Choosing a platform to build a website is one of the most important decisions a business owner, freelancer, or creative professional can make.
IONOS has established itself as a prominent player, particularly for those seeking an affordable and straightforward entry point into the world of web design.
However, the low introductory prices and AI-driven setup that attract new users may not provide the long-term flexibility, customization, or scalability needed for a growing online presence.
This blog will provide a detailed, data-driven guide to help digital creators, small businesses, and individuals find a platform that is not just a good starting point but a robust, long-term solution.
This analysis will explore the core strengths and limitations of IONOS before evaluating a curated list of over a dozen alternatives, revealing which platforms are best suited for different needs, from creative portfolios to large-scale e-commerce operations.
The IONOS Experience: Benefits and Limitations for Users
IONOS is widely recognized as a budget-friendly website builder and hosting service, designed to help beginners and small businesses establish an online presence with minimal hassle.
It operates as a bundled solution, offering a streamlined experience that removes the need to source multiple services from different providers.
The platform’s core strength lies in its AI-driven setup, which generates a professional-looking website draft after a user answers a few simple questions.
This focus on efficiency and ease of use makes it a compelling choice for those prioritizing a quick launch over extensive creative control.
The Strengths of IONOS
The IONOS platform delivers several key benefits that cater to its target audience.
AI-Powered Setup & Speed: The AI website builder provides a fast setup process that can get a professional website up and running in a matter of minutes.
Cost-Effective Bundles: All plans include a free custom domain for the first year and at least one business-class email inbox, which can save a user an estimated $60 to $120 in initial costs compared to rivals that charge extra for these services.
Robust Security: The platform takes user security seriously, providing a free Wildcard SSL certificate, DDoS protection, and geo-redundancy with all packages, ensuring a site and its data remain safe.
Solid Uptime: IONOS offers a strong 99.9% uptime guarantee, with monitored performance often exceeding this benchmark.
Dedicated Support: Select plans include access to a dedicated personal support consultant, providing a direct line to knowledgeable assistance.
The Drawbacks of IONOS
Despite its advantages, a deeper examination of the platform reveals a number of significant drawbacks that can become problematic for users with long-term growth in mind.
Limited Customization & Rigid Layouts: The editor is not a free-form drag-and-drop tool like many competitors. Instead, it uses a block or section-based approach where elements are locked into pre-arranged sections.
This design choice, while keeping layouts tidy, severely limits creative freedom, making it a poor fit for brands that desire a unique, intricate design.
Slim Template Library: With a modest selection of only about 30+ industry-specific website templates, IONOS offers far less variety than competitors. This lack of choice means many websites on the platform may end up looking similar.
High Renewal Rates & Hidden Costs: While introductory pricing is highly competitive, it is a promotional offer that jumps after year one. Renewal prices can be double or triple the initial rate, which can come as an unwelcome surprise to budget-savvy users.
This is a common practice across many providers, but it can make the platform far less affordable in the long term.
Closed System with Few Integrations: The platform operates as a mostly closed shop with no app marketplace. Core tools are baked in, but if a business needs to extend functionality with niche tools or a third-party CRM, it will hit a wall quickly.
This lack of a robust app ecosystem means that businesses planning to grow their feature set over time may outgrow the platform prematurely.
IONOS Pricing
IONOS offers a variety of plans, but it's important to note the significant difference between the introductory and renewal pricing.
For example, the Starter plan is just $1/month for the first year, but jumps to $12/month upon renewal, and includes 10 pages, one site, a free domain, and a 2GB email inbox.
The Plus plan costs $6/month initially and renews at $18/month, offering 200 pages, AI copy tools, booking features, and a 12GB email inbox.
Their E-commerce plan has variable pricing for both its introductory and renewal periods, and boasts unlimited products with zero platform transaction fees.
For hosting, the Essential Hosting plan is $4/month and renews at $6/month, providing 10GB of storage, a free domain, and professional email.
The Business Hosting plan is an initial steal at $0.50/month but renews at $10/month, and comes with unlimited storage, a free domain, and professional email.
The Top 11 Alternatives to IONOS
1. Pixpa: Best for Creatives and Small Businesses
Pricing: Pixpa provides a 15-day free trial that does not require a credit card, allowing a user to explore the platform without any commitment.
For those ready to commit, Pixpa offers highly affordable plans starting at just $6 per month, billed annually. This is a particularly strong value proposition for creatives on a tight budget, as all plans include e-commerce functionality and a free custom domain for the first year, which is powered through a partnership with IONOS.
Pixpa is a no-code, all-in-one website builder built specifically for creatives such as photographers, artists, and designers who need a website to showcase and sell their visual work. Its templates are all modern, responsive, and image-focused, making it easy to create a stunning portfolio website.
The platform’s unique appeal is that it combines a website builder with specialized tools for creatives, such as client galleries, which are essential for photographers. This targeted approach makes it a highly effective alternative for its audience.
Pros:
- E-commerce functionality is a standard feature on all plans, even the most basic ones, allowing users to sell both physical and digital products with zero commission.
- The platform includes unique tools like a client gallery and a dedicated Photo Gallery App for easily sharing and proofing images with clients.
- Pixpa offers over 200 responsive and beautifully designed templates that prioritize visuals and are perfectly suited for portfolios.
- The plans are very competitively priced compared to generalist platforms, offering a high-quality experience without breaking the bank.
- The platform is known for simplicity and praised by users for its ease of use, making it simple to create a functional website within a week, even without coding knowledge.
Cons:
- No free plan available, but a 15-day free trial gives access to its complete set of features to try out everything before committing to a paid plan.
2. Wix: Best for its Huge Templates Library
Pricing: Wix has a generous, long-term free plan that allows a user to test the platform's features and templates without any financial commitment.
For professional use, paid plans start at $17 per month when billed annually, with e-commerce plans beginning at $29 per month. While slightly more expensive than some rivals, it offers significant value for the price.
Wix’s main appeal is its flexible drag-and-drop editor, which allows for true pixel-perfect customization, giving users complete control over their site's design.
The platform also boasts a massive library of over 900 templates and a vast app market, making it a powerful choice for nearly any type of website or business.
Pros:
- The true drag-and-drop editor allows a user to place and layer elements anywhere on a page, providing a level of creative freedom that most rivals cannot match.
- With over 900+ professionally designed templates, a user has a huge selection of starting points tailored for nearly every industry.
- The Wix App Market features over 800 apps, allowing a user to easily add any functionality, from online scheduling to advanced analytics.
- The platform includes a powerful suite of built-in tools for email marketing, appointment bookings, and SEO, providing a single ecosystem for managing an online business.
- Wix offers an AI-powered assistant and site builder that can generate a website draft or custom text and images in minutes, helping beginners get started quickly.
Cons:
- The sheer number of features and customization options can be overwhelming for a new user, making the design process a little more complex than with a simpler builder.
- A user cannot switch to a completely new template once their website is live without rebuilding it from scratch. This can be a major limitation for those who want to rebrand later on.
- While the platform has improved its speed, sites with a high number of pages and a large amount of content can experience slower load times and a laggy editor.
3. Squarespace: Best for Elegant, Design-Focused Websites
Pricing: Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial on all plans, but does not have a perpetual free plan like some of its rivals. Paid plans start at $16 per month when billed annually.
This pricing tier is comparable to Wix, but Squarespace's inclusion of unlimited storage and bandwidth on all plans can offer greater long-term value for content-rich sites.
Squarespace is a design-focused website builder, known for its curated collection of modern, minimalist, and visually striking templates.
The platform’s core philosophy is to provide a clean and elegant experience, making it the ideal choice for creatives, portfolios, and service-based businesses where aesthetics are a top priority.
Its new Fluid Engine editor offers a structured approach to drag-and-drop design, which prevents a user from creating a cluttered or unprofessional-looking layout.
Pros:
- Squarespace is renowned for having the most attractive and professionally designed templates on the market, all of which are included for free and are fully mobile-responsive.
- All paid plans come with unlimited storage and bandwidth, so a user never has to worry about running out of space for images, videos, or other content.
- The editor is easy to use and provides a helpful grid system that ensures elements are aligned neatly. This balance between flexibility and structure makes it a great option for both beginners and design professionals.
- The platform offers a powerful suite of built-in tools for blogging, e-commerce, and appointment scheduling, which are seamlessly integrated into the core dashboard.
- Squarespace automatically generates a sitemap and provides a responsive design, both of which are critical for strong search engine rankings.
Cons:
- A user cannot build and publish a website for free, as the platform only offers a limited 14-day free trial.
- While the new editor is more flexible, the platform is too structured for seasoned developers or users who want complete control over their website's code and design without using CSS or JavaScript.
- Squarespace does not offer phone support. Customer service is only available through a 24/7 live chat or email, which can be frustrating for a user who needs immediate assistance with a complex issue.
4. Hostinger: Best for Faster Page Load Times and a great UX
Pricing: Hostinger is one of the most affordable platforms on the market, with shared hosting plans and a website builder starting at just $2.99 per month with a long-term commitment.
While it does not offer a free plan, it does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing a user to test the service risk-free. However, a user should be aware of the significant jump from introductory to renewal rates.
Hostinger is a performance-driven and budget-friendly alternative to IONOS that focuses on providing exceptional speed and value for money.
It is built on a modern infrastructure that includes LiteSpeed servers and NVMe SSD storage, which results in faster page load times and a more reliable user experience.
The platform is highly versatile, offering a simple AI-powered website builder for beginners and robust hosting solutions for those who prefer to use WordPress.
Pros:
- The platform is known for its incredible speed, with websites often loading in under one second. This is a crucial factor for user retention and for improving a site’s SEO ranking.
- Hostinger offers some of the lowest starting prices in the industry, making it an ideal choice for beginners and those on a tight budget. Many plans also include a free domain and SSL certificate.
- The custom hPanel control panel simplifies website management and is intuitive even for those new to web hosting. It is praised for its clean interface and clear layout.
- Hostinger provides a dependable 99.9% uptime guarantee and has consistently maintained excellent server reliability in tests, giving users peace of mind that their site will always be accessible.
- The platform includes an AI website builder that can generate a website draft in seconds. It also offers useful AI tools for writing content and creating a professional logo.
Cons:
- As with many hosting providers, the introductory prices jump significantly upon renewal, often by two or three times the original cost.
- Hostinger does not offer phone support. Customer service is available 24/7 through live chat and email, but some users have noted a lack of depth in the responses.
- While its AI tools are helpful, some, such as the AI review generator, have been found to create fake content, which could be a major red flag and potentially harm a site’s reputation and rankings.
5. Shopify: Best for Large, Complex Online Stores
Pricing: Shopify is a premium e-commerce platform with a higher entry price. It offers a short 3-day free trial. Plans start at $29 per month, which is a significant jump from a shared hosting plan.
While it can be more expensive than its competitors, this is balanced by its powerful sales features and a vast ecosystem of apps.
Shopify is designed specifically for selling products and services online. Unlike general-purpose website builders, its primary focus is not on design freedom but on providing a powerful suite of tools to help a business grow, manage inventory, process payments, and fulfill orders.
It is a scalable solution that can handle everything from a small side hustle to a high-volume, enterprise-level operation.
Pros:
- The platform offers a comprehensive set of sales tools, including abandoned cart recovery, discount codes, inventory management, and marketing tools, all included in its cheapest paid plan.
- Shopify's App Store contains over 13,000 apps that can extend a store's functionality, from dropshipping to advanced shipping calculations.
- A user can easily sell across multiple channels, including social media platforms, Amazon, and eBay, all managed from a single dashboard.
- Shopify is known for its top-tier uptime and fast loading speeds, ensuring a smooth experience for customers even during traffic spikes.
- Shopify Payments offers a simple checkout process with competitive credit card rates, and it allows for a wide range of payment options.
Cons:
- If a user chooses not to use Shopify Payments, they will incur an additional transaction fee on top of their payment gateway’s fees. This can quickly add up and is a major drawback.
- The website editor is section-based, which can feel restrictive and lacks creative freedom. Customization often requires a user to edit the site's code or purchase a premium theme.
- While the platform has a strong core, a user often has to purchase and pay for extra apps or themes to achieve their desired functionality, which can significantly increase the total monthly cost.
6. GoDaddy: Best for Domain Registrations
Pricing: GoDaddy offers a free plan with significant limitations, such as a lack of a custom domain and banner ads.
Paid plans are affordable, starting at $9.99 per month when billed annually, which includes an AI website builder and marketing tools. Renewal rates jump significantly, so a user should be aware of the long-term cost.
GoDaddy is a major web services provider known for its speed and simplicity. The platform is designed for first-timers and users who want to get a website up and running as quickly as possible, with its AI builder capable of generating a professional-looking site in as little as 30 seconds.
It is a strong choice for simple business profiles, portfolios, or service-based businesses that do not require extensive or complex functionality.
Pros:
- The AI-powered builder is the fastest on the market, allowing a user to launch a site in under a minute. The block-based editor makes it easy for beginners to add sections and content.
- The platform offers an affordable starting price and bundles a suite of tools, including appointment booking, email marketing, and social media content creation, all in one package.
- GoDaddy provides a good selection of marketing tools, including email newsletters and a Studio app that uses AI to create branded social media content.
- The editor is highly intuitive and well-signposted, providing a straightforward experience that is ideal for those with limited technical expertise.
- The platform includes a marketing dashboard and basic SEO tools to help a user get started with optimizing their site for search engines.
Cons:
- While the AI builder is fast, the templates can feel generic and lack the modern, elegant aesthetic.
- The block-based editor is restrictive, and a user cannot add individual elements or make simple style customizations beyond what is pre-designed.
- GoDaddy does not have an app store, which means a user cannot add third-party plugins or integrations to extend their site’s functionality.
7. WordPress: Best for Open Source Users
Pricing: The core WordPress software is free and open-source. The true cost comes from a user's choice of a hosting provider (typically $3-$10 per month), a domain name ($10-$15 per year), and optional premium themes or plugins.
A user can build a full website on a minimal budget and only incur additional costs as they scale or add features.
WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of all websites. It offers unparalleled flexibility and control, allowing a user to build almost any type of website imaginable.
Unlike a proprietary website builder, a self-hosted WordPress site means a user owns their data and has full access to the code, database, and files.
This makes it the ultimate solution for those who want a platform that can grow indefinitely without hitting a scalability ceiling.
Pros:
- As an open-source platform, a user has complete control over every aspect of their website. They can choose any theme, add any plugin, and modify the code to create a truly unique site.
- The WordPress ecosystem includes over 59,000 plugins and thousands of themes, so a user can easily add any functionality, from e-commerce to advanced SEO tools.
- The content and code are fully portable, so a user can easily migrate their site to another hosting provider if they are ever unsatisfied.
- WordPress can handle everything from a simple personal blog to a complex e-commerce store with thousands of products or a high-traffic media site.
- The platform provides a user with granular control over SEO settings and allows them to install powerful plugins to optimize their site for search engines.
Cons:
- The self-hosted version requires a user to be more hands-on with the technical setup, including configuring hosting and managing updates, which can be challenging for a total beginner.
- A user is solely responsible for their website's security, updates, and backups. This requires more active management than a proprietary builder.
- As an open-source platform, WordPress does not have an official support team. Support is provided through hosting providers or a large community of forums and tutorials.
8. Bluehost: Best for Beginners with a Focus on WordPress
Pricing: Bluehost offers an extremely affordable entry point for those new to WordPress, with shared hosting plans starting at just $1.99 per month for a long-term commitment.
However, a user should be aware of the substantial increase in renewal prices, which jump to as much as $9.99 per month or more, as is common in the industry.
Bluehost is an ideal alternative to IONOS for a user who wants the power and flexibility of WordPress but needs a beginner-friendly starting point.
The platform is known for its excellent WordPress hosting plans and a custom dashboard that simplifies the entire setup and management process.
It provides a guided wizard that walks a user through domain registration, WordPress installation, and theme selection, making the launch of a first website feel simple and intuitive.
Pros:
- The custom dashboard is clean and easy to navigate. A one-click WordPress installer simplifies the initial setup, removing the technical hurdles that can intimidate new users.
- The platform provides reliable performance and excellent uptime, with one-year testing showing a 99.98% uptime. This is more than sufficient for a new blog, personal site, or small business website.
- Bluehost is praised for its responsive and knowledgeable 24/7 phone and live chat support, which provides a level of assistance that is crucial for beginners.
- The plans include a free domain for the first year and an instant SSL certificate setup, saving a users time and money.
- The platform offers free site migration, which is a major benefit for a user who is looking to move a pre-existing WordPress site to a new host.
Cons:
- A user should be prepared for the significant price jump that occurs after the initial term, which can make the service much more expensive in the long run.
- While solid for low-traffic sites, the performance of shared hosting can slow down during unexpected traffic spikes or for larger, more resource-intensive websites.
- The platform presents a number of optional add-ons during the checkout process, such as SiteLock security and CodeGuard backups, that can add to the total cost.
9. SiteGround: Best for Reliability and WordPress-Optimized Hosting
Pricing: SiteGround offers very competitive introductory prices for shared hosting plans, starting at just $2.99 per month.
This makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious users. However, the renewal rates are much higher, often jumping to $17.99 per month for the basic plan. A user who chooses a longer term can lock in a lower price for the first billing cycle.
SiteGround is known for its exceptional performance and commitment to reliability. It is an excellent alternative for a user who is serious about speed and uptime, as its platform is built on a modern Google Cloud infrastructure and uses advanced caching technology.
While slightly more expensive than some budget hosts, the value it provides in performance and expert support makes it a top choice for WordPress sites and businesses that cannot afford any downtime.
Pros:
- In independent tests, SiteGround has shown blazing-fast load times and a consistent 100% uptime, even under simulated stress. This makes it one of the most reliable hosts on the market.
- The platform is widely praised for its knowledgeable and responsive customer support team, which is available 24/7 via live chat. Unlike some rivals, the agents are experts in WordPress and provide in-depth solutions.
- SiteGround has its own modern and clean custom dashboard, called Site Tools, which is praised by users for being faster and more intuitive to use than a traditional cPanel.
- All plans come with free daily backups, a free CDN, and a proprietary caching plugin that significantly improves a WordPress site's speed.
- The platform includes a one-click staging area that allows a user to test updates or new code safely before applying them to their live site. This is a crucial feature for developers and agencies.
Cons:
- SiteGround does not include a free domain name with any of its hosting plans, which is a common inclusion with many other providers.
- The biggest disadvantage is the high renewal rate. The promotional price is only for the first term, after which the cost can increase substantially.
- Storage is limited compared to some competitors. The basic plan only offers 10GB of storage, which may not be enough for a content-heavy website.
10. DreamHost: Best for Privacy and Long-Term Value
Pricing: DreamHost offers highly affordable shared hosting plans starting at just $2.59 per month. While renewal prices are higher, they are still competitive.
A major differentiator is its generous 97-day money-back guarantee, which is significantly longer than the industry standard and allows a user to fully test the service with confidence.
DreamHost is a hosting provider known for its commitment to user privacy, transparent pricing, and robust performance.
It is a strong alternative for a user who values a provider that is not owned by a large corporation and that offers a consistent, reliable service.
The platform provides a custom control panel that is easier to navigate than a traditional cPanel and includes a number of key features at no extra cost, making it an excellent choice for a user who wants to avoid hidden fees.
Pros:
- A 97-day money-back guarantee is a unique selling point that shows the company's confidence in its service and gives a user ample time to test the platform risk-free.
- The platform offers free WHOIS Privacy protection, which prevents spammers and others from looking up a user's personal details.
- All plans come with unlimited monthly data transfers, so a user does not have to worry about a sudden traffic spike incurring extra costs.
- DreamHost claims a 100% uptime guarantee and has a strong track record of reliability, ensuring that a user's website is always accessible.
- The platform includes a number of free features that are often paid add-ons elsewhere, such as a free domain for the first year, an SSL certificate, and free daily backups.
Cons:
- The platform does not offer traditional phone support. Live support is available through a callback-only system, which can be an inconvenience for a user who needs immediate assistance.
- The cheapest shared hosting plan does not include free email, which is a standard inclusion with many other providers.
- DreamHost’s servers are located only in the United States, which can affect the load times and performance for a website with a primarily international audience.
11. HostGator: Best for Basic Websites With Affordable Hosting Solutions
Pricing: HostGator offers a range of affordable shared hosting plans with low introductory prices starting at $3.75 per month with a long-term commitment.
It also has a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, which is longer than the industry standard. However, a user should be aware of the high renewal fees and automatic upsells that can increase the total cost of ownership.
HostGator is a well-known hosting provider that has been in the market for over 20 years. It is a solid and reliable alternative for a user who needs a simple, user-friendly, and affordable solution for a basic website or blog.
The platform provides a familiar cPanel dashboard and offers a number of key features, such as unmetered bandwidth and pre-installed WordPress, that make it easy for a beginner to get started.
Pros:
- The platform offers an easy setup process and a user-friendly cPanel dashboard that is familiar to many users. It also includes pre-installed WordPress with all shared hosting plans.
- All plans come with unmetered bandwidth and unlimited storage, so a user does not have to worry about data limits.
- The platform provides a free domain for the first year, a free SSL certificate, and a free site migration tool, all of which are valuable inclusions.
- HostGator offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which provides a user with ample time to test the service risk-free.
- HostGator promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which is in line with the industry benchmark and provides a reliable foundation for a small website or blog.
Cons:
- As with many providers, the introductory prices are misleading, and the renewal rates are significantly higher. A user should review the final cost on the checkout page before committing.
- The platform’s default backup policy is lacking. It only provides a weekly backup, and a user is charged a fee to restore a site from one of these backups.
- User reviews frequently mention inconsistent and unreliable customer support, with long wait times and a lack of depth in the responses from agents. This can be a major red flag for a user who needs quick assistance in an emergency.
Our Evaluation Framework: How We Ranked the Platforms
To provide a comprehensive and objective analysis of the alternatives to IONOS, a rigorous evaluation framework was used.
Ease of Use & Customization: This is often the primary reason someone chooses a website builder. We assessed the editor’s intuitiveness (e.g., drag-and-drop versus block-based), the quality and aesthetic of the templates, and the degree of creative freedom a user has to modify the design to their liking.
Performance & Reliability: A website's performance is critical for both user experience and search engine optimization.
Key metrics examined included server uptime, which ensures a site is always accessible, and page load time, which prevents visitors from leaving due to a slow experience.
The platform's infrastructure, such as the use of SSD storage and a Content Delivery Network (CDN), was also considered.
Features & Functionality: The range and quality of a platform's built-in features, as well as its ability to integrate with third-party tools, were a major part of the evaluation.
This included assessing support for e-commerce, blogging, SEO, appointment bookings, and marketing. The presence of a robust app marketplace was a key differentiator.
Pricing & Value: The true cost of a platform goes far beyond the initial monthly fee. We compared introductory prices to renewal rates, and also factored in the costs of essential add-ons, security features, and premium themes or plugins.
A platform with a low upfront price but expensive a-la-carte features can easily become more costly than a rival with a higher but more inclusive starting rate. This critical analysis helps users understand the long-term total cost of ownership.
Help & Support: Even the most intuitive platform can present challenges. We evaluated the quality and accessibility of customer support, including its availability (e.g., 24/7), communication channels (e.g., phone, live chat), and the knowledge of the support staff.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice of a platform is a long-term investment. By moving beyond the initial sticker price and considering factors such as customization, long-term costs, and scalability, a user can select a platform that is not just a temporary solution but a long-term partner.
Create a free portfolio website with Pixpa and try out its creator-friendly features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a website builder and web hosting?
A website builder is a tool or software that allows a user to create a website without any coding or technical knowledge, typically using a visual editor and pre-made templates.
In contrast, web hosting is a service that provides the online storage space for a website's files and makes them accessible on the internet.
Most modern website builders, like IONOS and Pixpa, bundle hosting into their plans for a simple, all-in-one experience. However, with a platform like WordPress, a user must purchase hosting separately to make their site live.
How do I know what my web hosting needs are?
A user's web hosting needs depend on their website's purpose and long-term goals. The most important factors to consider are: will the site sell products, what level of traffic is expected, what is the user's technical skill level, and what security and scalability features are required.
A simple personal blog or portfolio can use an affordable shared hosting plan, while a high-traffic e-commerce store with sensitive data will need a more powerful, secure solution like a VPS or dedicated server.
What is the difference between WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress?
WordPress.com is a commercial, hosted version of WordPress that bundles managed hosting, security, and maintenance into a single plan.
It is designed for simplicity and is a good option for beginners, but it has significant limitations on themes, plugins, and monetization.
Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org), on the other hand, is the free, open-source software that a user downloads and installs on their own hosting plan.
This option provides a user with complete control and customization, but also puts the responsibility for updates, backups, and security on them.
What is uptime, and why is it important?
Uptime is a measurement of the amount of time a website is accessible and online within a given period. It is one of the most critical metrics for a web host because any downtime can lead to a loss of potential traffic, sales, and a damaged brand reputation.
A reputable hosting provider will offer an uptime guarantee of 99.9% or higher to ensure a website remains accessible to visitors at all times.