Both are EU-based budget-oriented unmanaged platforms -- but the value proposition differs. Hetzner optimizes around infrastructure quality: reliability, ISO 27001 certification, and dedicated server depth at strong price-performance. Contabo optimizes around resource density: more RAM and storage per dollar than most EU unmanaged VPS options, with shared CPU architecture and minimal managed services.

What you get that Contabo doesn't offer

ISO 27001 certification with data centers exclusively in Germany and Finland. Dedicated server options and the Hetzner auction market for cost-sensitive bare metal. A scalability path from cloud VPS to dedicated hardware under the same account. Dedicated CPU resources with no shared-core contention. Published infrastructure reliability track record.

What you give up

Contabo's RAM and storage density per dollar -- more gigabytes per euro at Contabo than at any Hetzner tier. For workloads that need large memory footprints or significant storage at low cost, Contabo's resource model has no equivalent at Hetzner's price points.

What you get that Hetzner doesn't offer

More RAM and storage per dollar than most EU unmanaged VPS options. Full root access with standard Linux distribution options. A cost floor for RAM-intensive or storage-heavy workloads -- file serving, large caching layers, storage-intensive applications -- that Hetzner's pricing does not match.

What you give up

Hetzner's dedicated CPU resources -- shared CPU allocation at Contabo means resource contention can become part of normal capacity planning. Contabo publishes no uptime SLA; Hetzner's infrastructure has a documented reliability posture. ISO 27001 certification. Dedicated server options and the Hetzner hardware scalability path. Hetzner's support model is ticket-based but structured; Contabo's support model is less suited to time-sensitive escalation.