123 Reg vs IONOS: which is better for UK websites?
Short answer
IONOS wins on our overall score
123 Reg4.2/10
vs
IONOS6.2/10
IONOS scores 6.2/10 against 4.2 for 123 Reg, mainly on support and Trustpilot. 123 Reg is stronger on intro price (inc vat).
Choose 123 Reg for users happy to commit 3 years or budget multi-site hosting. Choose IONOS for budget buyers or storage-heavy sites.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission, which never changes a score. Disclosure
Side by side (entry plans)
| Item | 123 Reg | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Economy | Standard |
| Intro price /mo | £2.39£1.99/mo ex VAT | £3.60£3/mo for 6mo ex VAT |
| Renewal /mo | £8.39£6.99/mo | £7.20£6/mo |
| Term | 3-year term (renews at £251.64 per 3 years, ex VAT) | Monthly after promo |
| Year 1 cost | £86 | £65 |
| 3-year cost | £86 | £238 |
| Storage | 25 GB SSD | 100 GB NVMe |
| Sites | 1 | Unlimited |
| 1 | 1 | |
| UK data centre | UK data centre not stated | No UK data centre verified |
| 24/7 live chat | No | Yes |
| Phone support | Office hours | 24/7 |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Email included | Yes | Yes |
| Daily backups | Yes | Yes |
| 1-click installer | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free domain | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 3.8 | 4.7 |
Prices verified 2026-11-01 (123 Reg) and 2026-11-01 (IONOS). Highlighted = cheaper. "Not stated" means the pages we checked don't say.
Score breakdown
| Component (weight) | 123 Reg | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal price (inc VAT) (25%) | 4.7 | 5.5 |
| Intro price (inc VAT) (10%) | 5.0 | 3.3 |
| Trustpilot (15%) | 4.0 | 8.5 |
| Support (15%) | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| Guide features (20%) | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| UK data centre (15%) | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 4.2 | 6.2 |
Same overall score as our homepage and reviews, calculated across all hosts we track. How it works.
123 Reg
Established UK brand with cheap 3-year lock-in deals
- Very low upfront for 3-year lock
- Free domain & SSL
- cPanel control panel
- Long-established UK brand
- High renewal prices
- 3-year lock-in commitment
- Mixed support reviews
IONOS
Rock-bottom entry prices with big storage allowances
- Very cheap first year (Plus £1/mo for 12 months)
- Huge NVMe storage allowances
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support
- Free domain and SSL
- Renewal jump after promo
- UK data centre for shared hosting not stated
- Few mailboxes on lower plans
Frequently asked questions
Is IONOS better than 123 Reg?
On our overall score, IONOS scores 6.2/10 and 123 Reg scores 4.2/10. The score weights renewal price, intro price (both inc VAT), Trustpilot, support, features and UK data centre; the breakdown table on this page shows where each one wins.
Which is cheaper, 123 Reg or IONOS?
On entry plans including VAT: 123 Reg Economy costs about £86 in year one and £86 over three years; IONOS Standard costs about £65 and £238. That includes the switch to renewal pricing after any promotion.
Do 123 Reg and IONOS have UK data centres?
123 Reg: not stated (Own data centre; location not stated on page). IONOS: not verified (Shared hosting data centre location in UK not stated (existing record)).
Can I switch from 123 Reg to IONOS later?
Yes. You can move a site between hosts at any time; the main costs are your time and any unused prepaid term. See our guide to moving host for a step-by-step checklist.