Ionos vs Cloudways: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over IONOS vs. Cloudways, both provide strong hosting solutions but cater to different user needs and priorities.

• 
  Cloudways (Overall grade: 8.5)
  
  
  is particularly well-suited for developers and businesses seeking high performance and scalability. Its managed cloud hosting capabilities, stellar uptime, and advanced caching mechanisms contribute to its reliability for high-traffic and multimedia-heavy websites. The platform allows easy vertical scaling and provides flexible pay-as-you-go pricing, which can be very cost-effective for businesses with fluctuating traffic. However, the lack of built-in website builder and email hosting may require additional investments. Cloudways compensates for these with excellent customer support, free initial site migration, and a modern, intuitive control panel, making it an appealing choice for tech-savvy users and growing businesses.
  
• 
  IONOS (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  is a robust option for small to medium-sized websites, agencies, and businesses seeking an all-in-one solution. It offers a variety of hosting types, including shared and dedicated hosting, which Cloudways does not. With features like a free domain for the first year, professional email hosting, an easy website builder, and 24/7 support, IONOS is user-friendly and cost-effective, especially for beginners. The company also emphasizes security with daily backups, advanced malware scanning, and georedundant data centers. However, it lacks some of the advanced caching and scalability features that make Cloudways stand out, making IONOS a better fit for less complex hosting needs.
  

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
Cloudways: Superior uptime and comprehensive managed cloud hosting.

Cloudways emerges as the winner due to its nearly perfect uptime records and managed cloud hosting expertise. With an impressive uptime of 100% in 2020 and 2021, and 99.99% in 2022, it surpasses IONOS’s 99.9% uptime guarantee. Additionally, its strong performance metrics, including an average server response time of 229ms and fully loaded time of 0.9s, make it a reliable option for businesses needing uninterrupted service.

IONOS is not without its strengths, offering 99.9% uptime and georedundant infrastructure that keeps data secure across multiple data centers. It also includes DDoS protection, daily backups, and a free Wildcard SSL certificate with each plan. These features make IONOS a solid choice, especially for small to medium-sized websites that need consistent performance and security.

Ultimately, Cloudways’s managed cloud hosting capabilities, combined with its stellar uptime records and performance optimization features, make it the top choice. It supports multiple cloud platforms such as AWS and Google Cloud, providing flexibility for scalability and application management. Despite not offering domain registration and email hosting, Cloudways’s superior uptime and performance give it the edge for businesses seeking reliable, high-performance hosting solutions.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Superior performance features and flexibility for high-traffic websites.

In comparing the general performance of both IONOS and Cloudways, it’s clear that both offer high-speed hosting solutions but with different focuses. IONOS leverages a dual platform technology and offers a georedundant infrastructure for 99.9% guaranteed uptime. It also uses HTTP/2 protocol and the latest PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler for faster performance. Cloudways, on the other hand, relies heavily on SSD hosting which is three times faster than traditional HDDs and integrates advanced caches like Memcached, Varnish, Nginx, and Redis to ensure top-speed performance. While IONOS offers a free Cloudflare CDN with over 60 global data centers, Cloudways includes Cloudflare Enterprise for high-tier security and performance but doesn’t specify the number of data centers.

Website Speed

When it comes to website speed, Cloudways takes the lead by combining SSD storage with an optimized stack of NGINX, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP-FPM for handling high traffic efficiently. Cloudways’ built-in caching solutions work seamlessly to offer minimal load times. IONOS offers fast performance with HTTP/2 protocol and SSD storage but doesn’t incorporate as many built-in caching methods as Cloudways. Both hosting providers offer the latest PHP versions, but Cloudways’ array of caching mechanisms gives it an edge in raw speed.

Scalability

Scalability is a strong suit for both hosting providers, but they approach it differently. IONOS allows users to manually adjust performance levels as needed, costing an additional $2/month per performance level. While it offers scalable performance management, it doesn’t have automatic scaling. Cloudways excels with vertical scaling options that allow you to easily increase server resources like RAM, CPU, and storage. This provider has dedicated servers available, offering both ease and affordability when it comes to scaling. Cloudways’ transparent pricing and effortless scaling make it ideal for growing websites.

🏆 Winner
IONOS: Offers a robust suite of security features including advanced daily backups and binary data mirroring in georedundant centers, making it a reliable choice for businesses focused on data security.

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

Technical security measures:

IONOS offers a higher level of encryption with various SSL certificates such as DV, OV, and EV, along with advanced DDoS protection and daily malware scans. Cloudways, meanwhile, provides free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates and automated protections like Fail2ban and bot protection. Both providers support up-to-date PHP versions, but IONOS includes PHP with JIT Compiler and OPcache for enhanced performance. IONOS also incorporates SIEM software and intrusion detection systems, while Cloudways emphasizes its collaboration with Patchstack for real-time vulnerability scanning. Customizable firewall rules on IONOS offer a more granular security approach compared to Cloudways’ platform-level firewalls.

Operational security measures:

IONOS excels with georedundant data centers ensuring data is mirrored across two locations, daily backups, and automatic malware removal. Cloudways offers auto-healing servers and built-in advanced caches like Memcached, Varnish, and Redis for enhanced operational performance. Both companies offer SSH and SFTP access, albeit IONOS includes wildcard SSL certificates with some plans. Cloudways leverages dedicated server-level firewalls and Two-Factor Authentication for user access security, while IONOS deploys extensive intrusion detection and prevention systems alongside SIEM software to constantly monitor and analyze security alerts.

Compliance and certifications:

IONOS ensures full GDPR compliance and confirms its data centers are ISO certified. PCI compliance is implied but not explicitly confirmed for IONOS. Cloudways utilizes underlying PCI-DSS level 1 compliant hardware from its cloud infrastructure providers, while emphasizing that overall PCI compliance depends on the customer’s implementation of security measures. Explicit GDPR compliance is not firmly established for Cloudways but appears likely given its focus on security.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Cloudways offers a high-performance and scalable hosting solution ideal for web developers and businesses.

IONOS and Cloudways both bring a lot to the table in terms of web hosting features, yet they cater to slightly different needs. IONOS is noted for its user-friendly options like an easy website builder, which simplifies the website creation process. This makes it suitable for beginners who need an all-in-one solution. IONOS also provides a free domain for the first year and includes professional email hosting across all plans, which could be attractive for small businesses needing a comprehensive package at an affordable price. With 24/7 customer service and additional features like a CDN and HTTP/2 protocol, IONOS ensures robust performance and security.

On the other side, Cloudways appeals more to developers and businesses focused on performance optimization and scalability. The absence of a built-in website builder might be a drawback for novices, but the hosting service compensates with advanced performance features like SSD hosting, built-in caches, and vertical scaling capabilities. Cloudways also offers more granular control over security with dedicated firewalls and IP whitelisting. Another standout feature is its pay-as-you-go plans, making it flexible and cost-effective for growing businesses. With integrated Git and SSH access, along with a staging environment for testing, Cloudways provides a more developer-friendly environment ideal for complex websites and applications.

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 IONOS and Cloudways 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:

IONOS includes professional email hosting within all its plans, which is beneficial for those needing to manage business communications through a singular platform. In contrast, Cloudways offers email as an add-on service through a partnership with Rackspace, meaning you will need to pay extra for this feature. This approach gives users the flexibility to select third-party services like Google Workspace or Outlook if they have specific email needs. While this may add to the service cost, it also allows users the freedom to choose their preferred email provider.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Cloudways scores slightly higher overall, mainly due to the robust features included in their plans and the transparency of what’s included.

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.

IONOS and Cloudways both offer a range of hosting plans catering to different needs. IONOS provides straightforward pricing for its shared hosting and specialized WordPress and WooCommerce plans with notable features such as free domain registration for the first year and 24/7 support. Cloudways, by contrast, leverages cloud platforms to offer more scalable options with pay-as-you-go pricing, thereby appealing to users with unpredictable traffic patterns. Cloudways also offers more precise control over resources like RAM and storage, which can suit users with higher performance and various cloud hosting needs.

Enterprise plans

IONOS enterprise users enjoy maximum CPU and memory resources along with unlimited websites and storage, making the Ultimate Plan suitable for large-scale operations. Cloudways, meanwhile, delivers robust cloud hosting with flexible resource allocation. Users can choose high-tier plans such as DO192GB with extensive RAM and storage, suitable for highly demanding applications. This flexibility and range of options may make Cloudways a preferable choice for larger enterprises with specific needs.

🏆 Winner Cloudways: Known for its seamless site migration and intuitive control panel.

Cloudways offers a custom, intuitive control panel that streamlines server and application management. It features a 1-click interface for common tasks, making it highly accessible even for users without technical expertise. The control panel is designed to make complex operations straightforward, which is a significant advantage for those looking to manage websites with ease. Pre-installed Git, along with SSH and SFTP access, provides powerful tools for developers, ensuring a smoother workflow.

IONOS, on the other hand, employs a more traditional admin interface bolstered by its Click & Build feature for easy installation of various applications like WordPress and PrestaShop. Although user-friendly, IONOS’s panel may feel more conventional compared to the more modern interface offered by Cloudways. However, the presence of a personal consultant adds a layer of human support that enhances the overall user experience, especially for beginners.

Both providers offer tools for migrating websites, but Cloudways stands out by offering free migration for the first website from any web host. This is a significant advantage as it reduces the overhead and complexity of moving your website. IONOS provides migration support but does not offer free migration services, which can add to the costs for users needing multiple site transfers.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Cloudways has an extensive knowledge base and offers a ticketing system along with 24/7 expert support, ensuring users have access to help whenever needed. The IONOS Help Center is equally well-stocked and offers the added benefit of a personal consultant and a community forum for additional support and knowledge sharing.

🏆 Winner Cloudways: Innovative user management and role assignment.

IONOS and Cloudways both offer robust capabilities for managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. IONOS provides a structured approach through the Cloud Panel, allowing administrators to create, clone, delete roles and assign permissions instantly. It ensures that all actions are tightly controlled, and by default, new users gain the Administrator role, which offers all privileges. Conversely, Cloudways uses the WordPress Admin Panel for user management, allowing detailed customization through predefined roles such as Administrator, Editor, and Subscriber. Each platform provides flexibility, but Cloudways allows for a more granular assignment of editing and publishing capabilities, making it more versatile for content management teams.

In terms of user interfaces and tools for managing users, IONOS uses the Cloud Panel which offers an intuitive and organized layout. It lists roles with all pertinent details including status and assigned users, and provides easy customization options for permissions. Cloudways, on the other hand, leverages the familiar WordPress Admin Panel, providing seamless integration for those accustomed to WordPress’ interface. It’s straightforward to add, edit, update, and delete users, making it accessible for various skill levels. Cloudways also offers detailed role settings directly through an interface that many find user-friendly and integrates well with WordPress-based sites.

Both IONOS and Cloudways have effective access control measures and manage growing user numbers efficiently. IONOS allows role cloning and the activation of specific permission groups to streamline access control. This segmentation helps in maintaining order and managing large teams. Cloudways, using WordPress, is highly effective for large-scale content operations due to its predefined roles and team collaboration features. It supports multiple team configurations and role assignments, permitting a wide range of administrative and editorial controls. This makes Cloudways particularly adept at managing growing user bases in dynamic content environments.

Cloudways user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Excellent 24/7 customer service with premium support options including a private Slack channel and proactive monitoring.

IONOS provides a robust array of customer support channels such as phone, chat, and email that are available around-the-clock. Their standout feature includes a personal consultant for tailored support during standard business hours. The addition of a help center and a user community further bolsters its support ecosystem, complemented by a 30-day money-back guarantee. These elements paint a strong picture of customer care with an award-winning team available 24/7.

Cloudways, on the other hand, takes customer support up a notch with its 24/7/365 availability across multiple channels including email, live chat, and optionally phone or Skype calls. It offers three levels of premium support packages, which grant access to a dedicated account manager, a private Slack channel, and faster response times. Proactive monitoring is another notable feature, ensuring that issues are addressed even before customers report them. These enhancements make Cloudways a compelling choice for businesses that need high-level support and quick response times.

User feedback

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.

Cloudways consistently receives high praise for its ease of use, robust performance, and excellent customer support. Many reviewers highlight the platform’s intuitive interface, effective server management features, and the ability to choose from top-tier cloud providers like AWS and DigitalOcean. Users appreciate the scalable hosting options and reliable customer service, which often includes quick response times and helpful assistance. However, some customers note areas for improvement, such as the absence of email hosting, limitations on server vendor choices, and discrepancies in pricing transparency. Overall, Cloudways is deemed a solid hosting provider, especially valued for its managed hosting features and performance enhancement capabilities.

FAQ