Contabo vs Aruba Cloud: Kubernetes Cost Comparison (2026)
Contabo is 13% cheaper than Aruba Cloud for a 3-node Kubernetes cluster (€33 vs €38/mo)
At the cluster level, Contabo runs 13% cheaper, roughly €5/mo less than its competitor. For outbound traffic, Contabo is more cost-effective: 32 TB free egress. Aruba Cloud delivers ~12× the storage IOPS, which matters for write-heavy workloads like etcd or database operators. Choose Contabo for cost-efficient Kubernetes on a budget; choose Aruba Cloud for lower egress costs at scale.
IOPS figures from the providers' documentation: Contabo, Aruba Cloud.
Cheapest server with 2 vCPU / 4 GB
- Contabo: Cloud VPS 4 (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB disk) for €5.50/mo
- Aruba Cloud: VPS O2A4 (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB disk) for €6.29/mo
Monthly list prices excl. VAT. More sizes in the instance finder.
 Contabo |  Aruba Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| HQ / Country | Germany | Italy |
| Managed Kubernetes | No (DIY) | No (DIY) |
| Control Plane Cost | Self-managed | Self-managed |
| Cheapest Node | €5.50/mo 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM | €6.29/mo 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM |
| 3-Node Cluster* | ~€33.00/mo | ~€37.74/mo |
| 6-Node HA Cluster* | ~€49.50/mo | ~€56.61/mo |
| Egress | 32 TB free | 2 TB free |
| S3 Storage | €0.010/GB | €0.030/GB |
| Certifications | None listed | ISO27001, ISO9001 |
| CLOUD Act Exposure | No | No |
* Estimated using cheapest available node. DIY providers include 3 additional control plane nodes. Use the calculator for exact pricing with your specs.
Data freshness: Contabo as of Sept 2026, Aruba Cloud as of May 2026.
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