Comparisons
Hostinger VPS vs Hetzner vs Contabo: three cheap VPS hosts compared
Hostinger VPS vs Hetzner vs Contabo compared on RAM per dollar, CPU consistency, locations, billing, backups and renewals, with a pick for each project type.
By Mr. Ahmed · 20+ years in tech
Published · 8 min read
The short answer
- 01Hostinger KVM 1 gives 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 50 GB NVMe for $4.99/mo on 48 months, about $3.99/mo with WEBHOST2026.
- 02Hetzner bills hourly with a monthly cap and no promotional pricing, so the sign-up price is the price you keep.
- 03Contabo offers the most RAM and disk per dollar, but its shared CPU performance can vary under load.
- 04Hostinger includes weekly backups; Hetzner charges for backups as an add-on, and Contabo includes snapshots but charges for automated backups.
- 05If you might cancel within three months, Hetzner's hourly billing beats a prepaid term.
The three providers in one table
These three keep turning up on developer shortlists. They differ less on raw specs than on billing model, and the billing model is what decides your real cost.
| What I compared | Hostinger VPS | Hetzner Cloud | Contabo VPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prepaid 12, 24 or 48 months at a promo price; renews higher | Hourly, capped at a monthly price; no promo, no renewal jump | Monthly or longer terms; longer terms can remove setup fees |
| Entry RAM | 4 GB on KVM 1 | Small on the cheapest shared-vCPU plans; more on the next tiers | Large for the price, a main selling point |
| CPU | Dedicated KVM resources on AMD EPYC | Shared or dedicated vCPU lines; Intel, AMD and Arm | Shared; performance can vary under load |
| Storage | NVMe | NVMe on most lines, plus block volumes | NVMe or SSD; large-disk options |
| Locations | Europe, US, Asia, South America and more | Germany, Finland, US and Singapore | Europe, US, Asia, Australia and more |
| Backups | Weekly backups and snapshots included | Paid add-on (a percentage of the server price) | Snapshots included; automated backups are an add-on |
| Dashboard | hPanel with 100+ OS/app templates, browser terminal, AI assistant | Clean cloud console and a strong API/CLI | Basic customer panel |
| Walking away | 30-day money-back, then committed for the term | Delete the server and billing stops within the hour | Notice periods apply; check the terms |
Hostinger: the most machine for a prepaid price
RAM is the headline. KVM 1 is 1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 50 GB NVMe. KVM 2 doubles it to 2 vCPU, 8 GB and 100 GB for $6.99/mo on 48 months. That's enough to build Next.js on the server, run Postgres next to the app, or put several small projects on one box.
It's also the easiest of the three if you don't live in a terminal: one-click templates for Docker, n8n, Coolify and control panels, weekly backups included, and a browser terminal for the day SSH stops working.
The catch is the billing model. You prepay the whole term, and the renewal is noticeably higher than the promo. The value only shows if you commit to a long term and stay. My Hostinger VPS review goes deeper.
Hetzner: straight pricing, steady performance
Hetzner is the developer favorite in Europe, and it earns it. Prices are low without promotions, billing is hourly, and what you pay at sign-up is what you keep paying. Performance is consistent, and the API, CLI and Terraform provider are excellent if you automate your infrastructure.
The trade-offs are real, though. There are fewer regions, with nothing in South Asia, the Middle East or South America. Backups cost extra. New accounts sometimes need ID verification before creating servers, and some sign-ups are refused outright, particularly from countries Hetzner treats as high fraud risk.
Contabo: big numbers, uneven speed
Contabo is known for the largest RAM and disk figures per dollar on the market, and on paper nothing beats it. That suits workloads that need memory or storage more than CPU: game servers, backup targets, or large databases that are rarely queried.
The criticism is equally well known. CPU is shared and can vary a lot between servers and across the day. Provisioning and support are slower than the other two, and short terms may carry setup fees.
Who should pick which
Here's how I'd match provider to project. Disclosure first: I earn a referral commission on Hostinger, which is exactly why the renewal catch is spelled out above. If Hetzner or Contabo fits your project better, use them.
- A Next.js, Node or Laravel app you'll run for years: Hostinger on a long term. 4 to 8 GB of RAM covers builds and a database, and backups are included. For a typical side project or small production app, KVM 1 at $4.99/mo on 48 months is the easiest good choice.
- Infrastructure-as-code, autoscaling experiments, short-lived servers: Hetzner. Hourly billing and the API win.
- Lots of RAM or disk where CPU speed isn't critical: Contabo, after you benchmark it.
- Users in Pakistan, India, the Middle East or Southeast Asia: Hostinger or Contabo, which both have Asian locations nearby. Hetzner's only Asian region is Singapore.
- You might cancel within three months: Hetzner. Prepaid terms only pay off if you stay.
- You'd rather click than type: Hostinger. Its templates and panel take much of the server administration off your plate.
Paying the least for a Hostinger VPS
The 48-month term has the lowest monthly rate, and WEBHOST2026 takes an extra 20% off on top. That puts KVM 1 at about $3.99/mo and KVM 2 at about $5.59/mo. The links on this site add the code for you.
See the Hostinger VPS coupon page for every plan, and my Hostinger VPS vs DigitalOcean comparison if a droplet is also on your list.
Questions people ask
Is Hostinger VPS better than Hetzner?
It depends on how long you'll keep the server. Hostinger wins on RAM per dollar over a long prepaid term, locations and included backups; Hetzner wins on hourly billing, flat long-term pricing and its infrastructure API.
Why is Contabo so cheap?
It sells large RAM and disk allocations on shared CPU and spends less on fast provisioning and support. The specs are real, but CPU performance varies, so benchmark before relying on it.
Which cheap VPS is best for Pakistan or India?
Choose a provider with a nearby Asian location. Hostinger and Contabo both have one, and Hostinger also bills in local currency with local payment methods in both countries.
Does WEBHOST2026 work on Hostinger VPS plans?
Yes. It adds an extra 20% off KVM plans on top of the sale price, on 12, 24 and 48-month terms.
Independent site, not Hostinger. Buy through my links and Hostinger pays me a referral fee; your price is the same or lower. How that works.