Compare / Linode Shared CPU vs Netcup VPS / Root Server
Linode Shared CPU vs Netcup VPS / Root Server
Pre-calculated from hand-checked data — Akamai Linode checked 2026-08-06, Netcup checked 2026-08-06.
The short version
Linode Shared CPU wins more of our comparison points, but Netcup VPS / Root Server still fits if european projects that want the most NVMe and RAM per euro and can live with German contract formalities describes you.
Price Tie
Linode Shared CPU costs less while you're starting out, but Netcup VPS / Root Server works out cheaper once traffic grows.
Ease Tie
Both take similar effort to get a first deploy live.
Features Linode Shared CPU
Linode Shared CPU comes out ahead on 2 of the 15 features we track, versus 0.
What developers say about this matchup
We couldn't find a substantive first-person discussion comparing this exact pair. We leave the section empty instead of filling it with vendor marketing or generic SEO comparisons.
At a glance
| Linode Shared CPU | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers who want a proven, boring VPS with cheap bandwidth. | European projects that want the most NVMe and RAM per euro and can live with German contract formalities. |
| How deploys work | You get root on a Linux server; the Marketplace offers one-click apps for common stacks. | You get root on a bare server: bring your own setup; the Server Control Panel handles images, snapshots, and a remote console. |
| The tradeoff | Fully self-managed, with a smaller ecosystem than DigitalOcean's tutorials and tooling. | Best-in-class specs per euro, but 12-month terms, strict signup checks, and an unforgiving abuse process. |
| Free tier | None | None |
What you'd realistically pay
Linode Shared CPU Netcup VPS / Root Server
| Project stage | Linode Shared CPU | Netcup VPS / Root Server | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just starting | ≈$5/mo Nanode 1GB — 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB pooled transfer. | ≈€5.91/mo VPS 500 G12 — Incl. 19% VAT. 2 shared vCores, 4 GB DDR5 RAM, 128 GB NVMe, unmetered traffic. Also available hourly at €0.010/h. | Linode Shared CPU |
| Steady traffic | ≈$12/mo Linode 2GB — 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD, 2 TB pooled transfer. | ≈€12.79/mo RS 1000 G12 — Incl. 19% VAT. 4 dedicated EPYC cores, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB NVMe — dedicated cores at a shared-core price. | Linode Shared CPU |
| Growing | ≈$24/mo Two Linode 2GB — Scale horizontally or move up the shared-CPU line. | ≈€19.25/mo VPS 2000 G12 — Incl. 19% VAT. 8 shared vCores, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe, unmetered traffic. | Netcup VPS / Root Server |
Linode Shared CPU pricing notes
- US and EU core regions share identical pricing; transfer overage is $0.005/GB.
- IPv4 is included; private same-datacenter traffic doesn't count against the allowance.
Netcup VPS / Root Server pricing notes
- Every plan has an hourly-billed variant with no minimum term (VPS 500: €0.010/h) — slightly pricier per month but cancellable anytime.
- IPv6-only saves €0.60/month, but you cannot add a public IPv4 later.
- Non-EU locations (US, Singapore) and Vienna carry a small surcharge (about €0.90/month on the entry plan).
Our ratings
Ease of use
Pricing clarity Linode Shared CPU
Free tier
Scaling
Control
Feature by feature
Linode Shared CPU wins 2, Netcup VPS / Root Server wins 0, with 13 even.
Deploy workflow
| Linode Shared CPU | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy from Git push | No No deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts. | No No deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts. |
| Preview deploys | No Nothing built in. | No Nothing built in. |
| Official CLI | Yes linode-cli covers instances, volumes, and DNS. | Partial The Server Control Panel exposes a webservice API; there is no first-class official CLI. |
| Instant rollbacks | Partial Backups and images restore machines; no deploy-level rollback. | Partial Manual copy-on-write snapshots restore machines; no automatic backups, no deploy-level rollback. |
Platform
| Linode Shared CPU | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domains + HTTPS | Yes Free DNS manager; TLS on the box is yours via certbot. | Yes Point DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy. |
| Built-in CDN / edge network | No Akamai CDN exists as a separate enterprise product; nothing bundled. | No No CDN product — put Cloudflare in front if needed. |
| Serverless functions | No Not a VPS feature. | No Not a VPS feature. |
| Docker containers | Yes Docker Marketplace app or install it yourself. | Yes Install Docker yourself on any image. |
| SSH / shell access | Yes Full root SSH, plus a web-based LISH console. | Yes Full root SSH. |
| EU hosting region | Yes Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and more at US prices. | Yes Vienna, Nuremberg, and Amsterdam are the core locations. |
Runtime & operations
| Linode Shared CPU | Netcup VPS / Root Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic scaling | No Manual resizing only. | No Manual plan upgrades only. |
| Scale to zero | No Servers bill while they exist on the account. | No The contract bills until cancelled, powered off or not. |
| Scheduled jobs | Yes Classic cron on the box. | Yes Classic cron on the box. |
| Managed database | Yes Akamai Managed Databases (Postgres, MySQL) sold separately. | No No managed database product — the closest thing is a fully managed vServer. |
| Logs & metrics built in | Partial Longview basic metrics free for a few servers; app logs are yours. | Partial Basic graphs in the Server Control Panel; app-level monitoring is yours. |
Watch out for
Akamai Linode
- Charges accrue while a server exists on the account, powered on or off.
- Transfer allowances are prorated for partial months.
- Some regions (Jakarta, São Paulo) carry documented higher prices.
Netcup
- Regular rates have a 12-month minimum term; cancellation must arrive at least 31 days before term end or the contract renews.
- An hourly-billed model with no minimum term exists — pick it deliberately if you want flexibility.
- The abuse team can suspend servers instantly (including Friday night) and works Mon–Fri office hours; out-of-hours phone support costs €40 per 15 minutes.
- Sign-up identity checks are strict and some orders get rejected.
- Prices are displayed including 19% German VAT — your actual VAT depends on your country.
Read the full reviews: Akamai Linode and Netcup. Or answer four questions to see what fits your project.