1&1 Internet Hosting Reviews

14 User Ratings

Overall
4 stars
Features
4 stars
Uptime
4 stars
Value
4 stars
Support
3.5 stars

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  • Free domain
  • Unlimited bandwidth
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  • Site building tools
  • Daily server backups
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1&1 Internet Profile

Ralph Dommermuth started 1&1 Internet in Montabaur, Germany nearly 20 years ago as a marketing company. Dommermuth is still involved with 1&1 Internet and is the current Chief Marketing Officer.

Since its foundation, 1&1 has evolved from being just a marketing company, to being a hosting reseller into its current form as a leading internet services provider. 1&1 is now part of the German giant United Internet AG (a public corporation).

Company and Services
1 & 1 Internet started hosting following its takeover of Schlund and Partner, a leading German web host company in 1998. By 2000 the companies had merged to create 1&1 Internet. Today, 1&1 offers just about everything you could expect from a mainstream web hosting provider. It specializes in providing solutions for small-to-medium size businesses, though it has a substantial personal user customer-base as well.

With more than 7 million customers and more than 10 million registered domains there can be no doubt that 1&1 is a major provider of web services worldwide. The company has some 3,000 employees - 250 of which are developers. 1&1 has its US headquarters in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. The technical support team are based at the US HQ. 1&1 Internet’s head office is in Montabaur, Germany and it also has offices across Europe, including the UK, France, Spain, Romania, and Austria. The Philippines is home to its far eastern branch.

1&1 Internet offers a wide variety of flexible hosting packages which can run on either Windows or Linux in shared, dedicated or VPS hosting flavors. It also offers special e-commerce and business packages. Customer support is available by email or through its 24/7 phone line. All hosting packages come with a 90 day money back guarantee and free website design software. Shared hosting packages include a free domain name. 1& 1 is able to offer some of the most keenly priced, feature-packed hosting around as a result of its size within the marketplace.

It should come as no surprise that such a large player in the market has received several awards. Since 2003 the independent review site Web Host Directory has honored 1&1 Internet with 12 awards.

Server Location
1 & 1 Internet has five data centers - it owns and manages two of these while the other three are outsourced.

Related Links
1&1 Knowledge base

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1&1 Internet Hosting Plans

Hosting PlanDisk SpaceBandwidthPrice 
Linux 1 & 1 BeginnerView Plan
Linux 1 and 1 HomeView Plan
Linux 1 and 1 Business View Plan
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Windows 1&1 MS BusinessView Plan
1&1 Windows VPS 1View Plan
1&1 Windows VPS 2View Plan
1&1 Windows VPS 3View Plan
Linux 1 and 1 ProfessionalView Plan
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1&1 Linux VPS LView Plan
1&1 Linux VPS XLView Plan
1&1 Linux VPS XXLView Plan
Windows 1&1 MS Business ProView Plan
Dedicated Server Dual-Core L-LinuxView Plan
Dedicated Server Dual-Core L-WindowsView Plan
Dedicated Server Dual-Core L-1&1View Plan
Dedicated Server Dual-Core XL-LinuxView Plan
Dedicated Server Dual-Core XL-1&1View Plan
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Overall rating 4 stars

1&1 Internet User Reviews

We've 14 reviews by real 1&1 Internet customers. Read on, share your own review or learn why we're different from other web hosting reviews sites.

Chris Behnke

5 stars

I've been a 1&1 customer since they first started up and offered free hosting to everyone. I was instantly hooked because everything was so quick and easy.

Their prices are outstanding, the uptime is incredible (I think I've had about 2 hours total over the past 7 years), the transfer speeds are great. The package pricing keeps crashing down and with some of the cheapest domain registration costs available, what's not to love?

Any time I've had to contact customer support they've been more than helpful and have always met or exceeded my expectations.

I read some of the other reviews where users have complained about the control panel being overly complicated (it's not - I'm a geek and I would describe it as powerful; more options and controls than many other hosts) or domain cancellation being difficult (no, it's not done through the domain manager but I think that's a good thing) or it not being for professionals because of downtime or difficulty in managing domains (I currently operate over 20 separate domains and websites from one hosting package with ZERO issues with setup or downtime), but remember there are always individual problems with anything.

This is my perfectly honest review - if I had to choose a host again, I would totally go with 1&1.

Julia Logan

3 stars

1&1's billing is a nightmare - especially if you need to cancel anything. Their system for adding new domains to a hosting account is also something not for the faint hearted. The control panel is stuffed with their partner offers. Of course it's nice to get 2 free domains when you register - but other than that, if you are trying to o anything more than some very basic stuff better stay away from 1&1.

Tyler Purdom

5 stars

1 & 1 is a great hosting provider. They are up 99.9% of the time. They have a great support system if you ever run into any trouble they will provide you with great support answers to solve your problems. It is set up so its is easy to set up a website if you are new to creating websites. I would highly reccomend this site to my friends because they are one of the cheapset domain providers who provide quality support to their customers. So if you are undecided about what hosting provider to choose, 1 & 1 is the right host for you. You will be able to create an awesome website and you will easily be able to fix any problems that you may come across upon. This hosting suits people who are new to creating websites or online businesses who require a good host that is up all the time.

Caroline Harris

1.5 stars

Domain cancellation did not go through properly (and the process of which to cancel domains is long and complicated, cancellation is on a separate subdomain). Said they would take the charge back if i emailed my account info. I replied saying I was not comfortable sending passwords through email. Final email they sent in reply, was telling me the package was canceled. 3 months later, I get a letter from a debt collecting agency saying I owe 1&1 27.94: 8.99 for the domain+plus late fees.

I've emailed and called and it's like talking to a brick wall. If you were going to 'forgive' the charge and needed the package to be canceled, but the account is already canceled, and has been canceled for weeks, then why not take the charge off as you offered. I would have bit the bullet and paid the 9 bucks as opposed to almost 30.

The way they have cancellation set up is horrible. GoDaddy, Netfirms, Name Cheap all allow you to manage, transfer, and cancel renews in the same area. You have to login to a completely different section of the site to cancel domains. And the link to cancel is kinda buried, I had to search the FAQs to find the link. Then you have three weird choices: Cancel now, cancel as soon as possible, and some other choice? What is that. Most people want their domains to cancel when it comes time to renew right?

Please please PLEASE look at the horrible reviews they have at the Better Business Bureau; 762 complaints in 36 months. I filed one too and hopefully I can get it resolved, since according to billing, sending your account information through unsecured email is perfectly safe and legit.

Jordan Rasmussen

5 stars

1&1.com is tops in my book. I needed to set up one of my domains on a non-1&1.com Web host and I had no idea how. I'm not tech savvy but I easily followed the steps I found in the 1&1.com FAQ section to set up the DNS with a non-1&1.com name server. Same with setting up the MySQL database and email. All the instructions I needed are explained step by step in the FAQ.

And then I wanted to use the private domain registration feature to hide my email address and phone number in the ICANN domain registration database from spammers and telemarketers, because every 1&1.com domain can be privately registered for free. I couldn't figure out how to do it in the admin control panel, so I phoned the toll-free number for customer service. They walked me through it. Easy peasy!

1&1.com has cheap prices for hosting packages that fit my needs, good customer support and reliable service when you need it. I'd recommend 1&1.com to anybody, including new web masters like me. I have all the features I need and plenty more listed in the control panel that I'm not even using yet (some I'm not even sure what they are, but I got 'em). I'll explore them later. Lots of extra features come included in the hosting package, no extra charge. 1&1.com doesn’t skimp on the disk space or bandwidth, even though it’s a cheap monthly price for hosting. I got 120 GB disk space and 1.2 TB bandwidth, way more than I need for several Web sites, but I’m sure I’ll find a way to use it!

DC Conlin

4.5 stars

I love 1&1 because everything just "works," and I don't have to pay a small fortune for it! I don't have to worry about downtime or backups, billing or domain renewals. 1&1 automatically does everything for me to keep my Web sites running on a secure, reliable Web server.

I have all the features I need in my package to support my Web sites. I can write scripts, query the database, set up separate subdomains, or set up cron jobs and they work without my having to ask tech support to fix anything or change configuration settings for me.

As long as I've been a customer, I've only had a few issues. Averaging twice a year, my e-mail is very slow to deliver, both inbound and outbound messages, taking up to a day and a half to reach their destinations. These issues clear up, but it takes from nine to 15 days for my e-mail to become stable and quick again. But honestly, compared to the large corporate and government e-mail services I've suffered through, my 1&1 e-mail service has been the more reliable.

My sites have only been down twice, each time for more than two days. Each down period was a result of a server update that failed. When I noticed my sites were down hours after the unannounced updates and contacted 1&1, tech support admitted they were unaware the sites on that Web server were offline. Whatever went wrong, it took the techs two days to fix, but my sites have been running reliably at all other times during the past 5 1/2 years.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the service, the features, and the low, low prices I've enjoyed with 1&1! I recommend 1&1 to everyone who needs cheap, reliable Web hosting.

Sanjaya De Silva

4.5 stars

No frequent server downs , like others . i got immediate answers for my FAQ's. Its amazing that i received 10 free email accounts and sub domains for the same amount i paid.
All the facilities are available for a web designer.
Using cpanel technology is very helpful to us as web designers

Hosting charges also very affordable and bearable

Having a user friendly environment is the other special feature

I would like to have more server disk space for my domain but i know the space given to me is worth for my money

Interactivity is the only thing i see to be improved a little

i experienced the best customer support ever from a web hoster in the last few months

Hosting features are good but feel that it can be better than this

Uptime is also good but hope to be better than this

to my mind this host is suitable for any web designer who need a continuous server online for their business

i would definitely introduce this host to my friends as well

Thank you admin
and god bless

Tyler M Yates

3 stars

I read a lot of reviews on 1&1 Internet and liked them I knew what I was going to get into. When I placed my order in the morning with them it was quick it went through and i was able to upload my files that night. I was really happy with there hosting but was upset to find out that later down the road when i decided to use my 2 free domains that i got when ordering them that if you used one for 10 minutes and needed to change it because of a misspell or didn't fit your needs or placed by accident that you loose that free domain. After all that passed i was pretty ok with it and was satisfied except when i went to go check out there SSL Certificate that i was going to be charged for clicking the SSL icon you are invoiced for that (you don't even have to hit order is what i was told). When i called them to have them cancel it they said they would and it would be effective immediately (LIE). That was in the end of February 2009. about a month later i was hit with a 49.00 charge on my pay pal that was not suppose to happen. It later cause a big big misunderstanding and such i had to call my personal bank, pay pal, and 1and1; everyone but 1&1 were on the same track as far as records go but 1and1 said i owed them 49.00 that i did not have. I faxed them all my records for the same answer that i owed them 49.00 that i never got in the first place. the locked me out of my email, account, and website. this all took place on March 28 2009. i was told that if i didn't pay that they would forward it onto a collection agencies where they would charge me an extra 39.00 on top of 49.00 a week later i decided to pay and called them and was told that they were issuing me a credit and was told they put it on my account which i was kind of shocked by and then was told that i needed to pay 49.00 so i did just to get access to my files so i could switch host. So here i am out 2 49.00 and was only refunded 1 49.00.

In my honest opinion 1&1 was a great host but there billing tactics are horrible and so are there customer support tactics.

Overall Report

* What do you wish you'd known before becoming a customer?
See Above

* How have they handled your support queries?
Horribly

* What level of technical expertise do their customers need?
not major just billing

* How have 1&1 Internet handled any problems?
badly

* What kind of customer is this host suitable for?
anyone as long as they are willing to fork money over

* Would you recommend 1&1 Internet to friends?
sure but i would definitely warn them

Ryan Houston

2 stars

What do you wish you'd known before becoming a customer?
I wish I had read the fine print more carefully...they sign you up for automatic renewals then do not send out reminder emails so you remember to cancel the accounts if you have no further use for the domain names. When you call to cancel that same day, they tell you they cannot refund the domain name registration fee because they are nonrefundable. They don't care that their automatic renewal policy causes your bank account to overdraft...

How have they handled your support queries?
They send patronizing emails that basically say, "You should have read the fine print when you signed up." and "There's nothing we can do."

What level of technical expertise do their customers need?
??? All I did was link up the domains I purchased with other websites I have. It wasn't that technical for my purposes...

How have 1&1 Internet handled any problems?
Like I mentioned, they will not refund money once they get it...Not even when it is the right thing to do...

What kind of customer is this host suitable for?
Not me...I will use EWeb for all my future needs. I have a domain name through them which was cheaper. They also sent me notification that they were going to renew it.

Would you recommend 1&1 Internet to friends?
No...they have really irritated me with their refusal to reimburse my money when I cancelled my account 1-2 days after the automatic renewal that I was not aware would occur.

Gene Steinberg

5 stars

I tested 1 and 1 Internet's services last fall, starting with their basic 99 cents per month email package, primarily to test the quality of their services. I've since moved up to their top-of-the-line Titan Linux root dedicated server. When you compare the features with the competition, they are way ahead of the pack.

I also transferred all my domains to them.

Customer service has been great. With dedicated servers, support comes direct from their headquarters in suburban Philadelphia. I've also dealt extensively with billing, the result of adding and removing services, and they've always treated me with courtesy and respect. More to the point, billing is always accurate, and promised credits are always granted.

I earn my living online. My server has five busy sites, including two online radio shows. I use Apple's Darwin Streaming Server as a broadcasting tool. 1 and 1 Internet provides the fast, reliable service I require to stay in business. Whether it's a small, personal site or a full-blown business, you can depend on 1 and 1 Internet to deliver the kind of service you expect.

Paulo Siqueira

5 stars

We are in 1&1 since 2007 and we are very satisfied.

Our reasons:

The prices are great, the servers are real and they manage their own servers. You can see their infrastructure in the official website in a flash-based tour.

I'm an international customer, with the Home Package, and I have no problem with payments and support, and the package is very professional (120 GB of space, 1.2 TB of transfer, two domains for free) for $5.

The uptime is excellent (see the RealMetrics performance review). Our websites are hosted in the US servers and here in Brazil they load very fast.

We have an e-commerce platform, and we installed SSL Certificates automatically in control panel without expertise, and the is price lower than the Brazilian prices.

I see that 1&1 is a solid company and their services are easily configurable in the Control Panel, so you don't need technical expertise to use their hosting services.

I contacted them and was answered quickly, either by email or by telephone.

Excellent.

Rob Higgins

4.5 stars

I have and will recommend 1and1 to my friends as I have had a decent experience with them! I mainly use them for domains, but will soon open a web hosting account with them (lots of freebies included!)

Robert Lariviere

5 stars

They offer a very reasonably price service. I have not had any issues with them. As with anything if you are a newbie, tech support can only take you so far. They can configure the service for you but if you don't know how to code or are not technical it may be very frustrating.

Jon Rowe

3 stars

Best avoided for professionals. We had three dedicated servers with 1&1 and had to migrate all of them due to unacceptable amounts of downtime and poor customer service. As an example they switched off one of our servers without warning after a single junk email complaint from a hotmail user (they'd signed up to the site's newsletter).

To be fair they are cheap, and their admin panel is well featured and very easy to use.

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