A Small Orange vs Contabo

A Small Orange launched in 2003 and became known for offering simple hosting plans designed for both beginners and growing businesses. They provided shared, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting, giving users flexible options based on site size and performance needs. Their shared hosting plans stood out for including cPanel, SSD storage, unlimited email accounts, and Weebly’s drag-and-drop builder, which helped users create and manage websites without technical experience. WordPress-optimized servers, one-click installs, and a wide app marketplace added convenience for personal and business sites. Security features were solid, with password-protected directories, spam filtering, hotlink protection, and daily backups included across plans. Developers also had access to multiple coding languages, MySQL databases, and custom error page tools. Customer support was available through 24/7 live chat and email, though some users found responses brief and missed having phone support. Pricing tended to run higher than many competitors, and users needed to buy SSL certificates separately, which increased total costs. While A Small Orange is no longer active, their review offers context for what customers valued and where the service fell short. Readers can use these insights to compare today’s hosting providers and choose an option that matches their budget and website goals.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, Contabo has built a strong reputation as a reliable and affordable web hosting provider serving a global audience. They specialize in scalable infrastructure solutions, including VPS, VDS, dedicated servers, and object storage, all backed by enterprise-grade AMD EPYC hardware, NVMe storage, and unmetered bandwidth. With data centers strategically located across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, Contabo delivers low-latency performance and flexible deployment options for developers, SMBs, and enterprises alike. What sets Contabo apart is their focus on performance value—offering high-resource plans at some of the market’s most competitive prices, alongside a transparent, fixed-rate pricing model with no renewal hikes. Customers frequently highlight their strong uptime, quick provisioning, and the efficiency of their in-house control panel, though some note limitations in support hours and managed security tools. Operating from ISO-certified and renewable-powered data centers, Contabo remains a dependable, sustainability-minded option for users seeking professional-grade hosting without unnecessary complexity.