Hostinger vs Ionos: guide for 2024

Hostinger vs Ionos: Final verdict

Looking over Hostinger vs. IONOS, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

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  Hostinger (Overall grade: 8.7)
  
  
  delivers impressive uptime, speed, and extensive global data center coverage. Its strong security measures and developer-friendly tools make it a reliable choice for businesses looking for high performance and extensive features. Standout offerings such as the user-friendly hPanel, SSD storage, LiteSpeed Web Server, and a customizable website builder provide substantial value. The free automatic website migration and multilingual 24/7 live chat support add to its attractiveness, though the lack of direct phone support can be a drawback for some users.
  
• 
  IONOS (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  emphasizes scalable technology with georedundant infrastructure and Cloudflare CDN for enhanced speed and availability. It provides comprehensive security features, including daily backups, free Wildcard SSL certificates, and DDoS protection. The inclusion of a personal consultant for users ensures personalized support. Despite lacking automatic website migration and a dedicated control panel as intuitive as Hostinger’s hPanel, its robust email hosting services and flexible role-based user management make it an appealing option for businesses needing reliable and secure hosting.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner Hostinger
Hostinger offers stellar uptime, availability, and performance with advanced features tailored for optimal website hosting.

🏆 Runner-up IONOS
IONOS delivers strong uptime and availability with a comprehensive suite of features and scalable performance levels.

Section-2: Hostinger guarantees an uptime of 99.9%. It has demonstrated an impressive average uptime of 99.97% over the past six months. During a specific 10-week monitoring test, Hostinger achieved a perfect 100% uptime. Its response time averaged between 450ms and 625ms, showing peak performance with a weekly average of 382ms.

Section-3: Hostinger’s global data centers in strategic locations around the world help to minimize latency and ensure excellent speed. Enhanced features such as DDoS protection, a web application firewall, and Cloudflare protected nameservers enhance security. The inclusion of daily and weekly backups, free SSL certificates, and 24/7 customer support reinforces host reliability. A 30-day money-back guarantee substantiates its commitment to quality service.

Section-2: IONOS matches Hostinger with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and ensures consistent service through its georedundant infrastructure. Data is mirrored across two data centers to prevent interruptions during maintenance or outages. The Cloudflare CDN spans over 60 data centers worldwide, improving load times.

Section-3: IONOS provides integrated DDoS protection, redundant network connectivity, and daily backups, contributing to its reliable service. Features like scalable performance levels, free Wildcard SSL certificates, and email notifications for performance limits cater to varying needs. Users can manage their accounts through the mobile admin app, and robust customer support is available round-the-clock. A 30-day money-back guarantee is offered for most hosting products.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Leading choice with advanced performance features and reliable service.

When comparing the general performance of Hostinger and IONOS, several aspects stand out. Hostinger offers a combination of high-speed CPUs, NVMe storage, and 99.9% uptime, optimized with LiteSpeed Web Servers and an LSCWP cache plugin. In contrast, IONOS uses dual platform technology with SSD storage and provides HTTP/2 for fast page load times. Hostinger’s global data centers span Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, while IONOS leverages over 60 global data centers through Cloudflare CDN. Hostinger includes a dedicated IP in all plans, enhancing both performance and security.

Website Speed

Hostinger ensures swift website performance with its 4X speed boost, HTTP/3 support, LiteSpeed Web Servers, and the LSCWP cache plugin. The integrated Hostinger CDN further enhances speed by up to 40%. Meanwhile, IONOS employs the HTTP/2 protocol and the latest PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler to achieve fast loading times. Despite these features, Hostinger’s optimized caching and extensive geographical data centers provide an edge in overall speed.

Scalability

Scaling with Hostinger involves upgrading to higher-tier plans like Cloud Professional or Cloud Enterprise, designed to handle increased traffic and resource needs. Hostinger offers 300 websites on all plans, extensive NVMe storage, and significant computation resources, with prices scaling up to $54.99/month. IONOS provides scalable performance management that adjusts as needed, with additional performance levels costing $2/month. However, specific details about automatic scaling and dedicated server availability were not provided.

🏆 Winner
IONOS: Offering a robust and comprehensive suite of security features, IONOS stands out.

Both Hostinger and IONOS, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Both Hostinger and IONOS provide extensive technical security measures to protect their hosting environments. Hostinger employs 24/7 server monitoring, advanced security modules, firewall protection, and anti-malware measures. It also includes regular vulnerability scans and penetration testing. IONOS, on the other hand, focuses on SSL encryption with up to 256-bit encryption, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and automatic malware removal. Both offer PHP version control, but IONOS extends support from PHP 4.0 to the latest PHP versions, including JIT Compiler and OPcache.

Operational security measures:

Hostinger has a dedicated internal security team, robust internal policies, and a responsible disclosure policy to encourage the reporting of vulnerabilities. It also offers two-factor authentication (2FA) and regular data backups. IONOS provides daily automatic backups with up to six days of data recovery, customized firewall rules via the Cloud Panel, and advanced intrusion detection and prevention systems. While both have extensive measures, IONOS includes georedundant data centers and SIEM software for heightened security monitoring.

Compliance and certifications:

Hostinger complies with GDPR regulations but does not provide PCI or HIPAA-compliant environments. IONOS is also GDPR compliant and emphasizes secure transactions with SSL protection, though it doesn’t explicitly mention PCI compliance. Neither host offers HIPAA-compliant hosting solutions. Despite the lack of certain certifications, both providers maintain rigorous security protocols to protect user data.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: A hosting provider equipped with strong security, performance, and developer-friendly tools.

Both Hostinger and IONOS offer robust hosting services tailored to various needs, from beginners to advanced users. Hostinger boasts a custom-built hPanel control panel, making website management an intuitive experience and includes a free domain and SSL with most plans. Its website builder comes with AI functionalities, aiding quick and efficient website creation. Hostinger’s standout features include SSD storage, LiteSpeed Web Server, and advanced caching mechanisms that contribute to exceptional site performance. Daily and on-demand backups alongside the free automatic website migration present compelling value without additional costs.

IONOS, on the other hand, focuses on scalable technology with a georedundant infrastructure and content delivery network (CDN) backed by Cloudflare. This ensures fast loading times and high availability. Their website builder supports easy-to-use app installations such as WordPress and Joomla, extending flexibility for varying complexity levels of customization. IONOS also includes a Wildcard SSL certificate and professional email with all their plans, emphasizing security with DDoS protection and georedundant data centers. Noteworthy is the inclusion of a personal consultant, adding personalized support and guidance for users.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hostinger and IONOS offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Hostinger and IONOS provide robust email hosting services as part of their plans, including professional email addresses. Hostinger supports email with basic functionalities tailored for custom domains. IONOS, in addition to basic hosting, also offers transactional email capabilities with anti-spam and anti-phishing filters for enhanced security. Both providers include a free professional email with hosting plans, ensuring businesses can maintain a professional image with custom email domains.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Offering versatile plans with extensive features at competitive prices.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Hostinger and IONOS each offer a range of hosting plans catered to different needs. Hostinger has more varied options, including shared, cloud, VPS, and specific WordPress hosting. Hostinger’s plans start as low as $1.99 per month and offer extensive features, such as free SSL, free domain, and automatic website migration. On the other hand, IONOS provides straightforward plans starting at $4 per month and includes essentials like a free domain for a year, professional email, and daily backups. While IONOS focuses on providing core services efficiently, Hostinger offers more generous storage and additional benefits like priority support and website builders in its higher-tier plans.

Enterprise plans

Hostinger’s Cloud Enterprise plan offers 300 websites, 300 GB NVMe storage, a generous 12 GB RAM, and 6 CPU cores for $54.99 per month, including priority support and daily backups. IONOS does not have a direct equivalent for enterprise-level plans in terms of cloud resources and scalability, making Hostinger a stronger option for businesses needing advanced hosting capabilities.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Offers a user-friendly experience with a wide array of features.

Hostinger utilizes a custom-built control panel called hPanel, which is designed to cater to both technical and non-technical users. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for beginners to handle tasks such as setting up email addresses, installing content management systems, and using the built-in website builder. The panel includes one-click app installations and built-in AI tools that simplify content creation and task management. Automated updates for WordPress and other applications further add to the ease of setup, making it a highly accessible option for users who may lack technical expertise.

IONOS, on the other hand, also offers a user-friendly setup, especially for WordPress hosting through its WP Assistant. IONOS provides a range of apps, such as TYPO3, Joomla, Drupal, and PrestaShop, which can be installed using their Click & Build feature. For WordPress users, IONOS offers a managed hosting solution that includes customizable updates and various free plugins and themes. This makes it a versatile option for users looking for a straightforward and comprehensive setup process, catering to both novice and experienced users alike.

Both Hostinger and IONOS offer free website migration services. Hostinger provides automatic website migration without any downtime, making it a seamless and worry-free process for users. This feature is particularly valuable for those who may wish to transfer their websites without halting their online activities. IONOS also offers tools for site migration, though it’s not specified whether this service is entirely automatic or involves some manual steps. Both providers aim to simplify the migration process, but Hostinger’s completely automated approach stands out.

Hostinger’s help center features a vast range of tutorials, guides, and a detailed academy of video tutorials to help users get started. Their 24/7 multilingual support through live chat and email ensures users can always find assistance when needed. IONOS offers a comprehensive help center with detailed information and instructions on all aspects of web hosting, and users also have access to personal consultants for personalized advice and technical support. Both platforms provide strong support systems, but Hostinger’s variety of resources may offer a slight edge for those who prefer learning through different mediums.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Hostinger offers streamlined client onboarding and comprehensive user role management.

Hostinger and IONOS have distinct approaches to user roles, permissions, and accessibility. Hostinger provides a straightforward process to add new clients via its hPanel, with options to manage or manage and make purchases. The system allows effortless client onboarding, centralized service management, and analytic insights. IONOS, on the other hand, offers a flexible role-based system in its Cloud Panel. Roles can be created, cloned, and edited with granular permissions, which means users can be given highly specific capabilities. While both systems are effective, Hostinger’s predefined roles provide an easier, albeit less flexible, approach for users who need quick and efficient management.

Hostinger’s user interface, hPanel, offers an intuitive design for managing users. Users can access the Account Sharing option to manage permissions, view websites and domains, and monitor performance. The hPanel also provides centralized control over website and domain management, with logical navigation making it easier to handle multiple clients. IONOS provides a comprehensive Cloud Panel that displays roles, permissions, and user assignments in an organized table format. The ability to clone roles and quickly assign permission groups adds to its usability, though it might be more complex for beginners compared to Hostinger’s straightforward hPanel.

Regarding access control, Hostinger provides specific levels of accessibility—managing services or managing services and making purchases. This simplicity ensures that users understand their permissions clearly, though it excludes some critical actions to maintain security, such as managing payment methods and customer support. IONOS offers a more dynamic solution with customizable permissions and roles that can adapt to varied needs as user numbers grow. Hostinger’s dedicated sections for managing websites and domains, coupled with clear restrictions for shared access, ensure secure and efficient user management, especially useful for smaller to mid-sized operations.

Hostinger user roles table:

IONOS user roles table:

🏆 Winner
IONOS: provides comprehensive customer support with multiple accessible options and award-winning service.

Hostinger and IONOS both offer 24/7 customer support, but their services differ in several ways. Hostinger, while providing 24/7 live chat, email support, and a wealth of self-help resources such as a knowledge base and Hostinger Academy, lacks direct phone support. They do offer priority support with certain plans and have multilingual support. Their customer service aims for rapid resolution times and boasts a rich repository of resources for troubleshooting and optimizing website functionality.

When comparing the customer support options between Hostinger and IONOS, IONOS offers a more versatile array of channels including phone, chat, and email support, all available 24/7. This diverse accessibility, complemented by dedicated personal consultants available during business hours, gives IONOS an edge. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, and their support has received recognitions for excellence.

Hostinger vs Ionos: User feedback

Hostinger receives high praise for its user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and robust performance. Customers appreciate the wide range of features, including seamless website migration, the intuitive hPanel, and excellent uptime. The standout feature, consistently mentioned across reviews, is the exceptional and responsive customer support available 24/7 via live chat, although some users express a desire for phone support. On the downside, a few customers report issues with renewal pricing, occasional slow support response times, and the limitations of the lower-tier plans.

The user feedback on the hosting provider is highly mixed. Some customers appreciate the affordability and ease of use, particularly for startups, and praise the good customer support and convenient packages. However, many others criticize the company’s unreliable service, outdated user interface, and poor handling of issues, including severe downtime and inadequate customer support. There are also concerns about deceptive business practices and difficulty with account management, leading to significant dissatisfaction among long-term users.

Hostinger vs Ionos: FAQ