IONOS
Shared and WordPress hosting with a domain, wildcard SSL and email
IONOS report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for several small sites on one cheap plan
IONOS gives you a lot of room for little money: unlimited websites, 100 GB, a wildcard SSL and daily backups on the entry plan, plus SSH and git if you code. Mailboxes are the weak spot, with just one on Essential. And first-year prices really are first-year: Plus goes from $1 to $14 a month.
Who IONOS is for
- Great if you run several small sites and want them on one plan
- Handy when you want SSH, git and WP-CLI on cheap hosting
- Good for WordPress beginners who'd like AI help with the first site
Who IONOS is not for
- Tight if you need several mailboxes, as Essential has 1 and Ultimate 5
- Pricey if you pick Plus for the $1 year, since it renews at $14 a month
- Skip it if you want malware removed for you on a cheap plan, as that's Ultimate only
Why IONOS gets a 1.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyEssential is $4 a month for the first year, then $8, so two years cost $144, about $6 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of hosts and just over the A line. Plus looks cheaper at $1, but it renews at $14, so two years come to $180.
- FFree plan and trialNothing free: there's no free plan and no trial on record, so you pay from day one.
- CFeaturesUnlimited websites, NVMe storage, a domain, wildcard SSL, daily backups and malware scanning on every plan. The gaps the listing names: Essential has 1 mailbox, and malware removal waits for Ultimate.
- CEase of useNo app store rating to go on. There's a personal consultant and 24/7 phone support, but there's still a site and email to set up.
- CPlatforms and integrationsA web dashboard only. Its integrations are the apps it installs, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Jetpack, plus SSH and git, with no API on record.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from IONOS's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make IONOS? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/ionos#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/ionos.svg" alt="IONOS: 1.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where IONOS stands among web hosts
IONOS's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 4 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 11 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 6 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. IONOS’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 11 of 21, level with 4
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21, level with 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 21, level with 10
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21, level with 21
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 21, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 web hosts. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep IONOS, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace IONOS you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 15 of the 21 other web hosts grade higher. It costs $48 a year.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. IONOS’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is IONOS?
IONOS sells shared web hosting for unlimited websites and separate managed WordPress plans, alongside VPS, dedicated and cloud servers. Every plan includes a first-year domain, a wildcard SSL certificate, email accounts, daily backups and malware scanning, and the WordPress plans add an AI website builder and writing assistant.
IONOS is a paid product, starting at $8 per month at renewal (Essential), after a first year at $4 a month. See every plan
Good for
- Small businesses running several sites on one shared plan
- WordPress beginners who want AI help building the first site
- Developers who want SSH, git and WP-CLI on cheap hosting
Worth knowing
- Intro prices last the first year of a 1-year term: Plus goes from $1 to $14 a month and Essential from $4 to $8.
- Mailboxes are few: Essential includes 1 and Ultimate 5, each with 2 GB of storage.
- Automatic malware removal and unlimited SSL certificates need Ultimate on web hosting, or Boost ($17 a month after a first year at $12) on WordPress.
- IONOS also offers hosting with no minimum term, billed monthly with one month's notice, but the plan tables do not show its price.
Key features
- Unlimited websites and NVMe storage
- Web hosting plans host any number of sites with unlimited traffic, on 100 GB to 500 GB of NVMe storage with more CPU priority on each tier.
- Domain, wildcard SSL and email
- Every plan includes a domain free for the first year, a wildcard DV certificate and 2 GB email accounts, from 1 on Essential to 5 on Ultimate.
- Backups and malware scanning
- Plans run daily backups, malware scanning and DDoS protection on geo-redundant servers. Ultimate adds advanced scanning with automatic removal.
- Developer access
- SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI, git version control, cron jobs and a choice of PHP 8.2 to 8.4 are included, with one-click installs for WordPress, Joomla and Drupal.
- AI tools for WordPress
- Every WordPress plan includes an AI Website Builder, and Grow and Boost add an AI assistant that writes text, images, pages and blog posts.
- Personal consultant
- Customers get a personal consultant to guide them, alongside 24/7 support by phone, chat and email.
IONOS pricing
- Starts at
- $8 per month at renewal (Essential), after a first year at $4 a month
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $8per month at renewal, after a first year at $4 a month | Web hosting with unlimited websites, 100 GB NVMe and 1 mailbox. $4 a month for the first year of a 1-year term, shown against a crossed-out $10. |
| Starter | $10per month at renewal, after a first year at $6 a month | 200 GB NVMe, 3x server resources, 2 mailboxes and a CDN. $6 a month for the first year, against a crossed-out $12. |
| Plus | $14per month at renewal, after a first year at $1 a month | 350 GB NVMe, 5x server resources and 4 mailboxes. $1 a month for the first year, against a crossed-out $16. |
| Ultimate | $18per month at renewal, after a first year at $10 a month | 500 GB NVMe, 10x resources, 5 mailboxes, unlimited wildcard SSL and automatic malware removal. $10 a month for the first year. |
| WordPress Start | $8per month at renewal, after a first year at $5 a month | One managed WordPress site, 25 GB, automatic backups and the AI Website Builder. $5 a month for the first year, against a crossed-out $9. |
| WordPress Grow | $12per month at renewal, after a first year at $1 a month | 50 GB, 5 mailboxes, a year of Jetpack Vault and the AI Assistant for text, images and posts. $1 a month for the first year. |
Read from ionos.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with IONOS before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savingsFirst year of web hosting Plus at $1 a month
On a 1-year term the first year costs $1 a month for Plus, $4 for Essential, $6 for Starter and $10 for Ultimate, before $14, $8, $10 and $18 a month.
Stated on ionos.com - Other savingsFirst year of WordPress Grow at $1 a month
On a 1-year term the first year costs $1 a month for Grow, $5 for Start and $12 for Boost, before $12, $8 and $17 a month.
Stated on ionos.com
Works with
- WordPress
- Joomla
- Drupal
- Jetpack
IONOS alternatives
- IONOS vs Hostinger
From $10.99/mo
- IONOS vs Namecheap
Free trial · from $5.88/mo
- IONOS vs SiteGround
From $14.99/mo
Common questions
Is IONOS free?
No. IONOS is a paid product, starting at $8 per month at renewal (Essential), after a first year at $4 a month.
How much does IONOS cost?
IONOS lists 6 plans. Essential: $8 per month at renewal, after a first year at $4 a month. Starter: $10 per month at renewal, after a first year at $6 a month. Plus: $14 per month at renewal, after a first year at $1 a month. Ultimate: $18 per month at renewal, after a first year at $10 a month. WordPress Start: $8 per month at renewal, after a first year at $5 a month. WordPress Grow: $12 per month at renewal, after a first year at $1 a month. Prices were read from ionos.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does IONOS work on?
IONOS is available on Web.
Does IONOS offer any discounts?
IONOS publicly lists the following: First year of web hosting Plus at $1 a month; First year of WordPress Grow at $1 a month.
Does IONOS have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. IONOS is listed for Web.
Does IONOS have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. IONOS is listed for Web.
Is IONOS open source?
IONOS is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does IONOS integrate with?
IONOS's listing names WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Jetpack. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes IONOS?
IONOS is made by IONOS Inc.
What are the alternatives to IONOS?
The closest alternatives to IONOS in our directory are Hostinger, Bluehost, Namecheap, HostGator and SiteGround. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with IONOS.
How does IONOS compare with other web hosts?
IONOS's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 4 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 2. It stands best on value for money (B, above 11 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Is IONOS good value for money?
ToolGPA grades IONOS B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 6 of the 16 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of IONOS?
To replace IONOS you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 15 of the 21 other web hosts grade higher. It costs $48 a year. What you could not make: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026.