IONOS
German hosting group's managed PostgreSQL and MongoDB, billed per core and GB in EU data centres
Quick Overview
| Company | IONOS SE |
|---|---|
| Category | Databases & Backends |
| Headquarters | Montabaur, Germany |
| Founded | 1988 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Data Location | ISO 27001-certified European data centres |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO 27001-certified data centres (stated) |
| Pricing | PostgreSQL from about €0.06/core/hour plus €0.007/GB RAM/hour, plus storage from about €0.04-0.15/GB per 30 days depending on tier; MongoDB and In-Memory DB priced separately |
| Replaces | AWS RDS, Azure Database, Google Cloud SQL |
Detailed Review
IONOS turns the same instinct that makes it a popular European web host into a managed database: predictable, itemised pricing on infrastructure it owns outright.
Managed PostgreSQL, MongoDB and an In-Memory DB compatible with Redis are billed per CPU core, per GB of RAM and per GB of storage, by the hour, on data centres IONOS states are ISO 27001-certified and located in Europe — a smaller engine line-up than Aiven's or OVHcloud's, but one built for a buyer who wants a database next to a website, mail and domain portfolio already on the same invoice.
IONOS SE traces back to 1&1, founded in Montabaur in 1988, and the cloud arm contracts as IONOS Cloud GmbH from the same German town, so German law governs the agreement regardless of which region the data lands in.
PostgreSQL starts at about €0.06 per core per hour plus €0.007 per GB of RAM per hour, with storage tiers priced from roughly €0.04 to €0.15 per GB per month depending on disk type. The database catalogue is narrower than Aiven's or OVHcloud's — no Kafka, no Cassandra, no OpenSearch — which suits a buyer who needs Postgres or Mongo done well rather than a full data platform.
What IONOS does well
- Managed PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Redis-compatible In-Memory DB
- Granular per-core, per-GB, hourly pricing
- ISO 27001-certified European data centres
- German company with a long operating history
- Fits naturally alongside IONOS hosting, domains and email
Where IONOS falls short
- Narrower engine catalogue than Aiven or OVHcloud — no Kafka, Cassandra or OpenSearch
- No published free trial for the database service
- Pricing is granular per resource, harder to estimate upfront
- Less of a specialist data platform than Aiven
Standout feature. The database bill itemised down to the core-hour and the GB-hour, from a German provider that has been in business since 1988.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Managed PostgreSQL, MongoDB and Redis-compatible In-Memory DB
- Granular per-core, per-GB, hourly pricing
- ISO 27001-certified European data centres
- German company with a long operating history
- Fits naturally alongside IONOS hosting, domains and email
Cons
- Narrower engine catalogue than Aiven or OVHcloud — no Kafka, Cassandra or OpenSearch
- No published free trial for the database service
- Pricing is granular per resource, harder to estimate upfront
- Less of a specialist data platform than Aiven
Alternatives to IONOS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IONOS?
IONOS turns the same instinct that makes it a popular European web host into a managed database: predictable, itemised pricing on infrastructure it owns outright.
Managed PostgreSQL, MongoDB and an In-Memory DB compatible with Redis are billed per CPU core, per GB of RAM and per GB of storage, by the hour, on data centres IONOS states are ISO 27001-certified and located in Europe — a smaller engine line-up than Aiven's or OVHcloud's, but one built for a buyer who wants a database next to a website, mail and domain portfolio already on the same invoice.
Where is IONOS based?
IONOS operates from Montabaur, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany). Compliance: ISO 27001-certified data centres (stated).
What does IONOS cost?
PostgreSQL from about €0.06/core/hour plus €0.007/GB RAM/hour, plus storage from about €0.04-0.15/GB per 30 days depending on tier; MongoDB and In-Memory DB priced separately.
Who is IONOS best for?
Businesses already on IONOS wanting managed PostgreSQL or MongoDB. The database bill itemised down to the core-hour and the GB-hour, from a German provider that has been in business since 1988.
What are the drawbacks of IONOS?
Narrower engine catalogue than Aiven or OVHcloud — no Kafka, Cassandra or OpenSearch. No published free trial for the database service. Pricing is granular per resource, harder to estimate upfront. Less of a specialist data platform than Aiven.
Is IONOS a good alternative to AWS RDS?
IONOS is built as a European alternative to AWS RDS: German hosting group's managed PostgreSQL and MongoDB, billed per core and GB in EU data centres. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does IONOS compare to other Databases & Backends tools?
IONOS is one of several European Databases & Backends tools we cover. It is most often compared with AWS RDS, Azure Database, Google Cloud SQL.