IONOS is a leading provider of cloud and hosting solutions that have revolutionized the online presence of individuals and businesses across the globe.
It is one of the oldest web providers out there, with many years of experience and expertise up its sleeves.
Are you considering IONOS as your next hosting provider but don’t know much about their services?
With many years of experience in this field, I have come to understand that choosing the right hosting providers is one of the most difficult aspects of establishing an online presence.
I am sure IONOS was not the first hosting provider you came across when looking for a reliable one. That is because there are dozens of different providers out there, and separating the wheat from the chaff can be daunting.
In this guide, I will share with you everything you need to know about IONOS to enable you to decide if it is the right hosting provider for your needs.
You will learn about their services, pricing, performance, security, features, etc.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an established enterprise, IONOS has something to offer you on your digital journey.
About IONOS
IONOS is a German-based company formerly known as 1&1 IONOS. Founded in 1988, IONOS has emerged as a prominent player in the web hosting industry.
The company’s headquarters is in Montabaur, Germany, but it has a significant presence in other countries.
With over 8.9 million customers worldwide, IONOS has established itself as a trustworthy and reliable partner for businesses and individuals seeking reliable online solutions.
At the time of writing this article, IONOS is hosting over 22 million domains. The company has more than 4,000 employees and 100,000 servers across the globe.
IONOS is known for three major things – expert support, ISO-certified security, and sustainable data centers.
This provider is also widely known for its affordable pricing plan and high-performance hosting services. It is currently one of the largest web hosting companies in Europe, thanks to its cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
IONOS helps business owners scale up, entrepreneurs take their first steps online, and large companies. You can always count on them for quality and reliable services.
IONOS Pros and Cons
Every web hosting provider has its ups and downs. Regardless of how good and experienced they are, they might have some flaws that might just be a deal-breaker for you.
I will share some of the pros and cons of IONOS. This will help you learn about the company’s strengths and weaknesses.
Pros
- Wide Range of Services: IONOS is a service-rich web hosting company. With over three decades of experience, this company has many services in this catalog. They offer various web hosting and cloud computing services, like, cloud servers, web hosting, website builders, domain registration, online marketing tools, etc.
- Impressive Performance: IONOS is not the best web hosting provider in Europe by chance. The company has worked its way up the ladder by providing exceptional performance and services. They boast cutting-edge technology and infrastructure that ensure reliable and fast performance for your applications and websites.
- Competitive Pricing: This vendor provides great value for money with its affordable plans. In addition to being affordable, the plans come with many great features.
- Scalability: With IONOS, you can seamlessly scale your website’s resources as your business grows. This ensures you have the right resources to meet your business needs.
- Beginner-Friendly and Modern Control Panel: I love this provider’s modern, beginner-friendly control panel. The panel is easy to use, and you can easily set up and manage your hosting account.
Cons
- Some Hidden Charges: IONOS is not 100% transparent in its pricing model. The company has some hidden fees in its plans.
- Customer Support Is Lacking: IONOS promises excellent customer support. However, many clients are complaining of unresponsive customer support. IONOS is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to customer support. Phone support is only available in 14 countries, while live chat often has delays.
Read Also our Full reviews:
IONOS Services
As mentioned earlier, IONOS is one of the most service-rich hosting providers in the industry today.
I love the wide range of services they offer. With their long list of services, the chances of not finding the services you need from a hosting provider are slim.
Here’s an overview of the different services IONOS offers:
1. Web Hosting
Web hosting is one of their most popular hosting services. IONOS’s shared web hosting service is great for individuals and small businesses looking for a straightforward and affordable hosting solution.
Shared hosting services are affordable before multiple websites share a single server’s resources.
IONOS knows how to optimize its servers to provide the best shared hosting experience. Their shared hosting servers provide impressive performance, security, time, and speed.
The service also provides essential features like website builders, email accounts, a control panel, and reliable performance.
Thanks to its geo-redundant infrastructure, IONOS guarantees 99.9% uptime for all its services, including web hosting.
Another thing this company does that I like so much is data mirroring. They mirror your data in two data centers, so your website or application stays uninterrupted during outages and maintenance.
Well, they did not forget one of the most important web hosting features – a one-click app installer.
All their web hosting plans come with many plugins to enhance the look and functionality of your website. With just a few clicks, you can install your favorite apps, including WordPress, Drupal, PrestaShop, and Joomla.
2. WordPress Hosting
IONOS did not leave the world’s most popular content management system out of its hosting services.
The vendor offers a specialized hosting environment tailored to enhance WordPress performance.
IONOS optimizes server configurations for WP websites, providing enhanced security and faster loading times.
The beautiful thing about this service is that you don’t have to go through the hassle of installing WordPress. It comes pre-installed with WordPress software, specialized support, and automatic updates to help you get to business straight away.
IONOS WordPress hosting service offers three times better speed and performance thanks to its caching mechanism, SSD storage, and more.
All WP plans also come with WP-CLI, SSH & SFTP for more flexible access.
Yes! IONOS WordPress services boast impressive security. All plans have malware protection, a DDoS shield, and daily backups.
Do you know my favorite part of IONOS’s WordPress service?
Unlimited bandwidth and traffic.
IONOS does not limit bandwidth and traffic. With this, you will never have to worry about your traffic being throttled or paying overage fees.
The service has developer-friendly features like a domain API, .htaccess, and more. IONOS WordPress hosting works with SSI and Git and is IPv6 ready.
3. Dedicated Servers
IONOS offers high-performance dedicated servers for your high-traffic websites and resource-intensive applications.
This vendor optimized its dedicated servers for maximum performance, control, and security. In addition, this service gives you exclusive access to all server resources, allowing you to customize your server environment to suit your unique needs.
IONOS’s dedicated servers are best suited for online stores, large websites, and enterprises that need advanced configurations and robust computing power.
With this service, you will have an entire server to yourself. You won’t share bandwidth or processing power with anyone, so there is no risk of other users competing for resources.
The service has an intuitive control panel that allows you to manage all aspects of your dedicated hosting package. Other cool features of this service include:
- Intel Xeon E3
- Unlimited traffic
- Gigabit connectivity
- RAID storage
- Cloudflare CDN
IONOS offers advanced security features like DDoS protection, backups & restores, and SiteLock & wildcard SSL. These features will keep your website or application safe and secure.
The vendor also provides an IONOS Hosting Manager app that lets you access your control panel on your tablet or smartphone. With this feature, you can manage your dedicated hosting package from anywhere in the world.
4. VPS Hosting
A virtual private server combines the benefits of dedicated servers and shared hosting.
This service offers dedicated resources within a shared environment, enhancing performance and flexibility.
IONOS’s VPS hosting service is great for websites with moderate to high traffic and resource needs. It also allows you to scale your web hosting services as your website grows, ensuring optimal performance at all times.
The core features of IONOS’s VPS hosting service include:
- Fast SSD NVMe storage
- Unlimited traffic
- Free Plesk Web Host Edition
- Full root access
- Peak security
Another cool thing about this provider’s VPS hosting is that you can choose between Linux and Windows operating systems.
The Linux operating system has five options – Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu. For Windows, you can only choose between two options – Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.
An operating system is not the only thing you can choose when opting for this service. IONOS also allows users to choose data center locations. You can choose a data center in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, and Germany.
All plans also come with advanced security and other cool features.
5. Domain Registration
IONOS also offers domain registration services.
You can buy and register a wide variety of domain names with this hosting provider, including .io, .me, .com, .store, and more.
Their domain registration plans come with up to 10,000 subdomains to structure and customize your website.
This service also features a free 2 GB email account, allowing you to create a professional email address for your business.
A Wildcard SSL certificate is also included in the package for reliable protection of your visitors and to boost your Google ranking.
Another thing I like about this service is that you can easily connect it with third-party services, other IONOS products, and your social media accounts. You can do all these with just one click.
6. Local Business Listing
IONOS’s services go beyond providing reliable hosting services. The company’s goal is to ensure your business has all it needs to flourish.
Local business listing is one of the numerous services IONOS offers. They can help put your business on the map.
Many customers search online for local businesses, and IONOS wants to ensure your customers can find you easily.
With IONOS”s local business listing service, you can get found and manage reviews in over 35 online directories, including Google, Facebook, Uber, and Foursquare.
This service also comes with features that will help you monitor your online visibility, market your business, and save valuable time.
7. E-commerce Hosting
IONOS also caters to the needs of online store owners. The company supports a wide range of e-commerce platforms, including:
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- PrestaShop
- Shopware
- OpenCart
You can host all these e-commerce platforms on your IONOS account to expand your business.
These hosting services also come with hundreds of extensions for easy customization. All their plans come with free SSL for secure transactions.
IONOS provides seamless and secure payment options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other major credit and debit cards. Having multiple payment options is one of the best ways to attract more customers to your business.
This service also allows you to track session times, bounce rates, and see what your customers are looking for. It provides SiteAnalytics to give you an in-depth insight into your store’s performance and more.
They also have customization tools to boost your online store’s look and functionality.
8. Email Hosting
IONO provides secure and reliable email hosting services, allowing you to create professional email addresses with your own domain name.
With ample storage space, easy-to-use interfaces, and spam filters, IONOS’s email hosting service ensures smooth communication and branding for businesses and individuals.
9. Microsoft 365
IONOS partners with Microsoft to offer Microsoft 365 plans, which include popular productivity tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
These plans also provide cloud storage with OneDrive, collaborative features, and email hosting through Exchange Online. IONOS’s Microsoft 365 integration allows you to seamlessly access and manage your productivity tools.
10. Online Marketing Tools
This vendor understands the importance of online marketing for businesses. As such, they offer various tools to help you enhance your online presence.
These tools include website analytics, search engine optimization (SEO) features, social media integration, and advertising credits.
These features empower users to optimize their websites for search engines, track visitor behavior, and effectively market their products or services online.
IONOS Plans and Pricing
This web hosting professional offers various plans across its services, catering to diverse needs and budgets.
The company’s prices vary based on the chosen plan, service, and optional add-ons.
I recommend carefully reviewing the available plans and features to choose an option best suited to your needs. Here are the various plans and their prices.
1. Web Hosting
IONOS offers four web hosting plans with many amazing features. All their web hosting plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
One unique thing about this company’s web hosting plans is that its bestselling plan is the cheapest. Cool, right?
- Essential ($4.00/mo): This plan renews at $6/mo and is great for one website or project. It offers 10 databases, 10 GB storage, and basic CPU & MEM resources.
- Starter ($6.00/mo): The renewal rate for this plan is $8/mo, and you can use it for 10 websites or projects. Its offerings include 50 databases, 100 GB of storage, and basic CPU & MEM resources.
- Plus ($1.00/mo): IONOS offers the Plus plan for just $1.00/mo, but it renews at $12/mo. This plan is great for larger web projects, as it offers unlimited websites, unlimited databases, unlimited storage, and enhanced CPU & MEM resources.
- Ultimate ($10.00/mo): This plan renews at $16.00/mo and offers unlimited websites, storage, databases, and maximum CPU & MEM resources.
All IONOS’s web hosting plans include a free professional email, a one-year domain, a free Wildcard SSL certificate, daily backup & recovery, and free 24/7 support.
2. Dedicated Hosting Plans
One thing I like a lot about this hosting provider is its flexibility. IONOS allows you to choose between HDD and SDD.
As you may already know, SDD is much faster, making it more expensive. Here are IONOS’s dedicated hosting plans for SSD storage:
- L-16 SSD ($90.00/mo): Setting up this plan will cost you $50. Its offerings include 4 coresx3.5GHz CPU, Intel Xeon E3-1230 v6, 16 GB RAM, and 480 GB Intel SSD storage.
- XL-32 SSD ($130/mo): This plan offers powerful hardware for large projects. Its offerings include Intel Xeon E3-1270 v6, 32 GB RAM, 800 GB Intel SSD storage, and a 4-corex3.8GHz CPU.
- XL-64 ($160/mo): You can use this plan for multiple large web projects, as it offers Intel Xeon E3-1270 v6, 64 GB RAM, a 4-corex3.8GHz CPU, and 800 GB Intel SSD storage.
All plans include free domain registration, unlimited traffic, and free site scan. They also have a setup cost of $50.
3. VPS Hosting Plans
IONOS offers various virtualized plans with root access. The plans include unlimited traffic and free Plesk Web Host Edition. It also allows you to choose your preferred data center location:
Here are IONOS’s VPS hosting plans:
- VPS Linux XS ($2.00/mo): With $2.00 monthly, you will get 10 GB SSD storage, 1 GB RAM, and 1vCore CPU.
- VPS Linux S ($3.00/mo): This plan offers 80 GB of SSD, 2 GB of RAM, and 2 vCores.
- VPS Linux M ($6.00/mo): The offerings of this plan include 160 GB of SSD storage, 2 vCores CPU, and 4 GB of RAM.
- VPS Linux L ($10.00/mo): With this plan, you will get 240 GB of SSD storage, 8 GB of RAM, and 4 vCores CPU.
- VPS Linux XL ($15.00/mo): The XL plan offers 320 GB of SSD storage, 16 GB of RAM, and 8 vCores CPU.
- VPS Linux XXL ($30.00/mo): This VPS plan offers the highest resources. The plan includes 640 GB of SSD storage, 24 GB of RAM, and 12 vCores CPU.
All VPS plans have unlimited traffic of up to 1 Gbit/s and peak security.
4. WordPress Hosting Plans
IONOS offers some of the most affordable WordPress hosting plans in the industry. With as low as $1, you can get your WordPress website up and running.
Here are the three WordPress hosting plans IONOS offers:
- Start ($2.00/mo): This plan renews at $4/mo and is suitable for a small website or blog. It offers 9 GB of RAM, 25 GB of SSD storage, 1 email address, and 1 vCPU.
- Grow ($1.00/mo): The Grow plan comes at a discounted price of $1.00 but renews at $8.00. You can use it for one website. Its offerings include 15 GB of RAM, 1 vCPU, 50 GB of SSD storage, 5 email addresses, Jetpack Backup, and caching plugin.
- Boast ($6.00/mo): This plan renews at $12.00/month, and you can only use it for one website. It offers 20 GB of RAM, 75 GB of SSD storage, 1 vCPU, 10 email addresses, caching plugin, and Jetpack Backup.
IONOS’s WordPress hosting plans include malware scanning, free SSL certificates, free domain, SiteAnalytics, and SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI access.
5. Website Builder Plans
IONOS offers a paid website builder tool that lets you create professional-looking websites in minutes. With this tool, you can build a website without cooking or skills.
You can build something awesome for your portfolio, business, or yourself. All you have to do is choose a design, add your content, and publish your website.
The plans start at $1/mo and go up to $15/mo. If you don’t have the time to build your website, you can ask them to build one for you, but this costs more.
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IONOS’s Performance
If you are a contractor, the last thing you want is for your equipment to break down constantly, especially when you use them daily for work. The same thing applies to your web hosting provider.
You need a high-performance and reliable web hosting provider to keep your website running smoothly. That is where uptime comes into play.
Uptime is used to measure how much time your website or application is live and running.
When looking for a reliable hosting platform, you should keep in mind that there is no such thing as 100% uptime.
Even the best hosting providers do not guarantee 100% uptime. Downtimes are unavoidable because of updates and fixes.
However, you want to ensure the provider’s uptime is close as possible to the perfect score – 100%.
IONOS guarantees an uptime of 99.9%.
I tested the platform for a few weeks, and IONOS aced it. I did not notice any downtime while using their services.
Uptime is not the only metric I use to test the performance of a hosting provider. Speed and loading time are two vital metrics in my testing kit.
In today’s digital world, speed is essential for a website to succeed. If your website takes over five seconds to load, you will likely experience a high bounce rate.
Regardless of how good your content or solution is, you will have issues keeping your visitors if your website does not load fast.
The performance of this hosting provider depends on the service you choose. As you may already know, shared hosting is the least hosting service, providing the least performance.
However, despite offering the least resources, IONOS’s shared hosting plan delivers impressive results for small websites and blogs with less traffic.
I also tested its WordPress hosting plans. They delivered an impressive 95% performance rate.
In all, IONOS has a remarkable uptime rate, LiteSpeed servers, and robust infrastructure to boost the performance of your website.
IONOS’s Customer Support
Do not ignore customer support while considering price, features, and service.
If you have questions or need technical assistance with your website, you will need the help of the support team.
Unfortunately, customer support is not one of the core strengths of IONOS.
The company offers 24/7 customer support via several channels. You can contact them via live chat, phone, email, and ticketing.
One of the unique customer service features of this hosting provider is that every customer gets their own personal consultant without additional charges.
I tried contacting them via live chat but waited too long for a response. It’s obvious they have human customer support (not a chatbot), but the response time is not impressive.
Phone support is only available in 14 countries.
In general, their customer support is not so great. If you have an issue, you might not get a solution as quickly and efficiently as expected.
However, IONOS excels in its knowledge base. I will rate their customer resource 4.2 out of 5.
But does not that translate into good customer service? Not always.
The company provides a robust knowledge base where you read and learn about various hosting-related topics. You can also find solutions to your problems in the knowledge base.
IONOS’s Features
IONOS offers many features to enhance your hosting experience and empower you to create, manage, and secure your online presence.
Let me walk you through some of the core features IONOS offers:
1. Website Builder
A website builder is one of the features IONOS offers. This tool lets you build professional and highly functional websites without prior coding knowledge or experience.
The website builder also has many features, such as drag-and-drop, customizable templates, and a user-friendly interface.
The website builder also includes features like image galleries, contact forms, and social media integration, enabling users to create dynamic and engaging web pages.
2. Intuitive Control Panel
IONOS provides a user-friendly control panel that lets you manage your hosting resources effortlessly.
The control panel offers a centralized interface for tasks such as managing domains, configuring email accounts, installing applications, and accessing website analytics.
Its intuitive design ensures that even users with limited technical expertise can navigate and utilize the control panel effectively.
3. Backup and Restore
Data protection and safety is one of IONOS’s top priorities. The vendor offers backup and restores features to ensure your website and app data are safe and protected.
This feature allows you to schedule automatic backups for your sites and data, ensuring that vital information is securely stored.
You can easily restore the backed-up data if your website has issues or you accidentally delete your data.
4. One-Click App Installation
IONOS simplifies installing popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, and WooCommerce with one-click installation. This feature saves time and effort, allowing you to deploy and manage applications efficiently.
5. Developer Tools and Support
This vendor has several developer-oriented tools and features for advanced website development and customization.
IONOS offers support for programming languages like Node.js and PHP, databases like MySQL, FTP access, and development frameworks.
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Do We Recommend IONOS?
After a series of analyses and testing, it is clear that IONOS offers various plans, services, and a solid hosting infrastructure to cater to different needs.
While there may be occasional challenges with customer support and pricing structure, the overall performance, reliability, and user-friendly interface make IONOS a worthy hosting provider.
We recommend IONOS for individuals, small businesses, and growing enterprises looking for a reliable hosting solution with scalability options.
Who Do We Recommend IONOS For?
IONOS is best suited for individuals, small businesses, and growing enterprises seeking a reliable hosting solution with diverse service options and scalable resources.
Whether you are starting a personal blog or running a resource-intensive e-commerce platform, IONOS has plans to accommodate your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a beginner use IONOS?
Yes, beginners can use IONOS. IONOS offers user-friendly services and interfaces, making it suitable for all levels of users. It also offers an easy-to-use control panel and website builder for easy website management and development.
Does IONOS offer a money-back guarantee?
Absolutely! All IONOS plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can request a refund within the guarantee period if you are unsatisfied with their services.
Does IONOS provide domain registration services?
Yes, you can register a new domain name with IONOS. You can search for available domain names, register new domains, and manage your domain portfolio directly through the IONOS platform. The vendor also allows you to transfer your existing domain to theirs free of charge.
Does IONOS handle WordPress sites smoothly?
Yes. WordPress hosting is one of the numerous services IONOS offers. Their WordPress hosting plans are optimized for performance and security, providing features and tools specifically tailored for WordPress users.
Read Also our Full review:
Conclusion
IONOS provides a diverse range of services designed to cater to the unique hosting needs of individuals and businesses. From shared hosting for beginners to powerful dedicated servers for resource-intensive applications, IONOS offers scalable and reliable solutions. Whether you need a simple website or a complex online platform, IONOS’s services and features empower users to establish and grow their online presence effectively.
