Best dedicated server hosting Europe: Top 7 choices

Dedicated server hosting in Europe is a hosting solution where businesses rent an entire physical server located in European data centers. This approach offers many advantages for businesses and individuals seeking high-performance, secure, and compliant hosting solutions.

The European market features advanced digital infrastructure, stringent data protection regulations (like GDPR), and a strategic location that targets both European and global audiences. Popular server locations include Germany, Netherlands, the UK, and France, with pricing typically ranging from $80-$150 per month.

Selecting the right dedicated server host can significantly impact your online presence, application performance, and overall business operations. However, navigating the numerous options available is a challenge. 

This guide aims to simplify your decision-making process by presenting an analysis of the top seven dedicated server hosting providers in Europe. The comparison focuses on factors such as performance, reliability, customer support, and pricing so you can make the right choice.

The best European dedicated server hosting providers

1. Liquid Web

Liquid Web is a leader in the hosting industry, known for delivering enterprise-level dedicated servers that cater to businesses demanding top-tier performance, security, and reliability. With over 20 years of experience, Liquid Web has built a reputation for offering fully managed hosting solutions that provide businesses with complete control, high availability, and exceptional customer support.

Features

• High-performance hardware: Liquid Web uses Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC processors. This means your applications run smoothly, even under heavy loads.
• Security-focused: Liquid Web provides built-in DDoS protection, firewalls, and regular updates.
• Fully managed hosting: Their team handles all technical aspects of server management, from software updates and security patches to monitoring and backups. This approach ensures your server maintains peak performance without requiring your constant attention. 
• 100% network uptime guarantee: Liquid Web backs its services with an industry-leading 100% network uptime guarantee. This commitment ensures your site or applications remain accessible at all times, with compensation offered in the rare event of downtime.
• Integrated security features: This includes firewalls to block unauthorized access, DDoS protection to mitigate overwhelming traffic attacks, and malware scanning to identify potential vulnerabilities. Compliance services are also available for those needing to meet specific security standards such as PCI DSS or GDPR.
• Cloudflare CDN: Enhance your website’s performance by utilizing a global network of servers that deliver content from locations nearest to your users.
• 24/7/365 support: Liquid Web provides 24/7/365 support. The service includes built-in DDoS protection. Servers use enterprise-grade Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC processors. Whether it’s help with server setup, troubleshooting, or custom configurations, expert assistance is on hand via chat or email.

Server specifications

Liquid Web offers various server specifications to meet various hosting needs: 

• For processing power, Liquid Web offers a range of options, including both Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors. You can choose from models like the Intel Xeon E-2334, Intel Xeon Gold 6226R, or various AMD EPYC processors. 
• For storage, Liquid Web offers RAID 1 SSD solutions, providing fast data access and improved reliability through redundancy.
• Bandwidth allocation is generous, with each dedicated server including at least 10TB, and options to scale up as needed. This is particularly useful for high-traffic websites, streaming services, or any online business requiring consistent, reliable data transfer without constraints.
• Operating system options include both Linux and Windows, ensuring compatibility with your preferred software stack.
• For server management, Liquid Web provides a selection of control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, or InterWorx, and has helped platforms transition to them to scale their hosting capabilities. These offer intuitive interfaces for managing your server, websites, and applications, simplifying day-to-day administration tasks.

Pricing

Liquid Web offers several types of dedicated server hosting plans:

• Bare Metal: For those seeking maximum performance and control. 
• Managed Metal: Designed for users who want a high-powered dedicated solution with full management. 
• Custom Metal: Offers remarkable customization and extreme flexibility. 

The pricing for each will vary depending on the specific hardware configurations, management level, and customization options chosen. Contact Liquid Web directly for specific pricing tailored to your needs. 

2. UltaHost

UltaHost’s dedicated server hosting plans balance performance, customization, and support, making them a strong contender in the European hosting market. Their focus on unmetered bandwidth, security, and flexible solutions makes them a versatile choice for businesses seeking reliable dedicated hosting services.

Features

• Unmetered bandwidth: There are no limits on the amount of traffic your site or app can receive, with free unlimited traffic for both incoming and outgoing data.
• Customization: Clients can customize their dedicated server based on specific needs, including OS choice, storage amount, control panel, and server location.
• Automated backups: Daily or weekly automated backups are available, with restore options upon request. 
• Free website migration: UltaHost provides free website migration services for all customers moving from another hosting provider. 

Server specifications

• Built-in DDoS protection safeguards your site from malicious attacks, ensuring uptime and protecting against unwanted downtime caused by distributed denial of service attacks.
• Whether you prefer Linux or Windows, Ultahost provides flexibility in choosing the operating system that best suits your software and application needs.
• For ease of management, Ultahost supports popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, allowing you to manage your server and hosting environment with a user-friendly interface.

Pricing

Pricing for its Ulta-X1 plan starts at $83.99 per month. Various other plan options are available to suit different business sizes and needs. 

3. Contabo

Contabo is a dedicated server provider known for offering hosting solutions at competitive prices. With about two decades in the industry, Contabo provides quality hardware and hosting infrastructure suitable for various business needs.

Features

• Global data centers: With data centers across Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia, Contabo provides excellent connectivity, low latency, and fast data delivery, making it ideal for businesses with a global presence.
• Enterprise-grade hardware: Contabo uses high-performance, enterprise-level hardware to guarantee powerful and reliable hosting services.
• Low-cost add-ons and upgrades: Contabo offers an extensive range of affordable upgrade options, allowing users to expand storage, upgrade RAM, or even add GPU power without breaking the bank.
• Cutting-edge hardware: Partnerships with industry giants like AMD, Dell, and Samsung provide reliable servers at affordable prices. 

Server specifications

• Contabo provides flexible storage options, allowing you to choose between SATA HDDs, SSD, or NVMe SSD drives.
• Each server comes with unmetered traffic, ensuring that high traffic volumes won’t slow your site down. This makes it an excellent option for businesses with large or fluctuating traffic needs. 
• Contabo includes DDoS protection by default, safeguarding your server from malicious attacks and ensuring your website remains accessible even under threat. 

Pricing

Contabo’s plans start at $80 per month and don’t include any setup fees. 

4. Bluehost

Bluehost is a recognized name in the hosting industry that offers dedicated server solutions. Their dedicated hosting services cater to businesses seeking managed hosting options. Bluehost’s servers suit growing companies, developers, and websites with higher resource needs. They aim to provide performance, flexibility, and security. Known for its customer support, Bluehost serves businesses in various locations.

Features

• RAID-1 mirroring: Bluehost’s dedicated servers come standard with RAID-1 mirrored storage, which automatically duplicates your data on two drives. This ensures redundancy and minimizes the risk of data loss in case of hardware failure.
• Root access: For those who want full control over their server, Bluehost provides root access, allowing advanced users to customize their server environments to fit specific requirements.
• Enhanced cPanel: Bluehost’s dedicated servers come with an enhanced version of the popular cPanel control panel, making server management intuitive, even for non-technical users.
• Instant provisioning: Unlike providers that require hours or even days to set up a new server, Bluehost ensures that your dedicated server is ready to use within minutes after purchase, making it ideal for businesses needing fast deployment of new environments.

Server specifications

• Bluehost provides mirrored storage with RAID-1 configuration, which means your data is automatically mirrored on two drives for added redundancy. Storage capacity options range from 500GB to 1TB, giving you flexibility to choose based on your storage needs.
• Bluehost includes DDoS protection in all its dedicated server plans. 
• Bluehost’s Enhanced cPanel makes managing your server, websites, and applications straightforward, with an intuitive interface that allows for easy automation of common tasks.

Pricing

Bluehost’s standard plan starts at $141.19 monthly and includes free migration, unmetered bandwidth, 1000GB NVMe storage, one dedicated IP, eight CPU cores, and 32GB DDR5 RAM. 

5. FastComet

FastComet is a web hosting provider offering dedicated server solutions for businesses and individuals requiring high-performance, scalable hosting environments.

Features

• Free daily backups: FastComet automatically backs up your server data daily, ensuring that your data is secure and can be easily restored if necessary.
• Cloudflare CDN and free global content delivery: Integration with Cloudflare CDN allows efficient content delivery worldwide, resulting in faster loading times and reduced latency. This built-in CDN enhances website speed and security, protecting against DDoS attacks while optimizing performance across international markets.
• FastGuard security: The included FastGuard security suite offers continuous server monitoring, firewall protection, malware scanning, and security hardening at no extra cost.
• Guaranteed resources: FastComet guarantees dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage resources for your server. This means your server’s performance won’t be impacted by other users or unexpected throttling, ensuring consistent performance even during peak times. 

Server specifications

• FastComet includes unmetered bandwidth with all dedicated server plans, ensuring that your website or application can handle high traffic volumes without the risk of slowdowns or extra charges.
• Each FastComet server comes with advanced DDoS protection, safeguarding your server from malicious attacks and ensuring uninterrupted uptime during traffic spikes caused by cyber threats.
• Manage your server easily using cPanel or Web Host Manager, which offer intuitive interfaces for handling everything from website management to server configurations and automation.

Pricing

FastComet’s basic dedicated server hosting plan starts at $107.06 per month and includes server resources like 2x AMD EPYC cores, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD space, and 4TB bandwidth. 

6. OVHcloud 

OVHcloud is a hosting provider that offers a range of dedicated server options, from affordable basic setups to high-performance enterprise solutions. OVHcloud is known for its powerful infrastructure and global network, making it a top choice for businesses with demanding workloads.

Features

• Customizable hardware: OVHcloud offers fully customizable bare metal servers, allowing businesses to tailor CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth to meet their exact needs. 
• VLAN and private network setup: OVHcloud allows users to set up Virtual LAN (VLAN) and private networks between servers within the same data center. This provides enhanced security and optimized performance for businesses running multiple servers.
• High availability and failover: For mission-critical applications, OVHcloud offers failover IPs and advanced options for high-availability setups. This ensures minimal downtime and fast recovery in case of server failures, making it ideal for enterprises that rely on continuous uptime.
• Global network with low latency: OVHcloud’s dedicated servers benefit from a worldwide network of data centers, ensuring fast access and low latency, no matter where your customers are located. 

Server specifications

• The bare metal servers have various storage options, including NVMe SSDs, SATA SSDs, and HDDs. NVMe SSDs are perfect for applications that require extremely fast data access, while HDDs offer cost-effective storage for large data sets.
• OVHcloud offers unmetered bandwidth, which ensures you can handle high traffic volumes without incurring additional costs. Their global network supports bandwidth up to 10 Gbps, providing reliable data transfer for bandwidth-intensive operations.
• OVHcloud includes advanced DDoS protection at no extra cost, ensuring your server is protected from cyber threats and ensuring uninterrupted uptime.

Pricing

OVHcloud’s basic dedicated server plan starts at $66.50 per month and includes free installation, 32GB to 128GB of DDR4 ECC RAM, and 2 x 512GB SSD NVMe drives, with options to expand storage to up to 2 x 512GB SSD + 2 x 6TB of additional capacity. 

7. QloudHost

QloudHost offers offshore dedicated server hosting, catering to businesses and individuals looking for increased privacy and data security. Their servers are located in data centers in privacy-oriented jurisdictions, providing a degree of anonymity for sensitive information.

Features

• Instant server setup: QloudHost provides instant provisioning for its offshore dedicated servers, allowing customers to get their servers up and running within minutes of purchase, minimizing downtime, and making the onboarding process easy. 
• Offshore jurisdictions for maximum privacy: QloudHost hosts its servers in offshore locations known for their strong privacy laws and lack of data retention regulations. This makes QloudHost an ideal choice for customers looking to avoid data oversight from restrictive or highly regulated regions.
• Full root access: Users have full root access to their offshore dedicated servers, enabling full control over server configurations, software installations, and security measures.
• Managed with DirectAdmin: QloudHost uses DirectAdmin to manage your server, ensuring it receives timely security patches, operating system updates, and other essential maintenance.

Server specifications

• QloudHost offers high-performance storage solutions, specifically featuring NVMe SSD storage. 
• Each offshore dedicated server includes unmetered bandwidth, ensuring that there are no restrictions on the amount of data your server can handle.
• QloudHost supports multiple operating systems, including Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu, CentOS, and Debian) and Windows Server, offering flexibility for businesses with diverse software requirements.

Pricing

QloudHost’s basic plan starts at $129 per month and includes 64GB DDR4, 960GB NVMe SSD storage, and 50TB transfer capacity. 

How to set up a dedicated server in Europe

Dedicated server setup in Europe involves five key steps:

1. Choose your data center location

• Select a location near your target audience
• Popular locations include Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, and Paris
• Consider latency requirements for your applications

2. Configure server specifications

• CPU: Choose between 4-64 cores based on workload
• RAM: Select from 8GB to 256GB configurations
• Storage: Opt for SSD or NVMe drives (minimum 500GB recommended)

3. Install operating system

• Linux distributions: Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian
• Windows Server options available
• Most providers offer automated OS installation

4. Set up security and management

• Configure firewall rules
• Install control panel (cPanel or Plesk)
• Enable automated backups
• Set up monitoring tools

5. Deploy your applications

• Test performance before going live
• Install web server (Apache or Nginx)
• Configure database server (MySQL or PostgreSQL)

GDPR compliance and European dedicated servers

GDPR compliance for dedicated servers requires specific considerations:

Data sovereignty

A dedicated server in Europe ensures data remains under EU jurisdiction. This provides compliance with GDPR Article 44-49 regarding data transfers.

Key compliance features:

• Physical data location: Servers must be located within EU borders.
• Data processing agreements: Providers must offer GDPR-compliant DPAs.
• Security measures: Encryption, access controls, and audit logs required.
• Breach response: 72-hour notification procedures must be in place.

Provider requirements:

• Support for data subject requests (access, deletion, portability).
• ISO 27001 certification recommended.
• Regular security audits.
• Data retention policies.

Choosing the right dedicated server host in Europe

When selecting a dedicated server host, it’s crucial to consider factors such as server specifications, network performance, security features, pricing, scalability, and support.

Among these top providers, Liquid Web is an exceptional choice for businesses seeking reliable, high-performance hosting solutions. Their fully managed services, coupled with a 100% network uptime guarantee, ensure your server runs at peak performance without requiring constant attention from your team. Liquid Web’s flexible server configurations, including both Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors, allow you to tailor your hosting environment to your specific needs.

Ready to experience top-tier dedicated server hosting? Get started with Liquid Web today.