Combell
Belgian web hosting and managed cloud services provider founded in 1999, serving 167,000+ Benelux customers with domains, hosting, email, and cloud infrastructure augmented by AI-powered website building tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersGent, Belgium
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Combell does
Combell is a Belgian web hosting and managed cloud services provider founded in 1999 and headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. The company operates as a one-stop platform for businesses across the Benelux region, offering domain registration, shared and dedicated web hosting, managed WordPress, cloud servers (public, private, and hybrid), managed Kubernetes, email and Microsoft 365 services, and managed IT services. It serves more than 167,000 customers ranging from individual entrepreneurs and SMEs to large enterprises, with named clients including IKEA, McDonald's, KBC, Deloitte, DPG Media, Benerail, Corilus, VREG, and Multipharma, alongside IT integrators and software developers. The platform is ISO 27001 certified (since 2011) and GDPR compliant, with infrastructure built on OpenStack, VMware, and Kubernetes and deployed across multi-datacenter redundant facilities.
The company monetizes primarily through recurring monthly and annual subscriptions, with entry-level shared hosting promotional at €5.99/month, managed WordPress at €7.48/month, dedicated hosting from €240.40/month, Microsoft 365 from €5.40/month, and managed services from €199/month. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve e-commerce site targets SMBs and individual customers, while a dedicated field-sales motion and reseller/affiliate partner programs serve mid-market and enterprise accounts. Recent product emphasis has shifted toward embedding AI capabilities into the core hosting stack, including Macaly AI (a vibe-coding tool that generates websites and apps from natural language), an AI Site Assistant in Managed WordPress, and an AI assistant in SiteBuilder.
Over its 25-year history, Combell has executed a regional roll-up strategy, consolidating a fragmented Benelux hosting market through acquisitions of Surftown, DanDomain, Openminds, PriorWeb, Jaynet, Solido Hosting, globalhost, and Besite. The company remains privately held under its founding structure with no disclosed external institutional ownership, and is led by CEO Jonas Dhaenens and CXO/CFO Jacques Vanloo.
Combell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Combell
- Legal name
- Combell nv
- Website
- https://combell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Belgian web hosting and managed cloud services provider founded in 1999, serving 167,000+ Benelux customers with domains, hosting, email, and cloud infrastructure augmented by AI-powered website building tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Combell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Web Hosting and Cloud Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Connectivity Brokerage, Aggregation & Managed Interconnect (HDABALAJ)
Keywords
Where Combell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gent
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Combell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Web Hosting Services: Recurring subscription revenue from shared web hosting, WordPress hosting, managed WordPress, dedicated hosting, and VPS services. Pricing varies by tier from entry-level to enterprise dedicated servers.
- Domain Name Registration: Annual registration and renewal fees for domain names including .be, .eu, .com, .nl, .online and other TLDs. One-time annual fees per domain.
- Email Services: Professional email hosting, Microsoft 365 mailbox subscriptions, and email marketing campaign tools. Recurring monthly or annual fees.
- Cloud Servers and Managed Services: Public, private, and hybrid cloud server hosting along with managed services including Kubernetes, Odoo, and IT outsourcing. Higher-value recurring contracts typically with monthly or annual billing.
- SSL Certificates and Security: SSL certificate sales for HTTPS encryption, online brand protection, and GDPR compliance software subscriptions.
- Website Building Tools: SiteBuilder and Macaly AI tools for creating websites and web applications, some offered free with domain purchases or as premium add-ons.
- Professional Services: IT consulting, cloud consultancy, performance optimization, and managed services engagements, often at custom pricing.
- Reseller Program: Revenue from partners who resell hosting services, with volume discounts and wholesale pricing structures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Web Hosting - Entry level shared hosting |
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed WordPress - AI-powered WordPress hosting |
| Subscription | Monthly | Dedicated Web Hosting - Enterprise server hosting |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mailboxes - Professional email hosting |
| Per seat | Monthly | Microsoft 365 - Office suite with mailbox |
| Subscription | Monthly | Email Marketing - Campaign management |
| Subscription | Monthly | GDPR Compliance Software (Iubenda) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed Services - IT outsourcing |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Domain Registration |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Combell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Combell is a Belgian web hosting and cloud services provider offering a one-stop platform spanning domain name registration, shared and dedicated web hosting, managed WordPress, cloud servers (private/public/hybrid), VPS, Managed Kubernetes, professional email and Microsoft 365, website building tools (SiteBuilder and Macaly AI), and managed IT services with 24/7 support. The company primarily serves Benelux businesses, IT integrators, software developers, and starter entrepreneurs with subscription-based infrastructure and consultative managed services.
Product overview
Combell is a Belgian web hosting and cloud services provider offering a comprehensive one-stop platform for businesses of all sizes. The portfolio spans domain services (registration, transfer, protection), web hosting (shared, WordPress, dedicated), website building tools (SiteBuilder, Macaly AI), email solutions (basic mailboxes, Microsoft 365), business tools (e-invoicing, GDPR compliance, social media management, lead generation, online reservations), and enterprise infrastructure (cloud servers, VPS, OpenStack, Kubernetes, colocation). The platform is modular, allowing customers to combine services like Managed WordPress with Managed WooCommerce for e-commerce, or pair cloud servers with Managed Kubernetes for container orchestration. AI capabilities are embedded across multiple products including Macaly AI for conversational website/app building, AI Site Assistant in Managed WordPress, and AI Assistant in SiteBuilder. Combell positions itself as a managed services provider with 24/7 support and ISO 27001 certification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Macaly AI: AI-powered website and application building tool that allows users to create websites, tools, dashboards, and games through conversational AI.
- SiteBuilder
- SiteBuilder with web store
- Managed WordPress
- Managed WooCommerce
- Combell Shield
- Website Kickstart
- SimplyBook
- Metricool
- B2Brouter
- Leadinfo
- Iubenda
- WayWidget
Products and services
- Web Hosting
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.999% uptime guarantee on dedicated web hosting
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Combell
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Combell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
Combell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ICANNcoreCombell is an ICANN-accredited registrar enabling them to register and manage domain names globally. This partnership is fundamental to their domain registration business.
- DNS BelgiumcoreAccredited registrar for .be domain names, enabling Combell to register and manage Belgian domain names under DNS Belgium regulations.
- SIDNcoreAccredited registrar for .nl domain names in the Netherlands, partnering with SIDN for Dutch domain registrations.
- MicrosoftcoreCombell resells Microsoft 365 including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and cloud storage. Also offers Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant and backup solutions.
- VeeamcoreVeeam Cloud Connect backup services for server backup solutions, enabling customers to backup servers to Combell's cloud infrastructure.
- OpenStackcoreOpenStack cloud hosting platform for self-managed and unmanaged cloud server deployments.
- VMwarecoreVMware virtualization technology for dedicated server and cloud hosting solutions.
- KubernetescoreManaged Kubernetes container orchestration services for scaling applications with container management.
- MacalycoreAI-powered website and application building tool (Macaly AI) that enables users to create websites, apps, tools, dashboards, and games through natural language descriptions without coding.
- OdoocoreManaged Odoo hosting for ERP and business management software deployment.
- SentinelOnecoreCybersecurity endpoint protection integrated into Combell's security offerings.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Combell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TransIP: Largest Dutch hosting provider offering domains, shared hosting, VPS, and managed WordPress across the Netherlands. Most direct Benelux peer to Combell given overlapping Dutch SMB customer base and near-identical product portfolio.
- OVHcloud: European cloud and web hosting provider serving SMBs, developers, and enterprises with shared hosting, dedicated servers, and cloud infrastructure. Directly comparable to Combell in targeting European SMBs with a similar portfolio of hosting and cloud products.
- WP Engine: Premium managed WordPress hosting platform targeting SMBs, agencies, and enterprises. Directly comparable to Combell's Managed WordPress and Managed WooCommerce product line in functionality and target segment.
- Kinsta: Premium managed WordPress and application hosting provider built on Google Cloud, serving SMBs and enterprises. Comparable to Combell's premium managed WordPress offering and focus on performance-optimized hosting.
- SiteGround: Global web hosting provider specializing in managed WordPress, WooCommerce, and shared hosting for SMBs and agencies. Directly comparable to Combell's managed WordPress and WooCommerce offerings and SMB-focused go-to-market.
- Vevida: Dutch hosting provider offering shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and managed servers to SMBs. Comparable to Combell as a fellow Benelux hosting provider with overlapping SMB and WordPress product lines.
- Hostnet: Dutch hosting provider offering domain registration, web hosting, email, and VPS services primarily to Dutch SMBs. Comparable to Combell in serving the same Benelux SMB and starter segment with overlapping product lines.
- Hetzner: German-based hosting and cloud provider offering shared hosting, dedicated servers, VPS, and managed cloud infrastructure across Europe. Comparable to Combell in operating its own data centers and serving European SMBs and developers with similar product economics.
Emerging players
- DigitalOcean: Cloud infrastructure provider targeting SMBs, developers, and startups with VPS, managed Kubernetes, and application hosting. Comparable to Combell's cloud server and managed Kubernetes offerings in the SMB/developer segment, though DigitalOcean operates at global scale.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Azure: Global hyperscale cloud platform offering compute, hosting, and managed services that increasingly competes for SMB and mid-market cloud workloads. Comparable to Combell's cloud server and managed services portfolio in the enterprise and mid-market segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Combell social profiles
Digital presenceCombell compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Combell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Combell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Combell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Combell M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A8 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Combell
What does Combell do?
Combell is a Belgian web hosting and cloud services provider offering a one-stop platform spanning domain name registration, shared and dedicated web hosting, managed WordPress, cloud servers (private/public/hybrid), VPS, Managed Kubernetes, professional email and Microsoft 365, website building tools (SiteBuilder and Macaly AI), and managed IT services with 24/7 support. The company primarily serves Benelux businesses, IT integrators, software developers, and starter entrepreneurs with subscription-based infrastructure and consultative managed services.
Is Combell a public or private company?
Combell is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Combell founded?
Combell was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Combell based?
Combell is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Combell make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Web Hosting Services are the primary driver. The others are domain Name Registration, email Services, cloud Servers and Managed Services, SSL Certificates and Security, website Building Tools, professional Services and reseller Program.
Who are Combell's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TransIP, OVHcloud, WP Engine, Kinsta, SiteGround, Vevida, Hostnet and Hetzner. DigitalOcean is listed as an emerging player. Microsoft Azure is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Combell have an API?
No public API is recorded for Combell.
What industry is Combell in?
Combell's product category is Web Hosting and Cloud Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABALAJ, Cloud Connectivity Brokerage, Aggregation & Managed Interconnect. Its NAICS code is 518.