1&1 Hosting started their hosting business back in 1998 and quickly became one of the dominant hosting companies in the UK and Europe. They launched their US division in 2003 to serve customers directly in North America. Today, 1&1 Hosting is one of the world's largest and fastest growing web hosting company, with almost 6 million global customers.

Summary:
1&1 Hosting may be the world's largest web hosting company, with more than 65,000 servers in five locations, 8 million customers and 10 million registered domain names. If you're looking for a company with proven profitability, track record and a massive committed client base, look no further.

Price:
1&1 Hosting offers good value when compared to other web hosting firms, and are arguably a pricing leader in the hosting industry. Considering that you have the option between Linux / Unix and Microsoft-based hosting for the same price, this is a great deal. Usually, the Microsoft/NT hosting plans are more expensive due to the licensing required for these types of servers. For no extra cost a variety of valuable add-ons are included like a Photo Gallery, Blog and a WYSIWYG Site builder to help even beginners develop a professional web site, and we don't want to forget the 90-day guarantee.

Reliability:
1&1 Hosting offers a variety of operating systems and both managed and unmanaged "root server" options for its dedicated servers. Its top package, Quad-Core XXL, offers an impressive 6000 GB traffic/month and 16 GB/RAM.

Customer Support:
We have heard varying reviews of the customer support of 1&1 Hosting. Their technical support is available toll-free 24/7/365, which is an advantage over other web hosts offering limited hours of support, or email only. In addition to the telephone support, you also get access to their 24/7 e-mail support for various website issues. Furthermore, 1&1's comprehensive FAQ provides excellent help-yourself answers to most all of the common questions related to hosting and domain related topics.

Features:
The 1&1 Hosting Microsoft Home Package plan offers 120 GB of web space and 1,200 GB of monthly transfer volume. Even the Microsoft Home Package plan supports the basic Active Server Pages (ASP) web-based application, though only their MS Business and Developer supports the ASP .NET 2.0 framework. All 1&1 MS plans support MS Access databases. 1&1's shared linux hosting is also robust and offers features not frequently seen elsewhere. Whether you choose the Microsoft or Linux plans from 1&1 Hosting, you are bound to find a plan that's right for you.

Control Panel:
1&1 Hosting provides customers a 1&1 custom control panel with an easy-to-use interface where you can configure and control all aspects of your website, including e-mail management, domain management, hosting account, billing, etc. online. Their control panel is good, but may take a little adjusting to if you are already use to using Plesk or cPanel.