As you can probably tell, we simply test the best UK web hosting companies, using WordPress test sites to give us the data that means we can give you REAL insights into which web host is best.
These include server response times, uptime statistics, and customer server answering times. Seems simple right?
Along with all this, we also have thousands of independent customer reviews (over 1400 to be exact!). We’ve researched, tested, evaluated, and rated the best hosting options (within the UK).
My aim is to guide you through the complex world of hosting by signing up and testing each host, this saves you time and money and will give you a simple snapshot of which ones to go for (without the confusing jargon!).
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Last Updated: July 1st, 2021
10 BEST WEB HOSTING UK SERVICES (+ UPTIME/SPEED DATA)
1. SiteGround UK: Best Overall Web Host (£2.99/Month)
Siteground Pros
+ 99.9% uptime guarantee, regardless of the plan
+ Award-winning 24/7 customer support (I’ve never experienced such good service)
+ Choice of server locations inc the UK, Asia, Netherlands, Singapore and the USA
+ SiteGround’s unique and homegrown SuperCacher
+ Free SSL certificate for your website
+ Free Site Transfer (they’ll do the complete transfer from your old host)
+ 30-day money-back guarantee
Siteground Cons:
– More costly than other web hosts
READ SITEGROUND REVIEW
I’ve always raved about SiteGround when I started using them back in 2014, since then they have blown the competition away (just look at their growth). SiteGround often gets recommended by other companies, including the leading CMS platforms like WordPress.org, Joomla, and Drupal.
SiteGround has been rated #1 by our community for the past two years (1100+ positive reviews) and also by numerous Facebook groups. But why do they get such great feedback? For starters, they spend time developing in-house software that has been proven to speed up your website. With a recent refresh of their hosting plans, SiteGround now offers Supercacher to all customers, increasing the performance of your website.
As you’ll see from my review, my website hosted with SiteGround has consistently achieved 100% uptime. If you’re willing to invest a little more money into your hosting service, you’ll reap the rewards from SiteGround. They are reliable, secure, and without a doubt one of the fastest web hosting providers on the market.
I personally think that SiteGround is the go-to web host and I use it across all my sites (including this one!). There are cheaper options for sure but it’s worth paying the bit extra and the support is incredible.
Compared with other web hosts it’s by far the fastest we’ve tested.
2. Hostinger: Best Value Web Host (99p/Month)
+ 99.9% uptime guarantee (100% during the past month)
+ Choice of 7 different server locations (inc a UK based one)
+ Ultra-fast UK server response times
+ Free SSL certificate included
+ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
+ 24/7/365 customer service (great live chat response rates)
+ Great value for money (cheapest web host we’ve ever tested)
Hostinger Cons
– No free domain name is included on the most basic plan
READ HOSTINGER REVIEW
If you’re looking to host a small website or blog but don’t want to pay through the roof, you can nab a plan from 99p per month (yes it’s really that cheap). While the price can be tempting for many, it can also be offputting, dubbing it a cheap web host.
However, during my research and testing process, I found Hostinger to be reliable and fast. In fact, they were almost on par with SiteGround who is ranked #1 in the best UK web hosting guide.
Hostinger is a great all-rounder. Their control panel (hPanel) is a reskin of the popular cPanel but instead makes things as simple as possible for newbies. Everything you could want to access is there at your fingertips, from email accounts to MySQL databases, it’s really easy to navigate.
On top of offering awesome services for less than £1, Hostinger willingly advertises their performance and uptime statistics. You can see any planned maintenance, issues that are being investigated, and Hostinger’s servers’ overall uptime status.
Their response times are well within the average, and in my tests, actually exceeded this every time. Not only will you get affordable hosting with Hostinger, but you’ll also get a high-performance server available in multiple locations across the world.
It’s easy to think that the cheapest is never the best but with Hostinger it’s completely the opposite. The combination of amazing customer support, ultra-fast loading times, and features make it one of my favorite hosting providers.
3. iPage: Best Cheap Web Hosting (£1.50/Month)
iPage Pros:
+ Unlimited storage and bandwidth
+ Free domain name included
+ Over £100 in extras for just £1.50 per month
+ 99.97% average uptime on my test website
+ 24/7 support
+ 1-click installs with plenty of features
iPage Cons:
– Not enough performance for an eCommerce site
– iPage use Vdeck instead of cPanel
READ IPAGE REVIEW
You get a whole lot more for your money than you’d think with iPage. This budget web host offers outstanding features for just £1.50 per month, not bad hey? iPage, for me, not only feels like a reliable and affordable web host but also a responsive, user-friendly tool that enables its customers to put together the full package.
For individuals or small businesses that feel overwhelmed with the hosting options available on the market, iPage makes things really simple. They offer one shared hosting plan that provides almost unlimited features like storage space, bandwidth, and emails.
Instead of fumbling around finding the right plan for your website, you can pay just £1.50 per month and get it all from iPage. While they don’t advertise an uptime guarantee, we’ve found they’ve always been very reliable. In fact, I’ve not seen my website’s uptime drop lower than 100% with iPage, meaning it rivals Hostinger and SiteGround.
While iPage’s shared hosting plan isn’t going to suit every website, it’s a really easy choice for personal websites, portfolios, blogs, and small business websites. All the tools you need are available, including a free website builder, free SSL certificate, and free domain name.
4. BlueHost: Best WordPress Hosting (£2.30/Month)
+ Exceeds performance expectations (100% uptime recorded over a 30 day period)
+ Unlimited Bandwidth
+ Free domain name included (nice touch)
+ No hidden charges that you’re not expecting
+ Intuitive UI and control panel
+ Quick live chat responses
+ Free SSL Certificate included
Bluehost Cons:
– There are limits in their T&C’s to ‘unlimited’
READ BLUEHOST REVIEW
There’s no doubting the experience that BlueHost brings to the UK web hosting market. Established in 1996, they host millions of websites across the world.
If you’re set on, or already are hosting a site via WordPress, BlueHost can offer you a great marriage of value and performance (including speed and reliability). Their 24/7 customer support is available should you need any assistance.
Like SiteGround, Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress. This means Bluehost meets stringent WordPress hosting requirements to offer the best WordPress hosting in the UK.
Whilst they are popular for shared hosting, Bluehost also has a lot of other tricks up its sleeve. For starters, their managed WordPress plans are 100% worth taking a look at if you’ve got a WordPress website. Important tasks like core updates, plugin updates, etc. are all dealt with by WordPress experts, so you can focus on what really matters.
Bluehost also boasts impressive VPS hosting plans and dedicated hosting. They are flexible in terms of how long you want your hosting term to run and offer a free domain when you sign up.
Bluehost has always had a reputation as one of the best WP web hosts out there and they continue to deliver to this day.
5. HostGator: Best Web Hosting for Beginners (£2.00/Month)
HostGator Pros:
+ My tests show a 99.99% uptime record over 30 days (they offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee)
+ Support available anytime (24/7/365)
+ Technical know-how is obvious when talking to advisers
+ Satisfaction or your money back! (45-day money-back guarantee)
+ Free SSL certificate
HostGator Cons:
– Customer support isn’t as fast as other web hosts
– Not as cheap when compared to its competitors
READ BLUEHOST REVIEW
HostGator has been a solid presence in the web hosting community for years. As you’ll see from my reviews, HostGator churn out some impressive speed and reliability results at a fraction of the cost of other competitors.
As far as web hosts go, if you want an affordable pricing plan that offers eCommerce features, HostGator can dish this up on a plate with no fuss at all. They’ve taken their decade of experience and applied it across the board to appeal to a real selection of markets.
One of the things that HostGator does really well caters to beginners. Their platform is user-friendly, simple, and easy to understand. No, they’re not as powerful as SiteGround, but they are a really solid choice for individuals or small businesses who want an affordable hosting plan with little frills.
HostGator doesn’t just offer web hosting; you can purchase your domain, SSL certificate, and website builder through them too. If you’re like me and you’d rather have all your eggs in one basket rather than services dotted around the place, HostGator makes it easy to achieve this.
6. GoDaddy: Best Small Business Web Host (£2.99/Month)
GoDaddy Pros:
+ 99.9% uptime guarantee (my test website recorded an average uptime of 99.97%)
+ Generous money-back guarantee of 45 days if you’re not satisfied
+ Unlimited bandwidth
+ Plenty of storage even on their cheapest plan (100GB!)
+ High security measures including 24/7 monitoring and DDoS protection
+ Smooth customer journey and easy to use interfeace
+ Plans available for Windows and Linux users
GoDaddy Cons:
– Live chat is for sales only (not customer support)
• Watch out for the price increase at renewal
READ GODADDY REVIEW
If you’re not sure where to start on your web hosting journey, GoDaddy is a great option. They provide plenty of features to get started, backed up by decent performance statistics, and aren’t too pricey!
I’d highly recommend them for beginners or small businesses looking to make a name for themselves. They make web hosting look easy, and provide an excellent user experience.
Although you might not turn to GoDaddy for superior performance and high-traffic websites, they do offer a wealth of tools and decent servers to get your website experience started on the right foot.
Known for being a domain name registrar, GoDaddy offers .co.uk domain names from just 1p for the first year! All of their hosting plans include a free domain name and come with unmetered bandwidth so you won’t have to worry if you get sudden traffic spikes.
GoDaddy hosting customers will have access to their simple cPanel interface, over 150 free 1-click install apps, multiple data centers, and on-demand resources. This allows you to tailor your web hosting plan as and when you may need more resources.
7. GreenGeeks: Best Eco Web Host (£3/Month)
GreenGeeks Pros
+ Eco-friendly web host fuelled by 300% renewable energy
+ 10 years of hosting experience
+ No hidden fees
+ 99.9% uptime guarantee
+ Free SSL certificate with every hosting plan
+ Free domain registration
GreenGeeks Cons
– Lacking in customer service skills
– Not many currency options
READ GREENGEEKS REVIEW
If you’re worried about your carbon footprint, GreenGeeks are your go-to eco-friendly web host. Similar to SiteGround, this web host provides a variety of data center locations for you to choose from. This allows you to choose the closest location to where the majority of your website visitors come from, offering them a faster and better user experience.
Boasting a 99.9% uptime guarantee, green energy isn’t the only thing GreenGeeks is known for. With over a decade in the hosting industry, GreenGeeks are steadily climbing the ladder of popularity, hosting many websites worldwide.
With GreenGeeks, everything is straightforward. There are no hidden fees, you’ll get a free domain and SSL with each hosting plan, and ultimately you’ll feel better for choosing a green web host.
GreenGeeks aren’t for everyone but they certainly strike a nice balance between features and affordability. They’re a great choice if you’re just starting to dip your toes into the eCommerce world but don’t necessarily want to pay through the roof.
8. FatCow: Best Hosting for Small Sites (£3.00/Month)
FatCow Pros
+ Consistent uptime levels of 99.9% to 99.99% over the past 6 months
+ Unlimited MySQL databases
+ Unlimited storage and bandwidth
+ Renewable energy sources
+ Free domain transfer
+ Marketing credits upon sign up
FatCow Cons
– Middle of the road pricing
– U.S. focussed customer support
READ FATCOW REVIEW
Another eco-conscious contender, FatCow boasts more of a playful nature that’s been around for 20 years. For many years FatCow was somewhat stuck in the ’90s but have, of late, updated their payment methods and features to bring themselves up to standards.
From only £3 per month, FatCow (for me) is a great contender in the unlimited hosting world. If you’re looking for simple yet effective, I’d highly recommend this host to increase your online presence.
Offering a balance of beginner and advanced features, FatCow sits comfortably in the middle in terms of value for money. In fact, they have consistently offered a stable uptime of 99.99% over the last 6 months, making them a solid choice if you want your website to be reliable.
However, FatCow’s customer support is US-focussed. Although you can get hold of them at some times during the day in the UK, you may not be able to talk to someone immediately depending on the time difference. For small websites, blogs, and personal websites, FatCow is a safe bet.
9. JustHost: Best UK Web Host for Blogging (£3/Month)
JustHost Pros
+ Unlimited storage space
+ Free website builder
+ Easy to use interface
+ eCommerce software including Cube Cart, Agora, and Zen Cart
+ Friendly support staff
JustHost Cons
– No uptime or service guarantees
– Lacklustre performance features
READ JUSTHOST REVIEW
If you’re not worried about a nice-looking website and fancy features, JustHost provides quality hosting and customer service in a simple manner. Although they aren’t my number one choice, I can definitely recommend JustHost if you want affordable hosting without the frills.
Beginners can see this as a good opportunity to get on the hosting ladder with no fuss. While JustHost doesn’t offer the best performance of our top 10 web hosts, they’re by no means a poor choice.
The easy-to-use interface is just one of the gold star features that intrigue me. You’ll also get access to a free website builder which can be useful if you’re a complete newbie. There’s plenty of eCommerce software available if you want to sell a few products online.
For customers who are looking for a host who can provide a free website builder at a fraction of the cost of some of its competitors, JustHost is a solid and reliable option.
10. Heart Internet UK: Best ResellerUK Web Host (£2.66/Month)
Heart Internet Pros
+ U.K. data centre (great for U.K. based customers)
+ 24/7/365 support
+ Intuitive control panel
+ Free Jetpack plugin with every WordPress installation
+ Website monitoring
Heart Internet Cons
– Setup fee on their basic plan
– Expensive hosting pricing plans
– Lack of features
READ HEART INTERNET REVIEW
An award-winning UK web hosting company, Heart Internet boasts exceptional performance and value for money. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure of experiencing such promises, but there must be some truth behind their claims.
As web hosts go, Heart Internet provides a very user-friendly interface, offering beginners and experts alike a solid place to manage their accounts. However, it’s definitely not the best web host we’ve reviewed before.
In terms of value for money, we found the features were somewhat disappointing in comparison to big contenders like SiteGround, Hostinger, and Bluehost. Heart Internet’s hosting plans were more expensive than the competition and offered a lot less.
However, it can be difficult to find a reliable UK web host with a dedicated UK data center, and that’s why Heart Internet has earned a spot on this list. With around-the-clock support, Heart Internet is on hand to deal with any queries you might have regarding your UK-based website.
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