IONOS vs Square Online: What’s the Best Builder in 2024?

IONOS vs Square Online: Final verdict

IONOS and Square Online both offer robust website building solutions, but they cater to different user needs and preferences.

• 
  IONOS (Overall Grade: 6.9/10)
  
  is a versatile website builder and hosting platform that excels in providing a wide range of customizable templates and reliable hosting services. It is particularly strong in offering advanced marketing features and AI capabilities for personalized design and SEO optimization. However, it falls slightly short in ecommerce functionalities and user management compared to Square Online. IONOS is ideal for users looking for a comprehensive website builder with strong hosting and marketing tools.
• 
  Square Online (Overall Grade: 7.2/10)
  
  stands out for its seamless integration with Square’s suite of payment processing and business management tools, making it an excellent choice for retailers, restaurants, and service businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface, robust ecommerce features, and strong security measures. While it may have limited design flexibility compared to IONOS, Square Online is perfect for businesses looking to efficiently manage their online presence and operations within a single ecosystem.

	Overall grade: 6.9	Overall grade: 7.2
Design functionalities & templates	7.2	7.4
Ease of use	7.8	8.4
Ecommerce	7.1	7.3
Website Editors	7.8	6.6
Product testing options	6.5	7.8
Price	7.8	7.5
Hosting quality	8.8	7.8
Website speed optimization	7.2	6.2
Plugins and integrations	6.5	7.6
Marketing features	7.5	7.4
Customer support	7.3	6.7
Security	7.5	8.5
AI capabilities	7.2	7.4
User Management	3.1	5.2
Overall	6.9	7.2

Which one is the best for ecommerce: IONOS or Square Online?

7.1

7.3

Verdict

: IONOS and Square Online both offer robust ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different business needs. IONOS is versatile and supports a wide range of third-party payment processors, while Square Online excels with its integrated ecosystem and comprehensive suite of ecommerce features.

• 
  IONOS
  
  : IONOS is a versatile platform that supports extensive customization for product pages and a variety of third-party payment processors. It is ideal for businesses looking for flexibility and a range of ecommerce functionalities, including store management, marketing tools, and inventory management. However, when comparing IONOS vs Square Online, IONOS may not offer the same level of integration and ease of use as Square Online.
• 
  Square Online
  
  : Square Online is designed for businesses seeking an integrated solution with Square’s ecosystem. It offers a comprehensive suite of ecommerce features, including product listing, inventory management, and POS capabilities. The platform is particularly attractive for retailers, restaurants, and service businesses looking to manage their online presence and operations efficiently. However, it may offer limited design flexibility compared to IONOS.

Which one is the best for informational and business websites?

7.4

7.4

• 
  IONOS
  
  : IONOS is a versatile website builder that excels in providing a wide range of customizable templates and drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for users to design professional websites without coding knowledge. It also offers reliable hosting services and ensures that websites are optimized for search engines, which is crucial for business visibility. With a score of 7.4, IONOS is a solid choice for those looking to create visually appealing and functional informational websites.
• 
  Square Online
  
  : Square Online, also scoring 7.4, is tailored for businesses looking to integrate their online presence with their physical operations seamlessly. It offers a variety of customizable templates and direct integration with Square’s suite of payment processing and business management tools. This makes it particularly attractive for retailers, restaurants, and service businesses. Square Online’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive business tools make it a strong contender for those who need a fully integrated online store and website.

IONOS vs Square Online: Detailed comparison

7.2

7.4

🏆

Winner: Square Online.

With a slightly higher score, Square Online edges out IONOS in terms of design functionalities and templates.

IONOS offers a wide variety of templates and designs for their website builder. With over 200 templates to choose from, users can find a design that suits their needs and preferences. The templates are categorized into different industries and styles, making it easy for users to find the perfect design for their website.

IONOS Themes

On the other hand, Square Online offers a flexible website builder with a focus on e-commerce, providing a variety of design options through integration with platforms like Weebly. Users can customize their sites extensively, choosing from themes and preset styles to best represent their brand.

Square Online Themes

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

7.8

8.4

🏆 Winner: Square Online

. With a score of 8.4, Square Online offers an intuitive and user-friendly website building experience, making it accessible for users without coding skills. IONOS, scoring 7.8, also provides a straightforward and intuitive interface, but falls slightly short in comparison.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but IONOS goes a step further with its detailed advice on blogging and website optimization, along with a straightforward building process, underscoring the platform’s versatility and user-friendly approach.

7.1

7.3

IONOS and Square Online both offer robust ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different business needs. IONOS is a versatile platform that supports a wide range of third-party payment processors and offers extensive customization for product pages. On the other hand, Square Online is designed for businesses looking for an integrated solution with Square’s ecosystem, offering a comprehensive suite of ecommerce features and direct integration with Square’s suite of payment processing and business management tools.

Ecommerce themes and templates	6.5	6.8
Product page customization	6.8	7.6
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	7.9
POS capabilities	5.5	9.0
Payment gateways	7.2	7.5
Product numbers	6.0	7.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.3	7.2

IONOS ecommerce features:

• Store Management
• Marketing Tools
• Payment and Shipping options
• Products and Inventory management

Square Online ecommerce features:

• Product Listing and Inventory management
• Payment Processing and POS features
• Shipping and Fulfillment
• Marketing features

Ecommerce themes & templates

IONOS offers a variety of ecommerce themes and templates designed to help businesses set up their online stores efficiently and effectively. Their online store builder is tailored to support a range of ecommerce needs, from selling on social media platforms to managing a scalable ecommerce website without any coding or design skills required.

Square Online offers a range of ecommerce templates designed to meet various business needs, enabling users to customize their sites to match their brand identity. It includes dynamic styling tools, personalized user experiences, and integrated payment solutions, including Square’s own payment gateway. However, it may offer limited design flexibility and payment processing options compared to other platforms.

Product page customization

IONOS provides users with the ability to extensively customize product pages. This includes the flexibility to adjust the design and layout, ensuring that product images, descriptions, and specifications are displayed according to individual preferences. Additionally, IONOS allows for the setup and management of product options and variations, such as size and color, enabling customers to select their preferred version of a product.

Square Online allows you to add up to 250 variations per item, like different sizes or versions, through “Selectable Options” in the item details section of your online store. Additionally, “Item Modifiers” allow for further customization by letting customers choose options or input custom text, such as engraving names on jewelry, without affecting inventory levels.

Payment processing

IONOS supports a wide variety of third-party payment processors for its website builder, including PayPal, Stripe, and Square, without charging direct fees for payment processing. Users can choose from an extensive list of payment options to suit their business needs and customer preferences, enhancing the flexibility and security of online transactions.

Square’s website builder supports a variety of payment options including Square Pay, Apple Pay, Cash App Pay, Google Pay, and Afterpay, catering to diverse customer payment preferences. The platform charges a transaction fee of 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction for its free plan, with a discounted fee available on the Premium plan. Additionally, Square offers comprehensive POS capabilities, with a range of hardware solutions that seamlessly integrate with its online store and point of sale systems, ensuring a unified management system for both online and in-person sales.

7.8

6.6

🏆

Winner: IONOS

. IONOS, with a score of 7.8, provides an intuitive website builder equipped with AI assistance, designed for users to quickly create professional-looking websites without needing coding skills. This platform offers customizable templates, AI-generated content, and is optimized for mobile use, ensuring a responsive design across all devices. With features that cater to both basic and advanced website needs, including eCommerce capabilities, IONOS aims to simplify the web creation process.

Square Online’s website builder, scoring 6.6, is designed for businesses looking to establish an online presence with ease, focusing on e-commerce functionality. It offers limited customization options, aiming to simplify the design process, yet includes essential e-commerce and marketing tools suitable for a variety of business needs. The platform supports an unlimited number of products and integrates with Square’s payment processing, albeit with limited external payment options. While Square Online is user-friendly and efficient for quickly setting up a website, it may not cater to those seeking extensive design flexibility or advanced e-commerce features.

Mobile editor/app

4.5

5.5

🏆

Winner: Square Online

. Both IONOS and Square Online do not have a dedicated mobile editor app, but they offer limited editing abilities on mobile browsers. However, Square Online scores slightly higher than IONOS in terms of mobile editor capabilities.

IONOS does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, but users have access to limited editing abilities on mobile browsers. This allows users to make quick changes and updates to their websites on the go, but it may not offer the full range of editing features available on the desktop version.

On the other hand, Square Online also does not have a dedicated mobile editor app. Users can manage and edit a website built with Square Online using the mobile browser version, but it comes with certain limitations. Despite these limitations, Square Online’s mobile editing capabilities are slightly better than those of IONOS, making it the winner in this category.

6.5

7.8

Overall Result

:

Square Online wins

. Square Online scores 7.8, offering a 30-day free trial and the possibility to test premium features during this period. However, users are required to enter their billing information for the free trial. On the other hand, IONOS scores 6.5, and while it doesn’t offer a free or trial version, it does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee during which users can test premium features.

Free Plan	No	Yes
Trial Duration	No (30-day money-back guarantee)	30 days
Testing Premium Features	During 30-day refundable period	During 30-day free trial
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	No

7.8

7.5

IONOS and Square Online offer competitive pricing plans, but IONOS provides a significant discount for annual subscriptions, while Square Online only offers annual billing with no discount.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	Free ($0/month): For businesses who want to start selling online fast. Online payments with 2.9% + 30¢, basic-site layouts and design controls, tax calculation, unlimited items, SEO tools, blog feature, Facebook ads.
$10-$15	Starter ($12/month): Basic for newcomers with 10GB space, 10 pages, 2GB email, free domain first year. Value for price: 5.0	No offering at this amount.
$15-$20	Plus ($18/month): Enhanced with 50GB space, 200 pages, custom HTML, SiteAnalytics, online booking, AI Text Generator & AI Text Improver, AI SEO Text Generator Value for price: 7.5	No offering at this amount.
$20+	Pro ($30/month): Advanced for scaling, unlimited space/pages, 50GB email, SEO tools, comprehensive marketing tools. Value for price: 9.0	Plus ($29/month): For businesses looking to drive online growth and streamline operations. Includes all the features of the free plan, plus, free custom domain for a year, professional branding, custom embed code, manage multiple sites, pre-orders, abandoned cart recovery, free shipping and delivery progress bar, product reviews, discounts, website statistics. Value for price: 7.5

8.8

7.8

🏆

Winner: IONOS

IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting, with features like daily backups, and unlimited traffic. It also boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee and has 7 data centers in the EU and USA. On the other hand, Square Online offers hosting with unlimited bandwidth but does not specify the type of hosting it provides, does not offer an uptime guarantee, and does not disclose the locations of its data centers.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting.	Yes, with unlimited bandwidth
Data Centers:	Total of 7 data centers in EU(Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Logroño) and USA(Las Vegas, NV; Newark, NJ; Lenexa, KS)	Square Online does not disclose the locations of its data centers
Type of hosting:	Shared, Dedicated, VPS, WordPress Hosting	The platform does not specify the type of hosting it provides
Uptime:	99.99%	99.96%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	No

7.2

6.2

🏆 Winner: IONOS

Both IONOS and Square Online have strategies in place for website speed optimization, but IONOS takes the lead with a higher website speed optimization score.

Focus	HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Optimization	Lazy Loading, Code Minification
Performance Tools	Image and Multimedia Optimization, Caching, WordPress Optimization, CDN	Caching, Image optimization
Key Strategies	HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Optimization, Image and Multimedia Optimization, Caching, WordPress Optimization, CDN	Lazy Loading, Code Minification, Caching, Image optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	No information provided

IONOS focuses on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Optimization, Image and Multimedia Optimization, Caching, WordPress Optimization, and CDN for speed optimization. It places emphasis on improving Core Web Vitals, specifically LCP, FID, and CLS. However, both load times and PageSpeed scores can vary widely, depending on the optimization and user’s location.

On the other hand, Square Online’s strategies for speed optimization include Lazy Loading, Code Minification, Caching, and Image optimization. However, it does not provide any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements. The load times and PageSpeed scores can vary depending on the optimization and website complexity.

Get a head start on website creation with AI

Create a custom website tailored to your business needs 10X faster with 10Web AI Website Builder!

Generate Your Website

No credit card required

6.5

7.6

🏆 Winner: Square Online.

With a score of 7.6, Square Online outperforms IONOS, which scores 6.5. Square Online offers a wide array of app integrations that facilitate various aspects of business operations, including eCommerce, accounting, marketing, and employee management. These integrations span from free options to premium services, allowing businesses to tailor their setup to their specific needs. On the other hand, IONOS offers over 100 plugins to enhance the functionality of your website, including features such as contact forms, social media integration, and ecommerce capabilities. However, the diversity and advanced functionalities offered by Square Online give it the edge in this comparison.

Square Online Applications

7.5

7.4

🏆

Overall Winner: IONOS

. IONOS stands out for its more advanced features, especially in email marketing and analytics. Square Online is strong in its comprehensive suite of tools for creating, managing, and promoting an online store.

SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Direct sales on Facebook and Instagram	Tagging products in Instagram posts and stories
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed insights through built-in metrics and SiteAnalytics	Comprehensive suite of analytics and reporting tools
Ads and Promotions	Sophisticated ad campaign management with Google Ads	Comprehensive suite of tools for creating, managing, and promoting an online store

7.3

6.7

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. Comparing IONOS vs Square Online, IONOS takes the lead in this category with its 24/7 customer support availability. Users can reach out for assistance at any time via phone, ensuring that help is always accessible. This round-the-clock support is particularly beneficial for users who may encounter issues outside of regular business hours.

Square Online, on the other hand, offers customer support through phone, live chat, and email, but its availability is limited to specific hours. General inquiries can be addressed from 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific Time on weekdays, and account issues are handled from 9 AM to 9 PM EST, Monday to Friday. While Square Online provides more extensive support for higher-tier subscriptions, it does not match the 24/7 availability offered by IONOS.

7.5

8.5

🏆

Winner: Square Online

. Square Online takes the lead in security with a score of 8.5, compared to IONOS’s 7.5. Square Online prioritizes user privacy and data security through a series of measures including encryption, adherence to industry standards, and constant security monitoring. It also provides free SSL security for every site created with their platform, ensuring that personal and financial information remains confidential and protected.

IONOS, on the other hand, also provides robust data storage and protection measures across its various services, including HiDrive Cloud Storage and secure email solutions. It integrates various security measures to safeguard websites created on its platform, focusing on preventing malware spread, spamming, and data breaches. However, it falls slightly short in comparison to Square Online’s comprehensive security measures.

7.2

7.4

Personalized Design	IONOS AI offers tailored design suggestions based on user inputs
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility
Customer Behavior Analysis		AI algorithms for personalized product recommendations based on customer behavior
Sales Predictions
Inventory Management
Content Generation	AI assistance in creating and optimizing site content	AI-generated photo environments, personalized email copy, website content, and menu generation

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. IONOS’s AI capabilities, particularly through its AI website builder, are highly user-friendly and innovative. It excels in offering personalized website design suggestions, content optimization, and streamlined site setup processes. IONOS’s AI also assists in providing SEO recommendations and layout adjustments based on user behavior.

Square Online, with a score of 7.4, utilizes AI mainly to enhance the ecommerce experience. Its AI features focus on customer behavior analysis and personalized shopping experiences. While Square Online’s AI is powerful, it is more business and data-centric compared to IONOS’s design-focused AI.

3.1

5.2

🏆 Winner: Square Online

. Both IONOS and Square Online allow multiple users to edit a website. However, neither platform provides detailed information about user roles and permissions or limitations on the number of users.

• IONOS permits multiple users for website editing, but there is no mention of user roles and permissions, nor is there information about limitations on the number of users allowed to edit a website.
• Square Online allows multiple staff accounts, but the platform does not specify how many accounts are supported.

Given the lack of detailed information, it’s difficult to make a definitive comparison. However, Square Online’s user management score is higher, suggesting it may offer more robust user management features.

Additional Features

SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

IONOS vs Square Online: User Feedback

IONOS

20 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Square Online

16 reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

As IONOS is primarily a hosting provider with a website builder as an additional product, most reviews focus on its hosting services. Users have mixed experiences with IONOS 1&1 Websites & Shops. While praised for its great packages, personalized support, and streamlined interface for IT professionals, some encounter issues with backend functionality and find customer service representatives too pushy. Despite occasional short outages, the overall reliability and responsiveness of the service are appreciated by users.

Users appreciate Square Online Store for its ease of setup, no initial payment requirement for registration, and dependable payment processing. The platform is lauded for its simple user interface, which allows for quick product sales and efficient inventory management. However, some users express dissatisfaction with the limited design customization options and the simplicity of the store layouts, noting that they do not match the design quality of competitors like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify. Additionally, limitations in scheduled order processing and a desire for more advanced features and better support for custom HTML and SEO were highlighted.

IONOS vs Square Online: FAQ

Build your website in 1 minute

Build your website in 1 minute

Tired of comparing? Try 10Web AI Website Builder and create your website in one minute.

See How It Works