IONOS
Written by
Steven Harrods
About the brand
Founded in 1988, IONOS started as a simple hosting company and has since grown into one of the largest providers in the industry, serving over eight million freelancers, small businesses, and medium-sized businesses worldwide. They don’t just offer web hosting; they give you a complete toolkit for creating and growing your online presence. Building your website is simple, and can be done in three simple steps: choose a professional template, add your content, and personaliz...e the design. The platform’s drag-and-drop functionality means that, even without coding knowledge, you can create a personal blog, portfolio, or business website in minutes. Plus, IONOS includes a free domain, SSL certificate, and a professional email address for your first year — the essentials are all covered. IONIS also offers design tools and a vast library of fonts, color schemes, and mobile-responsive templates, allowing you to craft a unique, visually appealing website that’s SEO-ready. The new AI-powered website builder can even create a site for you based on just a few details, providing text, images, and layouts tailored to your business needs.
9.0
Price
8.0
Ease of use
9.0
Features
8.0
Service
8.5
Overall
Our Verdict
After using IONOS, I found it to be a well-rounded hosting provider that truly simplifies the website-building experience. The setup was easy from the get-go, with an intuitive dashboard that helped me manage everything from domains to email without a steep learning curve. Their 24/7 support stood out, especially with the added personal consultant feature, which gave me direct assistance whenever I needed it. Knowing I could get help on demand made the process feel much more approachable.
The range of templates and AI-driven tools also made designing the site enjoyable. I could quickly tailor the look and feel of my website, using high-quality templates and customizing sections and colors with ease.
Overall, my experience with IONOS was positive. From speed and security to customization and customer support, they offer a dependable and accessible platform that makes creating and managing a website straightforward. IONOS is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a blend of performance, support, and ease of use.
Pros
- Intuitive dashboard with 1-click installs, ideal for beginners
- Flexible plans with added tools like AI, booking, and SEO
- Wildcard SSL, DDoS protection, and daily backups
- Quick installs for WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal
- Dedicated guidance with every plan
Cons
- Occasional live chat delays - peak times may cause delays in live chat...
- Starter plans lack some high-level tools
Products & Pricing
Hosting Plans
All IONOS web hosting plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, advanced security features, instant scalability, unmetered bandwidth, a free Wildcard SSL certificate, a free domain for the first year, professional email, daily backup and recovery, and 24/7 support. With one-click installs and reliable storage, each plan is designed to meet diverse hosting needs.
Essential
Priced at $4/month with a 1-year term, Essential is perfect for those launching their first website. It supports 1 website, with 10 GB of redundant storage, 10 databases, and initial CPU and memory resources — ideal for smaller projects and sites.
Starter
For $6/month with a 1-year term, Starter offers more power and is well-suited for growing sites. It supports up to 10 websites with 100 GB of storage, 50 databases, and basic CPU and memory resources to handle more demanding site needs.
Plus
IONOS’s bestseller at just $1/month with a 1-year term, Plus is built for memory-intensive and high-demand websites. This plan supports unlimited websites, unlimited storage, and unlimited databases, with enhanced CPU and memory resources for reliable performance.
Ultimate
At $10/month with a 1-year term, Ultimate provides peak performance, making it ideal for high-traffic or eCommerce sites. It includes unlimited websites, storage, databases, and maximum CPU and memory resources, ensuring your site stays fast and responsive under heavy load.
Website Plans
Each plan includes IONOS’s responsive design, AI tools, and personal consultant support to make building and growing your site seamless.
Starter
Priced at $6/month with a 1-year term, this plan is perfect for beginners looking to get online fast. It includes an intuitive editor, the AI Website Builder, a free domain for the first year, 2 GB email storage, 10 GB of web space, and up to 10 pages — covering all the essentials to get you started.
Plus
At just $1/month with a 1-year term, Plus offers enhanced customization with everything in Starter, plus an integrated booking tool, AI-driven text and image generators, and SEO text generation. This plan is ideal for creating a polished, search-ready site.
Pro
Priced at $17/month with a 1-year term, Pro is designed for growing businesses, offering unlimited pages and web space, a premium 50 GB email inbox with active sync, SiteAnalytics Plus, and rankingCoach SEO tools, giving you the power to scale and optimize your online presence effectively.
In-depth review
Features & Functionality
The IONOS by 1&1 website builder has a large collection of features for beginners and experts alike. It has an image editor to help you present your products in the best light, 17,000+ stock images, responsive sites, a drag-and-drop editor, multiple design elements, and so much more.
Email Marketing
Get access to an email campaign builder to send out messages to your contacts. It comes with multiple templates and they’re mobile-optimized right out the gate. It provides insightful reports to help you optimize your campaigns and you can even A/B test messages until you find the right ones.
Mobile App
A mobile app allows you to make simple changes to your website on the fly and monitor key statistics so you’ll always be in the loop. You can even add products and set them live while on the go.
Website Personalization
It has a library of personalization templates you can use to build your own campaigns. You can set rules for your campaign, and target based on time, location, the device being used, and even the number of visits someone has made to your website.
Invoices & Taxes
If you’re handy with HTML you can make changes to the invoices so they show more specific information related to the order. Taxes are automatically added to orders based on the location or manual settings you provide.
SEO & Marketing Tools
- SEO Ready: Built-in SEO features and SEO text generator to help your site rank on search engines.
- Online Booking Tool: Simplifies appointment scheduling for businesses offering bookable services.
- Competitor Tracking: Monitor competitors and adapt strategies.
ranking - Coach Standard: Integrated tool for continuous SEO optimization.
Speed & Performance
IONOS hosting delivers excellent speed with up to 19 GB of RAM and a PHP memory limit of 896 MB, perfect for handling high traffic smoothly. Enhanced by PHP with OPcache, HTTP/2, and gzip compression, your website loads quickly, offering a streamlined user experience.
Security
Security is central with IONOS. Each plan includes a Wildcard SSL certificate for subdomain encryption, daily backups, and Site Scan for malware protection. DDoS protection shields your site from attacks, while geo-redundancy keeps it online even during server issues.
Apps & Integrations
IONOS supports easy setup of WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal, each optimized for high performance. These tools let you add essential functionalities, making your site flexible and scalable as your business grows.
Design & Templates
- AI Website Builder: Start building instantly with a user-friendly AI builder that tailors the site based on your needs.
- Professional Templates: A wide selection of high-quality, pre-designed templates suited for various industries.
- Pre-designed Color Schemes and Layouts: Choose from flexible color palettes and customizable layouts that keep your site visually cohesive.
- Flexibility in Sections: Easily add, remove, or rearrange elements in pre-designed sections for a personalized touch.
- Extensive Image Resources: Access over 17,000 royalty-free images, plus an AI Image Generator for tailored visuals.
- Website Translator: Expand reach with multilingual support.
- Social Media Integration: Seamlessly link social platforms for expanded engagement.
- Mobile Optimization: Automatic image adjustments and responsive design ensure your site looks great on all devices.
- Adjustable Design Styles: Customize typography, colors, and design styles to fit your brand’s identity.
Ease of Use
Setting up my website with IONOS was straightforward and intuitive. Right from the start, I found their dashboard easy to navigate, with everything I needed—domains, emails, security settings, and backups—right at my fingertips. Adding applications like WordPress or Joomla! was hassle-free thanks to IONOS’s 1-click install feature, making it simple to get the tools I wanted without any fuss.
One feature that really stood out was the personal consultant included with my plan. Anytime I had a question or needed guidance, I had someone to turn to, making the whole process feel much smoother. With IONOS, I could focus on building my content without getting bogged down by technical details, making the experience enjoyable and efficient.
Customer Service
IONOS makes support accessible with multiple options. Their 24/7 support includes live chat on the website, a detailed support center filled with articles and tutorials, phone support at 1-484-254-555, and email support via support@ionos.com. This variety makes it easy to find help in the way that works best for you.
When I tested their phone support, there was always someone available to take my call, and the agents were both efficient and knowledgeable. The live chat also connected me to an agent quickly, though occasionally it was busy, requiring a retry. Overall, IONOS’s support team was dependable and attentive, ensuring I had the assistance I needed.
Phone Support
Call 1-484-254-555 for direct assistance.
Live Online Chat
Live chat is available for customers between 8 AM and 8 PM.
Reach out to support@ionos.com anytime.
User Reviews
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Leave a review to help others make smarter decisions.
Write a reviewWe make the best effort to present up-to-date information; however, the terms of each offer can be revised according to the service provider’s discretion. The above shall not be considered as an expert or professional advice for any matter.
9.0
Price
8.0
Ease of use
9.0
Features
8.0
Service
8.5
Overall
Thank you!