VPNSmith
Free tool

Self-Hosted VPN Cost Calculator

Find out whether running your own WireGuard VPN on a VPS is cheaper than a commercial subscription - and when it pays off. Honest numbers, no spin.

⚡Instant results
⏱Honest time cost
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01Your profile

4 vCPU / 8 GB / unlimited BW

02Cost comparison - 2 2 years

Self-hosted VPN132.00 €
Commercial VPN157.92 €
Self-hosted VPN /mo
5.50 €
Commercial VPN /mo
6.58 €

Self-host wins: you save ~26 € over this period vs 24-month commercial plan.

Time cost (not included above)

Setup: ~2 h. Ongoing maintenance over this period: ~6.0 h. Total estimated time: ~8.0 h.

Deploy your VPN on Contabo

4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / unlimited bandwidth - ideal for WireGuard. list price from 5.50 €/mo (June 2026).

Get Contabo Cloud VPS 10 →

Affiliate link - commission earned at no extra cost to you.

Prices are indicative (June 2026 public rates). Time estimates are averages - your mileage will vary. This calculator does not store or transmit any data.

How the calculator works

  1. 01

    Set your profile

    Enter the number of users, the period (1-5 years) and your technical skill level. Skill level affects the estimated setup and maintenance time shown in the results.

  2. 02

    Pick a VPS provider

    Choose between Contabo (from 5.50 €/mo), Hetzner (3.79 €/mo) or OVH (5.00 €/mo). Prices are current public rates for entry-level plans suitable for WireGuard.

  3. 03

    Pick a commercial VPN

    Compare against NordVPN (3.29 €/user/mo on 2y), Surfshark (2.19 €/user/mo on 2y) or Proton VPN Plus (4.99 €/user/mo on 1y).

  4. 04

    Read the verdict

    The calculator shows total cost per option, monthly comparison bars, break-even analysis and an honest time-cost warning (setup + maintenance hours).

Self-host vs commercial: the real trade-off

A self-hosted WireGuard VPN on a €5.50/mo Contabo VPS beats any commercial VPN on cost the moment you have 2+ users - since the VPS price is fixed regardless of the number of tunnels. But cost is only one dimension. Self-hosting requires you to set up WireGuard, manage key rotation, handle server updates and troubleshoot issues. For a beginner, expect 6-10 hours of setup and 1 hour/month of maintenance. For an experienced sysadmin, that drops to 1-2 hours setup and 15 min/month. Commercial VPNs trade money for convenience. If you value your time at €30/hr and spend 8 hours on setup, that's €240 in implicit cost - factor it in.

Self-hosted vs commercial VPN - full comparison →Cheapest VPS for WireGuard VPN (2026) →Self-hosting guide for beginners →

Host your VPN on Contabo

Contabo Cloud VPS 10 (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, unlimited bandwidth) from €5.50/mo (list price, June 2026). German datacenter, GDPR jurisdiction, dedicated IPv4. Enough for 50+ WireGuard tunnels.

Get Contabo Cloud VPS 10 →

Affiliate link - we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Try Proton VPN - no logs, no hassle

If the self-host route doesn't fit your profile, Proton VPN Plus is our recommended commercial alternative: Swiss jurisdiction, audited no-log policy, open-source clients.

Try Proton VPN Plus →

Frequently asked questions

How accurate are the VPS and VPN prices?
Prices are pulled from current public pricing pages (as of June 2026). VPS prices are for 24-month contracts; commercial VPN prices are per-user per month on the stated plan. Actual prices may vary - always verify before purchase.
Does the self-hosted VPN cost include bandwidth?
Contabo and Hetzner plans include unlimited or very high bandwidth allowances. OVH caps at 100 Mbps but does not meter volume at the entry level. For typical personal/family VPN use (a few GB/day), these limits are never hit.
What about the VPS cost for multiple users?
A single VPS handles all your users - WireGuard is lightweight. One Contabo Cloud VPS 10 supports 50+ simultaneous tunnels with minimal overhead. The cost does not scale per user, unlike commercial VPN subscriptions.
Is self-hosting really more private?
In most cases, yes. You own the exit IP and the keys. No third-party VPN provider can log, sell or subpoena your traffic. The caveat: your VPS provider does know your server exists. Choose a GDPR-compliant European provider (Contabo, Hetzner, OVH) and you remain under EU law.
What if I'm a beginner - is self-hosting worth it?
If you have only 1 user, commercial VPN is usually simpler and comparable in cost. With 2+ users, the VPS becomes cheaper from month 1 (assuming Contabo vs NordVPN 2-user plan). The time cost for a beginner is real - factor 6-10 hours of setup. Our WireGuard Config Generator can cut that significantly.