What is Contabo and what types of projects its VPS are suitable for
Published on 2026-10-26 by frfrand
Technical guide and practical examples: What is Contabo and what types of projects its VPS are suitable for. Comparison with ArduMaker.
Contabo appears right away when comparing VPS because many of its plans stand out for the amount of advertised resources. More RAM and more disk always catch the eye. But if you have an application with clients, the important questions are others: how does PostgreSQL respond when working under load?, how long does a deploy take? and what do you do if the server fails?
What is Contabo and what is it used for
Contabo is an infrastructure provider that offers, among other products, VPS servers. You can install Linux, connect via SSH and deploy web applications, databases and own services according to the plan features and conditions.
A VPS is a server environment with assigned resources; it is not a guarantee that performance will be identical across all plans, regions or situations. The physical CPU, disk, machine configuration and real load influence the results.
An example more useful than comparing numbers
Suppose you develop a rental platform. The frontend is served quickly, FastAPI receives requests, PostgreSQL stores reservations and a worker sends emails. An offer with lots of RAM can work perfectly, but if database queries are slow due to missing indexes, hiring more memory does not automatically solve the problem.
Before deciding, I would run a small test with the same application I want to publish. I would not use a generic CPU benchmark to promise a response time.
How to get started with a Contabo VPS
- Choose the server and region. Think about where your users are and what traffic will come in. For a business used mainly in Europe, it makes sense to check nearby options.
- Install a compatible system. Ubuntu Server is usually a reasonable option if your team already knows APT, systemd, and Nginx.
- Configure SSH access. One key per person, without sharing the root password. Keep a recovery procedure before changing network rules.
- Prepare the runtime. Install Python, Node, or Docker according to the project, and configure the API process as a supervised service.
- Install or connect PostgreSQL. Avoid opening port 5432 to any origin. Use a restricted network or an authorized tunnel for administrative tasks.
- Publish domain and HTTPS. Nginx can receive traffic on 443 and forward it to the API's internal port.
- Measure and back up. Test a full backup, monitor memory and disk, make a backup, and verify that it can be restored.
Costs: be careful when comparing different offers
I would look at the price corresponding to the period you actually plan to contract. Some offers include promotions or commitments that change the comparison with a monthly price without discounts. I would also review storage space, backups, IP, traffic, support, and possible extras.
The cost of operating the VPS doesn't disappear from the account either. If you spend several hours each week on patches, deployments, and permissions, that also has value.
Contabo vs ArduMaker
Contabo focuses primarily on providing infrastructure. ArduMaker combines the VPS with tools to manage it and deploy projects: Git, databases, Docker, domains, processes, and access via MCP.
| Topic | Contabo | ArduMaker |
|---|---|---|
| Main product | Servers and infrastructure | VPS and integrated management tools |
| Deploying your own API | You configure your stack on the server | You can use the Git flow and VPS services |
| PostgreSQL and Redis | You install or integrate them according to your design | They can be managed in the VPS environment |
| Domains and HTTPS | They depend on your configuration and tools | Integrated management tools |
| Operational responsibility | Your team maintains the application | Your team must also maintain and test the application |
If you need a specific combination of RAM, storage, and cost, Contabo can be an interesting alternative. If you manage many projects for clients and want to reduce repetitive tasks, it makes sense to try ArduMaker.
How I would do the example in ArduMaker
I would create a VPS within the corresponding company for the client, connect the FastAPI repository, configure PostgreSQL and a worker for notifications. Then I would associate the domain with HTTPS and review the application logs after the first deployment.
With this scheme I can separate the code, the data, and the background tasks. I am not obliged to install a full PaaS panel just to connect Git or manage a domain.
Three frequent errors
Choosing only by RAM. Measure CPU, disk latency, databases, and memory before buying a huge machine.
Saving everything on a single disk without an external copy. A snapshot can serve for certain scenarios, but the recovery strategy needs to be verified.
Making critical changes without a rollback plan. Before updating PostgreSQL, Nginx, or an API with real clients, you need to understand what data could be lost and how to restore it.
Sources: Contabo Help Center · ArduMaker comparisons · how a VPS works.
In summary: Contabo can be attractive for its resources; ArduMaker for the administration environment. The right choice comes from testing the real project and calculating both the server and the work of maintaining it.