BuyVM vs Contabo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BuyVM grades higher than Contabo: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BuyVM grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BuyVM
Low-cost KVM VPS slices with unmetered bandwidth and block storage
Which one is for you
Pick BuyVM if
- Fits if you want a cheap Linux VPS and can run it yourself
- Works for small projects that need block storage
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want help running the server, as slices are unmanaged
- Watch out: Slice 512 to 2048 share CPU, and only the 4096 slice lists dedicated CPU
- Pricey if you add DDoS protection, managed databases or nightly backups, all paid add-ons
- Skip it if you need many locations, as there are three
Pick Contabo if
- Fits if you want a lot of RAM and storage for little and can manage a server
- Works for staging boxes, CI runners and hobby servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't look after a Linux server, as support covers the VPS only
- Not for you if you won't commit: the lowest price is for 24 months
- Watch out: a one-time setup fee applies on monthly Cloud VPS 4 orders
- Watch out: outgoing traffic is unlimited only under fair use, and heavy servers can be throttled
- Watch out: the price after the term isn't shown
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABuyVMWeak | 1.6GPAContaboWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ASlice 512 is $24 a year, or $2 a month, and Slice 1024 is $3.50 a month, both under the $5 cheaper-quarter start. | B$5.28 a month excl. VAT on a 24-month term for 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM and 100GB, at the edge of the cheaper quarter ($5.28). Terms differ and the price after the term isn't shown. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read, so you pay from day one. | FNo free plan and no trial on record; every plan is paid from the first day. |
| Features | CKVM slices, block storage, a free DirectAdmin license and a control panel. Only three locations, and backups and DDoS protection are add-ons. | CVPS sizes from 4 to 18 vCPU, snapshots, Plesk and cPanel options, many locations. The gap: it's a bare server, and Contabo supports the VPS, not the software on it. |
| Ease of use | DUnmanaged servers you set up and secure yourself. | DNo rating on record. An unmanaged VPS means installing, patching and troubleshooting it yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb panel only, with no integrations listed. | CWeb panel only, with no integrations listed. |
| Best for | low-cost unmanaged KVM slices | cheap servers with lots of RAM |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BuyVM and Contabo. How we grade
Price against what you get
BuyVM starts at $2 a month when paid by the year and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Contabo starts at $5.28 a month and scores 1.7.
They score the same, and BuyVM starts $3.28 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 8 score higher than BuyVM for less, and 39 score higher than Contabo for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- BuyVM also covers databases and file management.
At a glance
| BuyVM | Contabo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $24.00 per year (Slice 512) | $5.28 per month excl. VAT, 24-month subscription (Cloud VPS 4) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | BuyVM (a division of Cloudzy) | Contabo GmbH |
| Price read from | buyvm.net | contabo.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BuyVM
- The cheapest slice is billed yearly, and the others are billed monthly.
- The Slice 512 to 2048 plans share CPU on a fair-share basis; only the 4096 slice lists dedicated CPU usage.
- DDoS protection, managed databases and nightly backups are paid add-ons.
- The shared hosting page linked from the product list returned a page-not-available message when read, so only VPS pricing is recorded.
Contabo
- The price shown is the monthly rate on a 24-month subscription; the page does not show the price after the term or a plain monthly price.
- A one-time setup fee applies to new Cloud VPS 4 orders on monthly contracts.
- Outgoing traffic is unlimited under a fair usage policy, and Contabo may throttle servers with very high or disruptive usage.
- Contabo supports the VPS itself, not the software installed on it; maintenance and troubleshooting are the user's job.
Key features
BuyVM
- KVM slices
- Virtual servers described as dedicated slices, running Linux, BSD or Windows with SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth.
- Block storage slabs
- Add-on block storage is sold from $1.25 a month for 256 GB of HDD and can be attached for backups, media or a self-built object store.
- Free DirectAdmin license
- A DirectAdmin control panel license comes with every service, alongside the Softaculous installer and Blesta billing panel as free software.
- Stallion control panel
- BuyVM's own panel is used to manage servers, and the site lists a wiki and a community Discord for help.
- DDoS protection
- Protection of 3500Gbps and more is sold as a paid add-on, along with managed database servers and nightly backups.
- Three locations
- Servers are offered in Las Vegas, New York and Luxembourg.
Contabo
- Cloud VPS range
- Six Cloud VPS sizes from 4 to 18 vCPU cores and 8GB to 96GB RAM, each with unlimited, unmetered incoming traffic and fair-usage outgoing traffic.
- Other VPS lines
- Performance VPS on AMD EPYC CPUs with NVMe storage, Max Performance, Storage VPS, Windows VPS and GPU VPS are sold alongside.
- Plesk and cPanel VPS
- Plesk and cPanel VPS plans are listed, and Plesk is free for the first month on Cloud VPS, Cloud VDS, Storage VPS and dedicated servers.
- Longer terms for lower prices
- Prices shown are the effective monthly rate for a 24-month subscription, and no setup fee applies on longer contracts.
- Snapshots and storage extension
- Each Cloud VPS includes snapshots, and Core VPS plans can double their storage through Storage Extension.
- Many locations
- The product page describes hosting across the EU, US, UK, Australia and Asia.
Plans
BuyVM
Slice 512$24.00
per year
1 core at 3.50+ GHz on fair-share CPU, 512 MB memory, 10 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 1024$3.50
per month
1 core on fair-share CPU, 1024 MB memory, 20 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 2048$7.00
per month
1 core on fair-share CPU, 2048 MB memory, 40 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 4096$15.00
per month
1 core with dedicated CPU usage, 4096 MB memory, 80 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
High-volume VPS$30.00
per month and up
From 2 cores, 8 GB memory and 160 GB SSD at an unlimited 1000 Mbps; larger sizes are $45 and $60 a month.
Contabo
Cloud VPS 4$5.28
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $6.60 incl. tax
4 vCPU cores, 8GB RAM, 100GB SSD, 1 snapshot, 200 Mbit/s port and unlimited traffic. A setup fee applies on monthly contracts.
Cloud VPS 6$7.20
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $9.00 incl. tax
6 vCPU cores, 12GB RAM, 200GB SSD or 100GB NVMe, 2 snapshots, 300 Mbit/s port and unlimited traffic.
Cloud VPS 8$13.44
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $16.80 incl. tax
8 vCPU cores, 24GB RAM, 300GB SSD or 150GB NVMe, 3 snapshots, 600 Mbit/s port and unlimited traffic.
Cloud VPS 12$24.00
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $30.00 incl. tax
12 vCPU cores, 48GB RAM, 400GB SSD or 200GB NVMe, 3 snapshots, 800 Mbit/s port and unlimited traffic.
Cloud VPS 16$35.60
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $44.50 incl. tax
16 vCPU cores, 64GB RAM, 500GB SSD or 250GB NVMe, 3 snapshots, 1 Gbit/s port and unlimited traffic.
Cloud VPS 18$47.04
per month excl. VAT, 24-month term; $58.80 incl. tax
18 vCPU cores, 96GB RAM, 600GB SSD or 300GB NVMe, 3 snapshots, 1 Gbit/s port and unlimited traffic.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BuyVM or Contabo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BuyVM is cheaper to start with: $2 a month when paid by the year, against $5.28 a month for Contabo. BuyVM starts at $24.00 per year (Slice 512), and Contabo starts at $5.28 per month excl. VAT, 24-month subscription (Cloud VPS 4).
Which has a free plan, BuyVM or Contabo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BuyVM nor Contabo has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.