netcup web hosting review 2026

Choosing the right web hosting plan

Before ordering web hosting from netcup, we first take a closer look at the available plans and features. Since the requirements for web hosting can vary greatly depending on the type of online project, netcup offers a range of different hosting solutions to suit different needs.

In addition to the netcup web hosting packages, which are ideal for smaller websites and blogs, netcup also offers VServer plans for larger and more complex projects, such as online shops. Customers can also book additional products such as netcup domains or netcup Groupware for team collaboration. A special highlight are the regularly updated promotional offers, which are published on the netcup website.

For our netcup web hosting test, we chose a classic webspace package from the “Webhosting” category – the Webhosting 2000 plan.

The classic webspace packages are divided into four different plans, which differ in terms of features and pricing:

• Webhosting 1000

This plan includes 25 GB of storage and 1 MySQL database. There is no guaranteed RAM at this level. One domain is included, and up to one external domain can be used. This package is aimed at beginners who want to run a single website.

• Webhosting 2000

This plan includes 75 GB of storage and 10 MySQL databases. The guaranteed RAM is 4 GB. Three domains are included, and up to three external domains can be used. This package is aimed at beginners who want to run several small websites.

• Webhosting 4000

This plan includes 250 GB of storage and 25 MySQL databases. The guaranteed RAM is 6 GB. Six domains are included, and up to six external domains can be used. This package is aimed at more advanced users who want to run one or more larger websites.

• Webhosting 8000

This plan includes 500 GB of storage and 50 MySQL databases. The guaranteed RAM is 8 GB. Twelve domains are included, and up to twelve external domains can be used. This package is aimed at professionals who want to run complex web projects.

For our netcup web hosting test, we chose the Webhosting 2000 plan.

Features

The netcup webspace packages come with generous storage allocations. The same storage quota is shared between website files and databases on the one hand, and emails in the cloud on the other. All plans use high-quality SSD storage, which, thanks to its very high read and write speeds, ensures fast loading times. The entry-level Webspace 1000 plan offers 25 GB of storage, while the top-tier Webspace 8000 plan provides a very generous 500 GB.

All plans include at least one SQL database, which is required to run applications such as content management systems (CMS). While the entry-level Webspace 1000 plan allows only one database, the top-tier Webspace 8000 plan supports up to 50 databases.

With all netcup webspace packages, customers receive at least one included domain. In addition, external domains from other providers can be used on the same webspace up to the same limit. On the Webspace 1000 plan, the limit is one included domain or one external domain, while the top-tier Webspace 8000 plan allows up to 12 included domains or 12 external domains. Additional domains can be added at any time for an extra fee.

For email, all netcup webspace packages offer generous limits on mailboxes, email addresses, and email forwarding. Even the entry-level Webspace 1000 plan allows up to 100, while the largest Webspace 8000 plan increases this limit to 2,000.

All netcup webspace packages include unlimited traffic.

What technical features are included?

With its webspace packages, netcup relies on a state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure. This is designed not only to ensure high availability, scalability, and performance, but also to keep costs as low as possible for customers. PHP support is available on all webspace plans, and both the PHP version and PHP settings can be customised individually. Higher-tier plans also support scripting languages such as Python, Ruby on Rails, and Node.js. Scripts can be executed on a schedule using cron jobs, and SSH access allows direct work on the system. The practical app installer makes it easy to install web applications such as WordPress, Joomla!, or TYPO3 on your own webspace. For the popular CMS WordPress, netcup even offers a dedicated toolkit that makes managing the application even easier.

What security features are included?

On all plans, domains hosted with netcup can use free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates to enable encrypted data transfer between website visitors and the server. The system sets up the SSL certificates automatically and also renews them regularly. For all website data, databases, and email mailboxes, netcup creates automated backups that are stored for several days. If required, these can be restored to your webspace by support for a fee. To protect your website against threats such as DDoS attacks, you can also use your own DNS servers. Finally, an intelligent spam and virus filter helps keep email mailboxes secure.

Verdict on the feature set

With its webspace packages, netcup provides all the essential standard features, meaning that performance and security are covered to a satisfactory level. In particular, the use of SSD storage for websites, databases, and email ensures very low loading times and latency. The most important technical features required to run web applications are available; however, no additional extras such as a separate development environment should be expected. A clear positive is the guaranteed RAM from the Webspace 2000 plan onwards, which also contributes to faster loading times for websites. Customers who host their domains with netcup benefit from free SSL certificates. Unfortunately, these cannot be used for externally hosted domains, and the number of external domains is limited.

Pros

• Fast SSD storage
• Guaranteed RAM
• Free SSL certificates for all domains hosted with netcup

Cons

• Only a limited number of external domains allowed
• No free SSL certificates for external domains

netcup Web Hosting – Ordering process

The ordering process is quick and straightforward. In the first step, the desired plan is selected and added to the virtual shopping basket. You can choose whether you want to use the full quota of included .de domains or opt for a smaller quota of .at, .it, .li, or EU domains instead.

In the next step, you are taken to the shopping basket. Here you will find a detailed overview of the selected plan and the contractual details. You can also define your included domains at this point. If you do not want to decide straight away, the domains can also be added to the webspace later.

Next, you need to specify whether you are already a netcup customer. Existing customers can log in to their customer account to continue with the order, while new customers first need to register with netcup.

To create a netcup customer account, you have to provide some personal details, including your name, email address, postal address, and a telephone number.

Before placing the order, you can review all details relating to the products and your customer data once again. To complete the order, you must agree to the terms and conditions, the privacy policy, and the cancellation policy. The available payment methods (direct debit, bank transfer, or PayPal) are also shown here. Payment is only required after you receive the invoice.

Done! The order has been placed. You now have to wait for a member of staff to review the details and process the order. Once this is complete, you will receive your login details by email.

netcup Web Hosting – Setting up the webspace

To start setting up your webspace, you need to log in to the netcup Customer Control Panel (CCP) after placing your order. The configuration interface can be accessed via the netcup website. For the first login, you use the credentials sent to you by email. The password can be changed later.

The CCP user interface may look a little dated, but it is functional and intuitive to use. Using the menu on the left-hand side, you can access the various submenus to configure technical settings for webspace, domains, and more, as well as account-related settings such as personal details and contracts. Among other things, the following key sections are available:

Via the “Products” menu item, you can manage your webspace package. From there, you can access the Plesk panel, where you can create databases, email mailboxes, or FTP accounts, for example.

Via the “Domains” menu item, you can manage all domains linked to your webspace and also order new domains. Domain settings such as DNS records can also be customised here.

Via the “SSL Certificates” menu item, you can order and manage individual SSL certificates for specific domains on your webspace.

Via the “Account details” section, you can update your customer information, such as your address and contact details, your login password, or your bank details. You can also enable two-factor authentication for access to the control panel here.

Installing the WordPress CMS on the webspace

For our netcup web hosting test, we installed the popular content management system WordPress on the webspace. To do this, we went to the “Products” submenu, opened the Plesk panel for webspace management, and launched the WordPress Toolkit.

Installing WordPress is self-explanatory and only takes a few minutes. You simply need to define a few details, such as the installation path, the website title, and the administrator login details. The WordPress Toolkit also allows you to adjust settings for databases and updates.

After a successful installation, WordPress – including all themes and plugins – can be conveniently managed via the toolkit. For example, it notifies you of required security updates and also allows you to create manual backups. Using the login button, you can log directly into the CMS and start setting up your website.

Verdict on ease of use

The netcup webspace package requires very little technical knowledge and is therefore well suited to beginners. The ordering process is straightforward and can be completed in just a few minutes. While the netcup Customer Control Panel (CCP) looks somewhat dated, it is still fairly intuitive to use and provides all the essential functions and settings for managing both your web hosting and your customer account. A particular highlight is the practical WordPress Toolkit, which makes both the installation and management of the popular CMS extremely easy.

Pros

• Straightforward ordering process
• Intuitive control panel
• Practical WordPress Toolkit

Cons

• Control panel looks somewhat dated

To assess the performance of netcup web hosting, we take a closer look at uptime and loading times. For this purpose, we use well-known tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights, the Pingdom Website Speed Test, and the Uptrends Website Speed Test.

netcup Web Hosting – Uptime

Uptime is a key indicator for evaluating the performance of a webspace package. It can be monitored using a website monitoring tool. The fewer outages occur, the higher the uptime. In an ideal environment, uptime would be 100%. In practice, however, this is hardly achievable, as outages caused by necessary maintenance work, for example, are difficult to avoid. Even so, a hosting provider should aim to keep downtime as low as possible. netcup itself does not specify an exact uptime guarantee for its webspace packages, but with the optional Webhosting Service Level A+, customers can opt for a paid service that offers a guaranteed annual average uptime of 99.9%.

netcup Web Hosting uptime test:

Unfortunately, the chart cannot currently be displayed.

netcup Web Hosting – Loading times

Loading times are another important factor when assessing the performance of a webspace package. Various metrics can be used to measure the server’s response time. The lower the loading times, the better. After all, visitors do not want to wait unnecessarily long for a website’s content to appear.

TTFB (Time to First Byte)

The TTFB (Time to First Byte) metric measures the response time of the web server by calculating the time between requesting a resource and receiving the first byte of the response.

This is how netcup performs in the TTFB performance measurement compared to other hosting providers:

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)

The LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) metric measures the rendering time of the largest image or text block in the viewport. This usually corresponds to the point at which the main content of the page has been loaded.

This is how netcup performs in the LCP performance measurement compared to other hosting providers:

PageSpeed

The PageSpeed metric measures the overall loading time of a website, indicating how long it takes for the entire page to be fully loaded in the browser.

This is how netcup performs in the PageSpeed performance measurement compared to other hosting providers:

Metrics and scoring

Good = 3 points | Average = 2 points | Poor = 1 point

Uptime:
Good: 100% | Average: 99% to 98% | Poor: below 97%

TTFB:
Good: below 300 ms | Average: 300 ms to 500 ms | Poor: above 500 ms

LCP:
Good: below 1,500 ms | Average: 1,500 ms to 2,500 ms | Poor: above 2,500 ms

PageSpeed:
Good: below 500 ms | Average: 500 ms to 1,000 ms | Poor: above 1,000 ms

With a value of 100% uptime, netcup web hosting performs well and receives 3 points in this category.
With a value of 0.576 s for TTFB, netcup web hosting performs poorly here and receives 1 point.
With a value of 1.330 s for LCP, netcup web hosting performs well and receives 3 points.
With a value of 0.178 s for PageSpeed, netcup web hosting also performs well and receives 3 points.

Overall, netcup web hosting achieves 10 points out of a possible 12 for performance, which corresponds to a 4-star rating.

How does netcup perform overall compared with other web hosts?

Verdict on performance

netcup web hosting impresses with excellent uptime and good loading times for Largest Contentful Paint and PageSpeed, which results in fast page rendering. However, it shows weaknesses in server response time. The Time to First Byte is relatively high, leading to delays in the initial server response. Overall, though, netcup delivers stable and, in many areas, fast performance.

Pros

• Excellent uptime
• Good LCP loading times
• Solid PageSpeed score

Cons

• Slow TTFB

netcup offers a particularly comprehensive support setup, which is divided into several areas. Customers can contact a support agent directly by phone or email. For those who prefer to look up information themselves, there is an extensive wiki with answers, tips, and guides, as well as a forum for exchanging information with other customers.

netcup customer support

netcup’s telephone support is available during business hours (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm). There is even a free 0800 number for calls from the German landline network. Email support is available seven days a week between 8 am and 10 pm. netcup also states that enquiries submitted before 5 pm will be answered on the same day. Outside business hours, an emergency hotline is available, where a technician can be reached around the clock. However, this is intended only for urgent issues, such as webspace outages.

netcup wiki

The netcup wiki is a large collection of resources with information, tips, and guides. Customers can, for example, learn more about how the netcup CCP (Customer Control Panel) works or find instructions and advice on a wide range of topics related to using hosting products such as webspace packages and VServers. It covers not only technical topics, such as setting up email addresses, but also contract-related issues, such as cancelling services. A search function helps users find the relevant articles more easily.

Our experience with netcup customer support

As part of our netcup web hosting test, we were able to gather our own experience with netcup’s customer support. The telephone support stood out in a positive way: it is easy to reach on weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm and provides competent help with questions and problems. However, anyone calling outside this relatively narrow time window will only hear a recorded message.

Direct email support via the contact form or ticket system is better in this respect, with service hours from 8 am to 10 pm. Enquiries are usually answered within a few hours or at least on the same day. Only outside business hours or at weekends can it sometimes take longer to receive a response from support. Unfortunately, there is also no confirmation of receipt for enquiries sent via the contact form, which can leave customers feeling a little uncertain.

Verdict on customer support

netcup makes a clear effort to provide good customer support. Direct contact with support staff is very easy during business hours. However, longer telephone availability would be helpful, as outside the relatively narrow time window only email support remains. Especially at weekends, response times can be longer. For customers who prefer to look for information themselves, the extensive netcup wiki and the practical customer forum provide good additional resources to find solutions to the most common issues.

Pros

• Very good telephone support during business hours
• Reliable email support during business hours
• Comprehensive wiki and practical customer forum

Cons

• Relatively limited telephone support hours
• Longer response times outside business hours

In the final part of the netcup web hosting review, we take a closer look at the costs.

Key contract details

All netcup webspace packages come with a contract term of 12 months. More flexible options with shorter terms are not available. All contracts renew automatically unless they are cancelled at least 31 days before the end of the contract term. Depending on the plan, the billing period is either 6 or 12 months. There is currently no setup fee. Individual customisation of plans is not possible. Upgrades are only available to higher-tier plans, while downgrades to lower tiers are not offered. All new customers benefit from a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Choice of plans

The clearly structured range of plans makes it easy to find suitable web hosting for almost any budget. Those who only want to host a small website already get sufficient resources with the entry-level plan. For larger projects or hosting multiple websites, the higher-tier web hosting plans are available. Overall, the price-to-performance ratio of netcup’s webspace packages is very good.

What stands out in a positive way is the clear pricing structure. At netcup, there are hardly any hidden costs. Prices and features are communicated clearly and transparently. There are also no misleading teaser prices where webspace is offered cheaply for the first few months but becomes significantly more expensive later on. The absence of a setup fee is also welcome. Bargain hunters should keep an eye on the netcup website, as interesting special offers are published there regularly.

On the downside, free SSL certificates cannot be used for external domains. They are only available for domains hosted with netcup. There is also no free trial account. However, the ordered webspace can be cancelled within the first 30 days if you are not satisfied, with a full refund.

Customers should also be cautious when it comes to data restoration. Although netcup creates automated backups on a voluntary basis, restoring data from these backups can be expensive. The fact that restoring databases and file data is charged separately in two steps may have technical reasons, but it can hardly be described as customer-friendly and leaves a somewhat negative impression.

Pros

• Good range of plans with a clear pricing structure
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Regular special offers

Cons

• No free trial account
• SSL certificates not available for external domains
• Expensive data restoration from backups