1&1 IONOS WordPress Hosting Review

Writer: Sean Garrity

Sean Garrity, Managing Editor

Sean has more than 15 years of experience researching, writing, and editing for numerous industry-specific trade publications. His goal is to keep organizations and stakeholders informed of the latest trends and technologies that can help them streamline operations and thrive online. Sean loves to chat about all things IT infrastructure and covers a range of topics in his writing, including virtualization, cloud computing, the hyperscalers, IoT and edge technologies, and digital transformation, among others.

Editor: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro, Senior Editor

Lillian Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to our team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Florida. Today, she edits HostingAdvice content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

Reviewer: Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson, Contributing Expert

Alexandra is a web marketer, Agile Product Owner, and die-hard wordsmith who's contributed to HostingAdvice, InMotion Hosting, HostGator, and other prominent hosting and technology blogs, as well as Forbes. She has a master's degree in information technology from Virginia Tech and more than 10 years of experience building websites, advising on web and mobile app design, and crafting content that engages and converts. Her primary subject matter expertise spans WordPress, UX design, Agile project management, and, of course, web hosting.

Disclosure: When you purchase through links on our site, we often earn referral fees from partners. For more information, see our ad disclosure and review policy.

Follow Us:
2.7k
16k
5.7k
134
3.5k

In 2018, global hosting provider 1&1 joined forces with German cloud infrastructure specialists ProfitBricks to offer a larger range of modern technologies. Now branded as 1&1 IONOS — or simply IONOS — the company continues improving its service offerings to site owners worldwide.

When it comes to reliable services from well-known providers, look no further than our 1&1 IONOS WordPress review. The global host pairs well with the world’s most popular content management system — but how does it compare with the best of the best?

Here, we’ll take a look at the host’s WordPress offerings and how they stack up against the competition.

1&1 IONOS WordPress Hosting Review: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

WordPress has to be one of the web’s worst-kept secrets. In fact, because of its ease of use and customizability, the open-source software’s popularity is so widespread that it now powers nearly 30% of all websites. While most of the top hosting providers offer some sort of WordPress package, the plans aren’t all created equally.

When looking for an effective WordPress host, it’s important for site owners to consider compatibility with the software’s more than 50,000 plugins, ease of installation, and tools allowing seamless site creation and data backups. IONOS delivers in all areas, so we’ve given the host a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating for its feature-rich WordPress hosting plans. Take a look at our full review linked in the table below to learn how IONOS can help you create a professional-grade WordPress site in just minutes to boost your online presence.

Monthly Starting Price $1.00
  • Just $1/month for 12 months
  • Free domain registration and up to 500 email accounts
  • Setup wizard helps with installation, suggests themes, and installs plugins
  • FREE automatic WP updates and DDoS protection
  • SSD drives, NGINX, and guaranteed RAM for page load speed
  • Get started on IONOS now.
Our Expert’s Review

Christina Lewis

Christina Lewis, Senior Content Manager

Christina Lewis is a web designer and technical writer who bridges design, development, and hosting with clear, practical advice. With a Master’s degree in web design and communications from the University of Florida, she combines a foundation in mass communications with real hands-on experience creating websites and managing hosting environments. Now, she combines her writing experience with her technical knowledge to craft and edit content that gives value to novice techies and field experts.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Christina Lewis (HostingAdvice.com): You’re not alone if you’re looking for fine-tuned optimizations and security enhancements specifically tailored around WordPress. Hundreds of hosts are clamoring to offer the best services for the world’s most popular content management system, and IONOS is among the select group leading the way.

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 25 GB SSD – 75 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

See all our WordPress hosting reviews »

How 1&1 WordPress Hosting Stacks Up Against the Competition

While IONOS achieves a very high overall rating of 4.8 of out of 5.0 for its WordPress hosting solutions, other providers on the market deliver similar packages and perks. We highly recommend 1&1 IONOS to site owners building their brands online with WordPress. However, we also understand the importance of shopping around to determine the right fit for your business.

Below are our top five ranked WordPress hosts. Be sure to read the full reviews linked in each table to see if these hosts offer features that might better suit your mission on the web.

Monthly Starting Price $2.69
  • Best overall value: The most complete managed WordPress hosting at this price
  • Kodee AI Agent manages your WordPress site via simple chat
  • LiteSpeed servers boost site speed by up to 40%
  • WAF, malware scanner, DDoS protection, and auto-updates
  • Free migrations — 85% completed in under 5 minutes
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
Our Expert’s Review

Sead Fadilpasic

Sead Fadilpasic, Contributing Expert

Sead is a web hosting authority with over 15 years of hands-on experience evaluating hosting performance, WordPress optimization, VPS configuration, and modern website builders. Backed by a degree in Journalism and Public Relations, he specializes in translating technical hosting concepts into clear, actionable insights for businesses and site owners. His expertise extends into cybersecurity, blockchain, and privacy, and his work has appeared in top-tier outlets including TechRadar Pro, Tom’s Hardware, SiliconANGLE, Al Jazeera, and the Forbes Technology Council.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 5.0/5.0

Sead Fadilpasic (HostingAdvice.com): As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world’s most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host’s shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger’s ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule.

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 20 GB SSD – 100 GB NVMe FREE (1 year) 4 minutes
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
  • Best for performance: WordPress sites average 78% faster speeds after migrating to SiteGround
  • Free AI agent manages your WordPress site via simple chat
  • Smart WAF, AI bot protection & geo-distributed backups
  • Free staging, WP-CLI, SSH, Git, and one-click migrations
  • 4.9/5 Trustpilot — 98% customer satisfaction for 10+ years
  • Get started on SiteGround now.
Our Expert’s Review

Lynn Cadet

Lynn Cadet, Contributing Expert

Lynn Cadet is a seasoned technology writer with extensive experience covering web hosting, software platforms, and IT infrastructure. At HostingAdvice.com, she has authored more than 300 articles analyzing everything from server architecture and cloud performance to cybersecurity, SaaS innovations, and developer-driven tools. She also conducts hands-on testing of web hosts, evaluating performance, usability, and reliability, to produce thorough, data-driven reviews. A graduate of the University of Florida, Lynn’s reporting and editorial work can also be found across multiple online publications.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Lynn Cadet (HostingAdvice.com): Want a hassle-free, WordPress-optimized hosting service. SiteGround has thought of everything you need to get your site up and running.

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 10 GB SSD – 100 GB Google Cloud SSD FREE (1 Year) 6 minutes
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
  • One of only three WordPress.org officially recommended hosts
  • Free handcrafted starter website built by DreamHost experts
  • Remixer AI builder, NVMe SSD, and daily automated backups
  • Free domain privacy for life — included with every domain
  • 100% in-house support including WordPress core contributors
  • Get started on DreamHost now.
Our Expert’s Review

Christina Lewis

Christina Lewis, Senior Content Manager

Christina Lewis is a web designer and technical writer who bridges design, development, and hosting with clear, practical advice. With a Master’s degree in web design and communications from the University of Florida, she combines a foundation in mass communications with real hands-on experience creating websites and managing hosting environments. Now, she combines her writing experience with her technical knowledge to craft and edit content that gives value to novice techies and field experts.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Christina Lewis (HostingAdvice.com): One of only three hosting providers recommended by the WordPress Core team, DreamHost has actively contributed to the WordPress community for more than a decade. The company’s platform is optimized for the incredibly popular content management system, and plans include easy setup, automated updates and backups, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 specialized support.

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 25 – 100 GB NVMe SSD FREE (1 year) 4 minutes

See more alternative WordPress hosts »

1&1 WordPress Theme & Site Builder Review: 4.8 / 5.0 Rating

When Cameron Moll famously said, “What separates design from art is that design is meant to be functional,” he was only half right in regards to website creation. Yes, indeed, web design must be functional. But site owners must also consider aesthetics.

Effective sites need to load quickly and effectively funnel users to what they’re looking for to keep engagement levels high. Studies show that sites with page load speeds just one second faster can increase CVR (conversion rates) significantly. However, compelling design is just as important, as two-thirds of online consumers would prefer to browse content that’s beautifully constructed than just text on a white background.

If you’re not a professional web designer with years of schooling and experience under your belt, fret not. IONOS offers an intuitive site builder and access to stunning WordPress themes that will make your site look as if it was designed by a seasoned pro.

As a result, 1&1 IONOS has earned our 4.8 out of 5.0 rating for its site builder and WordPress themes. If you’re searching for a custom look to show off the best side of your business, check out our complete take on 1&1’s site builder and templates in the table below. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to get started.

Monthly Starting Price $1.00
  • Have their design pros build your site
  • Blueprint tool for importing themes and plugins
  • Ultra reliable, with guaranteed 99.98% uptime
  • Custom updates to core, plugins, themes and PHP
  • Pay just $12 for 1 year, no hidden fees
  • Get started on IONOS now.
Our Expert’s Review

Christina Lewis

Christina Lewis, Senior Content Manager

Christina Lewis is a web designer and technical writer who bridges design, development, and hosting with clear, practical advice. With a Master’s degree in web design and communications from the University of Florida, she combines a foundation in mass communications with real hands-on experience creating websites and managing hosting environments. Now, she combines her writing experience with her technical knowledge to craft and edit content that gives value to novice techies and field experts.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Christina Lewis (HostingAdvice.com): Looking for an easy site building experience in WordPress? Look no further than IONOS, which combines high-speed, reliable, and affordable hosting services with talented design and SEO experts in-house and ready to help you succeed.

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 25 GB SSD – 75 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

See more WordPress site builder reviews »

1&1 Managed WordPress Review: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

We’ve discussed a few of the benefits of moving to 1&1’s WordPress hosting, and most of them correlate directly to the managed services the host delivers.

With 1&1’s managed WordPress plans, there’s no need for site owners to worry about making updates to the software or installing security patches. IONOS does all the heavy lifting so its customers can focus on what matters most — their businesses and bottom lines.

But those aren’t the only benefits of going the managed services route. Effective managed WordPress hosting also comes with better performance, scalability, and security, and IONOS’s packages provide all three.

For these reasons, coupled with the host’s around-the-clock support network, 1&1 IONOS has earned a rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 for its managed WordPress hosting solutions.

Be sure to read our full review of 1&1’s managed services below to learn everything the host’s team of experts can do to help optimize your WordPress site.

Monthly Starting Price $1.00
  • Managed WP plans for small- to large-scale projects
  • FREE SSD storage and guaranteed RAM for added performance
  • Installation assistant with suggested themes and plugins
  • Automatic updates and FREE DDoS protection and data recovery
  • FREE SSL certificate abd domain registration
  • Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
Our Expert’s Review

Christina Lewis

Christina Lewis, Senior Content Manager

Christina Lewis is a web designer and technical writer who bridges design, development, and hosting with clear, practical advice. With a Master’s degree in web design and communications from the University of Florida, she combines a foundation in mass communications with real hands-on experience creating websites and managing hosting environments. Now, she combines her writing experience with her technical knowledge to craft and edit content that gives value to novice techies and field experts.

, Hosting Expert
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Christina Lewis (HostingAdvice.com): Don’t let the absurdly low price tag fool you; 1&1 IONOS provides ample amounts of SSD-powered storage, performance upgrades, and ironclad security. A personal consultant will help you make further enhancements…

Go to full review »
Money Back Guarantee Disk
Space
Domain
Name
Setup
Time
30 days 25 GB SSD – 75 GB SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

See more managed WordPress hosting reviews »

Other 1&1 “WordPress Reviews” By Feature

Undoubtedly, 1&1’s WordPress hosting seems an attractive choice for site owners who want to grow their brands online. Between the site builder, themes, and managed services, this generalized view of the host’s WordPress solutions paints a compelling portrait of the reasons to make a move to 1&1. But specifics are important, too. Here, we’ll dig into the feature set, pricing, reliability, and customer support that really make these WordPress packages tick.

Features | Reliability & Support | Pricing

Whether you’re a beginning web entrepreneur powering your WordPress site with 1&1 IONOS’s entry-level plan or an established online business attracting thousands of customers, all of the host’s WordPress packages are feature rich. 1&1’s platform comes with a proprietary WP Assistant to guide site owners through a quick install process during initial setup. And, when it’s time to start customizing, the host offers a multitude of pre-installed plugins.

These tools allow users to tailor sites with eCommerce solutions, such as WooCommerce, and integrate social media presence with Facebook and Twitter buttons. Though WordPress developers boast the software is SEO friendly, 1&1 IONOS provides plugins to site owners to help their brands rank higher in search results.

Features
WP AssistantPre-installed plugins
Ready-to-use templates1&1 App Center
24/7 support1&1 Community
Full SSD webspaceUnlimited SSD databases
NGINXPHP 7 with OPcache
Unlimited disk space, websites, and trafficCDN
SSL certificatesDDoS protection
Geo-redundancySecure datacenters
SEO toolseCommerce plugins
Note: For the most up-to-date list of features, please visit 1&1’s website.

To guard against hazards prevalent in today’s online threat matrix, 1&1 IONOS also delivers a number of security solutions for site owners. With SSL certificates, DDoS protection, geo-redundant infrastructure, and secure datacenters, users can rest easy knowing their customer and proprietary data is safe. For offering these tools among so many others, we’ve given 1&1 IONOS a 5.0 out of 5.0 features rating.

Reliability & Customer Support: 4.9 / 5.0 Rating

While it may be impossible to achieve 100% uptime, the hosting provider does come close to making this dream a reality. The host’s geo-redundant data backups guarantee sites are up and running at least 99.9% of the time. If an IONOS datacenter experiences downtime due to a regional power outage, sites will failover to a secondary location to ensure your online business will never have to shut its doors.

1&1 IONOS offers 24/7 support and geo-redundant infrastructure to guarantee high availability for WordPress sites.

And, if site owners ever do experience issues with uptime or anything else, 1&1 IONOS makes its representatives available to field questions and tackle issues 24/7. For the host’s dedication to support and high-performing WordPress hosting plans, we’ve given IONOS a reliability rating of 4.9 out of 5.0.

Pricing: 4.8 / 5.0 Rating

We’ve looked at the generalities and specifics of 1&1’s WordPress packages, and, so far, they add up to a robust offering made to help site owners build online presence and turn profits. But we should really get to the million-dollar question — how much is all of this going to set you back?

Drumroll… These hosting packages start at just $1.00 per month. This is an incredibly good deal, especially when weighed against the vast feature set 1&1 IONOS offers. This is why 1&1 IONOS earns our 4.8 out of 5.0 rating for pricing.

1&1’s WordPress Hosting Plans Can Fuel Your Online Presence

Since it hit the scene, IONOS has helped thousands of businesses flourish on the web through effective WordPress hosting solutions.

If you’re a small business owner looking to build your brand on the web with WordPress, 1&1 IONOS provides the tools necessary to get the job done. Take a look at our complete review of all 1&1’s hosting options to see how the host can help boost your business.

Advertiser Disclosure

HostingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). HostingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.

About the Author

Managing Editor

Sean has more than 15 years of experience researching, writing, and editing for numerous industry-specific trade publications. His goal is to keep organizations and stakeholders informed of the latest trends and technologies that can help them streamline operations and thrive online. Sean loves to chat about all things IT infrastructure and covers a range of topics in his writing, including virtualization, cloud computing, the hyperscalers, IoT and edge technologies, and digital transformation, among others.

« BACK TO: HOW-TO

Meet the Experts

Our team of experts with a combined 50+ years of experience in web hosting serve insight and advice to more than 20 million users!

We Know Hosting

$

4

8

,

2

8

3

spent annually on web hosting!