10 Best Web Hosting UK Services in 2023 (+ Speed Tests)
Choosing the right web hosting service is vital to the success of your website. I’ve tested and reviewed the 10 best UK web hosting providers based on their reliability and speed. I’ve also shortlisted the top 5 recommendations.
SiteGround UK
Hostinger UK
Kinsta
Bluehost
If you’ve been on the lookout for the best UK web hosting service for your website, you’re in luck.
This article has just made your job very easy, reviewing the best web hosting UK providers available and detailing the critical points so you can make your choice as quickly and easily as possible.
The very best web hosts providers provide reliable uptime, responsive customer support, and breakneck loading speed.
With this comprehensive and tested review of the top 10 best web hosting UK services, you should be able to quickly find something that fits your requirements.
What are the Best Web Hosting Providers for UK Websites
These are the best web hosting providers for UK websites in 2022:
- SiteGround UK
- Hostinger UK
- Kinsta
- Bluehost
- WP Engine UK
- Cloudways UK
- ScalaHosting
- DreamHost
- GreenGeeks
- A2 Hosting
1. SiteGround UK
UK Web Host With The Best Server Speed
Boasting a loading speed that’s much faster than the average server response time for web hosts, SiteGround UK is one of the best options for UK websites that value fast website speed.
The web host has 6 server locations on 4 continents. One of the server locations is London, and it has resources dedicated to UK users.
Best Features
Incredible Server Speed
As tested, SiteGround UK’s average server speed is 263 milliseconds, which is pretty fast considering the average server response time starts from 400 ms.
Good Uptime
SiteGround has proven it’s a reliable web host with an annual average uptime of 99.9%, which is a relatively comfortable figure. Also, all plans provide unmetered bandwidth, so users don’t have to worry about the volume of website traffic.
Google Cloud Infrastructure
SiteGround is built on Google Cloud premium’s network, which is one of the reasons their server speed is so high. The premium cloud infrastructure also means the web host can keep websites up even in extreme, unexpected conditions.
Intuitive Website Builder
There’s a WordPress site builder that provides free website templates and intuitive tools for setting up a website, blog, or eCommerce site.
WordPress Hosting
SiteGround UK offers managed WordPress hosting to build a WordPress website or migrate to one. There’s also Woocommerce hosting which offers WordPress websites with pre-installed Woocommerce plugins and templates.
Robust Security
Servers are protected by top-notch security with a standby team that’s always watching for threats and coming up with intelligent security measures. There’s also a 24/7 monitoring system that monitors the server status every 0.5 seconds and an AL tool explicitly built for preventing malware.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 10 GB Disk Storage
- Free SSL & Domain
- Site Capacity: 10000 Visits
- Daily Backups
- Unlimited Websites
- 20 GB Disk Storage
- On-demand Site Backups
- Site Capacity: 100000 Visits
- Site Staging
- Priority Customer Support
- 40 GB Disk Storage
- White Label Access
- Site Capacity: 400000 Visits
- Increased Server Resources
2. Hostinger UK
Affordable UK Web Host With The Best Uptime Guarantee
Hostinger UK offers reliable shared web hosting for as low as £0.99 per month, making it the best web host for people looking to start a blog or launch small business websites.
For less limited resources ideal for personal websites, users can go for the £1.99 monthly plan, which provides a free domain name and a free SSL certificate.
Best Features
Strong Uptime Guarantee
Hostinger UK has an uptime guarantee of 99.99%, which is reassuring and relatively better than most web hosting services.
Fast Server Speed
At an average of 389 ms, Hostinger’s speed is still faster than the average server response time.
Multiple Tailored Hosting Plans
Hostinger UK offers different types of web hosting at different prices, including VPS, shared, and cloud hosting. There are also unique hosting plans tailored for specific use cases, such as Minecraft hosting.
Optimized WordPress Hosting
With hosting tailored for WordPress sites, users get an array of themes and plugins for optimizing their websites. Hostinger also uses the LiteSpeed webserver, an automatic guarantee of fast and consistent top-notch performance for WordPress websites.
Drag-and-drop Builder
Apart from a no-code drag-and-drop tool, Hostinger also provides professional website templates to get started should you decide to build your website using their service. Users get one free domain name but will have to pay for extra domains.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 50 GB SSD Storage
- 100GB Bandwidth
- 1 Email Account
- Managed WordPress
- 100 Websites
- 100GB SSD Storage
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- 100 Email Accounts
- Free Domain Name
- Unlimited FTP Accounts
- 200GB SSD Storage
- 2 CPU Cores
- 1.5GB RAM
- 100 Parked Domains & Subdomains
Read more Hostinger pricing or Hostinger review
3. Kinsta
Web Host With Robust Cloud Hosting
Kinsta is regarded as one of the best cloud hosting solutions for WordPress websites.
With over 20 servers distributed worldwide, a faster-than-average server response time, and nifty features to optimize WordPress sites, it’s had to dispute Kinta’s claim as one of the best WordPress hosts.
Best Features
Robust Cloud Hosting
Kinsta’s cloud hosting solutions mean the server infrastructure is robust enough to handle any surges in traffic or urgent need of resources. This basically guarantees more uptime. Also, the WordPress hosting is run on Google Cloud’s premium network, which is one of the most reliable infrastructures for web hosting companies.
Fast Server Speed
Kinsta boasts speeds of 307 ms, which is better than the average server response time.
WordPress Optimization
There’s a feature for WordPress sites that allows you to test out experimental changes to your site before publishing.
Cutting-edge Infrastructure
Kinsta’s infrastructure is supported by an HTTP/3-enabled CDN and a reliable caching setup. This means it takes a considerably shorter time to transfer data to your website and deliver content to your users. You are also spared having to optimize your database as the platform automatically does that weekly.
Reliable Security
Kinsta provides DDos protection and secures users’ data with SFTP and SSH protocols. Your data is backed up hourly, and you can also decide to add an external backup. There’s a hack-fix guarantee for all users if a website ever gets hacked.
Pricing
- 1 WordPress Site
- 25000 Visits/Mo
- 10GB SSD Storage
- 100GB Free CDN
- 1 Free Managed Migration
- 2 WordPress Sites
- 50000 Visits/Mo
- 20GB SSD Storage
- 200GB Free CDN
- 2 Free Managed Migrations
- 5 WordPress Sites
- 100000 Visits/Mo
- 30GB SSD Storage
- 400GB Free CDN
- 3 Free Managed Migrations
- 20 WordPress Sites
- 400000 Visits/Mo
- 50GB SSD Storage
- 800GB Free CDN
- 3 Free Managed Migrations
- 60 WordPress Sites
- 1000000 Visits/Mo
- 100GB SSD Storage
- 2000GB Free CDN
- 5 Free Managed Migrations
4. Bluehost
Affordable Web Host For New And Small Businesses
New business owners looking to set up their website with little technical knowledge will appreciate the user-friendly interface of Bluehost.
While the web host is affordable and straightforward for new users, it also offers quality hosting for WordPress and a relatively easy-to-use drag-and-drop tool for setting up your website.
Best Features
Intuitive Website Builder
Bluehost’s builder offers no-code, drag-and-drop functionality and a comprehensive feature list for building your website or online store. Plus, there are professional website templates for you to choose from.
Fast Response Time
Bluehost’s server response falls between 400 to 490 ms, which is within the average speed and still impressive. In some cases, for locations in the United Kingdom, specifically London, the response time has been tested to be an astonishing 183 ms.
Reliable Uptimes
The web host experiences uptimes of 99%, which is an assuring figure.
Managed WordPress
For managed WordPress hosting, you get nifty features like advanced analytics, multi-layered caching, SEO assistance, top-notch security, and even social media add-ons.
Pricing
- Free Domain & SSL (1st Year)
- 20 SSD Storage
- Optimized WordPress Hosting
- 1 Website
- Daily Backups (1st Year)
- 40 SSD Storage
- Free Yoast SEO
- Unlimited Websites
- Unlimited Products
- Customer Accounts
- Store Analytics
- PayPal Support
- Optimized CPU Resources
- 100 SSD Storage
- Free Dedicated IP
- Malware Scanning
Read more Bluehost pricing or Bluehost review
5. WP Engine UK
Best UK Web Host For WordPress Sites
WP Engine is one of the most popular and powerful web hosts for WordPress websites.
Built and optimized for hosting WordPress sites, the UK web hosting company provides WordPress users with advanced security, great WordPress optimization, and astonishing server speeds.
Best Features
Incredible Response Time
With a data center located in London, WP Engine UK is one of the web hosts with the fastest UK servers. When tested, the platform has achieved a very impressive average response time of 124ms.
Fast Loading Time
The secure hosting provider is partnered with a content delivery network for faster loading. What’s more? CDN services are included on all plans, so all users get fast loading speeds. The average load time for WordPress websites when tested was 337 ms.
Advanced Security
WP Engine is equipped to block DDoS attacks, malware, brute force, and JavaScript attacks. Users get a hack-fix guarantee, so if your website is ever hacked, they’ll fix it for you for free. Backups are performed daily, and they also take care of upgrades, so users don’t have to worry about glitches or complications when upgrading.
WordPress Optimization
There are local development tools for building and testing WordPress websites. Users also get WordPress plugins and SEO-friendly themes for optimizing their websites.
WooCommerce Optimization
While there’s a tailored hosting plan for WooCommerce sites, WP Engine also provides nifty search button features like autocomplete, predictive search results, and very fast search response. Users also get customizable eCommerce templates and themes.
High Uptime Guarantee
The hosting provider guarantees an uptime percentage of 99.99% and can back this claim with a global network of data center locations.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 25000 Visits/Mo
- 10 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat Support
- 50GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 3 Websites
- 75000 Visits/Mo
- 15 GB Disk Space
- WordPress Multisite
- 125GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 10 Websites
- 100000 Visits/Mo
- 20 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat & Phone Support
- 200GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 30 Websites
- 400000 Visits/Mo
- 50 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat & Phone Support
- 500GB Bandwidth/Mo
Read more WP Engine pricing or WP Engine review
6. Cloudways UK
Flexible UK Web Host With Collaborative Tools
Cloudways UK is a UK web hosting company that provides robust cloud hosting services for UK sites.
The platform has a flexible and robust infrastructure that gives users more options to utilize and manage their servers to their taste.
Best Features
Robust Infrastructure
Cloudways UK’s infrastructure is supported with Cloudflare Enterprise CDN for faster loading. Advanced caches are prebuilt for more optimization, and there are free-to-use caches to optimize WordPress and Magento websites.
Dedicated Servers
All of Cloudways' servers are dedicated, making it ideal for websites with a high volume of traffic.
Incredible Loading Speed
When tested, Cloudways has achieved website loading speeds of 81ms to 110ms, which is impressive. When tested with pages heavier than 500 KB, it achieved a load time of 584 ms.
High Uptime Guarantee
Cloudways guarantees an uptime percentage of 99.99%. A strong uptime reassurance is that the servers are programmed to resolve any detected issues and automatically restart immediately. Also, servers are monitored 24/7, plus there’s an AI assistant that sends users real-time performance reports.
Flexible Integrations
The platform integrates with communication channels such as Slack and email providers for sending real-time notifications. The open API provides a lot of flexibility as you can build your integrations and maintain robust control over how you utilize the server.
Collaborative Tools
There’s a workflow feature that lets you manage multiple websites and classify them into groups. Users can add team members, assign them websites to manage, and control their access to the server.
Robust Security
Servers are protected by dedicated firewalls, and users can be confident of protection from DDoS, malware, and brute force attacks.
Pricing
Digital Ocean plans
AWS plans
Google Cloud plans
7. ScalaHosting
Affordable Web Hosting Provider For Managed Cloud VPS Hosting
ScalaHosting provides robust and fully managed cloud VPS hosting.
What’s great about the platform is that its managed hosting plans are relatively cheap compared to other cloud hosting solutions.
Best Features
Robust Cloud Hosting Facilities
While ScalaHosting boasts more than 35 server locations worldwide for secure hosting, users also get access to a cutting-edge control panel that provides advanced security and easier control and a free Cloudflare CDN for website caching. Storage facilities are 100% SSD-based.
Superb Server Speed
ScalaHosting’s server speed ranged below 300 ms in every location when tested in different locations. As tested in London, the server speed was an incredible 43 ms. When tested for website loading speed over a year, the average loading speed turned out to be 613 ms.
Good Uptime
While the web host guarantees 99.9% uptime, they turned out to have a reliable uptime percentage of 99.95% percent when tested.
Robust Security
ScalaHosting has an advanced security feature that protects sites 24/7 and blocks malicious threats. Site backups are performed daily by the web host. Users also get a free SSL certificate.
WordPress Hosting
There are plans tailored for WordPress users that start from $6.95 a month and provide features for managing and installing WordPress sites and apps.
Pricing
- A basic web hosting plan is priced at $9.95 per month when paid annually, while managed cloud VPS hosting starts from $31.95.
- There are generous first-month discounts for new users on all plans except for self-managed hosting plans.
You can get started with Scala’s essential web hosting solutions and upgrade to managed cloud VPS hosting at any time.
8. DreamHost
WordPress Web Host With WordPress Website Builder
DreamHost is great if you need shared hosting or managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting.
The platform also provides VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting.
Best Features
Unlimited Bandwidth
One of DreamHost’s best perks is that the cheap web hosting plans get unlimited storage and bandwidth, which means the server allows unlimited data transfer at no extra cost.
Free Domain and Email Address
Users get a free domain and a free email address with the allowance to send unlimited emails. The free email feature is not available on the cheapest plan, however.
WordPress Website Builder
DreamHost’s builder comes with intuitive, easy-to-set-up features that make building a WordPress website more straightforward and quicker. You get website templates and themes plus a drag-and-drop tool. A setup assistant also walks new users through the website building process. Users who want more flexibility and a code-built website can use DreamHost’s custom website builder instead.
Intuitive Control Panel
The platform’s control panel is not the industry-standard cPanel. Instead, it’s a custom-built web host. While that may pose a disadvantage to cPanel users, DreamHost’s custom panel is intuitive and easy to use for beginners.
Average Loading Speed
When tested, DreamHost’s average website loading speed was 1.4 seconds.
Free Security
DreamHost claims it doesn’t charge extra fees for protecting website information. Automatic website backups are performed daily.
Free WordPress Migration
Migrating your WordPress site to DreamHost is a quick, automatic process, and it’s also done for free.
Pricing
- One Website
- 50GB SSD Storage
- 6 MySQL Databases
- 5 Subdomains
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Unlimited Websites
- Unlimited SSD Storage
- Unlimited MySQL Databases
- Unlimited Subdomains
- Free Email
9. GreenGeeks
Eco-friendly Web Hosting Provider
Going against the grain of standard hosting providers, GreenGeeks has engineered its platform to run on renewable and environmentally sustainable energy.
The web host provides secure web hosting, virtual private server hosting, and WordPress hosting. There are also reseller hosting solutions.
Best Features
Unlimited Bandwidth
Every shared hosting plan apart from the lowest tier gets unlimited storage space and bandwidth.
Unlimited Websites and Emails
Users can create unlimited websites and email accounts on every plan apart from the lowest tier.
Free SSL and Backup
There’s a free SSL certificate on every plan. Users also get no extra charges for nightly backups.
Free Domain and CDN
You get a free domain name for one year. GreenGeek’s supported CDN is also available on all plans for faster website performance.
Fast Load Speed and Response Time
When tested, GreenGeek’s loading speed for UK sites was 327ms. The server response time for London achieved an average speed of 130ms.
High Uptime
While GreenGeek gives a 99.90% uptime guarantee, it’s had an average uptime of 99.98% when tested.
Pricing
- GreenGeeks' pricing starts from £2.27 per month (at a discounted price) for UK users.
- Cloud web hosting solutions start from £30.59 a month.
You can try GreenGeeks confident of a 30-day money-back guarantee.
10. A2 Hosting
UK Web Hosting Provider With Multiple CMS Hosting
A2 Hosting provides hosting services for the popular content management systems and plugins: WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, and WooCommerce.
Users also get a robust web hosting catalog with shared, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting plans.
Best Features
Fast Speed
When tested, A2 Hosting has achieved an average server response time of 129ms for London sites and an average loading speed of 320ms.
Website Speed Optimization
The web host provides an advanced feature with capabilities like an NVMe drive, an advanced caching system, and an enhanced webserver to generate faster website performance. This feature is not available on all plans, however.
Unlimited Bandwidth
All shared web hosting plans, apart from the cheapest, get unlimited bandwidth and SSD storage.
Free Backups & Migration
Website migration is taken care of for free. Users also get free automatic backups.
Drag-and-drop Website Builder
There’s an intuitive drag-and-drop tool and free website themes for creating a website.
High Uptime
While A2 Hosting guarantees an uptime percentage of 99.9%, the hosting provider has achieved 100% uptime over six months.
eCommerce Features
A2 Hosting provides helpful solutions for creating an eCommerce store, such as PayPal merchant accounts and 1-click setups for AbanteCart, OpenCart, and Magento apps
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 100GB SSD Storage
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 CPU Core
- Unlimited Websites
- Unlimited Storage
- 1 GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- LightSpeed Web Server
- HTTP/2 & HTTP/3
- 2 GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- LightSpeed Web Server
- HTTP/2 & HTTP/3
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 CPU Cores
UK Web Hosting FAQ
Hosting a website in the UK can range from as low as £2 per month to higher than £1000 per month.
The typical cost of hosting a website depends on how powerful your needed web hosting solution and features are.
Small businesses typically go for hosting providers that range from £2/month to £400/month, while enterprises need web hosts that might cost £1000 and above.
Shared web hosting is the cheapest form of hosting there is, with prices ranging from £2 to £10/month.
Dedicated web hosting has the most expensive hosting plans, so expect to pay as much as £106 to £400/month for SMBs.
In between are cloud and VPS hosting. These web hosts typically range from £8 to £100/month.
With cheap web hosting solutions starting from $2.95 per month, a free domain, a drag-and-drop website builder, and a user-friendly control panel, Bluehost is one of the best web hosts for small businesses.
While the hosting provider boasts a faster-than-average response time of 400ms, the managed WordPress site hosting is its major selling point.
Users get advanced analytics, SEO optimization, and social media management, all great features for small businesses looking to grow their online presence.
Another good option for small businesses is SiteGround UK. Along with an extra fast server, it offers free SSL certificates and emails, genuinely reliable customer support, and a generous discount for new users.
One of the best WordPress hosts in the UK is SiteGround UK. It boasts a fast server speed of 263ms and a robust Google Cloud premium infrastructure for improved and consistent website performance.
While SiteGround UK’s shared hosting plan is relatively affordable at £2.99/month off a 75% discount, users also get nifty freebies such as free email accounts, free SSL certificates, and a free CDN to boost website performance.
WP Engine UK is built for hosting WordPress sites. Apart from an incredibly fast server response time, it offers secure, optimized hosting and plugins for WordPress and WooCommerce sites.
With WP Engine UK, WordPress users can benefit from an average website loading speed of 337ms. Thanks to DDoS, malware, JavaScript protection, and daily backups, security is robust.
Since SiteGround UK is built on a secure and very robust Google Cloud premium infrastructure, it has one of the most reliable shared hosting solutions for UK websites.
All SiteGround’s shared hosting plans come with unmetered bandwidth and a free CDN. They are built for eCommerce and WordPress sites.
Hostinger UK is also a great web hosting provider for UK users. The uptime guarantee of 99.99% is very reassuring, but that’s not all.
The web host’s server speed is better than the average, and the WordPress hosting is optimized to boost the performance of WordPress sites.
There is good news for those who want to mask their identity and business because Hostinger is an offshore hosting provider. It is a Lithuanian company with servers located all around the world. Data privacy and anonymity are guaranteed.
Hostinger UK is one of the cheapest UK web hosting services, starting at £0.99/month for first-time users.
Cheap web hosting services that are ideal (by features) for small businesses start from £3.99 per month for first-time users and cost £8.99/month on the renewal.
With a free domain name, free email features, unlimited bandwidth, and Cloudflare CDN support, Hostinger’s web hosting plan for small businesses is great value for money.
Bluehost is one of the best web hosting providers for hosting eCommerce websites. At $12.95/month, users get robust ecommerce features like an easy-to-use online store builder, email marketing tools, unlimited inventory management, analytics, and one-click payment app installations.
With Bluehost, WooCommerce features are pre-installed.
A2 Hosting is another great option for eCommerce hosting, thanks to the variety of eCommerce solutions it provides. The hosting provider supports and provides one-click installation for eCommerce providers like AbanteCart, Magento, and OpenCart.
Choosing the best web hosting provider for your site in the UK web hosting market requires considering some essential factors: pricing-to-value ratio, reliable uptimes, speed, security, and the quality of the customer support. By checking for these factors, you’ll be able to compare the best web hosting companies in terms of value and give yourself an edge in picking the best web host for your business.
You should also consider if the web hosting company provides SEO optimization tools as those are important for your website’s visibility and audience engagement.
There are four major types of web hosting:
Shared Hosting: is the cheapest and most basic type of web hosting. With shared web hosting, different websites share the resources of a single server. As a result, shared web hosting services are limited and ideal for small businesses or personal websites.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: provides more resources than shared hosting. A single server is split into virtual servers, and then these virtual servers can be used by individual websites. There are still limitations, but they are not as much as with shared hosting.
Dedicated Hosting: is typically the most powerful and expensive type of web hosting. Users have a dedicated server to themselves and have complete technical control over how they utilize the server. Consequently, dedicated web hosting services provide superb speed, power, and reliability.
Cloud Hosting: pools the resources of multiple remote servers into one cloud server to serve an individual website. Cloud web hosting services are often cheaper than virtual hosting and more reliable than web hosting, making it a better option for small businesses. It also provides more scalability.
Aside from these four major categories, there are other types of web hosting that serve unique purposes. These include:
– Reseller hosting solutions for people that want to resell web hosting to other sites.
– WordPress hosting services that are built for hosting and optimizing WordPress sites.
Which UK Web Host Should I Try?
Your preferred UK web hosting provider should at the very least have good uptime rates and provide speed that’s faster than average. Your available options can then be considered based on your budget, the resources you need, and special requirements.
Depending on your requirements and budget, you can go for these reliable web hosts:
SiteGround UK
Hostinger UK
Kinsta
Bluehost
WP Engine UK
If you want more in-depth reviews about some of the best web hosting providers, check my articles on: