Softwr

Software · head to head

Google Cloud Platform vs Contabo

Google Cloud Platform logo

Google Cloud Platform

Software

Trusted by millions of enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Contabo logo

Contabo

Software

Affordable high-performance VPS hosting

From
€4.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Cloud Platform has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it; Contabo fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer
  • They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, Contabo covers VPS Hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Cloud Platform and Contabo actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Cloud Platform and Contabo differ
AttributeGoogle Cloud PlatformContabo
Starting priceFree€4.5/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, Windows
Founded20082003

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 Google Cloud Platform

  • Compute Engine
  • App Engine
  • Cloud Run
  • Cloud Storage
  • Cloud SQL
  • BigQuery
  • Dataflow
  • Cloud Pub/Sub

Only in Contabo

  • VPS Hosting
  • Dedicated Servers
  • Object Storage
  • Snapshots
  • DDoS Protection
  • Custom ISO
  • Multiple Locations
  • SSD Storage

Both cover

  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • Encryption
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Google Cloud Platform

  • Running compute, storage and managed data services on Google's cloudnot Contabo
  • Hosting Kubernetes workloads on GKE alongside BigQuery analyticsnot Contabo

Contabo

  • Web hostingnot Google Cloud Platform
  • Game serversnot Google Cloud Platform
  • Development environmentsnot Google Cloud Platform
  • VPN serversnot Google Cloud Platform

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Google Cloud Platform

  • The $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
  • Free Tier Compute Engine is limited to one non-preemptible e2-micro instance per month and only in the us-west1, us-central1 or us-east1 regions
  • Free Tier Compute Engine includes only 30 GB-months of standard persistent disk and 1 GB of outbound North America data transfer per month
  • Free Tier Cloud Storage covers 5 GB-months of regional storage in US regions only, 5,000 Class A and 50,000 Class B operations per month
  • Free Tier outbound data transfer allowances exclude destinations in China and Australia
  • Compute Engine resources are governed by allocation quotas that require a quota increase request to exceed

Contabo

  • Fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer
  • No formal SLA with financial compensation for downtime violations

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Cloud Platform

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Compute Engine 744 hours/month
    • Cloud Storage 5GB
    • Cloud SQL 250MB storage

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Cloud Platform if

  • You need compute engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want app engine.
Google Cloud Platform review

Choose Contabo if

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

Questions people ask

Is Google Cloud Platform or Contabo better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Contabo at €4.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Cloud Platform or Contabo?
Google Cloud Platform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Cloud Platform and €4.5/month for Contabo.
Does Google Cloud Platform or Contabo run on more platforms?
Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli. Contabo runs on Linux, Windows.
Can I use Google Cloud Platform for free?
Yes. Google Cloud Platform has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Contabo starts at €4.5/month.
What is Google Cloud Platform best used for?
Google Cloud Platform is most often used for running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud, hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics. Of those, running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud and hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics are not what Contabo is typically brought in for.
What can Google Cloud Platform do that Contabo cannot?
Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Contabo covers VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Object Storage, Snapshots. Both handle Kubernetes, Docker, Encryption, 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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Google Cloud Platform

More on Contabo

Keep looking

Other head to heads