Contabo vs Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Contabo and Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun).
Quick Verdict
4.2/5
Contabo
420 reviews
4.0/5
Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
400 reviews
Contabo is rated higher (4.2 vs 4.0). German provider known for extremely large RAM allocations at very low prices. VPS S: 4 vCPU, 6GB RAM, 100GB SSD for ~€4.50/month. Popular in budget communities despite mixed performance reviews. Alibaba Cloud is the dominant cloud in China and largest cloud in Asia-Pacific. Essential for any application targeting Chinese users. Compliant with Chinese regulations.
Contabo Affordable VPS hosting with generous resources at predictable pricing | Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) Asia-Pacific and China cloud by Alibaba | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.2 (420 reviews)✓ | 4.0 (400 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | freemium |
| Starting price | From €4/mo | Free tier available✓ |
| Best for | Budget-conscious developers and startups needing reliable VPS infrastructure with generous specifications without enterprise pricing | Businesses needing cloud infrastructure in mainland China or the Asia-Pacific region |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | 4 vCPU | — |
| RAM | 6 GB | — |
| Storage | 100 GB | — |
| Bandwidth | 32 TB/mo | — |
| SLA uptime | 99.9% | — |
| Data-center count | 4 | — |
| €/vCPU/mo | €1.00 | — |
| €/GB RAM/mo | €0.67 | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | GermanyUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustralia | — |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | nvme storageipv6ddos protectioneu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterwindows available | free tierhourly billinggpu availableeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi access |
| Visit Contabo → | Visit Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) → | |
Contabo
Pros
- + Pack substantial CPU and storage allocations relative to cost
- + Choose between hourly and monthly billing cycles for flexibility
- + Access multiple global data center locations
- + Provide root/admin access for full server control
Cons
- - Support response times slower than premium competitors
- - Limited documentation and community resources versus larger providers
- - Standard uptime SLA (99.9%) may not suit critical applications
Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun)
Pros
- + Only viable cloud for China market
- + Largest APAC cloud
- + $450 free credits for new accounts
Cons
- - Requires Chinese registration for China regions
- - Complex compliance for non-Chinese companies
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