Contabo vs Virtarix: VPS Price, RAM, Storage and Backups

Contabo and Virtarix both compete on VPS resource value, but the packages favour different workloads. Contabo places a large local SSD allocation behind a low euro price. Virtarix provides more RAM, NVMe storage and an included backup and snapshot in a balanced self-managed package.

Contabo plan compared with Virtarix VPS M

Cost comparison

The providers publish in different currencies, so the table does not declare a cross-currency winner. It shows the actual native-currency commitments and annual arithmetic.

Taxes, regional checkout differences and optional services can change the final invoice. The Contabo promotion is longer and produces the lower advertised headline price in its own currency.

Category winners

The central trade-off: more disk or more memory

Contabo supplies twice the local disk capacity. That makes Cloud VPS 6 attractive for media libraries, build artefacts, large package caches, replicated datasets or applications that genuinely need more local working space.

Large local storage is not the same as an archive or backup. Data stored only on the VPS remains exposed to deletion, corruption, account compromise and server-level failure. Important data should exist in independent storage with tested restoration procedures.

Virtarix VPS M gives up 100 GB of local capacity in exchange for 4 GB more RAM and an NVMe storage label. Additional memory can be more valuable for a database, application runtime, cache, worker processes and containerised services running on one server. It reduces the chance that a balanced workload becomes constrained by memory before it uses the full disk.

Neither the SSD nor NVMe label guarantees a particular production throughput or latency result. Buyers should test representative reads, writes, concurrency and database behaviour before moving a storage-sensitive workload.

Recovery differences

Contabo includes two manual snapshots with Cloud VPS 6. Its documentation states that snapshots expire automatically after 30 days. A snapshot is useful before an operating-system upgrade, package change or risky deployment, but it is not a permanent backup strategy.

Contabo's Auto Backup is a separate service. It is described as a daily off-server backup with up to 10 days of retention. Buyers who need that service should include its checkout price in the total rather than treating the two included snapshots as equivalent.

Virtarix includes one backup and one snapshot in the VPS M base price. Contabo documents manual snapshot expiry and offers its daily Auto Backup service separately. Customers should keep independent copies regardless of which provider is chosen.

Operating model and service boundaries

Both products are self-managed. The provider supplies the virtual server, network, storage allocation and access. The customer configures the operating system, firewall, credentials, application stack, updates, monitoring and data protection.

Virtarix supports Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Arch Linux for Linux VPS workloads. It lists Dallas, Frankfurt and Johannesburg as live VPS locations. Contabo offers a wider location network and publishes more plan-specific network information.

Location matters when latency or jurisdiction requires a specific market. It should not outweigh the storage, memory and recovery trade-off when both providers can serve the intended users adequately.

Is Virtarix a good Contabo alternative?

Virtarix is a strong Contabo alternative for workloads that need more memory than local disk. VPS M is particularly relevant for database-backed applications, customer-managed container stacks, automation services and websites with multiple worker processes.

Contabo remains the stronger fit when 200 GB of local storage is necessary and the current euro promotion is available in the buyer's region. Buyers requiring much more local capacity should also compare Virtarix Storage VPS, which is a separate NVMe-heavy product family.

Final recommendation

Choose Contabo Cloud VPS 6 for the lower advertised native-currency price and larger local disk. Choose Virtarix VPS M for 16 GB RAM, NVMe storage, IPv4 and IPv6, one backup and one snapshot in the base package.

The better plan is determined by the first resource the workload is likely to exhaust. Disk-heavy workloads favour Contabo. Memory-heavy or balanced application workloads favour Virtarix.

Choose the Virtarix package built for balanced application workloads

Virtarix VPS M includes 6 CPU cores, 16 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe, unlimited bandwidth*, full root access, IPv4, IPv6, one backup and one snapshot for $11.40/month.

Browse all Virtarix VPS provider comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Is Contabo cheaper than Virtarix?

Contabo advertises the lower headline price in euros. A direct cross-currency answer depends on exchange rates, taxes, location and checkout terms.

Which provider includes more storage?

Contabo Cloud VPS 6 includes 200 GB SSD. Virtarix VPS M includes 100 GB NVMe.

Which provider includes more RAM?

Virtarix VPS M includes 16 GB RAM. Contabo Cloud VPS 6 includes 12 GB.

Does Contabo include automatic backups?

Its two included snapshots are manual and expire after 30 days. Contabo Auto Backup is a separate service.

Are both services self-managed?

Yes. Customers operate and secure their own operating systems and software on both providers.

Sources checked

• Virtarix Cloud VPS
• Contabo VPS
• Contabo VPS Germany
• Contabo unmanaged VPS
• Contabo Auto Backup
• Contabo snapshot documentation