Although IONOS markets itself aggressively as an easy-to-use web hosting solution that offers full functionality and tons of freebies, it is in fact not that much different from your run-of-the-mill web host. Server resources are limited even for their more expensive shared plans. Renewal prices are reasonable and on par with market average though.
Good for: Beginners-friendly Budget, or Adult Website Hosting
Website: https://www.ionos.com/
What We Think About IONOS Hosting
IONOS Pros
- Reliable server uptime performance
- Easy-to-use user dashboard
- Built-in DDoS and web applications firewall (WAF) protection
IONOS Cons
- Unhelpful customer support
- Expensive signup price
- Limitations in SSL usage
- Price increase during the renewal
IONOS – Our Experiences & Findings
| Performance | IONOS offers dependable hosting services, with a focus on steady website functionality. While their hosting performance is not especially great, the web host incorporates essential technologies like built-in caching mechanism, HTTP-2, and various server upgrades to further enhance your website’s speed. |
| Security | IONOS excels in security, offering top-notch measures to safeguard your website. Their platform boasts features like free SSL, daily backup, to ensure your data remains secure and your site impervious to common cyber threats. |
| Supports | Customer support at IONOS has room for improvement, with some users experiencing longer response times and less personalized assistance. You can reach out to their support team via phone, live chat, and email. |
| Value for Money? | IONOS is not cheap but reasonable priced when weighed against its feature offerings and long-term cost. At $5 per month (renews at $6/mo), basic shared hosting allows you to host 1 website with 24/7 customer support, a free domain name, daily backup, and 30-days money back guarantee. Higher plans with better features like VPS starts at $2/mo, cloud hosting at $/mo and dedicated hosting at $50/mo. |
| What Other Users Think? | Based on our market research, IONOS by 1&1 received mixed reviews from its users. Many users like IONOS for its robust uptime and user-friendly interface. Nevertheless, some users have reported slow response times in IONOS customer supports and expressed concerns over its pricing. The company charges significantly higher compared to other providers in the market. |
| Suitable for Newbies? | Offering a range of features and reliable uptime performance, we think IONOS is suitable for beginners and first-time website owners. Its shared hosting plans include CDN integration, daily backups, and ample storage, providing a solid foundation for simple websites or small business sites. However, note that the web host does not offer free site migration and is slightly pricier than market average – which can be a turn off for some users. |
| Suitable for Small Business? | IONOS may present challenges for small to medium-sized businesses due to its complex pricing structure, where introductory rates significantly increase after the initial period, potentially impacting long-term budgeting. Additionally, IONOS restricts sign-ups from certain countries, which might limit its suitability for SMBs operating or targeting audiences in those regions​ |
| Suitable for Web Developers? | IONOS is not the best for web developers. Their shared hosting has limited features for developers; and VPS plans are less powerful compared to competitors (fewer CPU cores and RAM). The use of a custom control panel instead of the standard cPanel could lead to a steeper learning curve and less intuitive experience for developers accustomed to cPanel’s layout. |
| Onboarding | – |
Learn more, visit IONOS online.
IONOS Plans & Pricing
IONOS offers various hosting solutions, including Shared, VPS, and Dedicated hosting plans. Additionally, the company also provides specialty hosting services, such as Managed WordPress, Adult Websites, Email, and Minecraft hosting.
When evaluating your options, it’s crucial to remember that many hosting companies offer substantial discounts during the initial signup period, but the pricing often increases significantly upon renewal. You should thoroughly research and compare the renewal prices, not just the introductory rates, to understand the true cost of hosting over an extended period.
To help you make a more informed decision, we have prepared two tables below which compare the initial signup and subsequent renewal costs of IONOS services with several other providers that we actively monitor.
Review IONOS Signup Price
| Web Host | Shared | VPS | Dedicated | Cloud | WordPress | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS | $5.00 – 13.00/mo | $2.00 – 30.00/mo | $50.00 – 150.00/mo | $ – /mo | $4.50 – 11.00/mo | $6.00 – 11.00/mo |
| WP Engine | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $35.00 – 675.00/mo | $15.00 – 145.00/mo | $ – /mo |
| Hostens | $1.00 – 4.00/mo | $5.25 – 21.00/mo | $49.99 – 89.99/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $13.13 – 52.50/mo |
| Hostinger | $2.49 – 8.99/mo | $5.99 – 17.99/mo | $ – /mo | $8.99 – 29.99/mo | $2.49 – 8.99/mo | $ – /mo |
| BlueHost | $2.95 – 13.95/mo | $29.99 – 69.99/mo | $89.98 – 139.99/mo | $ – /mo | $2.95 – 13.95/mo | $ – /mo |
| Vice Temple | $3.75 – 44.00/mo | $28.00 – 418.00/mo | $165.00 – 2420.00/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
Review IONOS Renewal Price
| Web Host | Shared | VPS | Dedicated | Cloud | WordPress | Windows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS | $6.00 – 16.00/mo | $2.00 – 50.00/mo | $100.00 – 250.00/mo | $ – /mo | $6.00 – 15.00/mo | $12.00 – 22.00/mo |
| WP Engine | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $35.00 – 675.00/mo | $30.00 – 145.00/mo | $ – /mo |
| Hostens | $4.00 – 16.00/mo | $7.50 – 30.00/mo | $49.99 – 89.99/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $18.75 – 75.00/mo |
| Hostinger | $11.99 – 24.99/mo | $13.99 – 49.99/mo | $ – /mo | $24.99 – 64.99/mo | $11.99 – 24.99/mo | $ – /mo |
| BlueHost | $11.99 – 28.99/mo | $79.99 – 142.99/mo | $179.99 – 259.99/mo | $ – /mo | $11.99 – 28.99/mo | $ – /mo |
| Vice Temple | $3.75 – 44.00/mo | $28.00 – 418.00/mo | $165.00 – 2420.00/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
Bottomline: Is IONOS Right for You?
IONOS offers a beginner-friendly and budget-conscious web hosting service, notable for its reliable server uptime and security measures like DDoS and WAF protection. However, the web host faces challenges with customer support responsiveness and limitations in SSL usage. The platform’s pricing, while reasonable at first glance, increases upon renewal, which could affect long-term budget planning.
Been with IONOS for my small business site, and it’s solid. The speed is good, which is important because no one likes a slow website. They have these packages that include everything you might need, like email and domain, which makes life easier. Had a small issue with billing once, but their customer service fixed it fast. They’re reliable and don’t break the bank. Happy customer here!
IONOS hosting offers good uptime but they could really really improve their customer support.