Contabo vs Kimsufi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Contabo grades higher than Kimsufi: 1.6 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Contabo 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.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Kimsufi if
- Fits if you want your own dedicated machine at a low monthly price
- Works for people who can set up Debian, Ubuntu or AlmaLinux themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want managed web hosting, because you run the whole server
- Watch out: prices are ex. VAT and per range, and each model's price depends on configuration
- Watch out: Windows Server licences and control panels are added at checkout
- Watch out: the catalogue loads with JavaScript, and stock and entry prices can change
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAContaboWeak | 1.4GPAKimsufiWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe KS range starts at $11.10 a month ex. VAT, near the $10.99 middle for web hosting, for a dedicated machine. The SYS range starts at $33.20. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record; every plan is paid from the first day. | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed. |
| Features | 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. | CDedicated hardware with root access, a choice of OS, anti-DDoS and unlimited traffic in eight locations. It does that one job; panels and Windows licences cost extra. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. An unmanaged VPS means installing, patching and troubleshooting it yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You run the server over SSH or install a panel yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb panel only, with no integrations listed. | CWeb only, with cPanel, Plesk, Proxmox and Hyper-V as add-ons and a choice of Linux distributions. |
| Best for | cheap servers with lots of RAM | budget dedicated servers from OVHcloud |
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: Contabo and Kimsufi. How we grade
Price against what you get
Contabo starts at $5.28 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Kimsufi starts at $11.10 a month and scores 1.7.
They score the same, and Contabo starts $5.82 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 39 score higher than Contabo for less, and 59 score higher than Kimsufi 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
- Kimsufi is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Contabo | Kimsufi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $5.28 per month excl. VAT, 24-month subscription (Cloud VPS 4) | US$11.10 per month and up (KS range), ex. VAT |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Contabo GmbH | OVHcloud |
| Price read from | contabo.com | kimsufi.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Kimsufi
- You manage the server yourself, over SSH or a panel such as cPanel or Plesk; this is not managed web hosting.
- Prices are shown ex. VAT and as a starting point per range; each model's price depends on its configuration.
- Windows Server licences and control panels are extras added at checkout.
- The catalog loads with JavaScript, and stock and models change, so the entry price shown may not match what is orderable.
Key features
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.
Kimsufi
- Dedicated hardware with root access
- Each server is a physical machine whose CPU and RAM are not shared, with root access and the option to install your own image.
- Choice of operating system
- Linux options include Debian, Ubuntu and AlmaLinux, Windows Server licences are offered at checkout, and cPanel can be pre-installed.
- Anti-DDoS included
- The vendor says standard anti-DDoS protection comes with all its accessible plans at no extra cost.
- Unlimited traffic
- Most servers have 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps network speeds, and the vendor says unlimited traffic is included.
- Eight locations
- Servers are offered in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Canada, India, Singapore and Australia.
- Fast provisioning
- The vendor says in-stock offers deploy in about 120 seconds and are configured from the OVHcloud Control Panel.
Plans
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.
Kimsufi
KS rangeUS$11.10
per month and up, ex. VAT
Budget dedicated servers aimed at beginners and testing; the exact CPU, RAM and disk vary by model.
SYS rangeUS$33.20
per month and up, ex. VAT
Dedicated servers described as the essential for professionals; model specifications vary.
Rise rangeUS$64.00
per month and up, ex. VAT
Higher-performance servers sold on performance for the price; model specifications vary.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Contabo or Kimsufi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Contabo is cheaper to start with: $5.28 a month, against $11.10 a month for Kimsufi. Contabo starts at $5.28 per month excl. VAT, 24-month subscription (Cloud VPS 4), and Kimsufi starts at US$11.10 per month and up (KS range), ex. VAT.
Which has a free plan, Contabo or Kimsufi?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Contabo nor Kimsufi 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.