IONOS vs Drupal: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

IONOS and Drupal both offer unique strengths, catering to different user needs and preferences.

• 
  IONOS (Overall Grade: 6.9/10)
  
  is a user-friendly website builder and hosting platform, ideal for beginners and small to medium-sized businesses. It excels in ease of use, customer support, and hosting quality. With a wide range of customizable templates and integrated ecommerce functionalities, IONOS simplifies the process of creating and managing professional websites. Its AI capabilities and comprehensive optimization strategies further enhance the user experience, making it a solid choice for those seeking a straightforward and reliable website builder.
• 
  Drupal (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)
  
  is a powerful open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensibility. It is best suited for developers and users with technical expertise who need to build complex websites with custom functionalities. Drupal offers a vast array of modules and themes, advanced security features, and robust user management capabilities. While it has a steeper learning curve and requires more technical knowledge, Drupal’s extensive customization options and strong community support make it a versatile choice for a wide range of web development projects.

	Overall grade: 6.9	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	7.2	7.8
Ease of use	7.8	5.4
Ecommerce	7.1	7.5
Website Editors	7.8	7.5
Product testing options	6.5	7.1
Price	7.8	5.7
Hosting quality	8.8	0
Website speed optimization	7.2	6.4
Plugins and integrations	6.5	8.6
Marketing features	7.5	8.0
Customer support	7.3	6.7
Security	7.5	8.3
AI capabilities	7.2	7.5
User Management	3.1	9.1

Best for ecommerce

7.1

7.5

Verdict

: IONOS is suitable for users seeking an integrated, user-friendly ecommerce solution, while Drupal excels in flexibility and customization for more complex ecommerce needs.

• 
  IONOS
  
  : IONOS is a website builder and hosting platform that offers integrated ecommerce functionality, making it easy for users to manage an online store directly from their website. It supports various payment methods and provides essential ecommerce features like product listings, shopping cart integration, and order management. However, when comparing IONOS vs Drupal, IONOS may be more suitable for those who prefer a straightforward, less customizable solution.
• 
  Drupal
  
  : Drupal, an open-source CMS, offers a flexible ecommerce solution through its Drupal Commerce module. It provides a wide array of features, including product management, shopping cart, payment gateway integration, and customizable workflows. While it has a steep learning curve and may require extensive customization, it is ideal for users who need a highly customizable and scalable ecommerce platform.

Best for informational & business websites

7.4

7.5

• 
  IONOS
  
  : IONOS is a solid choice for users who prioritize ease of use and a straightforward website-building experience. With its drag-and-drop functionality and a wide range of customizable templates, IONOS makes it easy for users to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. It also offers reliable hosting services and ensures that websites are optimized for search engines, making it a good option for small to medium-sized businesses looking to establish an online presence. IONOS scores 7.4 in this category.
• 
  Drupal
  
  : Drupal, on the other hand, is an open-source CMS known for its flexibility and extensibility. It is suitable for creating complex websites with custom functionalities, making it a versatile choice for a variety of websites, from personal blogs to corporate and government sites. Drupal offers a wide range of modules and themes, allowing for extensive customization. However, it comes with a steeper learning curve compared to IONOS. Drupal scores 7.5 in this category, making it a slightly better option for those who need advanced features and are willing to invest time in learning the platform.

Detailed comparison

7.2

7.8

🏆

Winner: Drupal.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more creative control, a wide array of design features, and a vast array of templates and designs, Drupal is the preferred choice.

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

Compared to IONOS, Drupal, as a highly flexible and powerful content management system, offers a vast array of templates and designs to cater to virtually any website need. With thousands of themes available, users can choose from minimalist designs, industry-specific layouts, and highly customizable multipurpose themes.

Drupal Themes

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7.8

5.4

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. Scoring a solid 7.8, IONOS is known for its straightforward and intuitive interface, making it suitable for users ranging from beginners to small and medium-sized businesses. Drupal, with a score of 5.4, offers a powerful platform for building complex websites and applications, but its flexibility comes with a steep learning curve, especially for beginners. If ease of use is a priority, IONOS is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Drupal goes a step further with its extensive official documentation, a vibrant community forum, and a variety of online courses and tutorials, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

7.1

7.5

IONOS and Drupal both offer ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different user needs and preferences. IONOS is a website builder that provides an integrated ecommerce functionality, allowing users to manage an online store directly from their website. It supports various payment methods and provides essential ecommerce functionalities like product listings, shopping cart integration, and order management. On the other hand, Drupal is an open-source CMS that offers a flexible ecommerce solution through its Drupal Commerce module. It provides a wide array of features including product management, shopping cart, payment gateway integration, and customizable workflows. However, it has a steep learning curve and may require extensive customization to meet specific ecommerce needs.

Ecommerce themes and templates	6.5	7.8
Product page customization	6.8	8.3
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	7.5
POS capabilities	5.5	5.5
Payment gateways	7.2	7.7
Product numbers	6.0	7.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.3	8.0

IONOS ecommerce features:

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

Drupal ecommerce features:

• Shopping Cart and Checkout Process
• Payment Gateway Integration
• Order Management and Invoicing
• Tax Calculation and VAT Support
• Shipping and Fulfillment
• Promotions and Discounts
• Reporting and Analytics
• Security and Compliance

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. In contrast, Drupal offers a wide array of ecommerce themes designed to cater to different types of online stores, from clean and simple designs to more sophisticated and feature-rich options. These themes are built with responsiveness in mind, ensuring that stores function seamlessly across various devices.

Product page customization

IONOS provides users with the ability to extensively customize product pages, including 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. On the other hand, Drupal offers extensive customization possibilities for product pages through its modular architecture, allowing for detailed content types, flexible displays with Views, and theme customizations. The Drupal Commerce module enriches ecommerce functionalities, enabling tailored product management, checkout flows, and payment systems.

Payment processing

IONOS supports a wide variety of third-party payment processors, 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. Drupal supports a wide range of payment gateways through third-party modules, including popular ones like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net. While Drupal itself does not charge any commissions or transaction fees, the individual payment gateways integrated with it do have their own fee structures, which typically include per-transaction charges and may also have monthly fees. The specific fees depend on the chosen payment gateway and the terms of service agreed upon by the website owner.

7.8

7.5

🏆

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.

Drupal’s editor, scoring 7.5, offers a wide range of features tailored for content creation and management. It supports rich text editing, enabling users to format text, insert links, images, and media, as well as create tables and lists with ease. The editor is highly customizable, allowing administrators to configure toolbars and options according to the needs of their site. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with Drupal’s content management system, supporting features like automatic content saving, version control, and access control, making it a powerful tool for building and managing diverse web content.

Mobile editor/app

4.5

0

🏆

Winner: IONOS

. Neither IONOS nor Drupal offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, IONOS provides limited editing capabilities on a mobile browser, allowing users to make some changes to their websites on the go. On the other hand, Drupal does not offer any mobile editing capabilities, making it less convenient for users who need to make quick changes to their websites from their mobile devices.

Therefore, IONOS is the winner in this category due to its limited but present mobile editing capabilities.

6.5

7.1

Overall Result

:

Drupal Wins

. Drupal scores 7.1 in product testing options, slightly higher than IONOS’s 6.5. Drupal, being an open-source CMS, is free to use and doesn’t require a trial period. However, it doesn’t offer the possibility to test premium features. IONOS, on the other hand, doesn’t offer a free or trial version, but allows users to test premium features during a 30-day refundable period.

Free Plan	No	Yes (open-source software)
Trial Duration	No	No
Testing Premium Features	During 30-day refundable period	No
Money Back Guarantee	30-day money back guarantee	Not applicable (open-source software)

7.8

5.7

IONOS offers a range of pricing plans with various features, while Drupal is a free open-source platform that requires separate purchases for domain, web hosting, and website builder subscriptions.

	Offerings	Offerings
$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.
$30+	Pro ($30/month): Advanced for scaling, unlimited space/pages, 50GB email, SEO tools, comprehensive marketing tools. Value for price: 9.0	No offering at this amount.

8.8

0

🏆

Winner: IONOS

IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting, with a high uptime guarantee of 99.99%. On the other hand, Drupal does not directly provide hosting services, and its uptime and data centers depend on the chosen hosting provider. Therefore, IONOS has a higher hosting quality score.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting.	No, Drupal itself does not directly provide hosting services.
Data Centers:	Total of 7 data centers in EU(Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Logroño) and USA(Las Vegas, NV; Newark, NJ; Lenexa, KS)	Data centers depend on hosting providers
Type of hosting:	Shared, Dedicated, VPS, WordPress Hosting	Drupal itself isn’t a hosting platform, there are various options when choosing the type of hosting for websites built with Drupal, such as: Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	99.99%	Uptime & uptime guarantee depends on hosting provider
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	Depends on hosting provider

7.2

6.4

🏆 Winner: IONOS

Both IONOS and Drupal prioritize website performance and page speed, but IONOS takes the lead with its comprehensive optimization strategies and emphasis on Core Web Vital improvements.

Focus	HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Optimization	User-guided optimization
Performance Tools	WordPress Optimization, CDN	User-guided optimization
Key Strategies	HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Optimization, Image and Multimedia Optimization, Caching, WordPress Optimization, CDN	User-guided optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization and user’s location	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, dependent on optimization and user’s location	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	Depends on users

IONOS, a website builder and hosting platform, offers a comprehensive set of strategies for website speed optimization. These include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript optimization, image and multimedia optimization, caching, WordPress optimization, and the use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN). The load times and PageSpeed scores can vary widely, depending on the level of optimization and the user’s location. However, IONOS places a strong emphasis on improving Core Web Vitals, specifically the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

On the other hand, Drupal, an open-source content management system (CMS), allows users to optimize almost all aspects of their website. The load times and PageSpeed scores can vary depending on the level of optimization and the complexity of the website. However, the improvement of Core Web Vitals is largely dependent on the users, which can be a disadvantage for those who lack the necessary technical knowledge.

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6.5

8.6

🏆 Winner: Drupal.

With a score of 8.6, Drupal outperforms IONOS, which has a score of 6.5. Drupal’s open-source nature allows for a vast array of over 51,000 plugins, called modules, that are predominantly free and open source. This extensive collection of modules enables functionalities like advanced SEO tools, e-commerce solutions, and custom content types and fields. Key integrations like Commerce for online stores, Views for content display management, and Google Analytics for web traffic analysis exemplify Drupal’s adaptability. On the other hand, IONOS offers over 100 plugins, which can enhance the functionality of the website by adding features such as ecommerce capabilities, social media integration, SEO optimization, and contact forms. However, the number and range of plugins and integrations offered by Drupal give it the upper hand in this comparison.

Drupal Applications

7.5

8.0

🏆

Overall Winner: Drupal

. Drupal stands out for its flexibility and extensibility, enabling developers to create complex websites with custom functionalities. IONOS is strong in email marketing and blogging, ideal for content-driven strategies.

SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	IONOS supports direct sales on Facebook and Instagram	Drupal provides comprehensive social media integration
Analytics and Reporting	Provides detailed insights through built-in metrics	Basic built-in features, and Google Analytics integrations
Ads and Promotions	Features sophisticated ad campaign management with Google Ads	Yes, but with third-party extensions

7.3

6.7

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. In the comparison of IONOS vs Drupal, IONOS takes the lead with a customer support score of 7.3. IONOS offers 24/7 customer support through various contact numbers, ensuring users can get assistance at any time. This round-the-clock availability is a significant advantage for users who may need immediate help with their website.

Drupal, with a customer support score of 6.7, provides a comprehensive range of support options, including community support through forums and documentation on Drupal.org, as well as professional 24/7 support services via providers like Drupal Connect. While Drupal’s support system is robust, it relies heavily on third-party providers for professional support, which may not be as seamless as the direct support offered by IONOS.

7.5

8.3

Winner: Drupal

. Drupal’s security score of 8.3 is higher than IONOS’s score of 7.5, indicating a more robust security framework. Drupal’s open-source nature allows for a proactive approach to security, with a dedicated security team continuously working on identifying and fixing vulnerabilities. It also supports advanced security features like two-factor authentication and provides extensive access control capabilities through user roles and permissions.

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

7.2

7.5

Personalized Design	IONOS AI offers personalized design recommendations
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility	AI-guided SEO advice for optimal content placement and structure
Customer Behavior Analysis		AI-powered chatbots and cognitive services for improved user interactions
Sales Predictions
Inventory Management
Content Generation	AI assistance in creating and optimizing site content	AI assistance in creating and optimizing site content

🏆 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.

Drupal, with a score of 7.5, integrates AI across various functionalities, enhancing e-commerce through chatbots, content creation, marketing automation, and cognitive services for improved user interactions. While Drupal’s AI is powerful, it lacks a dedicated AI website builder compared to IONOS.

3.1

9.1

🏆 Winner: Drupal

. Drupal’s flexible permission and role system allows for an unlimited number of users to manage and edit a website, only constrained by server capacity and practical management considerations. Administrators can create various roles, such as “Editor” or “Administrator”, each with customized permissions. There’s no inherent limit in Drupal on the number of users with administrative or editing capabilities, enabling extensive collaboration and content management possibilities.

On the other hand, IONOS website builder permits multiple users for website editing. However, 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.

Drupal User Roles and Access Levels:

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

User Feedback

IONOS

20 reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars

Drupal

415 reviews

3.8 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 Drupal for its ease of use, security, and flexibility as an open-source CMS, highlighting its ability to scale and support a variety of websites and applications with modern technology tools. The community and documentation are frequently mentioned positives, providing ample support and resources. However, criticisms include a relative lack of plugins and themes compared to competitors like WordPress, the learning curve for customization without coding, and some challenges with installation and updates. The platform is praised for its robust content management capabilities, enabling users to manage content and user access efficiently. Overall, feedback underscores Drupal’s strength in creating secure, customizable, and scalable web solutions, despite some desires for more intuitive UI and easier setup.

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