We measured the servers of 20 hosting providers selling in Germany. Not from their marketing pages, but with our own tool on October 18, 2026, testing each provider five times. We wanted to know one thing: how long does the server take to send its first response?
The answer varies wildly. The fastest servers build the page in a few milliseconds, the slowest takes 482 ms. Market leader IONOS runs a fast server but loses more than half a second setting up the connection. Everything is below, with a screenshot of every measurement.
Short answer: the fastest web hosting servers in Germany
Among servers located in Germany with no CDN in front of them, these five build the page fastest:
- Uberspace: about 1 ms of server processing, 282 ms TTFB
- STRATO: about 4 ms of server processing, 217 ms TTFB
- webgo: about 5 ms of server processing, 285 ms TTFB
- manitu: about 11 ms of server processing, 230 ms TTFB
- goneo: about 15 ms of server processing, 204 ms TTFB
Processing times this short usually mean the home page comes from a ready-made copy, a page cache. If you want your own site to respond like that, make sure page caching is on in your plan.
What is TTFB, and why split it into four parts?
TTFB (time to first byte) is the time from the browser requesting a page to the first byte arriving from the server. Google's web.dev guidance calls 800 ms or less good and anything over 1.8 seconds poor. Everything else on the page starts after that first byte, so no front-end optimization can make up for a slow TTFB. Our TTFB guide goes into the details.
TTFB looks like one number, but it's made of four parts, and each tells you something different:
- DNS: turning the domain into an IP address. It reflects your DNS provider's speed.
- TCP connect: the first handshake with the server. It roughly reflects how far away the server is.
- TLS handshake: setting up the secure connection. It reflects the server's configuration; TLS 1.3 shortens it.
- Server wait: the server building the page and sending the first byte. This is the real measure of hosting quality.
The wait also contains one network round trip. Subtract it (the TCP time) and you get the server's own processing time. It's an estimate, but because it doesn't depend on distance, it's the fairest way to compare providers.
How we measured
We measured each provider's own website, not a customer plan. So we're not saying "your site will load in 289 ms on Hetzner"; your plan, theme and database are yours. But a host whose own site responds slowly, still uses an old protocol in 2026 or doesn't set a single security header is telling you something about its craftsmanship.
We ran the tests from Türkiye. The round trip to Germany takes about 150 ms from there (TCP plus TLS), and it's roughly the same for every server in Germany. Measured from inside Germany, every TTFB would be shorter, but the order wouldn't change. That's why we rank by server processing time.
Two corrections. In the first version of this article, from July 31, 2026, the figure we called "TTFB" was really the time it took to download the whole home page, so a provider with a heavy page fell behind even with a fast server. We also wrote that five providers keep their server outside Germany. For domainFACTORY, Contabo and RAIDBOXES, the location we saw was the address registration of the CDN in front of the site; connect times show the traffic is handled in Europe. The one that really sits abroad: Cloud86. netcup, which showed up in Amsterdam, now answers from Frankfurt.
Measured on October 18, 2026 with our own Site Speed Metrix. The image under each provider is the TTFB measurement we took for it. HTTP version, security headers and server location come from the same scan, in our SEO Checker report. Market share source: hosttest.de (hostadvice and builtwith data), April 2026.
Results table
| Provider | Server time | TTFB | HTTP | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud86Istanbul, TR | ~0 ms | 85 ms | h3 | Istanbul, TR |
| UberspaceMainz, DE | ~1 ms | 282 ms | h2 | Mainz, DE |
| STRATOBerlin, DE | ~4 ms | 217 ms | 1.1 | Berlin, DE |
| webgoHamburg, DE | ~5 ms | 285 ms | h2 | Hamburg, DE |
| manituSankt Wendel, DE | ~11 ms | 230 ms | h2 | Sankt Wendel, DE |
| domainFACTORYCDN (Sucuri) | ~13 ms | 549 ms | h3 | CDN (Sucuri) |
| goneoWiesbaden, DE | ~15 ms | 204 ms | h2 | Wiesbaden, DE |
| ContaboCDN (Cloudflare) | ~40 ms | 290 ms | h3 | CDN (Cloudflare) |
| netcupFrankfurt am Main, DE | ~50 ms | 224 ms | h3 | Frankfurt am Main, DE |
| MittwaldFrankfurt am Main, DE | ~52 ms | 279 ms | h2 | Frankfurt am Main, DE |
| IONOSKarlsruhe, DE | ~57 ms | 784 ms | h2 | Karlsruhe, DE |
| HetznerNuremberg, DE | ~69 ms | 289 ms | h3 | Nuremberg, DE |
| hosting.deAachen, DE | ~74 ms | 381 ms | h2 | Aachen, DE |
| lima-cityBremen, DE | ~87 ms | 303 ms | h2 | Bremen, DE |
| dogadoDortmund, DE | ~88 ms | 367 ms | h2 | Dortmund, DE |
| Host EuropeCDN (Akamai) | ~104 ms | 167 ms | h2 | CDN (Akamai) |
| RAIDBOXESCDN (Cloudflare) | ~106 ms | 345 ms | h3 | CDN (Cloudflare) |
| All-InklNeusalza-Spremberg, DE | ~148 ms | 397 ms | h2 | Neusalza-Spremberg, DE |
| InterNetXKarlsruhe, DE | ~166 ms | 382 ms | 1.1 | Karlsruhe, DE |
| AlfahostingHalle, DE | ~482 ms | 801 ms | 1.1 | Halle, DE |
What stood out
The gap between servers is huge. Uberspace, STRATO and webgo build the page in a few milliseconds. Alfahosting takes about 482 ms. That's exactly the number to look at when you choose a host.
IONOS wastes a fast server on a slow connection. Its server builds the page in about 57 ms, but the TCP connection takes 176 ms and the TLS handshake 364 ms. At 784 ms, its TTFB is near the bottom of the list. Its own site still uses TLS 1.2.
4 providers run their site behind a CDN: domainFACTORY (Sucuri), Contabo (Cloudflare), Host Europe (Akamai), RAIDBOXES (Cloudflare). A CDN is a network that serves copies of a site from servers close to the visitor (what is a CDN?). For these sites the real server location is hidden, and the TTFB we measured reflects the CDN rather than the hosting server.
domainFACTORY and RAIDBOXES are unstable. domainFACTORY swung between 195 and 1041 ms across five tests; RAIDBOXES swung between 314 and 574 ms across five tests. When the same page answers this differently, the server or the layer in front of it is struggling under load.
3 providers still use HTTP/1.1 in 2026: STRATO, InterNetX and Alfahosting. STRATO stands out: the second-largest host in Germany serves one of the fastest servers on the list over an old protocol. HTTP/3 is on at only 6: Cloud86, domainFACTORY, Contabo, netcup, Hetzner and RAIDBOXES.
5 providers set no security headers at all: Cloud86, webgo, Contabo, hosting.de and Host Europe. No CSP, no X-Frame-Options. A host that skips them on its own site gives you a hint about how carefully it will treat yours.
Some providers run on someone else's network. InterNetX sits on IONOS's network (AS8560), Alfahosting on dogado's (AS45012). You won't find that on any pricing page, but it shows up in the data.
All 20 providers, one by one
The order follows server processing time. Each heading shows two numbers: how long the server takes to build the page and the total TTFB. Under each provider is the measurement from Site Speed Metrix.
Cloud86: server ~0 ms, TTFB 85 ms
Cloud86's website isn't in Germany at all. It sits in Istanbul, on a Turkish carrier's network, and a 23 ms connect time backs that up. That's why it posts the lowest TTFB in our test. For a visitor in Germany it's the opposite: every request has to travel to Istanbul and back.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 5 ms, TCP 23 ms, TLS 34 ms, wait 23 ms. Server in Istanbul, TR. HTTP/3 on, 83% compression, no HSTS, no security headers.
Uberspace: server ~1 ms, TTFB 282 ms
Uberspace's server sends the page almost instantly, with about 1 ms of processing. The time goes elsewhere: the TLS handshake takes 149 ms, roughly twice as long as at most providers here. There's still time to win in the connection setup.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 2 ms, TCP 65 ms, TLS 149 ms, wait 66 ms. Server in Mainz, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 66% compression, no HSTS, security header grade D.
STRATO: server ~4 ms, TTFB 217 ms
STRATO runs one of the fastest servers in the test, with the page ready in about 4 ms. Yet the second-largest host in Germany still serves its own site over HTTP/1.1 in 2026. That's a fast engine stuck in an old gearbox.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 3 ms, TCP 66 ms, TLS 78 ms, wait 70 ms. Server in Berlin, DE. HTTP/1.1, 80% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D. Market share 16%.
webgo: server ~5 ms, TTFB 285 ms
webgo doesn't keep you waiting either, at about 5 ms of processing. As with Uberspace, the time goes into TLS: 151 ms. Security is the weak spot, with no security headers and no HSTS.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 1 ms, TCP 64 ms, TLS 151 ms, wait 69 ms. Server in Hamburg, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 85% compression, no HSTS, no security headers.
manitu: server ~11 ms, TTFB 230 ms
manitu is well balanced. The server builds the page in about 11 ms, and nothing is wasted on the connection. Five tests landed between 222 and 244 ms, so it's steady too.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 9 ms, TCP 65 ms, TLS 80 ms, wait 76 ms. Server in Sankt Wendel, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 79% compression, HSTS on, security header grade C.
domainFACTORY: server ~13 ms, TTFB 549 ms
domainFACTORY sits behind Sucuri, a firewall and CDN, so the real server location is hidden. The "United States" we reported in the first version was Sucuri's address registration. The real problem is consistency: the fastest of five tests took 195 ms, the slowest 1041 ms.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 11 ms, TCP 173 ms, TLS 179 ms, wait 186 ms. Behind Sucuri. HTTP/3 on, 76% compression, HSTS on, security header grade C.
goneo: server ~15 ms, TTFB 204 ms
Among servers located in Germany, goneo has the shortest TTFB at 204 ms. Its 57 ms connect time is one of the quickest on the list, and the server builds the page in about 15 ms. Security headers lag behind with a D.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 8 ms, TCP 57 ms, TLS 67 ms, wait 72 ms. Server in Wiesbaden, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 80% compression, no HSTS, security header grade D.
Contabo: server ~40 ms, TTFB 290 ms
Contabo's site runs behind Cloudflare. The "Toronto" we listed in the first version was Cloudflare's address registration; a 78 ms connect time shows the traffic is handled in Europe. Server-side time is about 40 ms.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 7 ms, TCP 78 ms, TLS 87 ms, wait 118 ms. Behind Cloudflare. HTTP/3 on, 91% compression, HSTS on, no security headers.
netcup: server ~50 ms, TTFB 224 ms
netcup is one of the most balanced providers in this test. TTFB is 224 ms, HTTP/3 is on and it earns the best security header grade on the list. The site that showed up in Amsterdam in the first version now answers from Frankfurt.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 12 ms, TCP 52 ms, TLS 58 ms, wait 102 ms. Server in Frankfurt am Main, DE. HTTP/3 on, 92% compression, HSTS on, security header grade B.
Mittwald: server ~52 ms, TTFB 279 ms
Mittwald's server builds the page in about 52 ms, and all five tests sit close together (278 to 291 ms). A server without surprises.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 5 ms, TCP 72 ms, TLS 78 ms, wait 124 ms. Server in Frankfurt am Main, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 82% compression, HSTS on, security header grade C.
IONOS: server ~57 ms, TTFB 784 ms
Market leader IONOS is the most interesting result here. Its server is fast, building the page in about 57 ms. Getting there is slow, though: 176 ms to connect and 364 ms for the TLS handshake. Its own site still connects over TLS 1.2; TLS 1.3 would cut that handshake in half.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 11 ms, TCP 176 ms, TLS 364 ms, wait 233 ms. Server in Karlsruhe, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 89% compression, HSTS on, security header grade C. Market share 28%.
Hetzner: server ~69 ms, TTFB 289 ms
Hetzner's numbers are clean. The server builds the page in about 69 ms, HTTP/3 is on and the five tests barely differ. Security headers are where it falls behind, with a D.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 4 ms, TCP 70 ms, TLS 76 ms, wait 139 ms. Server in Nuremberg, DE. HTTP/3 on, 86% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D. Market share 13%.
hosting.de: server ~74 ms, TTFB 381 ms
hosting.de has an average server at about 74 ms of processing, but its TLS handshake is long at 160 ms. It sets no security headers and no HSTS.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 7 ms, TCP 70 ms, TLS 160 ms, wait 144 ms. Server in Aachen, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 78% compression, no HSTS, no security headers.
lima-city: server ~87 ms, TTFB 303 ms
lima-city was first in the original version, a ranking based on how long the whole page took to download. By true server time it lands in the lower half, with the server building the page in about 87 ms.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 3 ms, TCP 68 ms, TLS 77 ms, wait 155 ms. Server in Bremen, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 60% compression, no HSTS, security header grade C.
dogado: server ~88 ms, TTFB 367 ms
dogado's server builds the page in about 88 ms. Its 89 ms connect time is a bit long for a German server, but the five tests are nearly identical (363 to 374 ms).
TTFB breakdown: DNS 4 ms, TCP 89 ms, TLS 97 ms, wait 177 ms. Server in Dortmund, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 86% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D.
Host Europe: server ~104 ms, TTFB 167 ms
Host Europe's site runs behind the Akamai CDN. A 14 ms connect time means the answer came from a CDN server very close to our test location, which explains the low TTFB. The roughly 104 ms left in the wait also includes the CDN's trip back to the origin server.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 4 ms, TCP 14 ms, TLS 31 ms, wait 118 ms. Behind Akamai. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 81% compression, no HSTS, no security headers. Market share 7%.
RAIDBOXES: server ~106 ms, TTFB 345 ms
RAIDBOXES also runs behind Cloudflare, so the "Toronto" in the first version was Cloudflare's registration too. Its five tests swung between 314 and 574 ms. Server-side time is about 106 ms.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 8 ms, TCP 72 ms, TLS 87 ms, wait 178 ms. Behind Cloudflare. HTTP/3 on, 81% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D.
All-Inkl: server ~148 ms, TTFB 397 ms
All-Inkl connects without trouble, but its server takes about 148 ms to build the page. That makes it one of the three slowest servers on the list.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 1 ms, TCP 80 ms, TLS 88 ms, wait 228 ms. Server in Neusalza-Spremberg, DE. HTTP/2 (no HTTP/3), 80% compression, HSTS on, security header grade C. Market share 3%.
InterNetX: server ~166 ms, TTFB 382 ms
InterNetX doesn't run its own network; it sits on IONOS's (AS8560). Its server builds the page in about 166 ms, and the site is still served over HTTP/1.1.
TTFB breakdown: DNS 1 ms, TCP 69 ms, TLS 77 ms, wait 235 ms. Server in Karlsruhe, DE. HTTP/1.1, 81% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D. Market share 5%.
Alfahosting: server ~482 ms, TTFB 801 ms
This is the slowest server on the list. Alfahosting takes about 482 ms to build the page, where the fastest servers need a few milliseconds. The site is served over HTTP/1.1 and runs on dogado's network (AS45012).
TTFB breakdown: DNS 17 ms, TCP 73 ms, TLS 156 ms, wait 555 ms. Server in Halle, DE. HTTP/1.1, 81% compression, HSTS on, security header grade D.
Questions to ask before you pick a host
Use this table as a list of questions rather than a scoreboard. When you talk to a provider, ask:
- Which city is my server in, and whose network does it run on?
- Does my plan include page caching? How many milliseconds does the server take to build a page?
- Are TLS 1.3 and HTTP/3 switched on?
- Do HSTS and security headers come set up in my plan?
A good provider answers each in one sentence. You can measure your own site's TTFB the same way, for free, with Site Speed Metrix. Curious about hosts in Turkey? See our best hosting providers in Turkey.
These figures are from October 18, 2026; the first measurement was on July 31, 2026. A provider could switch on TLS 1.3 or speed up its server tomorrow. When we measure again, the date here will be updated.
