IONOS: All About Hosting and the Best Alternatives

History of IONOS

IONOS was founded in 1988 in Germany under the name 1&1 Internet. In the early years, it specialized in Internet access, e-mail services and domain registration. In 1998–2004, 1&1 actively expanded in the UK and the USA. It also opened its own data centers in Germany and North America. It began providing web hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and email hosting.

In 2018, the company merged with the infrastructure provider ProfitBricks (cloud technologies) and rebranded from 1&1 Internet to IONOS by 1&1. New cloud services, enhanced security, and scalable server solutions were introduced. Later, the brand simplified its name to simply IONOS.

IONOS is today one of the largest hosting providers in Europe. It serves over 8 million customers in more than 15 countries. Has over 90,000 servers in its own data centers. Specializes in hosting for businesses, VPS, cloud solutions, development for SMEs and domain registration.

IONOS headquarters is located in Montbauer, Germany. Hosting uses a “green” data center with energy saving.

Advantages of IONOS

The main advantage of the hosting provider is that it is a European company with German reliability. A company with over 35 years of experience, founded in Germany. Key advantages:

- High standards of security, stability and GDPR compliance.

- Affordable starting price. From $1/month for basic hosting. Often offers promotional rates for the first year.

- Free domain and SSL in most tariffs.

- Wide selection of hosting solutions for businesses. The company provides website hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, cloud infrastructure.

- Own site builder for easy website launch.

- Services for eCommerce, mail, backups, domains, Office 365, etc.

- Own data centers in Europe and the USA.

- ISO 27001 certificates, automatic backups, SSL, DDoS protection.

- Free WHOIS privacy for domains.

- Simple own control panel. This is an intuitive panel (not cPanel) developed by IONOS. It provides easy navigation for beginners and functionality for businesses.

- Support for WordPress and other popular CMS for different types of sites.

- Special rates for WordPress with automatic download and update.

- Support for Joomla, Drupal, Magento, PrestaShop, etc.

- Personal consultant for each client and 24/7 technical support via chat, phone or email (in English, German).

- Own knowledge base and instructions for working with hosting.

- Environmental friendliness. The company uses a “green” data center powered by renewable energy.

Hosting from IONOS is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses in Europe, for sites with an audience in the EU / USA, for projects with increased requirements for reliability and compliance with data laws.

Reviews about IONOS

Analyzing reviews about IONOS on the network, it is worth noting that many users note the stable operation of servers without failures and high uptime (99.9%+). The low first-time price is often highlighted as a key advantage. 

Many hosting users positively evaluate the personal consultant assigned to each client. Prompt response in chat and by phone (English, German) is noted. IONOS complies with strict European data protection regulations, which makes it a popular choice for corporate websites, online stores, and legal entities. 

As for negative reviews, not all users are satisfied with their own hosting control panel. Some users are used to the popular cPanel, and IONOS’s own panel may seem limited or unfamiliar. Some customers complain that after the first year the cost increases significantly if you do not pay attention to the renewal terms. For Ukrainian users, technical support can be inconvenient, as it is provided only in English and German.

Ratings on popular platforms (as of 2024–2025): Trustpilot: ~4.0 / 5 ⭐ (over 15,000 reviews), HostAdvice: ~8.4 / 10.

IONOS receives mostly positive reviews from small and medium-sized businesses, especially in Europe. It is chosen for its reliability, affordable price, personal support and GDPR compliance. However, for beginners or Ukrainian projects with local needs, HyperHost or Hostinger may be better suited.

Top 5 Alternatives to IONOS

HyperHost

Ukrainian hosting provider HyperHost is a great alternative to IONOS hosting. This is a local provider that provides hosting services and server rental in Ukraine, Europe and even the USA. The company is legally registered in Ukraine, making it especially convenient for Ukrainian businesses.

Advantages of HyperHost Hosting :

📋Technical support in Ukrainian and English. Support via chat, email, phone - the company's specialists respond quickly to requests, without template answers.

📋Affordable tariffs and flexible terms. Prices start from $1.28/month - cheaper than IONOS while maintaining key features.

📋7-day free trial period without linking a bank card. Possibility of payment with cryptocurrency.

📋 Lifetime hosting plans with a one-time payment.

📋30-day money-back guarantee if the service is not suitable.

📋Convenient and familiar control panel (cPanel / ISPmanager). Unlike IONOS's own panel, HyperHost offers the classic cPanel, which most users are familiar with. There is an option to choose a panel, depending on the tariff.

📋A wide range of services: Shared hosting, VPS, Dedicated servers, Reseller plans. Free SSL, automatic backups, free site migration, free site builder on virtual hosting tariffs included.

📋 Specialized hosting plans for popular CMS  (WordPress, Joomla, OpenCart, etc.).

📋High hosting performance, provided by fast servers on SSD/NVMe disks. Optimization technologies: LiteSpeed, HTTP/3, CloudLinux.

📋Transparent pricing policy: no increase in the price of services after the first year of use, like IONOS.

Who is hosting from HyperHost primarily suitable for? Ukrainian users and businesses. If your target audience is in Ukraine or neighboring European countries, HyperHost provides high loading speeds thanks to data centers in Kiev and Amsterdam.

For those looking for affordable cheap hosting, HyperHost is one of the best solutions with high-quality infrastructure. Ideal for startups, freelancers, bloggers and owners of small sites.

For beginners and non-professionals, HyperHost will also be a convenient option. Easy management through a familiar panel (cPanel, ISPmanager). There is automatic installation of CMS (WordPress, Joomla, OpenCart), free site migration from old hosting.

For those who develop an online store, blog or portal, the availability of tariffs for CMS, SSD/NVMe drives, LiteSpeed, PHP 8+ support, caching on hosting will be useful. For those who need scalability, there are various hosting options, for example, shared hosting, VPS, Dedicated servers, which allows you to easily scale as the project grows. For users who value support in their native Ukrainian language, HyperHost is also an ideal option. Technical support is available 24/7, providing services in Ukrainian and English. The company's specialists help hosting users with settings, site migration, backups, and other issues.

Bluehost

Bluehost is one of the largest hosting providers in the USA, officially recommended by WordPress.org. It is a good alternative to IONOS, especially for English-speaking audiences, blogs, small businesses, and international projects.

The Main Advantages of Bluehost Hosting:

📋Simplicity for beginners — everything is intuitive at different stages of working with hosting.

📋 Official WordPress support — with auto-download, updates, and optimization.

📋 Easy scaling of services. It is possible to easily switch to a VPS or dedicated server.

📋 Large knowledge base, educational materials for users of hosting services.

📋Fast and 24/7 technical support via chat, phone or email.

📋Servers are located mainly in the USA, which ensures fast loading for a Western audience.

📋Simple integrations with WooCommerce, Google Ads, Microsoft 365 and convenient tools for eCommerce, email marketing and security.

When is Bluehost better than IONOS? If your site is targeted at the USA, Canada or a global English-speaking audience, then it is better to choose hosting from Bluehost If you are looking for the simplest WordPress hosting with official support and if you care about a familiar control panel (cPanel), then Bluehost will also be a better solution.

Who is Bluehost hosting suitable for? For beginners who are launching a site for the first time, American hosting will be a great solution. For bloggers and small businesses, for WordPress projects, online stores and freelancers, and for those who care about English-speaking support and servers in the USA, you can safely choose hosting services from Bluehost.

HostGator

HostGator is an American hosting provider with a long history, focused on simplicity, affordability and stability. It is often chosen instead of IONOS if you need English-language support, a familiar panel (cPanel) and easy site launch without unnecessary complications.

Advantages of HostGator Hosting :

📋A clear interface and cPanel are suitable for beginners and those who are used to classic panels.

📋Scaling - from simple shared hosting to VPS and cloud.

📋Free domain for 1 year + free SSL included.

📋Large knowledge base + support via live chat, email, phone.

📋Discounts up to 60% for the first year + frequent promotions.

📋1-click installation of over 75 CMS. There are special rates with pre-installed WordPress.

📋45-day money-back guarantee, which is longer than most competitors (usually 30 days).

📋Servers in the USA with good ping for North America and other regions. Suitable for sites with an international or English-speaking audience.

Who is HostGator hosting best suited for?  First of all, for those users who plan to launch a site for a global audience or the USA. If you need English-speaking technical support and classic cPanel, then hosting from HostGator will also be a great option. For bloggers, businesses, freelancers looking for an affordable and easy-to-use.

DreamHost

DreamHost is an American hosting provider with over 25 years of history, focused on openness, transparency and support for open technologies (like WordPress). It is a good alternative to IONOS, especially for developers, freelancers, small businesses and those looking for hosting with an honest policy without hidden fees.

Advantages of DreamHost Hosting:

📋Officially recommended by WordPress.org.

📋Simple and minimalist interface - even better than cPanel for beginners.

📋DreamPress - optimized managed WordPress hosting with cache, CDN, increased security.

📋Transparent prices for hosting services - no hidden additional fees. No sharp price increases after the first year - the price remains stable.

📋97-day money-back guarantee — one of the longest among all providers.

📋Daily automatic backups even on basic tariffs.

📋Environmental policy, because data centers are powered by "green" energy.

📋24/7 technical support. Live support via chat and ticket system in English.

📋Various tariffs for different projects: Shared, VPS, Dedicated, Cloud, WordPress hosting, email hosting.

📋Full access to SSH, Git, Cron, support for Ruby, Python, Node.js.

📋Free SSL (Let's Encrypt), DDoS protection, two-factor authentication, support for privacy policies close to GDPR

DreamHost is better suited as an alternative to IONOS for:

• Website owners looking for a simpler and more user-friendly hosting interface;

• Developers and WordPress users who want high performance without dealing with complex server administration;

• English-speaking users or projects targeting audiences in the USA or Canada.

DreamHost is one of the oldest independent hosting providers in the USA with more than 400 thousand customers. Today it serves more than 1.5 million websites, blogs and applications worldwide. Hosting users primarily note the simplicity of the interface, stability, WordPress support and reliability.

Hostinger

Hostinger is a global hosting provider with Lithuanian roots, serving millions of users worldwide. It is one of the most popular alternatives to IONOS, especially for those seeking affordable, fast, and user-friendly hosting with support available in both Ukrainian and English.

Advantages of Hostinger Hosting: 

📋Hostinger offers a user-friendly control panel (hPanel) that’s easy to navigate, especially for beginners.

📋The availability of technical support in Ukrainian, this is primarily relevant for Ukrainian users.

📋Optimization for WordPress, which includes LiteSpeed Cache, automatic installation, free site migration.

📋Reliable security features include free SSL on all plans, basic DDoS protection, automatic updates, account isolation, and daily or weekly backups depending on the selected plan.

📋Scalability of services, for example, it is easy to switch from Shared to VPS or Cloud without changing the platform.

📋Stable and transparent pricing with no hidden fees or unexpected charges. 

📋Multiple server locations worldwide let you select the region nearest to your target audience. 

Hostinger is best suited for beginners, bloggers, small businesses. If you need Ukrainian-language support and interface, then this hosting option will also be ideal. For sites on WordPress, OpenCart, Joomla, WooCommerce, you can choose Hostinger as an alternative to IONOS.

Choosing a hosting provider in 2025 depends on your budget, experience level, and technical needs. Hostinger and HyperHost are the best options for those looking for fast, affordable, and convenient hosting with Ukrainian language support. IONOS is suitable for EU-focused businesses that need legally secure data centers and corporate services. Bluehost, HostGator, and DreamHost are good options for English-speaking audiences and WordPress sites, especially in the US and Canada. Before making a final choice, be sure to compare not only the price, but also the technical capabilities, support, and geographic location of the servers.