netcup vs Strato (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, netcup grades higher than Strato: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
netcup 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.
netcup
German web hosting, vServers and root servers priced in euros
Which one is for you
Pick netcup if
- Fits if you want low-cost PHP hosting or a vServer in Germany
- Works for small sites on Webhosting 1000
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need Python, Ruby on Rails or Node.js on the two cheapest web plans
- Watch out: prices are in euros and read at the German VAT default of 19%
- Tight if you need a month-to-month VPS, as the cheaper price is on a 12-month contract
- Not for you if you want a free plan or a trial
Pick Strato if
- Fits if you want a domain and mailbox bundled with hosting
- Works for UK or European sites that run WordPress or Joomla
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have several domains, as each package includes one and more cost extra
- Watch out: prices exclude VAT
- Watch out: the page says both a 6-month contract period and a 12-month minimum term
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there is no trial, only a money-back guarantee
- Watch out: DynDNS is not available on Basic Web
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAnetcupFair | 1.6GPAStratoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AWebhosting 1000 is €2.69 a month incl. VAT, under 60% of the $5 cheaper-quarter start. | CBasic Web is £4 a month excluding VAT, around the category's cheapest-quarter line once VAT and currency are counted. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free and no trial on the pages read, so you pay from day one. | FNo free plan or trial; the 30-day money-back guarantee is not a trial. |
| Features | CWeb hosting, vServers with a remote console and API, root servers and domains. Python, Rails and Node.js are not in the two smallest plans. | CDomain and mailboxes, CMS installs, backups, malware scans and unlimited traffic, but one domain per package and no DynDNS on Basic. |
| Ease of use | CHosting panel work for each site, and server plans need configuring. No store rating. | CNo store rating on record, and you set up the site and CMS yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb control panel only, with no integrations listed. | CWeb only, with WordPress, Joomla, Typo3 and Drupal installs. |
| Best for | cheap web hosting and VPS from Germany | hosting with a domain and mailbox included |
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: netcup and Strato. How we grade
Price against what you get
netcup starts at about $3.01 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Strato starts at about $5.36 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and netcup starts $2.35 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 9 score higher than netcup for less, and 19 score higher than Strato 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
- Strato also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| netcup | Strato | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | €2.69 per month incl. 19% VAT (Webhosting 1000) | £4 per month, ex. VAT (Basic Web) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | netcup GmbH | STRATO GmbH |
| Price read from | netcup.com | strato-hosting.co.uk |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
netcup
- Prices are in euros and, by default, include German VAT of 19%; the site lets a buyer pick another country's VAT rate, and these figures were read at the German default.
- Python, Ruby on Rails and Node.js are not included in Webhosting 1000 and 2000.
- VPS prices fall with longer contracts: the page marks 12 months as -13% and 24 months as -26% against the 1-month price.
- The vServer prices shown here are for the default location; the site's price data lists other locations such as Singapore at higher figures.
Strato
- Each package includes only one domain; more domains are optional extras.
- Prices exclude VAT, and the page says both a 6-month contract period and a 12-month minimum term.
- Strato runs separate country sites (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, UK); the .com site only redirects visitors.
- DynDNS is not available on the Basic Web package.
Key features
netcup
- Cloud web hosting
- Web hosting runs on a redundant cloud setup with chroot environments, SSH access and free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates for all domains.
- vServers with remote console and API
- Virtual servers come with snapshots, a remote console, a DVD drive, an API, DDoS protection and traffic included.
- Root servers
- Root servers offer guaranteed resources and root access from the first minute.
- Local block storage
- Extra storage for vServers is priced from €0.012 per GB and month, up to 8 TB, without a fixed term.
- Managed servers and clusters
- Managed vServers, netcup Enterprise managed servers and a managed cloud cluster are listed for buyers who do not want to run Linux themselves.
- Domains
- Domain registration, transfers and a reseller program are sold alongside hosting.
Strato
- Domain and mailboxes included
- Each package includes one domain and mailboxes with webmail, spam filtering and virus protection.
- One-click CMS installs
- WordPress, Joomla, Typo3 and Drupal can be installed from the customer login, with git, Ruby, Python and Matomo also listed.
- Backups and malware scanning
- Backup Control makes website backups several times a day, and SiteGuard and a SiteLock scan check for malware.
- No traffic limit
- All four packages list unlimited traffic, SSD storage, SSL certificates and DDoS protection.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- The UK site promises a refund for almost all products within the first 30 days, requested from the logged-in account.
Plans
netcup
Webhosting 1000€2.69
per month, incl. 19% VAT
50 GB SSD, SSH access, SSL certificates and 1 .de or alternative domain included. No Python, Ruby or Node.js.
Webhosting 2000€4.03
per month, incl. 19% VAT
150 GB SSD, SSH access, the WordPress toolkit and 3 .de domains or 1 alternative domain included.
Webhosting 4000€8.10
per month, incl. 19% VAT
500 GB SSD, SSH access, Ruby and Node.js, and 6 .de domains or 2 alternative domains included.
Webhosting 8000€13.17
per month, incl. 19% VAT
1000 GB SSD, SSH access, Ruby and Node.js, and 12 .de domains or 3 alternative domains included.
VPS 500 G12.5€8.26
per month on a 12-month contract, incl. 19% VAT
2 vCore (x86), 4 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD, traffic included. The page also shows €9.50 for a 1-month term, and 12 and 24-month terms are marked -13% and -26%.
VPS 1000 G12.5€14.50
per month on a 12-month contract, incl. 19% VAT
4 vCore (x86), 8 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD. Larger VPS 2000, 4000 and 8000 plans run up to 16 vCore, 64 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD.
Strato
Basic Web£4.00
per month, ex. VAT
1 domain, 1 mailbox, 50 GB web space and 2 SSD databases.
Power Web£6.00
per month, ex. VAT
100 GB web space, 2 mailboxes, 25 SSD databases and Python and Ruby support.
Advanced Web£10.00
per month, ex. VAT
150 GB web space, 2 mailboxes, 50 SSD databases and 50 SFTP accounts.
Enterprise Web£15.00
per month, ex. VAT
200 GB web space, 5 mailboxes, 75 SSD databases and 80 SFTP accounts.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, netcup or Strato?
As of Nov 13, 2026, netcup is cheaper to start with: about $3.01 a month, against about $5.36 a month for Strato. netcup starts at €2.69 per month incl. 19% VAT (Webhosting 1000), and Strato starts at £4 per month, ex. VAT (Basic Web).
Which has a free plan, netcup or Strato?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither netcup nor Strato 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.