1&1 IONOS VPS Hosting Review (Feb. 2024)

Many budding web entrepreneurs see the wide range of cheap, entry-level shared hosting plans on the market as an easy way to get a foot in the door to the online business world. Basic shared hosting environments may be a good starting point and are very easy on the wallet. However, an increasing number of forward-thinking site owners are either moving to or beginning with virtual private servers (VPSes) to power their online properties because they’re flexible and allow businesses to seamlessly scale.

Here, we’ll take a look at one of the early players in the VPS hosting space — 1&1 — and see how the company’s virtual servers stack up against the competition. If you’re running a small- to medium-sized business and are seeking to grow a reliable, far-reaching web presence, 1&1’s affordable virtualization solutions might be just what you need to broaden your customer base and revenue streams.

Overall Rating (4.7) | Cloud | Managed | Linux | Windows | SSD
Features | Pricing | Performance | Reliability | Best VPS Alternatives (2024)

1&1 has been on the hosting scene since 2000 and currently operates in 10 countries. The company provides millions of small- and medium-sized businesses an array of web solutions, including domain registration; cloud, dedicated server, and VPS hosting; and site design and creation, among other services.

Many modern businesses are turning to VPS hosting for the secure environment and increased performance virtualization provides, which is why 1&1’s virtual servers are among its most popular offerings. 1&1 gives clients the option to select virtual server cloud packages based on business needs and allows seamless migration to upgraded tiers as sites scale. These feature-rich plans have earned 1&1’s VPS offerings our 4.7 out of 5.0 rating. Click on the full review in the table below to learn how 1&1’s virtual servers can positively impact your business’s bottom line.

With 1&1’s VPS hosting packages, site owners enjoy full root access to virtual machines and a choice of Windows or Linux operating system. And the company’s datacenters are located around the globe, which gives you the option of deploying from a location near you.

The recent migration of business applications to the cloud is more than a trend — it’s the future. In fact, by 2019, worldwide spending on cloud services is set to exceed $140 billion. 1&1 knows this, which is why the company has expanded its cloud server solutions to power the web applications of modern organizations. The review in the table below gives a comprehensive overview of why 1&1’s cloud servers earn our 4.8 out of 5.0 rating. Give it a read, and you’ll discover why the company has been a leader in the space for nearly two decades.

The intuitive user interface of the 1&1 cloud server admin panel makes it easy to orchestrate load balancing and backups, as well as configure CPUs, RAM, and SSD storage. Seamlessly manage your virtual machine(s) via Plesk ONYX or cPanel, two popular hosting control panels.

1&1’s cloud offerings also come with pre-designed templates for WordPress and Magento, which eases the process of delivering sites to market.

While VPS hosting is often preferred by tech-savvy site owners, beginners needn’t shy away from the flexibility virtual servers have to offer. Managed hosting customers rest easy knowing account setup, server configuration, system and hardware maintenance, CMS updates, and analysis tools are orchestrated by the 1&1 team. You’ll find our full review of 1&1’s managed VPS hosting in the table below. The review provides a complete breakdown of how businesses can take advantage of the host’s managed services.

On the user side, site owners benefit from full root access to the server, and the host’s admin panel provides site owners complete control over all software, plugins, and user rights. Basically, 1&1 does the heavy lifting while you focus on managing the business side of your site.

As more businesses shift applications into the cloud, an increasing number of them are running the Linux OS. Today, 75% of enterprises are using the operating system as their primary cloud platform, which is why it’s now more important than ever for hosts to offer services compatible with the OS. In our review below, we’ve taken a closer look at how running with 1&1’s Linux VPS hosting packages provide an optimal vehicle to power your cloud apps.

1&1’s virtual servers are compatible with the latest Linux distributions, including CentOS 6, openSUSE 12.3, and Debian 7.0. This affords businesses all the benefits Linux offers, including a lower risk of crashes and errors and, therefore, higher uptime rates.

While the popularity of Linux distributions has grown among enterprises, Windows remains the most popular OS, owning more than 50% of the space’s market share, which is why 1&1 offers its customers a choice of operating systems that best meets the needs of their businesses. Be sure to read our comprehensive review of 1&1’s Windows VPS solutions in the table below to discover the benefits of moving your Windows-based environment onto the host’s virtual servers.

Compatible with Windows 2008, 2012, and 2016, 1&1’s VPS packages can power sites regardless of the operating system version you’re employing. As one of the most user-friendly and support-oriented operating systems on the market, Windows is the choice of millions of site owners, and 1&1’s virtual servers have been designed to complement this ease of use. Therefore, 1&1’s Windows VPS hosting gets our rating of 4.4 out of 5.0.

“To SSD or HDD — that is the question.” While Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet may not have been waxing existential over solid-state or hard-disk drives, it’s a quandary many modern IT departments have been asking themselves since the advent of flash-based memory. And the verdict seems to be in — SSD is more efficient in both cost and performance.

1&1 agrees and offers customers the option to employ SSD storage to optimize load times. Check out our complete take on the host’s SSD VPS hosting options in the table below and see how your site’s visitors will enjoy seamless website navigation. It’s what’s earned 1&1 SSD VPS plans our 4.7 out of 5.0 rating.

1&1 claims sites employing SSDs perform at rates 10 times faster than those that don’t. This is mainly due to the rapid rate at which data is exchanged. And, for sites with data that’s frequently accessed on the virtual server, this can work wonders to boost performance and overall user experience.

We’ve looked at all the general benefits of 1&1’s VPS plans, and there’s no doubt the host offers effective solutions for Linux, Windows, cloud, and managed VPS hosting. Now, we’ll get down to the nitty-gritty of what you need to know before signing up for a plan.

If your site has scaled beyond a basic shared hosting environment, or if your business requires a more scalable, reliable hosting solution, features, pricing, performance, reliability, and support are crucial aspects to consider. Here, let’s take a deep dive into each.

Features | Pricing | Performance | Reliability & Support

Features: 5.0 / 5.0 Rating

If you’re looking for a comprehensive feature set with your VPS hosting package, 1&1 delivers. Full root access to servers, SSD storage, VMware virtualization, and a choice of Linux or Windows operating system are included in all 1&1 VPS plans.

Features
SSL certificate	Firewall management
User logs	Backups
Linux and Windows compatible	Full root access
Admin through Plesk or cPanel	Online storage
Marketing tools	VMware virtualization

Site owners also enjoy the benefits of unlimited free traffic. Regardless of volume, users will never be charged for traffic spikes. Security is also guaranteed through SSL certificates, firewall management, user logs, and backups.

Access data from any location at any time through online mobile storage and drive managers. And, with a suite of marketing and SEO tools, already growing sites can scale even more. 1&1’s feature-rich VPS packages earn a features rating of 5.0 out of 5.0.

Pricing: 4.8 / 5.0 Rating

When it comes to cost, 1&1’s VPS pricing is hard to beat. The host offers an array of virtual server hosting packages beginning at just $2.00 per month. The entry-level plan offers site owners 1vCore Intel® Xeon® processors, 512MB of RAM, 30GB of SSD storage, and unlimited traffic allowances.

Plan	CPU	RAM	Storage	Traffic
Cloud S	1 vCore	512MB	30GB SSD	Unlimited
Cloud M	1 vCore	1GB	50GB SSD	Unlimited
Cloud L	2 vCores	2GB	80GB SSD	Unlimited
Cloud XL	2 vCores	4GB	120GB SSD	Unlimited
Cloud XXL	4 vCores	8GB	160GB SSD	Unlimited
Note: Costs and features are subject to change. Click here to see current pricing tiers.

Following this plan are four additional tiers of hosting solutions. The Cadillac of the bunch is 1&1’s Virtual Server Cloud XXL plan. This package provides 4 vCores, 8GB of RAM, and 160GB of SSD storage. It also includes a complimentary SSL certificate to ensure security.

The versatility of the packages and pricing tiers was designed to give online businesses the resources and infrastructure they need, as well as the ability to easily upgrade to a higher level of service once they begin to scale. For this reason, we give 1&1’s affordable VPS plans a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating.

Performance: 4.7 / 5.0 Rating

If you want to convert visitors into customers, having a site that performs at peak levels is imperative. In fact, most online consumers only give a site roughly six seconds to load before abandoning it for that of a competitor. If your site is experiencing increases in traffic, going the virtual server route ensures optimal load times, as VPS hosting is t10 times faster than shared hosting environments.

1&1 takes this enhanced speed and gives it a booster shot with its high-performing SSDs. And, with storage and pricing based on what your site actually uses, you can allocate resources when necessary for your online business. 1&1’s lightning-fast VPS packages earn an impressive rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 when it comes to speed.

Reliability & Support: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

As with site performance, uptime rates can make or break an online business. Downtime of just a few minutes can cost companies thousands of dollars — not to mention the credibility that’s lost when a consumer can’t access your site. 1&1 guarantees customers a 99.9% availability rate to ensure sites are accessible to visitors around the clock.

The host employs infrastructure from giants, including HP, Intel, SolidFire, and F5 Networks, which ensures its hardware is cutting edge. Should any issues arise, 1&1 support techs are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to field service inquiries. That’s why, 1&1 receives a 4.9 out of 5.0 rating for reliability and support.

When compared with the competition, 1&1’s VPS hosting plans measure up well. The host has been in the business for nearly 20 years and has experience on its side. This gives 1&1 a unique vantage point from which to view what its customers are looking for in a virtual server hosting solution. However, other hosts offer equally effective plans, and it’s always a good idea to compare features, pricing, and reliability side by side before committing to a provider.

The host below represents one of the top VPS providers in the industry. Take a look at the full review linked in the table to compare its VPS offering against what we’ve covered with 1&1 here.

The above benefits notwithstanding, beating out 1&1 on price, security, support, and performance is a tall order. And 1&1’s more than 13 million current customers seem to agree.

Attracting larger audiences and growing businesses is the primary goal of most entrepreneurs running small- and medium-sized businesses on the web. And, for those who’ve outgrown their shared hosting environments, 1&1’s virtual servers offer an excellent starting point to scale audiences and positively impact bottom lines.

Offering top-tier VPS hosting solutions for Linux and Windows operating systems, managed services to help beginners get off the ground with virtual servers, and very competitively priced plans, 1&1 might be the answer you need to grow revenue and optimize business operations. Be sure to read our complete review of all of 1&1’s hosting solutions, including VPS, cloud, and dedicated server offerings.