Review-1and1 (Ionis) UK Web Hosting Packages

1and1-hosting-reviewThere are many web hosting reviews online for all of the major hosting providers.

Many of them compare the different features and packages offered by the different providers.

This is not the normal web hosting review you find with * (star) ratings comparing different hosts, because I can’t really compare it with other hosts that I don’t use.

However I do use 1and1(Ionos) web hosting UK for several sites like this one .

This site was originally built (2003) using an HTML template, but I migrated it to WordPress several years ago.

All of my site currently run on WordPress.

Why I use 1and1 (Ionos) Web Hosting

This site was my my first site back in February 2003, and the reason I chose 1&1 was:

  • It supported multiple domain names and I wanted to host more than one web site.
  • It offered full control of the site including ability to edit .htaccess files.
  • It allowed you to upgrade packages easily which meant that you could start with a basic package and move up as needed.
  • It offered support for MYSQL databases, and I was looking at online shops and mailing lists that needed MYSQL.
  • It was offering very cheap UK domain names, and included a free UK domain name.

This site has been online since February 2003, and I have had very few problems with it (touch wood).

What Package Do I use

1and 1  change their package names on a regular basis. I assume this is for marketing. I am currently using the dual perfect package.

This package isn’t sold today but it is roughly equivalent to the current basic package ( previously starter package).

The Screen shot below shows the Linux shared hosting packages offered by 1&1.

1and1-hosting-may-2024

For most sites the standard package will do.

However 1and1 allow you to easily upgrade your package, so if you decide that you need a better package then you can easily upgrade to it without affecting your site.

You can also downgrade packages but be careful that you don’t lose features that you are using.

You should note that you can install WordPress on any of the hosting packages either manually or using the click and build tool which is included on all packages..

You can also install WordPress as managed WordPress using the click and build tool, but there is an extra monthly charge.

Although the packages support lots of databases that really aren’t needed they only provide 1 email address.

For the standard package adding 5 extra email addresses only costs another £1 per month.

1and1-email-addresses

 

1and1 also offer managed WordPress packages.

These tend to be a little more expensive than the standard packages, but are ideal for those looking for a simple WordPress solution .

Again if you go for managed WordPress then the basic managed WordPress package is probably the best choice for most.

managed-wordpress-1and1

Email Accounts and Addresses

Currently the  basic packages provide just 1 Email account and address.

You should consider adding more especially if this is a business website.

You can add more email addresses either when purchasing the package or later though the admin panel.

Access is via the standard POP3, IMAP4 protocols and WebMail. See Setting up email accounts on 1and1 Hosting.

Website Performance

1and1 used to provide a very useful performance chart that makes it very easy to see what you can expect.

Now they provide performance levels as shown in the chart below:

website-performance

The standard package is level 1 which  is enough for most new websites.

Other Features

Storage -100GB vs 350GB

The standardpackage allows 100GB. I have several websites on my package and probably over 500 pages and I don’t think I use 1GB of storage.

1 website vs unlimited

Unless you intend to create multiple websites which 99% of people probably don’t then you only need 1 website.

10 Databases vs 350

WordPress only requires 1 database and so almost all small business website will only ever use 1 database.

1 Email Accounts vs 10

For a small business you would have 1 email account per employee with maybe 1 for sales and another for general enquiries . You can add email accounts later to any package but it may be worthwhile getting a higher performance package because of the email addresses (managed wordpress option only).

1 Free Domain +SSL certificate

The free domain name is only for .uk domains. If you need another like ,com then it is probably not included but you can use the certificate on it.

UK based business focused on the UK should use the .co.uk domain name.

SSL Certificates

1and1 include a free SSL certificate in all of the hosting packages. Although you may not think that you need one and probably don’t there is a push to encrypt all sites.

If you are starting a new site then it would be probably be better to go straight to SSL. See here.

1and 1 (Ionos) Customer Support

I have had to contact them only twice by telephone in the the last 14 years, and on both occasions they were extremely efficient and helpful.

What I don’t Like about 1and1

The package arrangement can mean cheap hosting for very basic sites, but it can also be very confusing when trying to choose a package.

However most hosting providers structure their hosting options in this fashion.

The control panel is specific to 1and1, and not the industry cpanel norm.

That is probably the consequence of being one of the early hosting providers. The control panel is however very easy to navigate and probably easier than cpanel.

This is really only relevant if you are managing many websites provided on different hosting providers. In this case a standard control panel makes it much easier.

Common Questions -Basic Package

Question -Can I run WordPress on the standard  package?
Answer – Yes – It supports PHP and has a MYSQL database.


Question – Can I run a shop using the basic package?
Answer- Yes you can use WordPress and a ecommerce plugin to run a small online shop but I don’t recommend this approach


Question – The standard package has only has 100GB web space is it enough?
Answer – For most sites it is 49GB too much space. So unless you are serving large video files from your site then it is more than enough.


Question – What if I find that this package isn’t the right one for me.?
Answer -You can simply upgrade to a higher spec shared hosting package without needing to do a reinstall.


Question – I’m running a business website don’t I need my own server?
Answer – Usually no. Dedicated servers or virtual server are for websites that run processor intensive software and/or receive thousands of visitors per hour.

Question– What is WordPress managed hosting?

Answer- Because of the popularity of WordPress this is a very popular feature offered by many hosting providers.

Generally the hosting provider provides security and core updates automatically and may offer support and other services. Again there tends to be packages with different levels of management. See Updating WordPress

Question -What is a content delivery network (CDN)

Answer – A content delivery network (CDN) uses a  a system of servers in different  geographic locations that deliver web content to the user from a local server. This makes for faster access.

It is mainly  used for large popular websites e.g. BBC,CNN

Q- Can I use 1and 1 in the USA?

A- Yes they have data centres in North America and I believe the control panel is the same as the UK one.

Summary

I have found 1and1 UK web hosting to be reliable, affordable and offers all the web services that you will probably need.

In my opinion if you are running a small business or personal website in the UK it is more than adequate for the job.

Here is the 1&1-UK (Ionos) Site.

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Disclosure: This site is hosted on 1and1 (Ionos) UK and I am a 1and1 affiliate.

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