InMotion Hosting vs IONOS: Complete 2026 Comparison
InMotion Hosting and IONOS are both shared hosting providers, but they suit different priorities. Across our 7-category breakdown, InMotion Hosting comes out ahead, winning 5 of them — including Value, Support and WordPress.
Data last updated June 2026
Overall Winner
InMotion Hosting
- Wins in 5 of 7 categories
- Top in: Best Value, Best Support, Best for WordPress
- 3.9/5 overall rating
InMotion Hosting vs IONOS: Overview
On entry pricing, IONOS is the cheaper option at $1.00/mo versus $4.79/mo for InMotion Hosting. Renewal tells the real story: InMotion Hosting marks prices up about 213% at renewal versus roughly 1100% for IONOS, making it the better long-term value. InMotion Hosting also gives you a longer 90-day money-back window to test risk-free.
InMotion Hosting's standout is employee-owned US host with 90-day money-back, US-based support, and 99 — a natural fit for US business wanting American support, long refund period, and BBB A+ rated company. IONOS, by contrast, leans on europe's largest host with 99, ideal for european business needing 24/7 phone support, compliance certifications, and geo-redundancy.
Category Winners
IONOS
$1.00/mo vs $4.79/mo
InMotion Hosting
Lower renewal markup (213% vs 1100%)
IONOS
99.99% uptime, 4.0/5 rating
InMotion Hosting
Live chat, Phone, 24/7
InMotion Hosting
Optimized, Staging, WooCommerce
InMotion Hosting
SSH, Git, Staging, Node.js
InMotion Hosting
Higher ease of use score (8.0/10)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Essential Info | ||
| Hosting Type | Shared Hosting | Shared Hosting |
| Monthly Price | $4.79/mo | $1.00/mo |
| Renewal Price | $14.99 | $12.00 |
| Renewal Markup | 213% | 1100% |
| Overall Rating | 3.9/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.99% |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 2,513 | 37,965 |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free Domain | ||
| Free Migration | ||
| Pricing Details | ||
| First Year Cost | $57.48 | $12.00 |
| Second Year Cost | $179.88 | $144.00 |
| Money Back Guarantee | 90 days | 30 days |
| Setup Fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly Billing | — | — |
| Minimum Contract | — | — |
| Technical Specs | ||
| Storage | 100 GB | 10 GB |
| Storage Type | NVME SSD | NVME SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Max Websites | 2 | 1 |
| Max Databases | — | — |
| PHP Versions | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 | 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 |
| SSH Access | ||
| Git Deployment | ||
| Staging Environment | ||
| Cron Jobs | ||
| Redis Available | — | — |
| Programming Languages | ||
| Node.js Support | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Ruby Support | ||
| WordPress Features | ||
| WordPress Optimized | ||
| WordPress Auto-Install | ||
| WordPress Auto-Updates | ||
| WordPress Staging | ||
| WooCommerce Optimized | ||
| LiteSpeed Cache | ||
| Object Caching | ||
| WP Multisite | — | — |
| WP-CLI Access | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| DDoS Protection Level | Advanced | Advanced (SIEM, IDS/IPS) |
| Malware Scanning | ||
| Malware Removal | ||
| Firewall Included | ||
| Backup Frequency | Daily (higher plans), Manual (basic plans) | Daily |
| Backup Retention | — | 6 days |
| Backup Restore Fee | Free | Free |
| On-Demand Backup | ||
| Two-Factor Auth | ||
| Wildcard SSL | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Support | ||
| Support Channels | Phone, Live Chat, Email/Ticket, Knowledge Base | Phone, Live Chat, Email (Personal Consultant), Knowledge Base |
| Live Chat | ||
| Live Chat Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Phone Support | ||
| Phone Support Hours | 9AM-9PM ET Monday-Friday (live chat/ticket 24/7) | 24/7 |
| Ticket Support | ||
| Priority Support | ||
| Support Languages | English | English, German, Spanish, French, Italian |
| Knowledge Base Quality | 5.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Avg Support Wait | — | — |
| Email Accounts | ||
| Email Account Limit | — | 1 |
| Mailbox Size | — | 2 GB |
| Webmail Access | ||
| Spam Filter | ||
| Email Forwarding | ||
| Performance | ||
| CDN Included | ||
| CDN Provider | InMotion CDN | IONOS CDN |
| Server Locations | Los Angeles, CA (US), Ashburn, VA (US), Amsterdam (Netherlands) | Frankfurt (Germany), Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), London (UK), Worcester (UK), Logrono (Spain), Las Vegas, NV (US), Newark, NJ (US), Lenexa, KS (US) |
| Server Location Count | 3 | 9 |
| Choose Server Location | ||
| HTTP/2 Support | — | — |
| Brotli Compression | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Credit | ||
| Platform Support | ||
| Drupal Support | ||
| Joomla Support | ||
| Magento Support | ||
| Laravel Support | ||
| Django Support | ||
| Next.js Support | ||
| Rails Support | ||
| Static Site Support | ||
| Control Panel | ||
| cPanel Included | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | IONOS Control Panel |
| Softaculous | ||
| Website Builder | ||
| Builder Name | BoldGrid Website Builder | IONOS MyWebsite |
| Migration | ||
| Migration Websites Limit | 1 | — |
| Migration Turnaround | — | — |
| Paid Migration Cost | — | — |
| Migration Quality | 5.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
| HIPAA Compliant | ||
| Data Center Certs | — | ISO 27001 |
| Ratings | ||
| Value for Money | 3.5/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Performance Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Support Quality | 4.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Security Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Features Rating | 4.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/10 | 3.5/10 |
| Transparency Rating | 3.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| Suitability Scores | ||
| For Bloggers | 4.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| For E-commerce | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Agencies | 4.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| For Developers | 4.0/10 | 2.0/10 |
| For Beginners | 4.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| For Enterprise | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Policies | ||
| Bandwidth Overage | Unlimited within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade | Unlimited bandwidth; no throttling or overage charges |
| Storage Overage | Hard limits apply; must upgrade plan | Must upgrade plan; file limits apply per contract |
| Adult Content Allowed | ||
| Gambling Sites Allowed | ||
| Crypto Sites Allowed | — | |
| Reseller Hosting | ||
| White Label | ||
| API Access | ||
| Company Info | ||
| Year Founded | 2001 | 1988 |
| Headquarters | United States | Germany |
| Parent Company | Privately held (employee-owned, founded by Sunil Saxena and Todd Robinson) | United Internet AG |
| Green Hosting | — | — |
| Instant Activation | — | — |
| Managed WordPress | ||
| Managed WP Available | ||
| Pricing Model | — | — |
| Monthly Visit Limit | — | — |
| Visit Overage Cost | — | — |
| PHP Workers | — | — |
| Plugin Restrictions | — | — |
| Dev Environment | — | — |
| Dev Env Name | — | — |
| Regional Info | ||
| Best Countries | United States, Netherlands, Singapore | Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, United States, Canada, Mexico, Austria |
| Local Currencies | USD | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, MXN |
| Support Languages | English | English, German, Spanish, French, Italian |
| Data Sovereignty | GDPR, PCI DSS | GDPR, ISO 27001 |
| External Ratings | ||
| G2 Rating | 4.1/5 | 3.8/5 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| Advanced Technical | ||
| Inode Limit | 50,000 | — |
| Max DB Size | — | — |
| Max Upload Size | — | — |
| Database Type | — | — |
| Elasticsearch | — | — |
| Image Optimization | — | — |
| PHP Switching | ||
| Subdomains | — | — |
| FTP Accounts | — | — |
| Additional Pricing | ||
| Free Domain Duration | 12 months | 12 months |
| Money Back Exclusions | Month-to-month VPS/Dedicated plans only get 30 days; Domain registrations non-refundable; SSL certificates non-refundable; Add-on services non-refundable | Setup fees non-refundable; Additional domains non-refundable; Items paid in advance non-refundable; Package switchers not eligible; TOS violators not eligible |
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Direct Debit |
| Auto Renewal Default | ||
| Domain Privacy Included | — | — |
| Domain Privacy Cost | — | — |
| SSL Provider | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed every 3 months) | DigiCert Wildcard SSL |
| Dedicated IP Cost | — | — |
| Additional Support | ||
| Phone Support Countries | United States | United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Australia, United Kingdom |
| Priority Support Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Community Forum | ||
| Support Outsourced | — | — |
| Object Cache Type | NGINX proxy cache | IONOS Caching Plugin |
| Business & Affiliate | ||
| Affiliate Program | ||
| Commission Type | Tiered (based on product and volume) | Percentage |
| Commission Amount | Tiered commission based on hosting product and sales volume; 90-day cookie duration | Commission varies by product; 8 international markets available; free to join |
| Additional Policies | ||
| File Hosting Allowed | — | |
| Proxy/VPN Allowed | — | |
| Bandwidth Overage Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Account Suspension Policy | AUP violations may result in content deletion, suspension, or termination; InMotion reserves right to delete material deemed inappropriate | TOS violations lead to suspension; unpaid balances referred to collection (no credit impact) |
| Malware Removal Cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Downloadable Backups | ||
| Additional Platforms | ||
| PrestaShop | ||
| Ghost | ||
| Shopify Migration | ||
| Wix Migration | ||
| Squarespace Migration | ||
| Webflow Export | ||
| Editorial Info | ||
| Best For | Business users needing US-based support; Users wanting 90-day money-back guarantee; WordPress users (optimized with staging); cPanel users; Users needing 4 global data center locations; Users wanting employee-owned company | European businesses (largest EU host); Users wanting 24/7 phone support; Short 12-month contracts (vs 36-48 month competitors); Free Wildcard SSL included; VPS users ($2/mo entry); Users preferring established BBB A+ company; Geo-redundant infrastructure needs |
| Avoid If | Budget-conscious at renewal time (5x markup); Need 24/7 phone support; Need low inode limits; Adult or adult-adjacent content; Need cheap monthly VPS plans | Need cPanel; Developers needing Node.js/Python; Adult or gambling content; Prefer transparent renewal pricing; Dislike proprietary control panels; Need caching/LiteSpeed performance |
| Known Issues | Renewal prices ~5x higher than promo ($2.62 → $12.49); Phone support limited to business hours (9AM-9PM ET M-F); Automated backups only on higher plans; Low inode limit (50,000) compared to competitors; 21% of Trustpilot reviews are 1-star; Domain renewal $19.99/yr is higher than competitors; Month-to-month VPS/dedicated only get 30-day refund | 2026 price adjustment announced (increases); No cPanel (proprietary panel only); PHP CLI version differs from hosting environment via SSH; Difficult cancellation process reported; Auto-renewal complaints; Control panel feels outdated; No Node.js/Python on shared hosting; Limited developer flexibility compared to cPanel hosts |
| Unique Selling Point | Employee-owned US host with 90-day money-back, US-based support, and 99.99% uptime | Europe's largest host with 99.99% uptime, free Wildcard SSL, and $2/mo VPS entry |
| Ideal Customer | US business wanting American support, long refund period, and BBB A+ rated company | European business needing 24/7 phone support, compliance certifications, and geo-redundancy |
| Best Alternative To | GoDaddy | GoDaddy |
| Primary Competitors | DreamHost, Bluehost, A2 Hosting | GoDaddy, OVH, Hetzner |
We strive for accuracy, but pricing and features change frequently. Some data may be outdated. Report an error and we'll update it promptly.
Our Verdict
Choose InMotion Hosting if you...
- Prefer more predictable renewal pricing
- Want to run Node.js applications
- Need staging environments
- Are new to web hosting
Choose IONOS if you...
- Want to save money ($1.00/mo vs $4.79/mo)
- Want higher-rated hosting (4.0/5)
- Want more server locations (9 available)
InMotion Hosting vs IONOS: Frequently Asked Questions
Is InMotion Hosting cheaper than IONOS?
Yes — IONOS is cheaper, starting at $1.00/mo compared with $4.79/mo for InMotion Hosting. Factor in renewals too: IONOS marks up about 1100% after the first term.
Which is better for WordPress, InMotion Hosting or IONOS?
InMotion Hosting is the stronger WordPress host thanks to WordPress-optimized servers, staging and WooCommerce tuning. If WordPress or WooCommerce is your main workload, it's the safer pick.
Does InMotion Hosting or IONOS have better uptime?
IONOS edges out InMotion Hosting on performance with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and a 4.0/5 overall rating. For uptime-sensitive sites, it's the more dependable choice.
Which has better customer support, InMotion Hosting or IONOS?
InMotion Hosting has the edge on support offering 24/7 live chat, phone support and ticket support.
Is InMotion Hosting or IONOS better for beginners?
InMotion Hosting is friendlier for beginners, scoring higher on ease of use in our assessment. New users will generally find it quicker to get started.
Should I choose InMotion Hosting or IONOS?
For most users, InMotion Hosting is the better overall choice, winning 5 of our 7 categories (notably Value, Support and WordPress). That said, the right host depends on your specific needs — check the category breakdown above for the factors that matter to you.