A 1984 Hosting Alternative That Only Needs Your Email

1984 Hosting is one of the best-known privacy hosts in Europe. It has run from Iceland since 2006, calls itself Iceland's biggest web hosting company, and has built its name on protecting free speech. People look for a 1984 Hosting alternative for a few reasons. They do not want to give a name and phone number to open an account, they want a cheaper VPS, they want a server outside Iceland, or they need content that 1984's terms do not allow.

We are Packetra, so we are not neutral. To keep this fair, every 1984 detail below comes from 1984's own website, terms, privacy policy and price list, checked on 16 and 17 October 2026 and listed at the end. We also cover where 1984 is the better choice, because for some people it is.

How 1984 Hosting works

1984 Hosting is run by 1984 ehf., an Icelandic company based in Reykjavík. Its terms are governed by Icelandic law, with disputes going to the Reykjavík District Court. It sells shared hosting, WordPress hosting, managed and unmanaged VPS, domains and a free DNS service, all from Icelandic data centres.

• Signup: its terms list name, an active email address, a username, password, an active phone number, payment details and a PIN, and require the information to be accurate.
• Payment: cards, PayPal, Bitcoin and Monero. Its FAQ says Icelandic tax rules stop it offering cryptocurrency to users who appear to be in Iceland.
• Energy: it says it runs on 100% renewable Icelandic geothermal and hydroelectric energy, and its site carries a Green Web Foundation badge.
• Refunds: its terms give 14 days on shared hosting and 7 days on VPS, and after that a refund of calendar months not yet started. Domain fees are non-refundable.

1984 Hosting vs Packetra at a glance

The biggest difference: what you hand over to sign up

For many readers, this decides it. 1984's terms list name, email address, username, password, phone number, payment details and a PIN as the information it collects, and they require it to be accurate, complete and current. Its privacy policy adds that customers in Iceland also give their national ID number. That is a reasonable policy for a host that wants to know its customers, but it means your identity sits in the account from the first day.

A Packetra account needs an email address and a password. We do not ask for ID, a phone number or a postal address, and Bitcoin and Monero go through our own self-hosted BTCPay Server, so no payment company sits between you and us. Our guide to no-KYC hosting explains why that matters, and hosting with Monero covers the payment side.

If you are looking for a 1984 Hosting alternative because of the signup form, that is the change you get. If you are happy to give your details to a long-established host, 1984's model works well.

VPS prices compared

Both providers publish monthly prices in euros. Matched by memory, the plans compare like this:

1984's entry plan is cheaper, at EUR 8.72 against our EUR 9.90, though ours comes with 1.5 GB of memory rather than 1 GB. Packetra is cheaper at the 4 GB tier and above, particularly in Finland, while 1984 provides more disk on its larger plans and offers a 16 GB option. Our 1 Gbit/s plans are unmetered under a fair-use policy rather than capped at a monthly traffic amount. 1984 also offers a managed VPS, where it handles the system administration for you.

Iceland or Finland and Switzerland?

All three countries take privacy more seriously than most, and the differences are in the details. Iceland requires telecommunications companies to keep a record of customers' traffic data for six months under its Electronic Communications Act. Switzerland has strong data protection law, and on our Swiss network copyright claims need an order from a Swiss court. Finland protects the secrecy of communications in its constitution. Our Hosting Jurisdiction Index scores all three side by side, and Finland vs Switzerland helps you choose between our two locations.

The other practical difference is what the terms allow. 1984's terms prohibit pornography and sexual products, file sharing, and material it considers ethically objectionable, and let it end a service with or without notice over such material. Our acceptable use policy permits lawful adult content in Switzerland, and on our primary Finland network if you contact support before ordering. It does not allow torrents or other P2P in Finland. Our guide to DMCA takedowns and jurisdiction covers how copyright complaints are handled on each of our networks.

Where 1984 Hosting is the better choice

A 1984 Hosting alternative is not the right move for everyone. 1984 is stronger if you:

• Want the cheapest entry VPS. 1984's VPS #1 is EUR 8.72 a month; our cheapest is EUR 9.90.
• Value a long track record. 1984 has run since 2006; we launched in 2026.
• Want verified green hosting. 1984 runs on Icelandic geothermal and hydro power and carries a Green Web Foundation badge. We can only document renewable power for Finland.
• Want a certified provider. 1984 is ISO 27001 certified; we are not.
• Want a refund window on a VPS. 1984 gives 7 days on VPS; we offer no money-back guarantee on VPS.
• Want to be told about requests from authorities. 1984 says it will do everything within its legal power to inform customers of such inquiries.
• Want a managed VPS or a 16 GB plan, or need your server in Iceland.

Packetra as a 1984 Hosting alternative

Packetra suits people who want privacy from the first click, paid privately, on servers in Finland or Switzerland.

Moving from 1984 Hosting to Packetra

Moving to a 1984 Hosting alternative works like any server migration:

1. Order a Cloud VPS in Finland or Switzerland and pay in Monero or Bitcoin.
2. Lower your DNS TTL now, so the switch takes effect quickly later.
3. Set up the new server with the same operating system, then copy your data across, for example with rsync over SSH.
4. Test it, then point your DNS records to the new IP address. Our guide to migrating without downtime covers the cutover.
5. Cancel at 1984 before it renews. Its terms say services renew automatically and that cancelling auto-renewal means emailing billing at least 16 days before expiry.

FAQ

What is the best 1984 Hosting alternative?

It depends on why you are leaving. If you want to sign up with only an email address, get more VPS resources for the money, or host in Finland or Switzerland, Packetra is built for that. If what you value most is a long track record and certified green hosting in Iceland, 1984 already offers that.

Does 1984 Hosting need my real name?

Its terms list name, email, phone number and payment details among the information it collects, and require that information to be accurate, complete and current.

Does 1984 Hosting accept Monero?

Yes, along with Bitcoin, cards and PayPal. Its FAQ says it cannot offer cryptocurrency to users who appear to be located in Iceland.

Is a 1984 Hosting alternative cheaper?

It depends on the tier. At entry level 1984 is cheaper, at EUR 8.72 against our EUR 9.90. At 4 GB, 1984's VPS #3 costs EUR 34.88 a month, against EUR 22.90 for our Cloud VPS #3 in Finland and EUR 32.90 in Switzerland. 1984 gives more disk on its larger plans.

Does Packetra offer a money-back guarantee?

On shared and WordPress hosting, yes, for 30 days. On VPS, no.

Sources

1984 Hosting pages are named rather than linked.

• 1984 Hosting: homepage, About, FAQ, VPS and price list pages (company, services, energy, payment, refunds, prices)
• 1984 Hosting: Terms of Service, last updated 21 July 2021, articles 2.03, 2.04, 3.01, 3.02, 5.02, 5.03, 6.03, 8.02, 8.04 and 11.01
• 1984 Hosting: Privacy policy (data collected, retention, payment processors, disclosures)
• Nordic Council of Ministers: National data retention rules, Iceland (Electronic Communications Act, article 89)
• Packetra Cloud VPS plans, privacy policy and acceptable use policy

Last reviewed: 17 October 2026

Research note: This comparison is written by Packetra, a competitor of 1984 Hosting. 1984 details are taken from its public website, terms and policies as of the review date and can change; check its current pages before you decide. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.