IONOS (formerly known as 1&1) is an established web hosting provider. IONOS offers a range of affordable hosting solutions with competitive features and performance. According to recent tests, IONOS boasts impressive uptime of 99.98% and acceptable loading speeds, making it a reliable choice for small businesses and individual website owners seeking cost-effective hosting options.
In this comprehensive review, we'll peel back the layers of IONOS hosting, examining everything from its feature-packed plans to its real-world performance. We'll explore the pros and cons, dig into the pricing details, and even share some insider tips to help you make an informed decision.
Table of contents
About IONOS
IONOS is a big web hosting company that started in Germany in 19881. It used to be called 1&1 Internet before changing its name. Now, IONOS is one of the largest web hosting providers in Europe. The company has grown a lot over the years and now has customers all around the world.
IONOS offers many different types of web hosting. They have shared hosting, which is good for small websites. They also have more powerful options like VPS and dedicated hosting for bigger sites. IONOS tries to make its services easy to use, even for people who don't know much about websites. They give customers tools to build websites and set up online stores.
The company has data centers in several countries. This helps make websites load faster for visitors. IONOS also focuses on security. They give free SSL certificates to protect websites. While IONOS isn't perfect, many customers like their low prices and reliable service. The company keeps growing and improving its offerings to stay competitive in the web hosting market.
IONOS Hosting Features
IONOS offers a range of key hosting features that make it an attractive option for website owners. These features, combined with IONOS's competitive pricing and reliable performance, make it a comprehensive hosting solution for a wide range of website owners, from beginners to experienced webmasters.
Storage and Bandwidth
IONOS provides generous storage space across its hosting plans. The Essential plan offers 10 GB of storage, while the Business and Expert plans provide unlimited storage. This allows website owners to store all their files, images, and databases without worrying about space limitations. Additionally, all IONOS plans come with unlimited bandwidth, ensuring that your website can handle high traffic volumes without extra charges.
Security Features
Security is a top priority for IONOS. All hosting plans include a free Wildcard SSL certificate, which encrypts data transmission between your website and its visitors. This protection extends to your main domain and all subdomains. IONOS also offers DDoS protection, safeguarding your website against distributed denial-of-service attacks. Daily backups are included in all plans, allowing you to easily recover your data if anything is lost or deleted.
Performance Enhancements
IONOS employs several technologies to boost website performance. They use HTTP/2, a more efficient protocol for data transmission. The hosting plans also include gzip compression, which reduces file sizes and speeds up page loading times. For WordPress users, IONOS offers specialized WordPress hosting with pre-installed performance plugins and server-side caching.
Email and Domain Services
With every hosting plan, IONOS provides a free domain for the first year. This saves you the cost of purchasing a domain separately when starting your website. Professional email accounts are also included, allowing you to create email addresses using your domain name. The number of email accounts varies by plan, with higher-tier plans offering more accounts.
One-Click Installations
IONOS makes it easy to set up popular content management systems and web applications. Their hosting plans include one-click installers for over 70 apps, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. This feature is particularly useful for beginners who want to quickly set up a functional website without dealing with complex installation processes.
Custom Dashboard Navigation
IONOS utilizes a custom control panel for hosting management, which serves as the main dashboard for users. The interface is clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, designed to be beginner-oriented while still offering functionality for experienced users. The dashboard provides easy access to all website management tools, including domains, SSL, email, hosting, and security features, organized under clear categories.
- A centralized App Launcher for quick access to all available applications
- Customizable quick-start options for frequently used apps
- Floating windows for multitasking and efficient workflow
- Context menus accessible via right-click for quick actions
- Integrated search functionality to help users locate specific features
While some users accustomed to cPanel may need time to adjust, the IONOS dashboard ultimately offers a streamlined and practical navigation experience for managing websites and hosting services.
Uptime Performance
IONOS demonstrates impressive uptime performance, consistently meeting or exceeding its 99.9% uptime guarantee. In recent tests, the provider achieved a near-perfect 99.99% uptime. This level of reliability ensures that websites hosted on IONOS servers experience minimal downtime, translating to less than an hour of potential downtime per year.
- 100% uptime recorded in a 14-day test period1
- 99.98% average uptime over recent years3
- 99.998% uptime guarantee for cloud hosting plans4
- Automatic account credit for downtime exceeding the guarantee5
IONOS achieves this high level of reliability through its geo-redundant infrastructure, which splits data between multiple data centers. This approach, combined with redundant network connectivity and DDoS protection, ensures that IONOS-hosted websites remain accessible even in the face of potential server issues or cyber attacks.
Website Speed Performance
IONOS demonstrates acceptable but not exceptional speed performance in various tests. GTmetrix reported a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 1.3 seconds for IONOS, which is slower than many competitors that typically score between 0.6 to 0.8 seconds. However, this is still within an acceptable range for user experience.
- Average server response time of 758ms, above the market average of 600ms.
- LCP of 666ms for US-based tests on an empty WordPress site.
- Average loading time of 811.52ms in separate tests.
While not the fastest in the industry, IONOS's speed performance is generally sufficient for most small to medium-sized websites. The provider offers various performance optimization features like HTTP/2, gzip compression, and server-side caching for WordPress sites to help improve loading times.
IONOS Hosting Pros and Cons
IONOS hosting offers a mix of advantages and drawbacks for website owners. IONOS excels in affordability and reliability, potential customers should weigh these factors against their specific needs, particularly considering the limitations in email accounts and the potential adjustment to the custom control panel.
| pros | cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable pricing, especially for entry-level plans | Custom control panel may have a learning curve for users familiar with cPanel |
| Impressive uptime performance, consistently achieving 99.98-99.99% | Limited email options, with only one email account included in shared hosting plans |
| Free domain for the first year with all hosting plans | No free site migration service offered |
| Generous storage options, including unlimited storage on higher-tier plans | Slower than average shared hosting speeds compared to some competitors |
| Strong security features, including free Wildcard SSL certificates and DDoS protection | Customer support quality has been reported as inconsistent by some users |
IONOS Hosting Options
IONOS provides many hosting options to suit different needs. These include shared hosting, which is good for small websites, and more powerful options like VPS and dedicated hosting for bigger sites. IONOS also offers special hosting for WordPress websites.
Shared Hosting Plans
IONOS offers affordable shared hosting plans that cater to various needs and budgets. These plans are designed to provide reliable hosting solutions for small businesses, personal websites, and startups. The pricing structure is competitive, with promotional rates starting as low as $1 per month for the first year.
The shared hosting plans from IONOS come with a range of features, including a free domain for the first year, SSL certificates, and daily backups. As you move up the tiers, you get access to more resources such as unlimited storage, databases, and the ability to host multiple websites. This scalability allows users to choose a plan that fits their current needs and upgrade as their website grows.
One of the standout aspects of IONOS's pricing is the transparency around renewal rates4. While the introductory prices are very attractive, it's important to note that these rates increase after the initial term. However, even at regular prices, IONOS remains competitive in the hosting market.
| Plan | Promotional Price | Renewal Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $4/month | $6/month | 10GB storage, 1 website, 10 databases |
| Starter | $6/month | $8/month | 100GB storage, 10 website, 50 databases |
| Plus | $1/month | $12/month | Unlimited websites, storage, and databases |
| Ultimate | $10/month | $16/month | Unlimited resources, malware protection, CDN |
These plans offer a good balance of features and pricing, making IONOS an attractive option for those looking for affordable yet reliable shared hosting solutions.
WordPress Hosting Plans
IONOS offers specialized WordPress hosting plans designed to optimize performance and simplify management for WordPress websites. These plans come with pre-installed WordPress, automatic updates, and performance-enhancing features like server-side caching. The pricing structure is competitive, with promotional rates starting as low as $1 per month for the first year.
The WordPress hosting plans from IONOS include features tailored for WordPress users, such as WP-CLI for advanced management, staging environments for testing changes, and pre-installed security plugins. As you move up the tiers, you get access to more resources and advanced features like malware protection and a content delivery network (CDN).
IONOS provides transparent pricing, clearly showing both promotional and renewal rates. While the introductory prices are very attractive, it's important to note that these rates increase after the initial term. However, even at regular prices, IONOS remains competitive in the WordPress hosting market.
| Plan | Promotional Price | Renewal Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $5/month | $6/month | 1 website, 25GB storage, up to 10,000 visitors/month |
| Grow | $1/month | $10/month | 1 websites, 50GB storage, up to 25,000 visitors/month |
| Boost | $12/month | $15/month | 1 websites, 100GB storage, up to 100,000 visitors/month |
These plans offer a good balance of features and pricing, making IONOS an attractive option for those looking for affordable yet optimized WordPress hosting solutions.
VPS Hosting Plans
IONOS offers a range of VPS hosting plans designed to provide more power and flexibility than shared hosting. These plans start at a remarkably low price of $2 per month for the entry-level option, making VPS hosting accessible to a wider audience. Each plan comes with full root access, allowing users to customize their server environment to meet specific needs.
The VPS plans from IONOS use NVMe SSD storage, which provides faster data access and improved performance compared to traditional storage options. All plans include unlimited traffic up to 1 Gbit/s, ensuring that your website can handle high volumes of visitors without additional charges. IONOS also offers the choice between Linux and Windows operating systems, though Windows options come at an additional cost due to licensing fees.
IONOS provides a clear pricing structure with both promotional and regular rates. While the introductory prices are very attractive, it's important to note that these rates increase after the initial term. However, even at regular prices, IONOS remains competitive in the VPS hosting market.
| Plan | Promotional Price | Renewal Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPS XS | $2/month | $2/month | 1 vCores CPU, 1 GB RAM, 10 GB NVMe |
| VPS S | $3/month | $5/month | 2 vCores CPU, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe |
| VPS M | $6/month | $9/month | 2 vCores CPU, 4 GB RAM, 160 GB NVMe |
| VPS L | $10/month | $15/month | 4 vCores CPU, 8 GB RAM, 240 GB NVMe |
| VPS XL | $15/month | $28/month | 8 vCores CPU, 16 GB RAM, 320 GB NVMe |
| VPS XXL | $30/month | $50/month | 12 vCores CPU, 24 GB RAM, 640 GB NVMe |
These plans offer a good balance of resources and pricing, making IONOS an attractive option for those looking for affordable yet powerful VPS hosting solutions.
IONOS Vs Competitors
IONOS is often compared to other popular web hosting providers like GoDaddy, Bluehost, and HostGator. In terms of pricing, IONOS is generally considered more affordable, especially with its introductory rates. For instance, IONOS offers shared hosting plans starting at $1 per month for the first year, which is lower than many competitors.
When it comes to features, IONOS is seen as competitive. All IONOS plans include a free domain for the first year, SSL certificates, and daily backups. However, some competitors may offer more email accounts or free site migrations, which are not included in IONOS's basic plans.
In terms of performance, IONOS is regarded as reliable, with uptime consistently meeting or exceeding its 99.9% guarantee5. However, its server response times are sometimes reported to be slower than some competitors.
Customer support is an area where IONOS is sometimes criticized. While IONOS offers 24/7 support, some users have reported inconsistent experiences. In contrast, providers like Bluehost are often praised for their customer service.
IONOS is noted for its geo-redundant infrastructure, which is not commonly offered by competitors at similar price points. This feature helps ensure website availability even in the event of server issues. Overall, IONOS is considered a strong contender in the web hosting market, particularly for those seeking affordable hosting with reliable uptime. However, potential customers are advised to weigh their specific needs against the strengths and weaknesses of each provider.
Final Thoughts
IONOS offers a solid web hosting solution that balances affordability with reliable performance. While it may not be the fastest or most feature-rich option on the market, it provides good value for money, especially for small businesses and individuals looking to establish an online presence.
The provider's strengths lie in its impressive uptime, with tests showing 99.99% availability, and its competitive pricing structure. The inclusion of a free domain for the first year and daily backups adds to its appeal. IONOS also stands out for its geo-redundant infrastructure, which enhances reliability.
However, IONOS does have some drawbacks. Its shared hosting speeds are somewhat slower compared to top competitors5, and customer support quality has been reported as inconsistent by some users. Additionally, the limited email options and lack of free site migration may be inconvenient for some customers.
Despite these shortcomings, IONOS remains a strong contender in the web hosting market. Its wide range of hosting options, from shared to VPS and dedicated servers, allows users to scale their hosting as their needs grow7. For those seeking an affordable, reliable hosting solution with room to grow, IONOS is certainly worth considering.
Ionos Hosting Review Summar
- User Interface4.5
- Features4.6
- Performance4.6
- Security4.8
- Customer Support4.3
