IONOS review: can quality hosting cost $1.00/month?

IONOS, formerly known as 1&1, might seem almost too good to be true, with its hosting plans starting at just $1.00/month. Such a low price can feel a bit shady at first – but it’s not. In fact, IONOS has climbed to the #2 spot on our best web hosting list thanks to its reliable performance, solid security features, and excellent value.

At Cybernews, we test web hosts monthly, and in this latest May update, I take a fresh hands-on look at IONOS to show what’s changed, what’s improved, and why it still holds its place as one of the top hosting providers.

⭐ Rating:	4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
💵 Price:	From $1.00/month
📑 Uptime guarantee:	99.99%
⚙️ Hosting types:	Shared, WordPress, Windows, VPS, dedicated
🌎 Server locations:	The US, the UK, Germany, France, and Spain
👨‍💻 24/7 live support:	Yes
🔥 Coupons:	IONOS coupon 93% OFF!

Visit IONOS

Cybernews evaluation: IONOS pros and cons

IONOS pricing and plans

IONOS stands out with some of the lowest prices on the hosting market – you get shared hosting from $1.00/month, making it significantly cheaper than other quality providers like Hostinger ($2.69/month) or Bluehost ($1.99/month). On top of that, IONOS also offers a wide range of solutions, including WordPress Pro, Windows, VPS, and dedicated hosting.

Here are the types of hosting offered by IONOS and their price range:

Type of hosting	Starting price	Best for
Shared hosting	From $1.00/month	Beginners and basic websites for portfolios, blogs, passion projects, and small businesses
WordPress hosting	From $1.00/month	WordPress developers, designers, and agencies
Windows VPS hosting	From $14.00/month	Small and medium-sized projects on the Windows operating system (OS)
Linux VPS hosting	From $2.00/month	More advanced users who want better resources, control, and performance
Dedicated server hosting (AMD, Intel®, and storage servers)	From $41.00/month	High-traffic websites, organizations, online stores, and advanced users
Ecommerce hosting (WooCommerce)	From $16.00/month	Small online stores using WooCommerce
Website builder hosting	From $1.00/month	Beginners building a website without coding skills

As you can see from the table, IONOS not only offers low prices for basic services like shared or WordPress hosting, but also has great deals for more advanced solutions like VPS or dedicated server hosting. While Bluehost’s VPS plans range from $46.99 to $141.19/month, IONOS starts at only $2.00/month. To save even more, check out the latest IONOS coupon codes.

IONOS hosting management and features

IONOS offers a user-friendly hosting service with its custom control panel, which is designed to be simple and functional. While it doesn’t use the traditional cPanel, the interface is intuitive and well-organized. This makes everyday tasks like managing domains, emails, and websites straightforward, even for newcomers. This means users familiar with cPanel may need a short adjustment period, but the learning curve is minimal overall.

One standout feature I’d like to mention is the built-in security and performance tools, which are easily accessible and don’t require technical knowledge. Compared to other providers, IONOS balances between ease of use and control. It may not be the simplest on the market (like Wix or Squarespace for non-technical users), but for a full-featured web host, it’s impressively accessible.

Hosting management feels efficient and thoughtfully designed, especially if you look for an affordable yet capable platform.

IONOS setup process

The IONOS setup process is quite simple for new customers and involves just a few steps. However, it can get more complicated if you want to transfer an existing domain or a WordPress site. I found it to be pretty straightforward and intuitive.

The best part about IONOS is that all plans include a website builder, so once you sign up for hosting and create your domain, you can also build a website right there. Here’s what the IONOS setup process looks like if you get a new domain:

1. Log in to your account. Head to the website builder if you start from scratch. Otherwise, you can migrate an existing website.
2. Choose whether you want to create a website with AI or do it yourself. The AI option will lead to some questions about your business. If you do it yourself, you can choose a template, themes, color palettes, and fonts.
3. You can also edit the website and add some additional information.
4. In the IONOS App Center, you can install various website plugins like a website translator or an appointment booking calendar. The installation and setup are very easy and require just a few clicks.
5. In the Email section on your account, you can set up email addresses either with the IONOS Webmail service or any other third-party email provider, such as Gmail and Microsoft Exchange.

If you already have a domain, transfer it to IONOS before setting up your IONOS account. Otherwise, you can also point your domain to IONOS in your account's Domains & SSL section.

Additionally, if you already have a website, you can migrate it to IONOS. Keep in mind that the migration process differs for sites with different CMS. For WordPress, you can either migrate it manually or install a WordPress migration plugin. Unfortunately, IONOS doesn’t offer WordPress migration support.

IONOS control panel

The IONOS control panel also doubles as the main dashboard. Hence, everything you need to run your website – from hosting to domain and security – is right here on one interface. The interface is clean, intuitive, and user-friendly.

Upon login, you’ll see the main dashboard that works as the control panel.

Right at the very top is a prompt to complete the next step of the setup process if your account is new. To the right are the suggestions for search engine optimization, with the option to access the detailed analysis.

In the center of the window, you’ll find all the functionalities you need for your website. They are under the main categories – Domains & SSL, Email, Websites & Shops.

Some users find the IONOS control panel confusing, especially if they’re used to cPanel. However, I think it’s natural to need some time to get used to a new interface – it doesn’t mean the IONOS interface is bad; it’s probably just different.

In fact, I find that the interface is very beginner-oriented. Everything is well-organized, intuitive, and practical.

Also, if you do need help navigating, the search bar is there for you. It helps you quickly find things like the domain and WordPress, which brings us to the next part.

IONOS WordPress management

For WordPress installation and management, IONOS offers helpful tools to simplify and accelerate the process. While not overly elaborate, it provides features like a one-click installer and setup assistance.

Whether you opt for a managed WordPress, unmanaged WordPress, or shared hosting plan, the provider offers basic setup assistance to simplify the content management system. One of the main services rendered is via its custom installer.

The IONOS custom one-click installer helps you quickly set up your WordPress site to hit the ground running. It’s as simple as any other one-click installer on the market. All you need to do is enter your domain name and hit install.

In addition to the custom installer, the host also offers the WordPress Setup Assistant plugin. Simply select your site's purpose, and the Assistant will take over. It will suggest design templates and install the selected template and various plugins.

It’s a great assistant if you’re a beginner who has no idea where to start with WordPress. And if you prefer a more hands-off approach, you will also appreciate the simplified WordPress setup.

IONOS web builder

IONOS's hosting plans include a built-in website builder, making it easy to create a professional-looking site without any coding skills. The builder is designed for beginners and small businesses, offering a simple drag-and-drop editor, mobile-friendly templates, and built-in tools like SSL and email hosting.

While it’s not as flashy or flexible as builders like Wix or Squarespace, it covers the basics well and is very budget-friendly. It’s a solid option if you want to get online quickly and affordably.

Check out our IONOS website builder review for a closer look at its features and how it compares to others.

IONOS email hosting

IONOS email is included in all of its hosting plans. However, if you want to create a custom email, you’ll need a registered domain with IONOS.

Importantly, IONOS also offers professional Microsoft email solutions, including Hosted Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365/Office 365. These provide advanced collaboration tools, larger mailbox storage, and seamless integration with Outlook and other Microsoft apps. This is ideal for business users looking for more robust email and productivity features.

The email setup process is rather straightforward. Upon creating an email, you can select additional features, such as email archiving, virus protection, and an AI email assistant. Note that any extra features are paid, but the AI assistant comes with a 1-month free trial.

I find the IONOS email dashboard quite familiar, as it closely resembles Gmail. It includes a calendar, address book, tasks, portal features, and design customization options.

After creating and setting up a custom email, you can edit inbox settings, including the autoresponder and forwarding, and use migration tools. Remember that only one professional email account with 2GB of storage is available with all IONOS plans.

IONOS performance

IONOS performance is very good, considering what you pay. The host is reliable and pretty fast. Meanwhile, its traffic-handling ability could be better, but it's still absolutely not a cause for concern. For this IONOS review, together with the Cybernews research team, I put the provider under intense pressure and ran three types of tests to check its uptime and response time, speed, and stress-handling ability.

IONOS uptime and response time

To evaluate IONOS’ reliability, I tested the uptime and server response time. That is, how long the site stays up and running, and how long it takes to respond to a user request.

For almost a month, the host maintained an 85% uptime with the same reachability. That’s lower than the provider’s uptime guarantee of 99.99%. By comparison, Hostinger’s and Bluehost’s uptime results in our tests were 100%.

That said, maintaining 100% uptime all the time is virtually impossible, as a few minutes of downtime are inevitable for things like server maintenance. In any case, IONOS's current uptime is a downside, compared even to its own performance in our tests in previous months – something I hope will improve and get more stable soon.

As for the server response time, IONOS has made noticeable improvements, now averaging 181.48ms. This is a significant upgrade from the previous result of 914ms. This puts it just below providers like Hostinger and Bluehost – 175ms and 154ms, respectively – and well above the market average of 600ms. With a response time under 200ms, IONOS now ranks among the faster mainstream hosting providers, offering a much better performance baseline than before.

While there’s always room to improve, this result shows that IONOS is taking speed seriously and is more than capable of delivering fast, responsive hosting.

IONOS website speed

Next, I tested the provider’s website speed on a fully built WordPress site. It did relatively well in this test with the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). What you want here is to see an LCP below 2.5s, which is considered incredibly fast and good news for user experience.

In the case of IONOS, LCP for the Virginia server was 3.352s, which is above Google’s recommended 2.5s. While it’s not an ideal result, LCP scores that fall within the range of 2.5-4s are still considered good, but could use some improvement.

Briefly, IONOS loads websites fairly quickly. That’s what matters for organic traffic and user experience.

IONOS stress testing

Lastly, we tested IONOS’s traffic-handling ability. To do so, I first sent 50 virtual users (VUs) to my test website. Ideally, I want a flat blue line (speed) as the gray line (number of visitors) heads up. Meanwhile, the red line (failure) shouldn’t be there. Regrettably, 50 VUs overwhelmed the server quite a bit. The site started to slow down, and the response time rapidly increased.

By comparison, Hostinger’s server response time remained low and stable even as the number of users and requests increased. That said, I want to note that 50 VUs would equal 50,000 monthly visitors – a massive load on the server, especially a shared one.

So, I eased up and gradually slashed the number of VUs until IONOS passed with 10 VUs, which is about 10,000 monthly visitors. It might not sound like a lot, but trust me – that’s still far more than most websites on shared hosting experience.

IONOS has proven to be reasonably stable and fast, delivering performance that's generally worthy of praise. The last time I tested its uptime, it reached an impressive 99.98%, which puts it ahead of many competitors in the same price range. However, during our most recent review, I noticed some inconsistencies. I’m not entirely sure what caused the change, so I plan to run another round of testing in about a month to see if the performance stabilizes.

Security: is IONOS secure?

IONOS covers all the security basics for hosting and offers more advanced security solutions. Provided features include SSL Wildcard certificates, daily backups, and DDoS protection.

• SSL certificates. IONOS offers a free SSL Wildcard certificate for all plans to enable an encrypted connection between your site and your visitors. A free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is the bare minimum, but getting a Wildcard SSL instead is a pleasant surprise. It protects not only the main domain but also all subdomains.
• Backups. The provider offers automatic daily backups for both webspace and databases. They are automatically stored for up to 6 days, allowing you to recover files easily. For a budget host, weekly backups are more common than daily automated backups, making this a notable advantage for IONOS.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection. DDoS is an attack in which traffic from various compromised systems floods a targeted site to overload it. DDoS attacks often make the targeted site inaccessible, so it’s a good thing that IONOS’ DDoS protection is activated by default.
• Site Scan. A basic version is included to scan for malware. Some of its features include daily malware scanning, reputation monitoring, spam and blocklist monitoring, and a platform scan for WordPress.
• Georedundant infrastructure. IONOS stores your data in two separate data centers, about 60 kilometers apart, to protect against data loss and outages.

Overall, I’m impressed with IONOS' wide-ranging basic and advanced security measures, especially considering its affordability. It’s far more generous than its peers.

IONOS customer support

24/7 live chat	✅ Yes
Email	❌ No
Tickets	❌ No
Phone support	✅ Yes
Knowledge base	✅ Yes

IONOS offers different support channels: 24/7 live chat and phone customer support, as well as a knowledge base with countless articles and tutorials. Interestingly, IONOS doesn’t provide a support email address but does offer multiple phone numbers for different countries.

When testing the phone support, I always found someone available to take my calls, and the agents were helpful and efficient. The 24/7 live chat also connected me to an agent pretty fast. However, I had to try a few times, as the live chat was sometimes too busy with no agents available. Nevertheless, my overall experience with IONOS 24/7 support was positive.

The IONOS help center includes hundreds of support articles, sorted into various topics from domains to data protection to online marketing and technical support. Each article is well-written and carefully structured.

IONOS’ customer support via phone and live chat is fast and efficient. Its knowledge base and help center are also extremely helpful.

IONOS review: the final verdict

Based on my and the Cybernews research team’s testing and evaluations, IONOS stands out as one of the top hosting providers, especially for business-oriented websites and projects of varying sizes. It offers excellent resources with its business-oriented subscription plans at affordable prices.

Security-wise, IONOS delivers an impressive suite of features, with options to enhance site protection through paid add-ons like virus protection and email archiving. The inclusion of Microsoft email solutions is also a major plus for professional users.

In terms of performance, IONOS has historically delivered strong results, which positioned it among the best performers in its price range. However, during our latest round of testing, we noticed some fluctuations. While it's too early to draw definitive conclusions, we plan to re-test in the coming weeks to verify whether this was an anomaly or a new trend.

Overall, IONOS remains a top-tier hosting option, particularly for business users, and comfortably earns its place near the top of our list of best hosting providers.

Feature	4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	Cheap and secure web hosting
Pricing	★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	IONOS pricing is affordable with its Plus shared hosting plan priced at just $1.00/month, thanks to a huge introductory discount.
Ease of use	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	The provider is very easy to use. Its custom control panel is neat, well-organized, and functional. Plus, WordPress setup requires just one click with its installer.
Performance	★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	The host is reliable and has speedy server response times. However, its performance could be improved with better website loading times and traffic-handling ability.
Security	★ ★ ★ ★ ★	IONOS has you covered with its full stack of security solutions. It covers all the basics and offers some nifty advanced features.
Support	★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	The provider has two 24/7 support methods – live chat and phone line. Additionally, you can browse the seemingly endless help center for solutions.

Buy IONOS

FAQ