Hostinger vs Contabo: guide for 2024

Hostinger vs Contabo: Final verdict

Looking over Hostinger vs. Contabo, both have strengths in different aspects catering to various user needs.

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  Hostinger (Overall grade: 8.7)
  
  
  stands out with its user-friendly interface, making it an excellent choice for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. Its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, inclusive features like free domains and SSL certificates, and comprehensive security measures enhance user experience and site protection. Hostinger’s edge in performance is well-supported by LiteSpeed Web Servers, CDN, and efficient NVMe storage, ensuring faster load times and reliable service. Despite some issues with renewal pricing and the limitations of lower-tier plans, Hostinger’s 24/7 multilingual support and extensive help resources make it a dependable option.
  
• 
  Contabo (Overall grade: 7.6)
  
  
  excels in providing powerful and customizable VPS and dedicated server options, ideal for high-traffic websites and multimedia applications. The infrastructure benefits from using AMD EPYC processors and global data centers, contributing to strong performance and low latency. Contabo’s notable security features, including free DDoS protection and Imunify AV, cater well to advanced users who need more control over their hosting environment. However, frequent downtime, limited customer support availability, and the absence of a built-in website builder can be drawbacks. Contabo remains a solid choice for users with specific high-performance demands and a suitable technical background.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

Section 1: Winner Contabo: Contabo offers outstanding uptime and performance with extensive security features.

Section 2: Hostinger guarantees 99.9% uptime and has shown an impressive average of 99.97% over the last six months. Hostinger’s performance includes a perfect 100% uptime over a 10-week test and an average response time between 450ms and 625ms. With data centers in eight locations globally, enhanced DDoS protection, and secure access management, Hostinger provides a reliable hosting experience, including daily backups and free SSL certificates.

Section 3:Contabo provides a 99.996% uptime guarantee, backed by fast AMD EPYC processors and data centers in key global locations. Free DDoS protection and mandatory two-factor authentication enhance the security. Contabo’s strong performance is validated by top speed grades and zero downtime in recent tests. Customer support through phone and email ensures a reliable client service experience, with managed services available for additional peace of mind.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Offers superior website performance, customer support, and comprehensive features at competitive prices.

When comparing Hostinger and Contabo, Hostinger delivers overall better performance due to its enhanced CPUs, large amounts of RAM, and optimized web servers like LiteSpeed combined with LSCWP Cache Plugin. Hostinger’s extensive CDN improves load times, and it offers multiple global data centers, making content delivery faster. On the other hand, Contabo provides sturdy hosting with fast AMD EPYC processors, high outgoing and unlimited inbound traffic, and high-speed NVMe SSD options. Contabo has robust security but lacks a widespread CDN and built-in plugins for website performance enhancements.

Website Speed

Hostinger excels in website speed with its 4X faster CPUs, NVMe storage, and built-in caching solutions, such as LiteSpeed Web Servers and the LSCWP Cache Plugin. These features ensure quick load times, minimizing latency. Their Global Data Centers further bolster site speed, ensuring users around the world have fast access. Contabo’s AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage provide good performance but lack the built-in website optimization plugins that give Hostinger an edge in speed.

Scalability

Hostinger offers scalable cloud hosting solutions with easy plan upgrades, from Cloud Startup to Cloud Enterprise, allowing seamless scaling without interruption. Dedicated IP addresses are included in all plans, adding to the ease of scaling. Although Contabo allows for VPS package upgrades and offers private networking, the information on elastic scaling and dedicated servers isn’t clear. It’s also unknown how much it costs to scale automatically with Contabo.

🏆 Winner Contabo: Contabo provides robust security features that offer a comprehensive and scalable solution for hosting needs.

Both Hostinger and Contabo, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Hostinger excels in adopting advanced security modules, such as mod_security, Suhosin PHP hardening, and PHP open_basedir protection, along with consistent security configuration across all servers. Contabo, on the other hand, stands out with Imunify AV and always-on DDoS protection that recognizes 99% of attack patterns. Both providers allow PHP version control for enhanced security. While Hostinger relies on Cloudflare-protected nameservers, Contabo offers SSL deployment tools and IP management for better regional control.

Operational security measures:

Hostinger employs a dedicated internal security team and maintains strong internal security policies. It also has 24/7 server monitoring and continuous vulnerability scanning. Contabo ensures operational security with 24/7 CCTV surveillance of their data centers, magnetic card access, and role-based access controls. Backup and recovery options at Contabo are more flexible, allowing implementation of FTP backups and Object Storage, whereas Hostinger recommends regular data backups as a best practice.

Compliance and certifications:

Hostinger is GDPR compliant but does not offer PCI or HIPAA compliant environments. It follows extensive security practices but lacks ISO 27001 and SOC certifications. Contabo is also GDPR compliant and their infrastructure suggests a focus on PCI compliance. Both providers prioritize GDPR compliance, yet neither is intended to offer HIPAA-compliant environments.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: A reliable and feature-rich hosting provider with a strong focus on performance and support.

When comparing Hostinger and Contabo, both offer unique strengths catering to different needs. Hostinger shines in areas such as its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, which includes AI features for streamlined setup, making it an asset for beginners and small business owners. It also provides a free domain and SSL with most plans, adding great value without extra costs. Regular backups, enhanced security measures like Imunify360, and a Cloudflare DNS Firewall protect users from potential threats. Moreover, their 24/7 multilingual support ensures that help is always available, enhancing the user experience and reliability.

Contabo, on the other hand, is recognized for its robust infrastructure utilizing powerful AMD EPYC processors and offering a high level of customization for advanced users. While it lacks an integrated website builder, it includes a suite of management tools within its Control Panel, such as IP management, OS reinstalls, and private networking. Contabo’s focus on security is evident through features like free DDoS protection and always-on monitoring. It also offers diverse operating system options and supports VPS environments with full root access, which is ideal for users who need extensive control over their hosting environment.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hostinger and Contabo offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Email services at Hostinger provide comprehensive email hosting services, allowing users to set up and manage their own email accounts directly through their hPanel. Their capabilities extend to transactional emails, catering well to businesses and individuals. Contabo also offers email hosting, with added flexibility in creating custom email domains and managing related settings. While Contabo focuses on more advanced server configurations, both companies facilitate essential transactional email services. Neither Hostinger nor Contabo offers third-party email services reselling.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Exceptional features across multiple hosting plans with competitive pricing.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

When comparing Hostinger and Contabo, Hostinger generally offers more diverse plans across various hosting categories, emphasizing affordability and rich features like free domains, unlimited SSL certificates, and advanced WordPress tools. Contabo, on the other hand, provides extensive RAM and storage options, making it a dependable choice for high-performance needs. Both have competitive pricing but diverge significantly in plan specifications and targeted user needs.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises looking for robust hosting solutions, Hostinger offers the Cloud Enterprise plan at $54.99/month with features such as 300 websites, 300 GB NVMe storage, and dedicated resources. Contabo offers high-capacity ERP hosting, including the AMD EPYC 32 Cores plan at €301.97/month with 256 GB REG ECC RAM and 3TB HDD, geared towards heavy-traffic services and extensive databases. Hostinger’s flexibility and value offer a balanced choice, while Contabo’s configuration options suit more intensive, performance-demanding needs.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: An extremely user-friendly hosting service with intuitive tools for beginners.

Hostinger offers its custom-built control panel called hPanel, which is designed to be user-friendly and accessible for both beginners and experienced users. The design is intuitive, making it simple to set up professional email addresses, install content management systems, and use the website builder. On the other hand, Contabo uses a more standard approach with its control panel. While it does offer a variety of functionalities like server management, OS reinstalls, and account management, it might not be as straightforward for non-technical users compared to hPanel. Both platforms have their merits, but Hostinger’s hPanel stands out for its ease of use and accessibility.

In addition to ease of use, Hostinger provides advanced features through its control panel, such as automated updates and over 100 one-click app installations. These additions make website management even easier. Contabo’s control panel, while functional, tends to have more steps for achieving similar tasks and may require a bit more technical know-how. Therefore, for individuals looking for a more user-friendly experience, especially those without technical expertise, Hostinger offers a smoother setup process.

Hostinger offers free automatic website migration with no downtime, making it highly convenient for users to transfer their websites. Contabo, while providing a comprehensive setup process and server management options, does not explicitly mention free migration services. This makes Hostinger the go-to option for seamless and cost-free website migration.

In terms of help center resources, Hostinger excels with its extensive database of tutorials, Hostinger Academy, and comprehensive guides covering various topics. Their 24/7 multilingual support via live chat and email ensures users can get help whenever they need it. Contabo, while offering strong support through tutorials, an FAQ section, and a ticketing system, has limited hours for phone support which may not be as convenient for users needing immediate assistance.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Hostinger offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Contabo also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: A streamlined user management system with extensive features.

Hostinger’s approach to user management provides seamless onboarding and role assignment through its hPanel interface, where clients can be added with just a few clicks. Users can have granular control over their management capabilities with specific restrictions, ensuring secure and efficient handling of hosting services. Contabo, on the other hand, allows user authorization through a more manual process within its Control Panel, with options to view and update personal information, change security settings, and manage server-level permissions. Despite providing several security measures like Two-Factor Authentication, it lacks the nuance and accessibility level of Hostinger’s user management structure.

Hostinger’s hPanel offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface designed with centralized service management in mind. Users can easily navigate to the Websites or Domains sections to manage various elements of their accounts, with clear options to add or migrate websites, view titles, manage performance, and update domain settings. Contabo also emphasizes simplicity with its Control Panel, allowing users to manage services, upgrade VPS, order add-ons, and setup security measures such as Two-Factor Authentication and DDoS protection. However, Hostinger’s interface wins for its extended functionalities and ease of use.

When assessing access control measures, Hostinger ensures each user has specific access levels with clear restrictions to enhance security and manageability. Users granted access cannot modify payment methods, invite others, or change critical account information, making Hostinger particularly suited for growing user bases without compromising security. Contabo similarly mandates Two-Factor Authentication for all users and provides DDoS protection, but its access control measures are less specific and more focused on server-level permissions. Hostinger’s more detailed and flexible access controls make it better equipped to manage an expanding clientele efficiently.

Hostinger user roles table:

Contabo user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Hostinger excels in offering comprehensive and multilingual customer support options available 24/7.

Hostinger provides extensive customer support including 24/7 live chat, email support, and a rich knowledge base with tutorials. Their support is also available in multiple languages and issues are typically resolved in under 3 minutes. Higher-tier plans offer priority support for faster resolution and more personalized service.

Contabo, on the other hand, offers phone support during specific hours, email support, and a detailed FAQ section. While their support ticket system is generally responsive, they lack live chat support and do not operate 24/7. Managed services and emergency support are available as upgrades, but the support quality can sometimes vary, and they don’t offer a money-back guarantee.

Hostinger vs Contabo: User feedback

Hostinger receives high praise for its user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and robust performance. Customers appreciate the wide range of features, including seamless website migration, the intuitive hPanel, and excellent uptime. The standout feature, consistently mentioned across reviews, is the exceptional and responsive customer support available 24/7 via live chat, although some users express a desire for phone support. On the downside, a few customers report issues with renewal pricing, occasional slow support response times, and the limitations of the lower-tier plans.

Contabo offers affordable and powerful VPS plans, which are particularly beneficial for running demanding software and complex tasks. Several users have praised the reliability, stability, and cost-effectiveness of the service, highlighting its great value for money. However, frequent downtime, limited customer support, and a somewhat outdated control panel have been significant points of concern. Some users have experienced slow response times and unresolved service requests, suggesting areas for improvement in customer service and operational transparency.

Hostinger vs Contabo: FAQ