Web hosting

Choosing the right web hosting provider comes down to your goals, your budget, and how much flexibility you need.

Start with experience and reliability. Look for a provider with a proven track record and infrastructure you can count on. You want a solution that fits your specific web project, not a one-size-fits-all package. Flexible plans are also important, so you can scale resources up or down as your needs change.

Security should be a top priority. Your data should be hosted in secure data centers with strong data protection standards. A reliable provider continuously invests in infrastructure, performance, and security to keep your website and customer information protected.

Finally, look for transparent pricing and flexible contract terms. Clear costs, scalable packages, and fair conditions make it easier to plan long term and avoid surprises. The best web hosting provider supports your growth, protects your data, and gives you the flexibility to adapt as your online presence evolves.

Powerful IT resources and advanced security measures come at a cost. To keep your website secure and performing at its best, infrastructure, hardware, and software must stay up to date. Continuous investment is essential to reliably protect your data and technical environment.

If you’re considering “free” web hosting, it’s important to look closely. Check for hidden fees and limitations. Many free providers display ads on customer websites or restrict important features. While the basic offer may seem attractive at first, essential functions or additional resources often need to be purchased later. In the end, the “free” option can quickly become expensive.

You can also operate your own server, but then you’re responsible for infrastructure, maintenance, updates, and security. That requires both technical expertise and ongoing investment.

As an experienced provider serving millions of customers, IONOS offers professional web hosting at an affordable price, along with scalable plans that grow with your needs. Many applications, including WordPress and Magento, are included and ready for 1-Click Installation. We take care of the technology and security so you can focus on building your online presence.

• If you wish, we can provide you with web hosting without a minimum term, i.e. with monthly billing and a cancellation period in the corresponding packages of only one month.
• IONOS web hosting is ideal for running WordPress; there is a complete plan available especially for this.
• If you have any questions: Our support is available 24/7. In addition, your personal consultant will also be at your side – completely free of charge.
• All our web hosting plans include an SSL certificate.
• Discover these special features and many more with our web hosting plans.

Yes, our shared hosting plan includes over 70 applications that can be installed with just a few clicks. Thanks to the quick and easy installation process, you can enjoy this wide variety of apps instantly and without any hassle. The IONOS web hosting plan provides 100% compatibility with apps such as the following, plus a whole lot more.

MediaWiki

The Wiki hosting app MediaWiki is one of the many applications included in the hosting plan. The software is open source, written in PHP, and allows users to create and edit webpages in the classic Wiki style – just like Wikipedia or Wiktionary. Wiki hosting is one of the most popular open source software options and works perfectly with IONOS web hosting.

phpBB

Another app installed with just a few clicks via the IONOS wiki hosting package, is the popular phpBB open source forum or bulletin board system. Users can enjoy advanced administrative control panel services and extensive moderation tools.

Mantis Bug Tracker

This popular bug tracking system keeps users up-to-date on any project or software issues with email notifications.

Form Tools

Also available is the Form Tools app, which is ideal for anyone using forms on their website. The PHP/MySQL script allows users to manage all forms and their data in one centralised place.

Zen Cart

Zen Cart is an online store management solution for eCommerce companies. The open source shopping cart add-on transforms any blog into an e-commerce platform.

Here are the essentials you'll need for your site

• Traffic: Traffic means how much data is used on a website. If you have lots of visitors, you are getting a lot of traffic.
• Web space:Web space is the storage available on the web server. It is also called storage or disk space.
• Domain: The domain is the name of your website. If you need to run more than one website under different names, then you may need more than one.
• Subdomains: Some websites will have lots of different parts and sections. A subdomain helps organize these.
• Email accounts: Perhaps you'll need different email accounts for people to contact you.
• Databases: Most hosting providers will allow you to create MySQL or MS SQL databases. Depending on your package, you will be able to have a certain number of them.

When you look at other hosting providers you may have noticed that there are three words in particular which are used to describe the features included in their hosting plans:

• Unlimited: This is a tricky label, because certain things, such as data transfer speed, are not unlimited. Unlimited traffic might mean levels of traffic that cannot be exceeded.
• Unmetered: This means that the provider is offering a set amount of web space which can be used as you see fit.
• Scalable: This means that the amount can be adjusted to meet demand.

A server, or web server, is part of the web hosting infrastructure. They are powerful computers on which both configuration files and the data of the hosted websites are stored, i.e., websites and all website content. A root-access server is a server with root access to the configuration data of a server.

The IONOS web hosting service does not offer root access as we take care of all the necessary configurations for you. If you choose a dedicated server, a virtual private server or a cloud server, you will have root access and can configure the server yourself.