IONOS Web Builder Review 2025: Does This Web Builder Work for Small Businesses?

We recommend IONOS for web-building beginners due to its affordable pricing, user-friendly editor, and comprehensive AI website builder. During our hands-on testing, we found it easy to quickly set up a site with its templates and AI tools.

However, IONOS also comes with a few notable drawbacks, including limited customization options and no built-in blogging platform, which may affect businesses focused on SEO or content marketing.

In this review, we break down what IONOS does well, where it falls short, and who will benefit most from its tools. 

At a glance

Price	$1.00-$16.20/mo
Free plan	No
Free trial	No
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of collaborators	None
Storage space	10 GB — unlimited
Custom domain	Free for one year with all plans
Site analytics	Yes, for all plans
Ecommerce tools	Yes, for all plans
AI tools	Website builder for all plans — additional AI tools start with Plus plans
Learn more	Get IONOS

We last tested IONOS on December 8, 2025.

 

Our experience

We set up IONOS without issues during our most recent testing. During our initial review, IONOS didn't grant us immediate access to the web builder, and we needed it to approve our order and verify our identity. We were relieved that this isn't a recurring issue. 

Creating our website was straightforward. We got to choose between templates and the AI builder. The templates ranged from extremely basic to modern designs. 

When we tested the AI builder, it asked for the business name, industry, tone of voice, and a description of the business. It generated a set of preselected fonts and colors to pick from based on this information.

At this point, the AI builder created four website designs. Each of them had a different layout and overall design aesthetic. We liked how we could pick the one we thought was best instead of the AI builder creating only one design.

If we didn't like any of the designs, IONOS gave us the option to start over and refine the instructions for the AI builder. Alternatively, you can use the drag-and-drop templates, which are also populated with AI tools to help build your website. 

We tested the AI image generator and AI logo generator and were impressed with the quality of the results and customization options. Plus, we could select from several options. 

Overall, IONOS is a great option if you prefer a simpler web-building service and you're not experienced in HTML or graphic design. 

IONOS prices and subscriptions

IONOS offers a competitive introductory rate, with prices ranging from $1.00-$16.20/mo. 

While all plans offer ecommerce tools, you’ll want to keep an eye out for storage space. The Starter plan offers only 10 GB of storage, while the Pro plan has unlimited storage. Premium plans also have access to additional site analytics and AI tools.

Features	Starter	Plus	Pro
Price	$6.00/mo	$1.00/mo	$17.00/mo
Money-back guarantee
Number of collaborators
Storage space	10 GB	50 GB	Unlimited
Custom domain
Site analytics	Basic	SiteAnalytics	SiteAnalytics Plus
Ecommerce tools
AI tools	Yes — website builder	Yes — website builder, text generator, text improver, image generator, SEO text generator	Yes — website builder, text generator, text improver, image generator, SEO text generator
Learn more	View plan	View plan	View plan

IONOS features

IONOS has a basic web builder with solid ecommerce tools. However, it lacks a blogging platform, design customization options, and extensive widgets for third-party use.

Building a website

Creating an ecommerce website is effortless with IONOS’ drag-and-drop builder. We easily added and removed sections, and IONOS provides layout options for new sections. Even adding pages was quick since we could use AI to design and write content for a new page.

One downside is that there is no way to customize the CSS or JavaScript. You are stuck with IONOS’ functionality. However, you can add an HTML module to sections, which lets you embed code from third parties.

The biggest issue we came across was mobile responsiveness. IONOS templates don't translate well to mobile. The template we chose left large gaps between content on the mobile view.

There wasn't any way to fix it either.

Using and editing media

It's easy to upload photos to IONOS, but keep in mind that you may run into storage space limits if you have large file sizes or several photos. IONOS doesn't offer any image-editing feature, so you'll need to use a different tool if you need it.

If you want to add a video, you can only use YouTube links. Other video hosting services like Vimeo aren't supported. You also can't host videos directly on IONOS.

Widget library

There is an app library for the online store. It adds third-party capabilities to help with dropshipping, marketing, and additional store design features.

We didn't recognize most of the apps, and they seemed to offer only secondary value. For example, there were apps for "back in stock" notifications or timers. Many of the apps require another subscription to use, so it's not a useful addition if you want a minimal overhead.

Ecommerce tools

Given the simplicity of the web builder, we were surprised to see that the ecommerce tools provided a lot of value. You can sell digital and physical products, sync with a POS for in-person sales, and list products on marketplaces.

However, we don't think IONOS is a great platform if you need advanced ecommerce tools. It lacks a variety of third-party app integrations, which limits functionality. Other platforms like Squarespace and Shopify offer more choices.

Another drawback is that IONOS can't create customer accounts, which are crucial for improving the checkout experience and increasing repeat sales. Customer accounts are part of an effective ecommerce strategy, so IONOS may not be a suitable fit for online stores.

SEO and blogging tools

There is no built-in blogging platform with IONOS. No blog makes it difficult to execute SEO strategies or conduct affiliate marketing. 

However, IONOS does offer a managed WordPress plan if blogging is crucial to your business.

IONOS only offers basic SEO for page titles and descriptions. While the Pro plan offers SEO optimization, we wouldn't count on IONOS to get you a strong SEO standing. It lacks the tools you need for successful SEO.

Marketing tools

IONOS doesn't have a lot of built-in marketing tools. The basic site offers only a contact form and a booking tool powered by BookingPress.

The ecommerce platform offers more marketing capabilities, including automated email campaigns, abandoned cart emails, discount codes, sales, and gift cards.

However, you'll need to upgrade to the Pro plan to use the gift cards, automated emails, and sales features. We weren’t too impressed that we needed to upgrade = to access these crucial ecommerce marketing tools.

When we looked over the different plan features, it didn't mention that these tools were excluded from the Starter and Plus plans.

If you need advanced ecommerce marketing tools, platforms like Squarespace or Square Online, provide more value for a lower monthly fee.

IONOS web hosting

IONOS web hosting service proved easy to use, thanks to its intuitive dashboard and one-click WordPress setup. The included builder features helped streamline the site-creation process, making it approachable even for beginners. 

While not the most feature-rich host, especially without a built-in CDN, IONOS delivered a smooth setup experience and reliable performance throughout our tests.

Web hosting features

IONOS stands out for its exceptionally intuitive dashboard, AI-powered site building, robust built-in security, and 24/7 phone and chat support.

IONOS Starter plans also include:

• 100 GB redundant storage
• Free domain for one year
• 99.99% uptime guarantee

Web hosting test results

IONOS proved to be a top performer with its stand-out scores. IONOS delivered 100% uptime and passed the stress test. We also recorded impressive server response times on Uptime Robot.

Security and bandwidth

IONOS helps protect against data loss, viruses, malware, and other online threats by including these security features and more on all plans:

• Free Wildcard SSL certificate (for securing a single main domain and unlimited subdomains)
• Daily automated backups
• Built-in DDoS protection
• Site Scan for daily malware scanning and alerts (Site Scan + Repair available on higher-tier plans)
• Email spam filters
• 2FA
• GDPR-compliance (optional cookie notices built-in)

Create a free cookie policy for your ecommerce business

As a business owner, you need a cookie policy to disclose what you do with user data. You also need privacy policies, a refund policy, and others. With TermsFeed, you can quickly create legal provisions for GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, and more.

IONOS customer support

Support type	IONOS
Email or live chat	Yes — chatbot
Phone	Yes — (484) 254-5555 You need a customer ID and a temporary phone PIN to use phone support.
Online guides or forums	Yes — help center

IONOS offers three customer support channels, but only one involves a real person. You need to call if you want to talk to a human. Before you call, you'll need to know your customer ID and a temporary phone PIN.

You can get the PIN by logging into your admin account and navigating to the Contact us page.

You can use the AI chatbot, but we found it unhelpful — even for basic questions. It gave a long-winded answer that ultimately said, "I don't know." There is also an online help center that covers many topics related to setting up your site.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is IONOS good?

IONOS has implemented effective AI tools and an easy-to-use web builder, making it easy for those new to ecommerce to get started. However, it lacks features like a blog, mobile responsiveness, and advanced ecommerce capabilities with third parties. 

Other platforms offer these features at more affordable prices. See how IONOS compares to the best web builders in the table below: