Compare Hostinger and IONOS on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.
Both listed as alternatives to: Bluehost, DigitalOcean, GoDaddy
Lithuania· Cloud Computing
Needs review
Shortlist Hostinger when you want managed WordPress or a simple KVM VPS with an EU data-center option and a published DPA. Skip it when you need HIPAA or PCI, an EU-only data path, or a custom enterprise SLA. Consider Hetzner or OVHcloud instead for more operator-centric European infrastructure.
Germany· Cloud Computing
Needs review
Shortlist IONOS when you want a German-operated hosting + public cloud stack with EU location choice, managed Kubernetes, S3 storage, and public BSI-oriented cloud certifications for DACH buyers. Skip when you need hyperscaler service breadth, EU-only infrastructure with no US regions or US facility partners in the path, or lowest-cost bare metal—consider OVHcloud, Scaleway, Hetzner, or STACKIT instead depending on that gap.
Highlighted rows differ between the two products.
| Feature | Hostinger | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Lithuania | Germany |
| Category | Cloud Computing | Cloud Computing |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hosted | No | No |
| Headquarters | Lithuania | Germany |
| Legal entity | EU customers: Hostinger International Ltd (Cyprus). Affiliates: HOSTINGER, UAB and HOSTINGER operations, UAB (Vilnius). Also Hostinger UK Limited and Hostinger Global S.a r.l. (Luxembourg). | IONOS SE (HRB 24498, Amtsgericht Montabaur); group listed as IONOS Group SE |
| Governing law | Not listed | German / EU (confirm per contract and national affiliate) |
| US parent / control | No known US parent | No known US parent |
| CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Medium | Medium |
| Hosting / residency | Customer-chosen DCs: FR, DE, LT, NL, UK plus US (Phoenix, Boston, Asheville), Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia (plan-dependent). DPA subprocessors include AWS EMEA SARL, Google Cloud EMEA Limited, Cloudflare, Inc., MailChannels, Proofpoint, Inc., Anthropic Ireland, and spectra tech UAB. Privacy policy also names Google Analytics, Meta ads, Ravelin, and iDenfy. | IONOS-operated and partner facilities in Europe (e.g. Berlin, Frankfurt—including Equinix-operated sites—Paris, Logroño, London, Worcester, Karlsruhe) and the US (Las Vegas, Newark, Lenexa). Object Storage and compute location chosen per resource. Backup Service uses Acronis technology; managed backup path described as DE ISO 27001 centers. Optional Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace resale. |
| Summary | Lithuania-founded web hosting for WordPress, managed cloud, and KVM VPS, with selectable European data centers and Cyprus contracting for EU customers. | German hosting and cloud provider (IONOS SE): domains and SMB web hosting plus IONOS Cloud IaaS/PaaS with EU and US locations, managed Kubernetes, object storage, and DBaaS. |
| Tags |
| At a glance | Hostinger | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| HQ / operations | Vilnius, Lithuania (also Kaunas; Yogyakarta office) | Not listed |
| EU contracting entity | Hostinger International Ltd (Larnaca, Cyprus) | Not listed |
| Founded | 2004 as Hosting Media; Hostinger brand in 2011 | Not listed |
| Product shape | Managed web/WordPress, managed cloud, KVM VPS, domains, email | Not listed |
| Open source / self-host | Neither. Proprietary platform; VPS guests are customer-managed | Not listed |
| Commercial model | Prepaid subscription with auto-renew; 30-day money-back on eligible hosting | Hosting packages + cloud usage (per-minute style) |
| HQ | Not listed | Montabaur, Germany (IONOS SE) |
| Group | Not listed | United Internet / IONOS Group SE (listed) |
| Product lines | Not listed | Domains & hosting + IONOS Cloud IaaS/PaaS |
| Cloud regions | Not listed | DE, FR, ES, UK + US (e.g. LAS, EWR, MCI) |
| Open source | Not listed | No (proprietary platform) |
| Self-host | Not listed | No |
| Key capabilities | Hostinger | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| EU-operated (Cyprus contract) | Yes | Not listed |
| ISO 27001 (claimed) | Yes | Not listed |
| Managed WordPress | Yes | Not listed |
| KVM VPS + public API | Yes | Not listed |
| Public DPA | Yes | Not listed |
| Selectable EU data centers | Yes | Not listed |
| German SE (Montabaur) | Not listed | Yes |
| EU + US cloud regions | Not listed | Yes |
| Managed Kubernetes | Not listed | Yes |
| S3 Object Storage | Not listed | Yes |
| BSI C5 Type 1 (claimed) | Not listed | Yes |
| Domains + SMB hosting | Not listed | Yes |
Selectable European and global data centers
Web and cloud plans can be placed in France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom, or in the United States, Brazil, India, Indonesia, or Malaysia. VPS omits the Netherlands. Location is chosen at setup and can be moved later on web and cloud, but not on VPS without rebuild.
Managed WordPress on LiteSpeed and hPanel
Plans include one-click install, staging, automatic updates, malware scanning, WAF, Let's Encrypt, WP-CLI, SSH, and Git. WordPress.org lists Hostinger as a recommended host. Shared plans isolate accounts with CloudLinux LVE. Not a self-hosted WordPress appliance you run elsewhere.
KVM VPS with root, templates, and a public API
KVM guests use AMD EPYC and NVMe, weekly backups, snapshots, a managed firewall, Wanguard DDoS filtering, and one-click OS or app templates (Docker, n8n, Ubuntu, and others). A documented public API and MCP server support automation. The guest is unmanaged: you patch the OS.
Managed cloud with dedicated IP and NVMe
Cloud plans keep hPanel and add more CPU, RAM, NVMe, PHP workers, inode headroom, a dedicated IP, CDN, and daily or on-demand backups. Aimed at agencies and busier WordPress or Node.js sites that do not want root. Upgrade path from shared hosting is in-panel.
In-house hPanel, Access Manager, and migrations
hPanel is Hostinger's control plane for sites, DNS, mail, backups, and collaborators. Access Manager shares scoped access without handing over the account password. Website migration is a supported request flow for common CMS stacks. Developer tools (SSH, Git, PHP versions) live in the same panel.
Public DPA with a named sub-processor list
A click-through DPA covers hosting, VPS, email, domains, Website Builder, Horizons, and Reach. Appendix 3 lists AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, MailChannels, Proofpoint, Anthropic Ireland, and spectra tech UAB. New sub-processors can be added with a 10-day objection window.
Virtual Data Center Designer and IaaS compute
Build isolated virtual data centers in the browser or via Cloud API: dedicated-core servers, vCPU servers, and Cubes with attached NVMe. Live vertical scaling is supported on many Linux images for cores, RAM, NICs, and volumes without a full rebuild. Locations span DE (Berlin, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe), FR, ES, UK, and US.
Managed Kubernetes without a separate control-plane fee
Automated cluster and node-pool setup with geo-redundant control plane, admin API access, and optional node auto-scaling. IONOS documents the managed control plane as free of charge; you pay for the underlying compute, storage, and network only—useful for staging and production clusters on the same contract.
S3-compatible Object Storage across EU and US endpoints
Contract-included Object Storage with S3 API compatibility, versioning, object lock, SSE-S3/SSE-C, and lifecycle rules. Documented endpoints include Frankfurt, Berlin, Logroño, and Lenexa (US). German object-storage locations are listed with BSI IT-Grundschutz compliance notes in the service catalog.
Managed databases, GPU VMs, and Berlin-hosted AI Model Hub
DBaaS for PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, and in-memory DB; Cloud GPU VMs (NVIDIA H200 templates) in Frankfurt; AI Model Hub with OpenAI-compatible APIs, RAG/vector support, and vendor-stated processing exclusively in Germany (Berlin). Fits teams that want European inference without standing up their own GPU estate.
Domains, web hosting, and personal consultant for SMBs
Classic IONOS portfolio: domain registration, shared/VPS/dedicated hosting, site builders, and optional Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Differentiator for non-cloud buyers is a dedicated personal consultant plus 24/7 support channels—not pure ticket-only self-serve hosting.
| Assurance & compliance | Hostinger | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Independent security / no-logs audit | Not found Vendor describes internal pentests and a HackerOne-style responsible disclosure programme. No public independent audit PDF found. | Partial BSI C5 Type 1 (2023 announcement) and IT-Grundschutz ISMS claims after external audit; not a public no-logs VPN-style audit. Request current reports and scope. |
| ISO 27001 | Vendor claimed Trust Center and security article claim ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Certificate download requires Trust Center access. Not independently verified here. | Vendor claimed Vendor FAQ/about materials state ISO 27001 for data centers / security posture; facility partner cert PDFs also referenced on location pages. Independent cert registry entry not re-verified here. |
| SOC 2 / SOC 3 | Not found No public SOC 2 or SOC 3 report found on Trust Center overview or legal pages. | Not found SOC/SSAE-style attestations appear for some facility operators (e.g. Equinix listings). No clear IONOS product-level SOC 2 claim found on primary pages reviewed. |
| GDPR / EU data protection | Vendor claimed EU/UK/Luxembourg contracting entities; privacy policy cites GDPR; DPA includes EU SCCs and UK addendum. Confirm entity on the invoice. | Vendor claimed German controller/processor entities; EU location options; vendor GDPR statements. Residency still depends on selected regions and subprocessors. |
| US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative) | Partial European group, no known US parent. Exposure is medium because customers may select US data centers and the DPA names US-group processors (AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, Proofpoint). Not legal advice. | Partial German SE / no known US parent, but US subsidiaries, US host regions (LAS/EWR/MCI), Equinix facility partnership, optional Microsoft/Google products, Acronis-powered backup. Not legal advice. |
| Data processing agreement (B2B) | Vendor claimed Public DPA incorporated into the Terms of Service. Parties: Hostinger International Ltd, Hostinger UK Limited, or Hostinger Global S.a r.l. | Vendor claimed Hosting DPA via account privacy flows; IONOS Cloud AVV via account manager / contract docs. Confirm entity and service annex. |
| EU AI Act | Not applicable Core product is hosting. Horizons, Kodee, and Reach are AI features inside that product, not an AI-centric system of record. | Partial Relevant mainly to AI Model Hub (docs discuss governance/compliance). Core hosting/IaaS is not AI-product-centric; treat AI Act as service-specific diligence. |
| HIPAA / PCI environment | Not applicable Hosting agreement: services are not intended to provide a PCI or HIPAA compliant environment. | Not listed |
| BSI C5 (Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria Catalogue) | Not listed | Vendor claimed Company IR announcement 7 Nov 2023: C5 Type 1 for Compute Engine, Cloud Cubes, S3 Object Storage after external audit. Type 1 = design at a point in time; confirm current validity and product scope. |
| Considerations & known limitations | Hostinger | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Optional non-EU hosting regions | Medium US, Brazil, and Asia data centers are first-class options. An operator can place production outside the EEA at checkout. Lock region in procurement if residency is required. | Not listed |
| US-group cloud, CDN, email, and security vendors | Medium Even an EU VM still depends on AWS EMEA, Google Cloud EMEA, Cloudflare, Proofpoint, MailChannels, plus Google/Meta marketing tools. This is why CLOUD Act exposure is not low. | Not listed |
| Cyprus contract vs Lithuanian operations | Low HQ and affiliates are Lithuanian; EU paper is usually Hostinger International Ltd (Cyprus). Invoices may also be charged by other group entities. Confirm the contracting party before security review. | Not listed |
| ISO 27001 certificate not independently verified here | Low The cert is claimed on the Trust Center but gated. Download it before treating ISO as verified. | Not listed |
| Customer still owns CMS, guest OS, and backups | Medium VPS is unmanaged. Terms require you to keep your own backups even when Hostinger offers weekly copies. Shared and cloud plans are not HIPAA/PCI environments. | Not listed |
| US regions, US entities, and facility partners | Not listed | Medium Selecting US locations places data in the US. Even EU-only deployments sit in a group that has US subsidiaries and uses partners such as Equinix for some EU facilities—material for CLOUD Act / transfer reviews. |
| No clear public subprocessor catalogue | Not listed | Medium Unlike many pure SaaS vendors, a single customer-facing subprocessor list was not found. Buyers must extract partners from location pages, DPA annexes, and product docs (Equinix, Acronis, Microsoft, Google, etc.). |
| C5 Type 1 scope and freshness | Not listed | Low Public C5 claim is Type 1 for specific products (Compute Engine, Cubes, Object Storage) as of the 2023 announcement. Not a blanket certificate for every IONOS product; request up-to-date reports. |
| Narrower managed ecosystem than hyperscalers | Not listed | Low Strong IaaS and selected PaaS, but not a full AWS/Azure service catalogue. Multi-region global apps and niche managed services may force multi-cloud or a different primary vendor. |
| Hosting brand vs cloud platform complexity | Not listed | Low SMB hosting contracts, reseller office suites, and enterprise cloud AVVs are different commercial and compliance surfaces—do not assume one DPA covers every SKU. |
When: You want German-operated dedicated servers, object storage, or more operator-centric VPS without a consumer website-builder overlay
Consider: Hetzner
Hetzner is in the catalog as German web hosting and cloud.
When: You need a large European public cloud with many regions and a stronger IaaS and public-sector posture
Consider: OVHcloud or IONOS
Both are catalog EU clouds; IONOS also covers consumer-style web hosting.
When: You need US-centric SMB WordPress hosting already familiar to North American agencies
Consider: GoDaddy or Bluehost
Different jurisdiction. Useful only if European contracting is not a filter.
When: You want French-operated cloud with strong developer packaging and EU focus without a mass-market hosting brand
Consider: Scaleway
Different product mix; compare region map and managed services side by side.
When: You prioritize large European hosting/cloud scale and multi-country DC ownership narratives
Consider: OVHcloud
Both are EU groups with non-trivial international footprints—read residency options carefully.
When: You mainly need cost-efficient dedicated servers or simple cloud in DE/FI with minimal PaaS
Consider: Hetzner
Thinner managed layer; different support and SMB hosting model.
When: You are already in Schwarz Group ecosystems or need STACKIT-specific public-cloud positioning
Consider: STACKIT
Narrower commercial brand than IONOS hosting+cloud combo.