Monthly pick Hostinger 9.4 / 10 editorial score

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Head to head

DigitalOcean vs Contabo

DigitalOcean and Contabo compared category by category from the same structured data: scores, measured performance, pricing, plan specs and support. Each row is decided by the numbers, and rows we have no data for are left out rather than guessed.

By Editorial team · Updated July 11, 2026

Wins more categories

DigitalOcean

Cloud hosting

9.1

Exceptional

Starts at

$4.00/mo

No renewal increase

6 verified deals Checked by hand, each dated

Visit DigitalOcean → See 6 DigitalOcean coupons →

Contabo

VPS hosting

8.6

Excellent 6.0/10 in VPS

Starts at

€4.40/mo

Renews €5.50/mo

Visit Contabo → Read the Contabo review →

Why DigitalOcean wins overall

DigitalOcean takes 8 of the 11 scored categories, winning on Editorial score, Response time (TTFB), Measured uptime, CPU benchmark. Contabo still wins on vCPU on the entry plan, RAM on the entry plan, Storage on the entry plan, so the right pick depends on which of those you are optimising for.

Some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect the winner called above, which is decided only by the scored rows. Full affiliate disclosure.

Category by category

Every metric we hold for both providers, side by side. The winner of each row is highlighted; ties are marked, and descriptive rows are not scored. Anything we have no data for is left out entirely.

Category	DigitalOcean	Contabo
Editorial score	9.1/10 Winner	8.6/10
VPS ranking score	—	6.0/10
Response time (TTFB)	96 ms Winner	210 ms
Measured uptime	99.99% Winner	99.9%
CPU benchmark	1100 Winner	640
Network throughput	2000 Mbps Winner	600 Mbps
Starting price	$4.00/mo Winner	€4.40/mo
Renewal price	No increase Winner	€5.50/mo
Value per resource	—	10.0/10
Management score	—	3.0/10
Support	—	2.5/10
Refund terms	—	9.5/10
vCPU on the entry plan	1 vCPU	4 vCPU Winner
RAM on the entry plan	0.5 GB	8 GB Winner
Storage on the entry plan	10 GB SSD	100 GB SSD Winner
Management	Unmanaged	Unmanaged
Uptime SLA	99.99%	99.9%
Money-back guarantee	Pay-as-you-go credit	30-day money-back guarantee
Active coupons	6 Winner	None on file

Winner tally across scored categories DigitalOcean 8 · Contabo 3

Visit DigitalOcean → Visit Contabo →

Performance figures come from our own test run on July 10, 2026.

Which should you choose?

Each line is taken straight from the row that decides it, so this can never disagree with the table.

For the fastest response times

DigitalOcean

For reliability and uptime

DigitalOcean

For raw CPU performance

DigitalOcean

For the lowest starting price

DigitalOcean

For the lowest long-term cost

DigitalOcean

For the most storage out of the box

Contabo

For the most ways to save today

DigitalOcean

Not sold on either?

Hostinger also competes in this category

It scores 7.9/10 in the same VPS ranking that produced the numbers above.

Read the Hostinger review All comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, DigitalOcean or Contabo?

DigitalOcean, at $4.00/mo against Contabo at €4.40/mo for the entry plan in this category. Where the two bill in different currencies we convert to USD to compare, and you are still billed in the provider's own currency.

Which is faster, DigitalOcean or Contabo?

DigitalOcean, at 96 ms time to first byte against Contabo at 210 ms in our own test run. Both figures come from the same test, and the measured uptime row shows how they compare on reliability.

Is DigitalOcean better than Contabo overall?

DigitalOcean wins 8 of the 11 scored categories, so it takes the overall call. That is a count of measured rows, not a judgement — if the categories Contabo wins are the ones you care about, it is the better pick for you.