How much does IONOS cost?

IONOS starts at $1/mo as a flat monthly price. We verified this against the vendor's pricing page; see "What we checked" below for the date.

Does IONOS have a free plan?

No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. IONOS is sold as a paid subscription.

What are the main drawbacks of IONOS?

The trade-offs we noted: Promotional discontinuity: The $1 Plus offer requires a one-year term and then rises to $14/month at the reviewed date.; Shared-hosting limits: CPU, memory and a 262,144-file ceiling constrain even plans marketed with unlimited resources.; Bundle complexity: Domains, email, hosting and optional products can renew on separate terms and require cancellation planning..

When should you not use IONOS?

Skip IONOS if: The application needs root access, persistent custom daemons or guaranteed compute isolation; The website is expected to exceed file, database, CPU or memory limits despite an unlimited label; No independent export, backup, domain-transfer and cancellation procedure is maintained.

Hosting

IONOS

Shared web hosting with domain, SSL, email, databases, SSH access, backups and tiered resources.

What it is

IONOS sells domains, shared web hosting, WordPress, VPS, cloud and dedicated products; this record focuses on US Linux shared Web Hosting. Current tiers bundle a domain, SSL, professional email, SSH/SFTP/WP-CLI, databases, one-click apps, daily backup/restore and 24/7 support. Promotional one-year prices rise to disclosed monthly renewal rates, taxes apply, and apparently unlimited sites, storage or databases remain bounded by shared compute, file-count and acceptable-use constraints.

IONOS pricing

IONOS does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. From $1/mo.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-24. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Price verification log.

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Key features

Shared hosting tiers
Allocates websites, geo-redundant storage, databases and compute levels by plan.
Developer tools
Includes SSH, SFTP, WP-CLI and database access for supported web projects.
Bundled operations
Provides SSL, DDoS protection, daily backup/restore and 24/7 support.
Account mobile app
Offers iOS and Android account functions such as notifications and payment-detail management.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

Broad bundle: Domain, SSL, email, databases, SSH tools, app installation, backups and support are packaged together.
Published renewal figures: Plan cards show first-year discounts and the subsequent monthly price.
Developer access: SSH, SFTP and WP-CLI support conventional PHP and WordPress workflows.
Product ladder: Shared, WordPress, Deploy Now, VPS, cloud and dedicated services cover different control requirements.

Where it falls short

Promotional discontinuity: The $1 Plus offer requires a one-year term and then rises to $14/month at the reviewed date.
Shared-hosting limits: CPU, memory and a 262,144-file ceiling constrain even plans marketed with unlimited resources.
Bundle complexity: Domains, email, hosting and optional products can renew on separate terms and require cancellation planning.
Backup scope needs verification: Included daily restore does not remove the need for off-provider file and database copies.

Who it is for

Individuals and small organizations wanting a bundled shared-hosting service with phone-supported operations and clear tier choices.

Pick it or skip it

Pick IONOS if

Conventional PHP, database and WordPress sites that fit shared resource and file limits
Buyers who value domain, email, SSL and hosting in one provider account
Projects whose full first-year and renewal costs have been documented before purchase

Skip it if

The application needs root access, persistent custom daemons or guaranteed compute isolation
The website is expected to exceed file, database, CPU or memory limits despite an unlimited label
No independent export, backup, domain-transfer and cancellation procedure is maintained

Our verdict

IONOS shared hosting fits standard small sites, but select it using the post-promotion price and concrete resource limits; separate domain/email obligations, export independent backups, and move to VPS or cloud when shared hosting no longer matches the workload.

Closest alternatives we track

Same category, ordered by verified starting price.

Hostinger
$2.99/mo
Managed web hosting with hPanel, WordPress and code deployment, email, backups and long-term promotional plans.

Frequently asked questions

How much does IONOS cost?: IONOS starts at $1/mo as a flat monthly price. We verified this against the vendor's pricing page; see "What we checked" below for the date.
Does IONOS have a free plan?: No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. IONOS is sold as a paid subscription.
Who is IONOS best for?: Individuals and small organizations wanting a bundled shared-hosting service with phone-supported operations and clear tier choices.
What are the main drawbacks of IONOS?: The trade-offs we noted: Promotional discontinuity: The $1 Plus offer requires a one-year term and then rises to $14/month at the reviewed date.; Shared-hosting limits: CPU, memory and a 262,144-file ceiling constrain even plans marketed with unlimited resources.; Bundle complexity: Domains, email, hosting and optional products can renew on separate terms and require cancellation planning..
When should you not use IONOS?: Skip IONOS if: The application needs root access, persistent custom daemons or guaranteed compute isolation; The website is expected to exceed file, database, CPU or memory limits despite an unlimited label; No independent export, backup, domain-transfer and cancellation procedure is maintained.

What we checked

Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24

IONOS — Web Hosting ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: shared-hosting model, current US promotional and renewal prices, one-year term, website storage and database limits, domain SSL and email, SSH SFTP and WP-CLI, daily backup and restore, 24/7 support, tax caveat
IONOS — Hosting solutions ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: web WordPress Windows Deploy Now VPS and cloud product separation, included SSL domain DDoS protection and backups, root-access VPS distinction
IONOS Help — Hosting ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: webspace FTP SSH and PHP management, database administration, file and database backup guidance, restore support, performance levels, mobile application availability, Deploy Now support boundary
IONOS Help — Maximum file count ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: 262144 shared-hosting file limit, per-contract scope, performance and security rationale, backup cache and media cleanup guidance

Limit: Official IONOS US product and help pages were reviewed; ToolCompare did not buy hosting, inspect checkout or every contract term, verify all regional offers, deploy or migrate a site, benchmark compute, restore a backup, test support, use the mobile app or APIs, transfer a domain, configure email, or compare WordPress/VPS/cloud products. Prices, limits, taxes and promotions may change after the review date.

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