  • You also want dedicated servers.
Contabo review

Choose IBM Cloud if

  • You need virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.
IBM Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Contabo or IBM Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Contabo starts at €4.5/month and IBM Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Contabo or IBM Cloud?
IBM Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €4.5/month for Contabo and Free for IBM Cloud.
Does Contabo or IBM Cloud run on more platforms?
Contabo runs on Linux, Windows. IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
Can I use IBM Cloud for free?
Yes. IBM Cloud 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, web hosting and game servers are not what IBM Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Contabo do that IBM Cloud cannot?
Contabo covers VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Object Storage, Snapshots. IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Watson AI. Both handle Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud deployment.

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.

Source
Contabo: 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.

Source
Contabo: 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.

Source
Contabo: 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.

Source
Contabo: 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
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