Overview

Started in 1988, 1&1 is one of the oldest hosting providers in the world. With so many years under its belt, it is a company that you would expect to blow you away with its services, products, and features. While it might not be the best host overall, it is very competitive powering over 19 million websites. Did you also know that the firm that built 1&1 also owns mail.com? Well, yes that big provider of emailing services is their other company. The two are owned by United Internet, a corporation that has built its brand for over 30 years now. Interestingly, it is one of the few corporations that affords to place advertisements on a full page of a magazine almost on a daily basis. Surprised? Well, on this 1&1 review, we’ll evaluate whether their product line is as good as their name.

But before that, 1&1 has its main headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas a location where its primary US data center resides. Its other seven data centers are spread out in USA and Europe. In them, there are 70,000 servers with multiple redundant technology for 100% uptime in case of a system hitch. Besides, they have physical security measures applied including use of steel-reinforced walls and 24-hour camera surveillance. The idea is to prevent unauthorized access which ultimately protects the integrity of millions of domains residing in the centers. It is also admirable that the company includes emergency handling measures against power loss. They have emergency diesel generators as well as fully-air conditioned rooms which handle fire, water, and gas outbreaks to avert physical damage on the servers.

1&1 Hosting Packages and Plans

Looking for an ultramodern, feature-rich yet affordable web host? 1&1 has everything from shared, virtual private servers, cloud, dedicated, to application hosting packages. Compared to competitors its size, it is one of the cheapest places to host a website. Additionally, it offers a wide array of features addressing security, performance, customer support, and management of hosting accounts. What’s most catchy is the provision of ready templates of all websites irrespective of niche. They are pre-loaded with relevant images, menus, logos, and other elements carefully chosen to suit individual needs. And since the company makes to the ICANN Accreditation list, you can apply for any domain name that you wish to use on your site. Actually, 1&1 is a full-fledged domain reseller and thus independently supplies the domains as generated by their review board.

Let’s now go through each hosting package on 1&1:

Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting is 1&1’s main product boasting the cheapest plans and overall ease of use. Essentially, it is a model that allows a variety of websites to share a pool of server resources amongst themselves. The company distributes server memory, storage capacity, and the CPU to the web spaces of all the subscribers of the package. To avoid conflict of data, 1&1 stores each website in a separate hard disk partition. With this, site owners can run their projects independently even though the hardware resources they’re using are shared.

The package is ideal for anyone starting out on web hosting due its inexpensive nature. You can use it to host a private website or operate a small to a medium sized online business that receives a traffic of around 15,000 visits a month.

Some of the advantages and features of using this package over dedicated or cloud-based hosting includes:

·         Affordability

Since you won’t be using the hardware resources alone, the cost of operation is distributed amongst all involved parties.

·         Assisted maintenance

Unlike hosting on a dedicated platform where server maintenance is your business, on this package 1&1 takes care of everything. It applies server updates, patches vulnerabilities, and repairs faulty hardware without involving the user. Through this, you can put your time and attention to running your web projects undisturbed. You’ll also be safe from potential attacks and unwarranted access to your web space.

·         Integrated app center

From your web space you can install all the popular open source applications that work with your website. 1&1 provides not just the app center, but also installers and configuration tools that allow for optimal operation of installed apps.

·         Automatic backups

All the websites using this package have their data stored in a separate location following a backup. As such, in case of failure of primary storage, a secondary copy of your website will still be available to cover up for the loss.

·         Free domain

1&1 provides a free domain for the first one year of registration. Through it, your website will have a URL which visitors can type in their browsers to locate it. Unlike other providers, this one issues a customizable domain as opposed to a subdomain which has the name 1&1 appended to it.

·         Hosting without a contract

Though expensive, this one of the best features of 1&1’s shared web hosting. It allows you to escape long subscription contracts and instead opt for monthly billings. With short subscriptions, you can migrate to other providers quickly in case you don’t like the company’s services.

·         SSL Wildcard certificate

This is a free provision to all web hosting packages including shared. It ensures communication between your web server and the browser of your visitor happens on a secure tunnel. It is a measure to augment privacy.

Even with those benefits, still 1&1’s shared web hosting packaged is limiting in a number of ways:

·         Limited hardware use

Sharing the server resources means you can only utilize a portion of the server’s maximum capacity. The CPU has a boundary to the maximum number of processes it can handle per minute. When the resource use is high, the processor lines up tasks and causes delay in the process. This, in turn, affects loading speed of some elements in your site.

·         Limited management and administrative functions

Since it is 1&1 that takes care of the fundamental server configurations, customization to your preference as an individual is eliminated. The power to fix bugs and other minor server problems is taken away from you and left in the hands of the provider who is most often busy elsewhere.

·         Bad neighbor effect

This occurs when one or several sites sitting on the same storage device experiences a sudden increase in traffic and consumes all the resources allotted to the group of users. The heavy workload, in turn, makes access to other sites within the same server almost impossible. If the situation goes on for a long while, it could affect stability and smoothness of accessing data on your website by the visitors. Of course, the problem is likely to reduce traffic to your site which is detrimental when it is business oriented.

Shared Web Hosting Plans

·         Basic Plan

Starting from $0.99 on an annual subscription, basic plan is designed for dynamic startup web projects. 1&1 allocates up to 2.5GB of shared memory, 100GB in web storage, and 1 domain that’s free for 12 months. The plan supports hosting of a single website and creation of up to 500 email accounts on a 2GB storage. You also get 1GB SSD storage for hosting a maximum of 25 databases and a free SSL Wildcard certificate for web security.

·         Unlimited Plus

Charging $4.99 per month on an annual subscription, unlimited plus is perfect for one or several big web projects. 1&1 apportions 6GB of shared memory, unmetered storage space, and 1 free domain for 12 months. Additionally, you can host an unlimited number of databases running on a 1GB SSD platform. On this plan, the number of websites per account is unlimited. Also, you can scale the resources as traffic to your website increases.

Performance monitoring is accessible from the control panel with state indicators colored in green, red, and orange. Green indicates healthy performance, orange delayed requests, while red shows failed or cancelled requests. We’ll elaborate this deeper in our performance analysis of 1&1 hosting later on in our review.

·         Unlimited Pro

Unlimited pro is top of the range plan that is designed for web projects such as online shops that are intensive on resources. The shared server allows use of up to 9GB RAM, provides unlimited storage space, and hosting of unlimited databases within a 1GB SSD storage quota. On a single account, you can create an unlimited number of email accounts on the 2GB storage allotted.

The main variation from the other two plans is the provision of SiteLock Basic and CDN with RailGun. SiteLock is a modern, cloud-based security tool that helps in scanning websites stored on 1&1 servers for vulnerabilities and malware. Then it provides quick fixes for the security risks and problems it identified in its scanning. RailGun, on the other hand, is CloudFlare’s web optimization technology to boost the loading speed for non-cached web pages. This way, your sites will use the CDN to relay content faster than ordinarily.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress is a powerful content management system that’s useful in creating websites and its elements. 1&1 offers hosting for WordPress as well as other important functions in the hosting environment including provision of updates, installation of auxiliary apps, WP expert assistance, and DDOS protection. In other words, it is a completely managed hosting package. WordPress sites run on machines with SSD storage and with 2GB of shared memory for every cluster of users.

1&1 offers three plans for its WordPress hosting packages:

·         Basic

Starting at $0.99 per month on an annual subscription, only a single WordPress project can be hosted while on this plan. The total amount of storage allocated is 50GB with one free domain lasting 12 months.  Additionally, you can create a maximum of 20 FTP accounts and unlimited email accounts.

·         Plus

Starting at $4.99 per month, this plan is suitable for corporate websites and larger blogs. It supports hosting of up to 5 WordPress projects on the 250GB SSD storage. In addition to unlimited FTP and email accounts, subscribers receive a free 1&1 CDN to optimize site speeds. You can run a maximum of 5 databases on its 1GB dedicated SSD storage.

·         Unlimited

The plan is designed for resource intensive WordPress projects and costs $8.99 per month. You can host an unlimited number of WP sites on it since it offers unlimited SSD storage. 1&1 further provides its own CDN in addition to RailGun for subscribers of this plan. Pre-live staging is also possible as a function to test website applications before they go live.

Cloud Hosting

If you are running a web project with fluctuating demand for computing resources, cloud hosting is a package you should consider. 1&1 cloud hosting offers dedicated resources that you adjust flexibly as the web project demands change. The package comes with by-the-minute billing structure which allows for use of resources which you need at a particular time. Besides, you can operate within standardized configuration parameters whose prices are preset to save money when getting started.

1&1 offers two stacks for managing the operating environment. You can either use the cloud system as a root user or have it managed by the company on your behalf.

For root users, Windows and Linux operating systems are the two officially supported environments. Linux distros available for use include Ubuntu, CentOS 6 & 7, and Debian 8 & 9 while Windows servers are 2012 and 2016 versions. Under this setup, you are responsible for maintenance of the server and the software in it. This means a significant amount of expertise is required as well as deployment of necessary security measures to keep your data intact.

As for the managed stack, the operating environment is exclusively Linux. The only requirement is to pick a set of applications to be included in the cloud system. These can range from databases, content management systems, java modules, bash scripts, to web servers such as Nginx and Apache. The main benefit of this setup is that you incur no costs in relation to administration of the cloud server. Also, it saves you time as you’ll focus on the web project instead of worrying over system updates, app configurations, and other maintenance functions.

Regardless of the cloud stack that you pick, the company allows you to select a data center location that you prefer. The choices are United States, Spain, and Germany.

So, which users benefit from 1&1 cloud servers?

Usually, this package works best with medium-sized businesses that are looking for dynamic resources to handle their variable traffic. 1&1 allows them to deploy virtual machines whose resources including memory, processing power, and storage space are scalable. Additionally, the company gives an option to define a custom route for your traffic on the internet. This is possible though installation of third-party VPNs and proxies which stand between the web server and target recipient of your services. Importantly, from your cloud system you can create additional spaces for users and define permissions and rights available to them. In other words, you can run a cloud operating system with root permissions but limit sub users from accessing system administrative settings.

Notably, 1&1 cloud service comes with an integrated load balancing functionality. The technology allows you to share a workload amongst several servers which reduces stress on a single machine and enhances performance. Excitingly, only Solid State Drives are used in storage of your web projects which are inarguably faster and foolproof. It takes approximately a minute to set up a cloud environment at 1&1 since they provide a server deployment software which walks you through the process. In case you want to move to a different data center or setup, 1&1 offers clone function that can accessed from the control panel. On completion of the migration, the IP address will be updated to reflect the new location.

Cloud Hosting Plans

These are the standardized configuration for the cloud environment:

·         Cloud Server M

It costs $9.99 per month on a non-windows environment. You’re allocated 1GB RAM, 1 vCore Intel Xeon E5-2660 processor, and 50GB of SSD storage. The system is built on VMware workstation with a bandwidth of 10Gbit/s. Incoming or outgoing traffic is unlimited with no extra charges for the connections.

·         Cloud Server L

With this plan, the cloud system will operate on 2 vCores Intel processors, 2GB RAM, and 80GB of SSD storage. Bandwidth for the internal connections is 10Gbit/s with no limit on outgoing or incoming traffic. It costs $19.99 per month to acquire this plan.

·         Cloud Server XL

Designed for medium-scale projects, this plan provides a system with 2 vCores for the Intel Xeon CPU, 4GB RAM, and 120Gb of SSD storage. It costs $29.99 per month to purchase it.

·         Cloud Server XXL

This plan gives access to a system with 4 vCores CPU, 8GB RAM, and 160GB in SSD storage. 1&1 charges $49.99 per month to purchase it.

·         Cloud Server 3XL

With system having 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD space, and 8 vCores CPU, this plan offers top of the range performance. It costs $129.99 per month to acquire it.

·         Cloud Server 4XL

Offering 12 vCores in the central computing unit, Cloud Server 4XL plan is a performance beast. Additionally, you get 32GB in memory and 360GB in SSD storage. On a Linux system, it costs $249.99 per month to use it.

·         Cloud Server 5XL

Doubling as the most powerful yet expensive plan, the cloud machine offers 500GB of SSD storage, 48GB in RAM, and 16 vCores of Intel Xeon CPU. Its asking price is $349.99 per month.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

Unlike cloud and shared web hosting, VPS hosting offers an environment with no shared resources. In other words, you get a server running on its own separate unit and 100% dedicated to your projects. 1&1 Virtual Private Servers run on the latest Intel Xeon E5 processors and store data on SSDs. Like cloud servers, you can choose an operating environment of choice between Linux and Windows. Also, you get free Plesk ONYX which is a management tool for webmasters and server administrators. It’s useful in setting up user accounts, email addresses, and domains.

1&1 allows you to create virtual machines in different data centers within USA and Europe. This way, your access to the server becomes quicker while also benefitting your international customers. Unless stated otherwise, the physical server components for US users will remain held in various data centers across the country.

You can use 1&1 VPS to develop applications, serve mail, or as a web server for various sites. The virtual system is connected on a 10Gbit/s network which is unmetered for both upstream and downstream connections. An SSL certificate is provided for free on every plan for maximum web communication security.

VPS Plans

There are four Virtual Private Server plans at 1&1 namely Cloud M, Cloud L, Cloud XL, and Cloud XXL.

·         Cloud M

On the first annual subscription, this plan costs $4.99 per month and $9.99 on the succeeding years. The VPS issued runs on 1GB RAM, a single core processor, and offers 50GB storage space on a solid state drive.

·         Cloud L

Its initial asking price is $9.99 per month on an annual subscription then $19.99 on the subsequent years. The plan gives access to a VPS with 2 CPU cores, 2GB RAM, and 80GB SSD storage. Traffic is totally unlimited.

·         Cloud XL

It is 1&1 recommended plan offering a semi-annual subscription period. The first 6 months, the cost amounts to $19.99 per month after which it costs $29.99 on the following months. The VPS offers 120GB SSD storage, 4GB RAM, and 2 cores of the Intel Xeon CPU.

·         Cloud XXL

It is the costliest plan going at $29.99 per month and $39.99 per month on the next subscription year. The resources available for the VPS include 160GB SSD storage, 4 CPU cores, and 8GB of memory. Backup is also provided for free on a daily basis.

Dedicated Hosting

In a dedicated hosting setup at 1&1, a whole server is secluded for your operations. The resources on it are 100% dedicated to servicing your web projects without sharing them with anyone else. The company uses super-fast solid state drives for storage, Intel Xeon and AMD processors, and DDR4 RAM sticks for memory. For hosting environment management, the firm offers Linux & Windows operating systems, Plesk ONYX web interface, and assisted administration by 1&1 tech experts.

On a Linux environment, 64-bit CentOS 6 is the preinstalled operating system but you can request for versions of Debian, Ubuntu, and openSUSE. Windows environment offers a preinstalled Windows Server 2016 OS with previous versions available as well. When using assisted administration, 1&1 experts will carry out administrative roles on the server but you can still configure applications as you wish later on. As aforementioned, Plesk ONYX is a web interface tool for management of user accounts, installation of applications, configuring settings, and monitoring programs in the operating environment.

Performance and Speed

1&1 is very thorough when it comes to factors and features that affect performance and speed of their web servers plus websites they host. In their hosting infrastructure, they’ve implemented a number of measures which include:

·         Scalable resources

This feature is available on every package we’ve discussed above. Essentially, it involves manipulating server resources to a level that satisfies the needs of a business or a web project. To facilitate the decision, 1&1 provides performance monitoring software that assesses how the web server responds to traffic. Whenever the graph the software draws is green, the server is working normally. When it turns orange there are delayed requests as processes are being processed successively as opposed to parallel. In the worst cases, requests are dropped or fail and the monitor turns red. Orange and Red might indicate the need to migrate to any of the five subsequent processing levels in an individual package.

·         HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is an upgrade of the traditional server communication protocol HTTP. By default, 1&1 uses this transfer protocol in its network to increase speed and boost engine ranking on Google for sites hosted on its servers. It works by compressing request headers and use multiplexing technology which in turn increase content transfer rates. It is a new feature that was added recently by the company for users of shared web hosting package.

·         PHP Memory Limit

PHP scripts are notorious for consuming memory especially when handling tasks such as uploading images or processing plugin functions. 1&1 imposes a 768MB limit on the memory allocated to websites using PHP language. As such, it eliminates hogging of memory and protects users of shared servers from the bad neighbor effect.

·         Use of GZIP

GZIP compresses data by up to 70% its original size. Of course, for a busy website this is a plus since your visitors will be able to load it faster than they would before compression. Sites hosted on servers using this technology are ranked higher on most search engines including Bing, Yahoo, and Google.

·         SSD storage

First of all, all sites hosted on 1&1 sit on the same storage as the web server. Secondly, data including databases are kept on storage hardware powered by a solid state drive. This has a direct but positive impact on the time the CPU takes to process tasks and web elements.

·         Content Delivery Network

CDN is available to specific plans but still a great feature that 1&1 uses to improve performance and speed. The first time a page is loaded, its static content is cached and distributed on 62 data centers that the company owns. This ensures visitors of your website get data from the closest server in their location.

Security

·         Geo-Redundancy

All web projects hosted on shared web hosting infrastructure are mirrored on two separate data centers. In case of a system glitch in one data center, the other automatically takes over thereby preventing site downtime.

·         DDOS Protection

A Distributed Denial of Service attack involves flooding of requests to a web server until sites in it can no longer be accessed. 1&1 has an active firewall that detects such kind of attacks and places necessary counter measures to protect sites hosted on its servers.

·         SSL Wildcard Certificate

This free SSL provision was introduced in 2015 to ensure exchange of information on the internet happened via a secure tunnel. All URLs of 1&1 websites have HTTPs prepends which makes sniffing of plain text data impossible.

·         1&1 SiteLock

This feature enables scanning of websites hosted on 1&1 for malware and other vulnerabilities. It can scan up to 500 subpages on any site and on identifying threats apply necessary measures to prevent reinfection.

·         Web Space Recovery

This hosting provider keeps backups created in the last six days and provides recovery procedures in case of accidental losses or deletes.

Control Panel

Administrative and account management functions are offered mainly via Plesk ONYX web interface. You can use it to control the permissions of subaccounts in your operating environment, manage email accounts, install or configure apps, and creating backups. It is user friendly, provides documentation for technical features, and assists in management of multiple websites.

Importantly, you can use Plesk to browse 1&1 app center. Here, you can check out a plethora of useful plugins and themes for open source applications. The inbuilt installer ensures setting up of a new program is just a few clicks away.

Customer Support

In the event of reporting a problem, making an enquiry, or asking for assistance, 1&1 offers customer support at no cost. The only charge is from your mobile carrier or when requesting for dedicated customer support. In any case, it provides two primary communication channels which are phone calls and emails. Their support staff works 24/7 and will give a response almost immediately a solution is available.

Another interesting thing is that the firm provides lots of documentation for every feature they have for individual packages. Almost every package page comes with FAQs, guide materials, and clear explanation of what to expect. Additionally, they take care of system updates, patch vulnerabilities, and offer technical help for users of unmanaged servers. It is one of the few hosting providers that never neglects any level customer.

Money Back Guarantee

1&1 trial period lasts for 30 days within which you can make a claim for a full refund. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on an annual or monthly billing option, cancellation of the contract within the money back guarantee period qualifies you for a reimbursement.

Extras

·         Website Builder

1&1 offers a free site builder that you can use to create a website in simple steps. The builder comes with prebuilt templates with a variety of images, texts, and designs. Moreover, it picks a flexible layout that works across a wide range of displays.

·         NetObjects Fusion 2015

Included in the web hosting packages, NetObjects Fusion offers a comprehensive solution for creating and designing websites. It supports functions such as image processing, HTML editing & CSS, FTP access, as well connection to the databases.

1&1 Pros and Cons

Pros

·         Versatile Provider

Besides hosting, 1&1 offers many other web related solutions and services. For instance, the company has the largest domain registrars in US not to mention their free domains for every package you purchase. You can also run fully-unmanaged operating systems in their cloud and dedicated server setups without hosting public-facing elements. In short, it is a very competitive company and can get you started on the path of flourishing a new or already established business.

·         Decent Performance

1&1 offers so many performance-related features which ultimately boost operation speed of sites, applications, and systems hosted on its network infrastructure. They work with RailGun CDNs, use SSD for data storage, and run latest Intel Xeon and AMD processors. Again, in the last 12 months, the company claims to have heard a 99% uptime. This is easy to believe considering the number of positive customer reviews on their site and other sources.

·         Satisfactory Customer Support

Besides having multiple communication channels, 1&1 provides comprehensive documentation for all their new features, tools, and FAQS. You can easily solve a problem on your own which reduces the time taken to open tickets or costs in making calls.

·         No setup fee

Although the environments of new accounts are automatically set up at first launch, 1&1 charges no fee to carry out the function. In addition, a user gets a free interactive control panel to weed out or add features they want in their operating environment.

·         Multiple working environments

1&1 supports Linux and Windows as the two official operating systems. It gives users options allowing them to run applications and programs that are compatible with their choice of environment. In case your tech knowhow is limited, you can use their completely managed platform as this carries out administrative tasks at no cost.

·         Topnotch security

1&1 offers so many security measures to guard against losses and attacks. It boasts HTTP/2 protocol, has DDOS attack detectors at the infrastructure level, scans sites for malwares and exploitable loopholes, and updates software necessarily. On the client side, it provides SSL certificates for free ensuring your visitors are free from spying systems and hackers.

·         Affordable Packages

Most of 1&1’s packages are within budget considering the service or resources each allocates. Compared to their close competitors, their WordPress, Shared, and VPS hosting packages have fairer charges. Again, they provide various services for all levels of customers whether they’re on the startup phase or already established into reputable entities.

Cons

·         Lacks reseller hosting package

For whatever reason, 1&1 has no reseller plans which is discouraging for people looking to offer hosting on behalf of others.

·         Short money back guarantee

Well, the 30-day trial period is decent but not long enough to test all their services and features. Their monthly plans, which would be manageable while on the testing phase, are way too expensive than their annual alternatives.

·         Inflexible site builder

While using their free site builder, adding of custom code is impossible especially while using a template. This is limiting to web masters who find templates exciting but lacking in some aspects.

·         Stability of the servers is not 100% guaranteed

Although rare, you might still experience downtime especially while hosting your site on shared server.

·         Windows hosting is a bit expensive than its Linux counterpart

All the hosting plans for windows have an additional cost of operation as well as purchase. Also the app center does not provide many programs that work compatibly with the environment.

·         Limited PCI compliant packages

On their shared hosting package, it’s impossible to process credit cards which is limiting for online shops using it. Only VPS and dedicated servers have this function.

1&1 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which packages are available at 1&1 for web hosting?

1&1 offers a plethora of web hosting packages but the most common is shared hosting and WordPress hosting. You can, however, use VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud machines to run web projects. They can range from websites, games, to scripts that you want to share with the public or a group of people.

Does 1&1 host sites for non US citizens?

Yes. It accepts creation of hosting accounts by people from various regions. If you wish to target a particular region, it is pleasing that 1&1 provides geo-redundancy and multiple CDNs. This way, you can have your website serving content quickly to the audience that you targeted.

Which is the cheapest package at 1&1?

The cheapest 1&1 package is shared web hosting and WP hosting. The basic plans of the two cost $0.99 per month while on annual subscription. Depending on the hosting need, you’ll also find the plans of other packages being cheaper than what competitors like HostGator, BlueHost, and GoDaddy have.

Can I acquire a temporary cloud server for free at 1&1?

Technically, the cloud server is not given for free. But since the provider offers a one-month trial period, you can cancel the subscription if the period is enough to carry out the temporary function.

Can I transfer my own custom built website to 1&1 account?

Yes, it’s possible through your FTP accounts which you can create as many as 25 in the basic hosting plans. Nevertheless, you may ask for web migration assistance to ensure data is not corrupted or lost in the process. Be free to use their free site builder in case you need to create another website from scratch.

Can 1&1 give away my domain name if I delay to renew it at the year end?

Yes. It’s possible that they will after the grace period is over. Usually, they’ll send email notifications asking you to renew the domain name. Unless, you don’t comply in time, it’s unlikely they’ll give it away without further communication.

Can I purchase an extra SSL certificate or must I use 1&1’s Wildcard SSL?

Yes, you can. Wildcard SSL is only a basic protection with limited features once your brand grows. You can always install third party certificates if you’re unsure about the free one given by 1&1.

I want to buy a shared web hosting plan, how do I contact 1&1 for this?

1&1 is reachable through the help center where they have provided working phone numbers and emails. 

How much storage is offered for an emailing server?

2GB is the storage space allocated for emailing servers per account. Check out other mail services offered by 1&1.

Can I transfer ownership of my account to another party on 1&1?

Yes. But it’s a thorough process that involves filling in an Account Change Request Form and waiting for several days or weeks before it’s processed. You may be asked for identification details and other necessary documents to ensure the transfer is legit.