European VPS Providers Compared: THE.Hosting vs IONOS vs Infomaniak vs netcup (Germany, Switzerland & Beyond)

When people say “European hosting,” they usually mean GDPR compliance and data centers located in the EU. But there’s a major difference between European providers: some operate in just one country, some cover most of Europe, and some go far beyond the continent.

We compared four European VPS providers: THE.Hosting, IONOS (Germany), Infomaniak (Switzerland), and netcup (Germany). The differences aren’t only about geography — pricing, infrastructure, and business approach vary significantly too.

Comparison Table

THE.Hosting: European Roots, Global Scale

THE.Hosting operates across 50 countries, including 36 locations in Europe — from Iceland to Greece, Portugal to Lithuania — plus North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania.

Infrastructure highlights:

• NVMe RAID 10

• ECC memory

• KVM virtualization

• 10 Gbps ports

• Unlimited traffic

Plan example:
Ferrum — €1/month (up to 6 months): 1 vCore, 1 GB ECC RAM, 15 GB NVMe, available in all locations.

Key advantage:
A single pricing model worldwide — VPS in Germany costs the same as VPS in Japan or Australia.

Best for: teams that need GDPR + global reach, with EU-grade compliance and worldwide delivery.

IONOS: German Enterprise Stability with a US Footprint

IONOS is a long-established German hosting provider (founded in 1988) with 4,000 employees, 90,000+ servers, and 10 data centers.

Locations: Germany (3), USA (2), UK, Spain — 5 countries total.

VPS from $2/month:
Linux XS — 512 MB RAM, 8 GB SSD

Tech & operations:

• NVMe SSD (Samsung)

• Dell enterprise hardware

• AMD/Intel CPUs

• Unlimited traffic, 1 Gbps

• DDoS protection

• ISO-certified data centers

• Cloud Panel, free Plesk, minute-based billing

Downsides:

• Only 5 countries

• Heavy focus on Germany and the US

• No coverage in Asia, Africa, or Oceania

Best for: businesses targeting Germany or the US, enterprise clients, and teams that value a mature provider with strong compliance and support.

Infomaniak: Swiss Privacy + Sustainability

Infomaniak is a Swiss provider founded in 1994 with 200+ employees and a strong focus on privacy and environmental responsibility.

Location: Geneva, Switzerland — one country only.

VPS from €2.70/month:
Lite S — 1 vCore, 1 GB RAM, 10 GB SSD

Technology:

• NVMe SSD

• AMD EPYC

• OpenStack

• Unlimited traffic

• Tier III+ data center

Unique benefits:

• Swiss data protection law: government access only via court order; outside US CLOUD Act jurisdiction

• Eco-first operations: 100% renewable energy, no air conditioning, heat reused for ~6,000 households

• ISO environmental certifications (ISO 14001/50001)

• Switzerland is neutral and outside the EU, which matters in post-Schrems II discussions

Downsides:

• Only Switzerland

• Higher latency for users outside Europe

Best for: privacy-sensitive projects, financial services, regulated data, and businesses that want Swiss jurisdiction + sustainability.

netcup: German Quality with Strong Price-to-Performance

netcup is a German provider founded in 2008, known for competitive pricing and a “best price guarantee” approach.

Locations: Nuremberg (Germany), Vienna (Austria), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Manassas (USA) — 4 countries.

VPS from €2.99/month:
VPS 200 — 2 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD

Technology & features:

• SSD storage

• ARM64 option

• KVM virtualization

• Free DDoS protection

• Anexia backbone

• Local Block Storage up to 8 TB

• ISO 27701 data protection, renewable energy

Perks:

• Price Match Guarantee: find a cheaper offer → netcup gives an additional 10% discount

• 30-day money-back on root servers

• Monthly billing + hourly options for testing

• Upgrades via SCP panel

Downsides:

• Only 4 locations

• Focus on DACH region

• No Asia/Africa/Oceania coverage

Best for: startups on a budget, teams focused on Central Europe, and anyone optimizing for price-performance.

GDPR & Jurisdiction: What Actually Matters

• THE.Hosting: data placement across 36 European countries

• IONOS: Germany (EU), GDPR-compliant

• Infomaniak: Switzerland (not EU), Swiss law (often stricter than GDPR), outside CLOUD Act

• netcup: Germany / Austria / Netherlands (EU), GDPR-compliant

Why it matters: the US CLOUD Act can require US-based companies to provide access to data. Switzerland is outside this jurisdiction.

Sustainability

• Infomaniak leads: renewables, no A/C, heat recycling, ISO environmental standards

• netcup: renewable energy + ARM64 efficiency

• IONOS: renewables and efficient infrastructure

• THE.Hosting: depends on local partners — many use renewable sources

Pricing & Value

Entry-level pricing:

• THE.Hosting: €1/mo (max 6 months)

• IONOS: $2/mo

• Infomaniak: €2.70/mo

• netcup: €2.99/mo

What you get for ~€3:

• THE.Hosting: 1 vCore, 1 GB ECC, 15 GB NVMe, 50 countries, 6-month promo

• IONOS: 1 vCore, ~1 GB, 16 GB SSD, 5 countries, unlimited traffic

• Infomaniak: 1 vCore, 1 GB, 10 GB SSD, Switzerland, premium privacy

• netcup: 1 vCore, 2 GB, 20 GB SSD, 4 countries, refund option

Which Provider Should You Choose?

Choose THE.Hosting if:

• Your audience is across multiple countries or continents

• You want to test multiple regions fast

• You’re planning international expansion

• You need GDPR + global coverage

• You want a low-risk entry at €1/month in any country

Choose IONOS if:

• Your main market is Germany or the US

• You want a large established provider

• You need 24/7 phone support

• You work with enterprise clients

• You want free Plesk

Choose Infomaniak if:

• Privacy is a business requirement

• You want Swiss jurisdiction outside the EU

• Sustainability is important

• You work with finance/healthcare/sensitive data

• Your user base is in Central Europe

Choose netcup if:

• Your audience is in the DACH region

• You want the best price-performance ratio

• You’re building a startup on a tight budget

• You want a refund policy and predictable pricing

• You operate mainly in Europe

Final Takeaway: Geography Is the Key Differentiator

The geographic gap is massive:
50 countries (THE.Hosting) vs 5 (IONOS) vs 1 (Infomaniak) vs 4 (netcup).

Key conclusions:

• For global projects, only THE.Hosting offers true worldwide reach.

• For German business, IONOS and netcup are stable long-term options with strong local presence.

• For privacy-critical workloads, Infomaniak stands out with Swiss jurisdiction and maximum privacy.

• For budget-focused builds, netcup delivers top price-performance in Europe.

• For an all-around option, THE.Hosting combines EU-grade compliance, global locations, and a low entry price (€1).

All four providers are strong — but built for different priorities. Decide what matters most (geography, privacy, or price) and the choice becomes obvious.

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Nelson James

Tech Reporter at ReviewsTown

Nelson James is a tech reporter who specializes in consumer gadgets, software, and the trends shaping the technology industry. His work has also appeared in Gizmodo, Wired, Refinery29, Slate, Bicycling, and Outside Magazine. He is based in the ShenZhen and has a background in computer science.

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