IONOS vs Instapage: guide for 2024

Final verdict

IONOS and Instapage both offer unique strengths, catering 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 ecommerce capabilities, making it a solid choice for users looking to create and manage online stores. With features like SEO optimization, social media integration, and a comprehensive set of marketing tools, IONOS ensures that websites are not only visually appealing but also optimized for maximum visibility and performance.
Instapage (Overall Grade: 6.6/10)

is a specialized landing page platform designed to enhance advertising conversion through personalization and optimization. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, AI content generation, and detailed analytics, making it ideal for users focused on creating high-converting landing pages. Instapage stands out with its extensive integrations with marketing tools and CRM systems, providing a seamless experience for marketing teams and businesses aiming to optimize their ad campaigns and lead generation efforts.

	Overall grade: 6.9	Overall grade: 6.6
Design functionalities & templates	7.2	8.0
Ease of use	7.8	8.5
Ecommerce	7.1	4.2
Website Editors	7.8	7.5
Product testing options	6.5	6.1
Price	7.8	7.0
Hosting quality	8.8	6.0
Website speed optimization	7.2	6.2
Plugins and integrations	6.5	6.8
Marketing features	7.5	7.7
Customer support	7.3	7.6
Security	7.5	8.4
AI capabilities	7.2	6.0
User Management	3.1	7.3

Best for ecommerce

7.1

4.2

Verdict

: IONOS is better suited for comprehensive ecommerce needs, while Instapage excels in landing page optimization but lacks robust ecommerce features.

IONOS

: With a higher ecommerce score of 7.1, IONOS offers a wide range of ecommerce functionalities, including store management, marketing tools, and extensive payment and shipping options. It is ideal for businesses looking to set up and manage a scalable online store with customizable product pages and various payment gateways. However, when comparing IONOS vs Instapage, IONOS stands out for its more complete ecommerce solution.
Instapage

: Scoring 4.2 in ecommerce, Instapage is primarily focused on landing page optimization and does not offer extensive ecommerce features. It supports payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal through integrations but lacks dedicated ecommerce templates and product page customization. Instapage is best for businesses that prioritize high-converting landing pages over a full-fledged ecommerce platform.

Best for informational & business websites

7.4

7.9

Verdict

: Instapage slightly outperforms IONOS for informational and business websites, thanks to its focus on landing page optimization and ease of use.

IONOS

: IONOS is a robust website builder and hosting platform that offers a wide range of customizable templates and drag-and-drop functionality. It is well-suited for users looking to create professional and visually appealing websites without any coding knowledge. With features like ecommerce capabilities, contact forms, and social media integration, IONOS ensures that websites are optimized for search engines, providing maximum visibility online. However, it may not offer the same level of specialized tools for landing page optimization as Instapage. Score: 7.4
Instapage

: Instapage excels in creating high-performing landing pages with a focus on personalization, optimization, and testing. It offers a range of tools for improving advertising conversion, including AI content generation and targeted messaging. Instapage is recognized for its ease of use, allowing users to create and optimize landing pages without needing a developer. This makes it particularly suitable for businesses looking to enhance their marketing campaigns and increase conversions. Score: 7.9

Detailed comparison

7.2

8.0

🏆

Winner: Instapage.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more creative control and a wide array of design features, Instapage 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, Instapage provides an extensive collection of 100+ design templates for website building, business-specific templates. These templates are tailored to support small teams and businesses in executing their marketing campaigns efficiently, including features for marketing automation, CRM, and analytics integrations.

Instapage Themes

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7.8

8.5

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. With a score of 8.5, Instapage offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the creation of landing pages, making it accessible to users with various levels of technical expertise. IONOS, scoring 7.8, also provides a straightforward and intuitive interface, but it might not offer the extensive functionalities of more complex platforms like Instapage.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but Instapage goes a step further with its comprehensive set of resources including blogs, webinars, videos, podcasts, ebooks, dictionaries, guides, and customer stories. IONOS also offers guidance on setting up websites, utilizing custom layouts, starting blogs, and incorporating web apps, but it doesn’t match the breadth of resources provided by Instapage.

Learn IONOS

Learn Instapage

7.1

4.2

IONOS and Instapage offer different ecommerce capabilities, with IONOS providing a more comprehensive set of features for online stores. IONOS has a higher ecommerce score of 7.1 compared to Instapage’s 4.2, reflecting its stronger ecommerce offering.


Ecommerce themes and templates	6.5	0.0
Product page customization	6.8	0.0
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	5.0
POS capabilities	5.5	0.0
Payment gateways	7.2	6.0
Product numbers	6.0	0.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.3	4.0

IONOS ecommerce features:

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

Ionos add a product

Instapage ecommerce features:

Shopify integration
Payment gateways such as Stripe and Paypal

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. On the other hand, Instapage does not have ecommerce specific templates.

Product page customization

In terms of 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. Instapage, however, does not have product page customization capabilities.

Payment processing

When it comes to 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. Instapage supports payment gateway integration, notably through external systems and third-party services like Commence Payments for Stripe, facilitating various payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and card payments. The platform itself does not directly charge commissions for transactions, but payment gateways may have their own fees. While Instapage specializes in creating high-converting landing pages with a focus on online marketing, it does not explicitly offer Point of Sale (POS) capabilities, suggesting a primary use case away from direct sales or retail transactions.

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.

Ionos editor

Instapage, scoring 7.5, is a comprehensive website builder focused on creating and optimizing landing pages for various marketing campaigns. It offers a drag-and-drop editor, AI content generation, detailed analytics, and extensive customization through custom code editing, alongside security and compliance features. The platform supports collaboration, integrates with numerous marketing tools, and is designed to streamline the process of building, testing, and optimizing landing pages to increase conversions.

Mobile editor/app

4.5

🏆

Winner: IONOS

. Both IONOS and Instapage do not offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, IONOS provides limited editing abilities on a mobile browser, which gives it an edge over Instapage. This feature allows users to make quick changes to their websites directly from their mobile devices, offering a level of convenience that Instapage does not provide. Therefore, IONOS scores higher in the mobile editor category.

6.5

6.1

Overall Result

:

IONOS wins

. IONOS scores 6.5, slightly higher than Instapage’s 6.1. IONOS does not offer a free or trial version, but it does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, during which users can test premium features. Instapage, on the other hand, offers a 14-day free trial, but users are required to fill in their payment information, and they may be charged automatically if they don’t cancel by the end of the trial period.


Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	No (30-day money-back guarantee)	14 days (payment information required)
Testing Premium Features	During the 30-day refundable period	During the free trial
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	24 hours

7.8

7.0

IONOS offers more affordable pricing plans compared to Instapage, which is more focused on providing advanced features for conversion optimization.

	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.
$20-$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.
$200+	No offering at this amount.	BUILD ($299/month): Optimize conversions with experimentation and lead generation. Includes #1 Landing page builder, No Conversion Limits, Server-Side A/B Testing, AI Content, Unlimited Triggered Popups, Thor Render Engine, Dynamic Text Replacement, SSL Encryption, GDPR Compliance, Google SSO, Zapier, HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo Integration, Multi-Step Forms, Invisible reCAPTCHA, and more. Value for Price: 7.5

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

8.8

6.0

🏆

Winner: IONOS

IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and data centers in both the EU and USA. Instapage, on the other hand, offers cloud hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, but does not disclose the locations of its data centers. This gives IONOS a slight edge in this category.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, IONOS offers a diverse range of hosting services including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting.	Yes, Instapage offers cloud hosting.
Data Centers:	Total of 7 data centers in EU(Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Logroño) and USA(Las Vegas, NV; Newark, NJ; Lenexa, KS)	Instapage does not disclose the locations of its data centers
Type of hosting:	Shared, Dedicated, VPS, WordPress Hosting	Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	99.99%	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	Yes, 99.9%

7.2

6.2

🏆 Winner: IONOS

Both IONOS and Instapage prioritize website performance and page speed, but IONOS takes the lead with a more comprehensive approach to speed optimization.


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

IONOS takes a comprehensive approach to website speed optimization, focusing on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript optimization, image and multimedia optimization, caching, WordPress optimization, and CDN. This approach ensures that websites built with IONOS are optimized for speed, regardless of the user’s location. IONOS also places a strong emphasis on improving Core Web Vitals, specifically LCP, FID, and CLS.

On the other hand, Instapage focuses on responsive design, image optimization, and caching for speed optimization. However, Instapage does not provide any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements, which could be a potential area of improvement for the platform. The load times and PageSpeed scores for Instapage vary depending on optimization, similar to IONOS.

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6.5

6.8

🏆 Winner: Instapage.

With a score of 6.8, Instapage edges out IONOS (6.5) in the plugins and integrations category. While IONOS offers over 100 plugins, Instapage supports over 40 integrations with third-party platforms, including major CRM, email marketing, analytics, and advertising tools. This enables users to connect their landing pages seamlessly with essential digital marketing tools and services, enhancing the overall marketing funnel.

Through native integrations and the use of Zapier, Instapage offers flexibility in connecting with a wide array of apps, ensuring lead data is effectively synced across different platforms. The integrations are included in their pricing plans without any additional costs for users.

Instapage Applications

Instapage integrations

7.5

7.7

🏆

Overall Winner: Instapage

. Instapage edges out IONOS with a slightly higher score, thanks to its comprehensive landing page platform designed to improve advertising conversion. IONOS, however, offers a robust suite of marketing tools, including SEO optimization, social media integration, and email marketing solutions.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Direct sales on Facebook and Instagram	Yes
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed insights through built-in metrics and SiteAnalytics	Conversion analytics, real-time reports, and A/B testing
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads, and promotional tools like coupons and special offers	AdMap for ad-to-page personalization and integration with advertising platforms

7.3

7.6

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Comparing IONOS vs Instapage, Instapage takes the lead in this category with its comprehensive support system. Instapage offers live chat support directly within the application, available 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday, along with email and phone support during regular business hours. This ensures users have multiple channels to seek assistance, with the added benefit of maintaining a written record of service requests through email.

IONOS provides 24/7 customer support via phone, ensuring users can reach out for help at any time. While this round-the-clock availability is a significant advantage, IONOS lacks the live chat support that many users find convenient. Additionally, IONOS does not offer specialized enterprise support, which may be a drawback for larger businesses seeking tailored assistance.

Instapage also excels in enterprise support with dedicated Success Managers and Launch Specialists, providing personalized onboarding, training, and strategic guidance to maximize ROI. This level of support ensures that enterprise users can fully leverage the platform’s capabilities for optimal performance.

7.5

8.4

🏆

Winner: Instapage

. Instapage has a higher security score and offers a comprehensive security approach, including SOC 2 Type I and Type II compliance, risk management policies, and a strong focus on privacy, aligning with GDPR and CCPA regulations. Their Information Security Program is based on ISO 27001/2 and NIST 800-53 frameworks, covering multiple aspects of security from asset management to incident response. Physical, access, and network security protocols are rigorously enforced, alongside SSL/HTTPS support for all landing pages to ensure secure client data handling and privacy.

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 integrates various security measures to safeguard websites created on its platform, focusing on preventing malware spread, spamming, and data breaches. It offers guidance on staying updated with security patches, conducting backups, securing logins, and implementing HTTPS and SSL certificates.

7.2

6.0


Personalized Design	IONOS AI offers tailored design suggestions based on user inputs
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility
Content Generation	AI-generated content, including SEO optimization and image generation	AI Content Generator produces content tailored to the target audience
Additional AI Features	AI Section Generator and AI Color Palette Generator	AI Experiments for dynamically allocating traffic to landing pages

🏆 Winner: IONOS

. IONOS’s AI capabilities are more comprehensive, offering personalized design recommendations, automatic content generation, and SEO optimization. It also has additional AI features like the AI Section Generator and AI Color Palette Generator that enhance website design and content creation. On the other hand, Instapage does not have an AI builder but it does have an AI Content Generator and AI Experiments feature.

3.1

7.3

🏆 Winner: Instapage

. Both IONOS and Instapage allow multiple users to manage a website, but Instapage provides more detailed user roles and permissions.

IONOS 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.
On Instapage, users managing a website can be assigned different roles: Viewer, Editor, or Manager. A Viewer has limited access, only able to view pages. An Editor can edit pages, and a Manager has full access except for billing information and the audit log. The number of users you can invite depends on your subscription limits. However, only one user can edit a page at a time to prevent overwrite issues.

Instapage User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Administrator	Oversees the entire Instapage account, managing users, settings, and billing information.	Full access to all features, including user management, settings, billing, and page creation and editing.
Editor	Works on creating and editing landing pages, responsible for the design and content.	Can create and edit pages, manage integrations, and view analytics, but cannot change account settings or manage users.
Viewer	Has view-only access to the landing pages, typically for review or analytics purposes.	Can view pages and analytics but cannot make any edits or access account settings.

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

Instapage

488 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.

Instapage, on the other hand, is generally appreciated for its user-friendly interface, robust customer support, and seamless integration capabilities. Users highlight its effectiveness in creating high-quality, high-converting landing pages optimized for lead capture. Positive feedback emphasizes the platform’s ease of use, allowing both experienced marketers and newcomers to quickly design and deploy landing pages, along with its broad range of integrations with other marketing tools and CRM systems. However, some users encounter challenges with mobile responsiveness, custom domain settings, and occasional bugs.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for creating landing pages, IONOS or Instapage?

Instapage specializes in creating high-converting landing pages and offers a wide range of optimization and personalization tools specifically designed for this purpose. IONOS, while offering a broad set of website building tools, is more focused on general website creation and hosting.

Can I use IONOS and Instapage for ecommerce?

IONOS provides a more comprehensive suite of ecommerce tools and features, making it suitable for building and managing online stores. Instapage, though it can be integrated with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, is primarily designed for optimizing advertising conversion rather than full-fledged ecommerce management.

How do IONOS and Instapage compare in terms of ease of use?

Instapage is recognized for its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editor, making it easier for users without technical skills to create and optimize landing pages. IONOS also offers an intuitive website builder but with a focus on a wider range of website types, not just landing pages.

Which platform offers better customer support, IONOS or Instapage?

Instapage edges out IONOS in customer support, offering 24/5 live chat support and additional personalized assistance for higher-tier plan users. IONOS provides 24/7 customer support but lacks the personalized support options available with Instapage.

Are IONOS and Instapage suitable for beginners?

Both platforms cater to users with varying levels of expertise. Instapage, with its focus on ease of use and extensive learning resources, may be slightly more accessible to beginners. IONOS also offers a user-friendly interface but with a broader range of features that might require a slight learning curve.

Which platform is more affordable, IONOS or Instapage?

IONOS offers more affordable pricing plans compared to Instapage, making it a cost-effective option for users looking for a combination of website building and hosting services. Instapage, while more expensive, provides advanced features for landing page optimization and marketing.

Can I manage multiple users with IONOS and Instapage?

Instapage provides detailed user roles and permissions, allowing for effective team collaboration and management of landing pages. IONOS allows multiple users but does not offer as detailed user management features as Instapage.

Which platform is better for SEO, IONOS or Instapage?

Both platforms offer SEO tools to help improve search engine visibility. IONOS provides a comprehensive suite of SEO features integrated into its website builder, while Instapage focuses on optimizing landing pages for better conversion rates, which can indirectly benefit SEO.