IONOS Hosting Review 2023
Quick Overview
When it comes to choosing a web hosting provider, it’s important to consider several factors such as affordability, reliability, performance, and security. With so many options available in the market today, finding the right pick can be overwhelming. This is where our IONOS hosting review comes into play. We’ve conducted extensive tests and research to help you make an informed decision.
If you’re looking for a reliable web host with years of industry experience, then 1&1 IONOS might just be the perfect fit for your website needs. As Europe’s largest hosting provider with over 30 years of experience in the industry, they offer an extensive range of website-related solutions that cater to all types of businesses – from shared hosting plans to agency hosting solutions. Their affordable prices and ease of use have made them popular among more than 8 million users worldwide.
The Pros and Cons
IONOS Hosting Review At A Glance
| Performance Grade | A |
| Free Website Migration | ✔ |
| Uptime | 99.99% |
| Average Load Time | 142ms |
| Free Domain | No |
| Free Wildcard SSL | ✔ |
| 1-click WordPress Install | ✔ |
| Money-Back guarantee | 30 days |
Ease of Use
IONOS hosting is known for its ease of use, making it a top choice for individuals and businesses looking to create and manage a website quickly and easily. With IONOS, you can launch a simple website in mere minutes thanks to its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop website builder. The platform comes with hundreds of customizable design templates that allow you to create a professional-looking website without any coding or design experience. For those who want more customization options, IONOS offers WordPress hosting plans that come with additional features such as advanced plugins, themes, and customizations. Additionally, users have access to over 70 popular third-party applications with one-click installation options. This makes it easy for users to add new features and functionality to their websites without having to code anything.
Performance
When it comes to hosting your website, performance is everything. You need a provider that you can rely on to keep your site running smoothly and without interruption. After all, any downtime could lead to lost revenue and frustrated visitors. This is why uptime is such an important factor when choosing a hosting service.
While no provider can guarantee 100% uptime, you want one that comes as close as possible. IONOS by 1&1 boasts an impressive uptime score of 99.9%, which means your site will be up and running for the vast majority of the time. And in our own testing, we found IONOS to be consistently reliable, earning a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for uptime. Of course, even with the best hosting provider in the world, there will always be occasional instances where downtime is unavoidable due to updates or other technical issues.
1. Page speed/load time
To ensure that the IONOS Hosting is delivering on its promise of fast website loading times, we decided to conduct a performance test using four online tools- Pingdom, GTmetrix, Bitcatcha, and K6. These tools will help us evaluate different aspects of the server’s performance and provide an accurate report.
We will test how fast IONOS Hosting loads using four online tools: Pingdom, GTmetrix, Bitcatcha, and K6. These tools will give us detailed information about our website’s performance, like how big the pages are, how many requests are made, and how long it takes to load. By using more than one tool, we can get a better idea of how well the server is working.
1. Pingdom
2. GTmetrix
3. Bitcatcha
4. K6
The four tools that were tested on IONOS Hosting have an average load time of 142ms, which is less than one second. This shows that IONOS Hosting works well and provides speedy website loading times for its customers.
2. Server Uptime
In the world of web hosting, uptime is one of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing a provider. It refers to the percentage of time that a website is up and running without any downtime or interruptions. The higher the uptime rate, the better it is for businesses or individuals who rely on their websites for online presence and revenue generation.
That’s why we put IONOS Hosting through our rigorous tests for 2022-23, and we’re thrilled to report that it has improved significantly since last year. Over the past twelve months, IONOS Hosting has maintained an impressive uptime rate of 99.99%, well above the industry standard of 99.99%. This means that websites hosted on IONOS servers have experienced less than five minutes of downtime per year.
Such high uptime rates are essential in today’s digital landscape where consumers expect fast-loading websites with minimal downtime.
The average uptime rate from June 2022 to May 2023:
| Month | Uptime |
| May-23 | 99.99% |
| Apr-23 | 100% |
| Mar-23 | 99.99% |
| Feb-23 | 100% |
| Jan-23 | 100% |
| Dec-22 | 100% |
| Nov-22 | 99.97% |
| Oct-22 | 99.99% |
| Sep-22 | 99.94% |
| Aug-22 | 99.98% |
| Jul-22 | 100% |
| Jun-22 | 99.99% |
| Average | 99.99% |
They were up and running for 99.99% of the past year, but experienced about 53 minutes of downtime.
Features
IONOS hosting is a comprehensive and powerful platform that provides a wide range of features including Website Builder, Free Domain Transfer, Free Cloudflare CDN, Free Wildcard SSL Certificate, many Security Features, 1-Click installation for over 70 Apps, Automatic and Manual Backups, Optimization Features, High-Speed Server, unlimited Storage, and Bandwidth and more to help individuals and businesses create and manage their online presence.
1. Storage and Bandwidth Limits
IONOS hosting is one of the most popular hosting providers in the world. One of its key features is its storage plan, which allows users to store their data securely and efficiently on the IONOS servers. The essential plan comes with 10 GB of storage, making it suitable for small businesses or personal websites that don’t require large amounts of data. For those who require a bit more space, the starter plan offers 100 GB of storage, enough for most small to medium-sized businesses.
For those who need even more space, IONOS offers two plans with unlimited storage: Plus and Ultimate. These plans are suitable for larger businesses or websites that deal with large amounts of data regularly. With unlimited storage, users can rest assured knowing they have ample space to store their files without worrying about running out of room.
Not only does IONOS provide ample storage space, but it also ensures that users have access to unlimited bandwidth and FTP accounts.
2. High-Speed Server
IONOS 1&1 Servers are known for their powerful, high-performance servers that offer the best quality and great uptime. These servers can handle even the most demanding websites and applications with ease, thanks to their reliable hardware and advanced features.
One of the key advantages of IONOS 1&1 Servers is their use of state-of-the-art technology. They feature advanced processors, ample memory, fast storage drives, and cutting-edge networking equipment. This means that they can deliver blazing-fast speeds and exceptional performance for your website or application. In addition to their powerful hardware, IONOS 1&1 Servers also come with a range of tools and features designed to make it easy to manage your server environment. From intuitive control panels to automated backups and security scans, these servers offer everything you need to keep your online presence running smoothly.
3. Optimization Features
IONOS 1&1 has a range of features that can help you optimize your website for better performance and user experience. While IONOS does not have its own plugin for optimization, there are several tools and plugins available that can be used to effectively optimize your site. These tools include code optimization tools such as CSS Minifier, CSS Compressor, and JavaScript Minifier which can help reduce the size of files on your website to improve loading speed.
In addition to code optimization tools, caching plugins like W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, and Cachify can also be used with WordPress websites to make them load faster by storing frequently used data in a cache. This means that when someone visits your website again later on, the pages will load from the cache instead of starting from scratch each time. One recommended plugin for image optimization is WP Smush, which reduces the size of images without sacrificing quality. This can improve page load times and reduce bandwidth usage. Another tool suggested by IONOS is EWWW Image Optimizer, which optimizes all uploaded images automatically in real-time to ensure they are as small as possible while still looking great on any device.
4. Automatic and Manual Backups
IONOS Backup is a tool designed to protect your data and ensure that you won’t lose your valuable information. With daily backups available on all plans, you no longer need to worry about losing important files or documents. IONOS Backup makes sure that all your data remains safe and secure.
The best part about IONOS Backup is that it offers both automatic and manual backups. Automatic backups are scheduled at regular intervals, so you don’t have to manually initiate each backup. This feature provides peace of mind as your data is backed up automatically, making sure you never miss a backup schedule. The manual backup option is ideal for those who need more control over their backup process. You can initiate backups whenever required with the click of a button.
Additionally, IONOS Backup’s recovery feature allows users to restore lost or corrupted data quickly and efficiently while minimizing downtime in case of an incident.
5. 1-Click installation for over 70 Apps
One of its most popular features is the 1-click install option for over 70 apps and content management systems (CMSs). This feature makes it easy for users to install their desired applications with just one click.
Popular CMSs such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and PrestaShop can all be installed with the 1-click option. Additionally, other useful applications like PHPBB forum software and MediaWiki can also be installed in just a few seconds. The installation process is very user-friendly and requires no technical knowledge or previous experience. The 1-click install feature saves time and effort for users who want to start building their websites immediately. It eliminates the need to manually download files or set up databases from scratch.
6. Security Features
With the rise of online businesses and e-commerce, website security has become a top priority for many entrepreneurs. One of the most common threats to a website’s security is a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which overwhelms the server with traffic from multiple sources until it crashes. To avoid such attacks, IONOS hosting offers DDoS protection that effectively safeguards your website from incoming attacks and ensures that you stay online. IONOS hosting uses advanced technology to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks before they can cause any damage to your website. This includes analyzing traffic patterns in real time and blocking malicious IP addresses. Additionally, if an attack does occur, IONOS hosting will notify you immediately so you can take appropriate action. With this reliable protection in place, you can focus on growing your business without worrying about cyber threats.
7. Free Wildcard SSL Certificate
If you’re running a website, then having an SSL certificate is essential. Not only does it help protect your users’ data, but it also gives them confidence that your site is secure. IONOS has made it easy for website owners to get a free SSL certificate with their hosting plan. And now they are offering a free Wildcard SSL certificate with every hosting plan. A Wildcard SSL certificate protects multiple subdomains on the same domain name. This means that instead of having to purchase separate certificates for each subdomain, one Wildcard SSL certificate can cover them all. So if you have a website with multiple subdomains like blog.yourwebsite.com or shop.yourwebsite.com, then this free Wildcard SSL certificate from IONOS can save you time and money.
8. Free Cloudflare CDN
IONOS hosting has partnered with Cloudflare, a leading content delivery network (CDN), to provide its customers with lightning-fast website loading speeds. The CDN automatically distributes your website to over 60 data centers around the world, ensuring that it loads quickly and efficiently from anywhere. This means that visitors to your site will experience faster load times, resulting in a better user experience overall.
Not only does Cloudflare’s CDN improve website performance, but it also provides added security features such as protection against DDoS attacks and malware. This is particularly important for businesses that rely heavily on their websites for sales or customer engagement. With the Cloudflare CDN in place, you can be assured that your website is not only fast but also secure. In addition to improved speed and security, IONOS hosting’s partnership with Cloudflare allows customers to easily manage their CDN settings directly from their control panel.
9. Free Domain Transfer but not Migration
One of the notable benefits of using IONOS for your web hosting needs is its free domain transfer. This means that if you already have a registered domain name with another provider, you can easily transfer it to IONOS without any additional fees. However, it’s important to note that while IONOS offers free domain transfer services, they do not offer free website migration. This means that if you have an existing website hosted with another provider and want to move it over to IONOS, there will be some costs associated with the process. The cost will depend on the complexity of your website and how much work is involved in migrating all files and data to the new server.
10. Website Builder NOT FREE
IONOS hosting is a popular web host that offers a variety of website-building tools to its users. One of these tools is the IONOS builder, which allows users to create professional-looking websites without any coding experience. However, it’s important to note that while IONOS hosting does offer a website builder, it is not entirely free. The starter plan for the IONOS builder costs $5 per month for the first six months and then increases to $9 per month thereafter. While this may seem like a small price to pay for such a powerful tool, it’s worth noting that other website builders on the market come with more affordable price tags or even free subscriptions. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for an all-inclusive solution from an established web host, the IONOS builder could be worth considering.
Customer support
IONOS hosting boasts round-the-clock customer support via phone, email, and chat. This is great news for customers who need immediate assistance in case they encounter any issues with their website or hosting services. The IONOS Support Team remains committed to delivering timely and efficient service to all its customers. Users can contact the team through their official email address at support@ionos.com or through phone support at 484.254.5555.
The IONOS Support Team is made up of experienced professionals who are well-equipped to handle a wide range of technical issues that may arise when using their web hosting services. However, some customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of customer support provided by IONOS.
Plans and Pricing
IONOS hosting plans and pricing are a great option for those who are looking for fast and affordable hosting services. With prices starting at just $1 per month, IONOS is a great option for anyone who is looking to host their website without breaking the bank. Their range of hosting options includes shared, dedicated, and agency hosting plans, which means that there is something to suit all budgets and needs.
One of the best things about IONOS hosting is that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means that if you’re not happy with your hosting service within the first 30 days, you can get your money back with no questions asked. This gives customers peace of mind knowing that they can try out the service risk-free. Additionally, IONOS offers four different shared hosting plans: Essential, Starter, Plus, and Ultimate plan.
Here are the prices for IONOS hosting services.
Shared Hosting
The Shared Hosting plans have four options: Essential, Starter, Plus, and Ultimate.
1. The Essential plan is for one website and costs $4 per month for 12 months, then $6 per month.
2. The Starter plan is for ten websites and costs $6 per month for 12 months, then $8 per month.
3. The Plus plan is the most popular and is for unlimited websites. It costs $1 per month for 12 months, then $12 per month.
4. The Ultimate plan is for multiple large web projects and costs $10 per month for 12 months, then $16 per month.
Dedicated Hosting
IONOS offers Dedicated Hosting plans with three options: L-16 SSD, XL-32 SSD, and XL-64 SSD.
1. The L-16 SSD is for demanding web projects and costs $70 per month for the first three months, then $90 per month.
2. The XL-32 SSD is for large web projects and costs $110 per month for the first three months, then $130 per month.
3. The XL-64 SSD is for multiple large web projects and costs $140 per month for the first three months, then $160 per month.
All plans have a setup fee of $50.
Agency Hosting
IONOS has Agency Hosting plans with four options: Essential+, Starter+, Plus+, and Ultimate+.
1. The Essential plan is for one website or project and costs $4 per month for the first year, then $6 per month.
2. The Starter plan is for ten websites or projects and costs $6 per month for the first year, then $8 per month.
3. The Plus plan is for unlimited websites and is the most popular plan. It costs $1 per month for the first year, then $12 per month. 4. The Ultimate plan is for multiple large web projects and costs $10 per month for the first year, then $16 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I move my domain to IONOS?
You can transfer your domain name to IONOS with their technical support. They are always available by phone.
What payment methods does IONOS accept?
You can pay IONOS with a card or PayPal.
Does IONOS offer cPanel?
IONOS doesn’t use cPanel. They have their own control panel that also serves as their main dashboard.
Does IONOS guarantee uptime?
Yes, IONOS has a 99.99 uptime guarantee. This means that their servers will be available and running 99.99% of the time. Additionally, IONOS offers advanced security measures to protect your data from cyber threats and malicious attacks. With their 99.99 uptime guarantee, you can rest assured that your business is in good hands with IONOS hosting solutions.
Did 1&1 change its name to IONOS?
January 2020 marked a significant change for 1&1 IONOS, the web hosting and cloud infrastructure provider. The company announced that it would be dropping the number and changing its name to simply IONOS. This rebranding effort was aimed at streamlining the company’s image and making it easier for customers to remember its name. While this may seem like a small change, it reflects a larger trend in the tech industry toward simpler branding.
IONOS has been around since 1988 when it was established as 1&1 in Europe. In the early 2000s, the company expanded to the United States and quickly gained popularity as a reliable web hosting solution. Over time, IONOS grew into one of the largest web-hosting companies in the world, serving millions of customers across multiple continents.
Final Thoughts
IONOS stands out as a reliable and secure web hosting provider with an impressive range of features. With its affordable introductory pricing, it’s a great choice for startups and small businesses looking to establish an online presence without breaking the bank. While there are certainly other options on the market, few can match IONOS in terms of value and affordability. So if you’re in the market for a reliable web host, we encourage you to give IONOS serious consideration – your wallet (and your website) will thank you!
Are you searching for alternatives to IONOS hosting?
If you are searching for alternatives to IONOS hosting, there are a few reliable options that you can consider. Bluehost and Hostgator have emerged as top contenders in the web hosting industry, providing excellent features and customer support.
Bluehost has been around since 2003 and is one of the most popular web hosts on the market. With its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing plans, it’s easy to see why so many website owners choose Bluehost. The company offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and WordPress hosting. Their plans also come with free domain registration for the first year, unlimited bandwidth and storage space, as well as a 30 days money-back guarantee. Read our Bluehost Review.
HostGator is another reputable alternative to IONOS hosting. HostGator is an excellent option for beginners who want easy-to-use tools and features to manage their websites. It offers shared, VPS, reseller, and dedicated hosting plans that cater to different needs and budgets. With HostGator’s 24/7 customer support via phone or live chat, you can get all your queries resolved quickly. Additionally, it also comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with its services. Read our HostGator Review.
