UK's Best Web Hosting 2021 - What Do Web Hosting UK Users Say?

Tried & Tested Web Hosting Companies

Independent UK Web Hosting Reviews

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Based on my bad experience with a UK web host, I decided to test and review the top 10 website hosting companies with the help of 1500+ people, our experts, and the Pingdom tool. The following web hosting providers are listed according to their Uptime, Speed, and Customer Service Waiting Times. Choosing a good web host can lead to a higher ranking on Google search results.

Side-Note: Our #1 has a temporary 60% discount running, grab it while it lasts.

“Best” UK Web Hosting Reviews List In 2021

  1. Siteground – Best all-around UK web hosting provider
  2. Bluehost – Best for customer service
  3. iPage – Cheapest UK web hosting company
  4. HostGator – Best for storage space
  5. InMotion – Best for tech-heavy websites
Top 10 Best UK Web Hosting Companies 2019

Last Updated: March 1st, 2021

 

We have tried to do something different than other UK web hosting review providers by comparing Siteground, Bluehost, iPage, HostGator, and Inmotion web hosting using “Google Trend“.

We have compared the past 12 months database of our top web hosting choices. After careful analysis, it is clear why we have placed SiteGround and Bluehost in the top two positions.

Within this Google Trend map, you can see that there is a close competition between Siteground and Bluehost.

Please note that the above graph is working in real-time, so there could be minor differences between the graph and this text.

  • SiteGround average searches are 71/100
  • Whereas BlueHost has 68/100.
  • 23 searches out of 100 for iPage.
  • 29/100 HostGator.
  • 19/100 InMotion.

You may wonder why we have placed iPage in the 3rd position instead of Hostgator. The answer is simple: iPage is much cheaper than HostGator while offering good enough features.

Finally, many small businesses and beginners go with iPage to save money at the initial stage.

UK Web Hosts Rating Price Locations Website

1. SiteGround

9.9 £2.95 (Regular £8.95/mo.) 3 (USA, Europe, Asia-Pacific)

2. BlueHost

9.7 £2.29 2 USA & 1 Europe

3. iPage

9.6 £1.52 2 (USA)

4. HostGator

9.5 £2.10 1 (USA)

5. InmotionHosting

9.4 £4.89 2 (USA)

2021’s Top 10 Best UK Web Hosting Companies, Ranked By Uptime, Speed & Customer Service Waiting Times.


#1. SiteGround: Best UK Host (£2.95/mo)

SiteGround Best WordPress Host
SiteGround Pros:
  • Very Good Uptime (99.999%)
  • Fast and Knowledgeable Support
  • Best Load Time (419ms)
  • High-Performance WordPress Hosting
  • Free Site Migration
  • Easy to Use, includes cPanel

SiteGround Cons:
  • ‘Setup Fee’ for Monthly Billing
  • Limited Storage Space


SiteGround is a well-known web hosting provider that is officially recommended by WordPress.org. Founded in 2004, SiteGround currently hosts 800,000 websites worldwide and has a BBB rating of “A”. While no hosting provider is perfect, SiteGround has several significant features that make it a good option for many users.

SiteGround is one of the big names every other digital marketer or blogger would recommend you. As of revealing the truth, not every best UK web hosting provider is perfect in everything. Each of them lacks one or other aspect. That’s doesn’t mean they are worthless.

SitGround comes with some significant features you should look at.

Features:

One of the most attractive features of SiteGround is its data centers, which are located across Europe, the US, and Asia. This allows SiteGround to dominate a significant portion of the marketplace. Most attractive features of SiteGround are –

  • Free SSL and CDN
  • Free site migration
  • High average uptime
  • cPanle and usability
  • High performing WordPress UK web hosting
  • Daily backups
  • Email accounts

Uptime and Speed

While SiteGround’s speed and uptime may not be the best in the industry, they are still impressive. In a recent test, SiteGround achieved a 99.99% uptime and a 419ms site loading speed. While these metrics can fluctuate over time, SiteGround generally maintains a relatively average mark.

Customer Support

Customer support is crucial for any web hosting business, and SiteGround impresses in this area. The company provides responsive and active technical support, and its support team is highly knowledgeable and friendly. They are equipped to handle most of your problems and provide solutions in a timely manner.

Pricing Overview

Pricing is another critical factor to consider when choosing the best UK web hosting provider. SiteGround’s introductory price for shared hosting service is relatively cheap, starting at £2.95/mo* (with a minimum 12-month validation). However, the pricing may vary depending on the hosting plan and features that you choose. Go to full review


#2. Bluehost: Best WordPress Host (£2.29/mo)

UK Best Web Hosting Reviews
Bluehost Pros:
  • Best Uptime (99.99%)
  • Fast Load Time (0.52ms)
  • Cheap “Intro” Cost (£2.00/mo)
  • Easy to Use and Signup
  • Fast Support (Live Chat and Phone)
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Bluehost Cons:
  • No Free Site Migrations


BlueHost is a the best UK web hosting provider that has been in business since 2003 and has hosted over 2,000,000 websites and blogs. It is highly rated globally and offers both a built-in admin panel and cPanel for easy website management. However, one drawback is that BlueHost does not provide free site migration.

Features:

Despite a few drawbacks, BlueHost remains a top choice due to its impressive features, which include unmetered bandwidth and storage space that varies depending on the plan you choose.

Let’s take a look at the key features BlueHost is known for.

  • Free domain name
  • Free website builder
  • One-click installation for WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
  • cPanel with built-in admin panel
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Free email account
  • 30-days money-back guarantee

Uptime and Speed

Website speed and uptime are important factors that can affect a website’s SEO and audience retention, particularly for eCommerce sites. BlueHost has an impressive uptime of 99.99% and an average web response time of 522ms, making it a great option for website owners.

Customer Support

Another most important factor to choose BlueHost for your hosing needs is its fast customer support. In terms of customer support, BlueHost offers fast technical support via Live Chat and Phone Call. This is particularly important for beginners or those with limited knowledge of web hosting in the UK. Post-registration support is considered to be the important one while pre-registration seems fine with best web hosting India out there.

Pricing Overview

When it comes to pricing, BlueHost offers several shared hosting services at different price points. The basic package includes features such as one free domain, 50GB SSD, unlimited bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate. Go to full review


#3. iPage: UK Cheap Host (£1.52/mo)

iPage Cheap Option UK
iPage Pros:
  • Strong Uptime (99.97%)
  • Enhanced Security Options
  • Cheap Inexpensive Hosting (£1.50/mo)
  • Environment-Friendly
  • Upfront Pricing

iPage Cons:
  • Expensive Domain Names
  • No cPanel


When it comes to web hosting companies, iPage is often overlooked, but it’s a great option for small websites and businesses. iPage is one of the cheapest hosting providers around, making it an ideal choice for small business owners and novice bloggers.

Features

Despite its low cost, iPage offers many features, although there are some drawbacks to consider. One important factor that brings iPage down is that it lacks cPanel access, and its proposed unlimited bandwidth and storage features are not as generous as they sound. Nevertheless, iPage is ideal for beginners for the following reasons:

Key factors that makes iPage ideal for the beginners –

  • Strong and stable uptime
  • Enhanced security
  • Environment-friendly initiative
  • Affordable upfront pricing
  • Inexpensive cheap hosting packages
  • Free domain and site migration
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Single-click WordPress installation

Speed and Uptime

iPage struggles to maintain optimal speed and uptime, which can be a challenge for fully equipped websites. However, they have improved their necessary features over time. Our testing showed an average uptime of 99.97% and site loading speed of 596ms.

Customer Support

In terms of customer support, iPage is not very responsive. Although they claim to be available 24/7, their customer help desk provides chat and phone support. There is also an online help center and ticketing system.

Pricing Overview

As mentioned earlier, iPage seems the cheapest web hosting provider with an introductory rate for a minimum of 36 months. If you choose a shorter period, the introductory price tends to increase. Furthermore, iPage provides one of the cheapest web hosting per year. Go to full review


#4. HostGator: Best Host for Beginners (£4.89/mo)

HostGator Cloud Best Cloud Hosting
HostGator Pros:
  • Good Uptime (99.98%)
  • Fast Load Time (512ms)
  • FREE Site Migration (1)
  • No Bandwidth/Storage Limit
  • Unlimited Email Accounts
  • Free SSL Included

HostGator Cons:
  • Higher Renewal Cost


HostGator is one of those hosting giants whose service delivers whatever it promises, making it a total worth of your investment. No matter how big your business is, whether novice or well-established, HostGator has tailored its UK hosting service for all kinds of hosting needs and budgets. Despite its origin in the US, HostGator serves perfectly in Europe and Asia and is among the fastest hosting services we have come across so far.

Features

HostGator restructures the web hosting UK business with a new shape, offering free site migration and aesthetic performance stats. However, it also has some drawbacks such as an overpriced site builder, expensive service renewal, and insufficient customer support.

Besides these drawbacks, you will be glad to know the following features HostGator hosting packages comes with –

  • Unlimited bandwidth and storage
  • Free SSL certificate
  • Free website migration
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • Great server performance
  • Amazingly fast multi-core processor
  • 2X relative computer power

Uptime and Speed

HostGator is widely praised for its performance and speed, with solid uptime and quick site response being two of the most important aspects that make HostGator one of the most popular hosting providers among global users. According to our recent test result, Hostgator has 99.98% uptime and an average response time of 512ms.

Customer Support

A hostile customer support was never been tolerated by HostGator. HostGator takes user satisfaction seriously and looks at issues from the user’s perspective. Thus, it is one of those rare UK hosting companies with great customer applause. HostGator is available 24/7 via Live Chat and Phone Call, and users can learn and resolve small issues on their own through the content links provided.

Pricing Overview

HostGator is not the cheapest hosting solution, but the investment is reliable in terms of return on investment. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” and HostGator ensures that your investment is worth it. Go to full review


#5. InMotion: Best for Small Business (£4.81/mo)

InMotion Best for Small Business
InMotion Pros:
  • Average Uptime of 99.95%
  • Fast Host Server Speed (751ms)
  • Customer Support
  • 90-Days Money Back Guarantee
  • Free Site Transfer
  • Free Data Backups

InMotion Cons:
  • Delayed Verification Process
  • Some Plan Limitations


In the world of cheap UK web hosting services, InMotion is a commonly mentioned name. The company is one of the oldest players in the hosting arena with over 15 years of experience. They provide affordable and reliable hosting services, ideal for beginners and small business needs. In terms of uptime, speed, and technical support, InMotion has received positive ratings.

Features

InMotion is widely appreciated for its performance stats and support, and they offer more efficient features that help the company stand out in the crowd. Here’s a closer look at some of their features:

  • Reliable uptime and speed
  • Responsive customer support
  • Amazing 90-days money back guarantee
  • Easy WordPress Integration and free tools
  • Premium Sucuri security plugin with WordPress hosting
  • Free website migration
  • Reliable e-Commerce support
  • Free data backup
  • Google app integration

Uptime and Speed

Uptime and speed are critical to a hosting service’s performance, and they also dictate how well a website will rank in Google search results. Even if a site ranks well in search engines, if its page loading speed isn’t fast enough, users are likely to leave the site, increasing the site’s bounce rate. This can directly impact SEO. The good news is that InMotion managed to secure a perfect 99.95% server uptime, while its site response time is 751ms.

Customer Support

InMotion claims to be the leader in technical support for the best web hosting, but many companies fail to deliver on this claim. However, we were quite surprised by the quality of their customer support when tested. They provide live chat and telephone support, and their support team responds within a couple of minutes of submitting a ticket, which is amazing. InMotion’s support team is professional enough to eliminate user problems quickly and respond actively to all sorts of user queries.

Pricing Overview

Without a doubt, InMotion offers suitable hosting packages at an affordable cost. Although they offer low-cost services, they do not cut out essential features. Their lowest hosting package covers a free domain, unlimited SSD and bandwidth, unlimited email accounts, free SSL certificate, and more, which is enough to accommodate two websites. However, the introductory price is only available with a minimum of two years’ registration. Go to full review


#6. GoDaddy: Best Small Business Host (£2.99/mo)

GoDaddy Best Small Business Host
Godaddy Pros:
  • Good Uptime – 99.97%
  • Great Page Speed – 517ms
  • Free Additional Services

Godaddy Cons:
  • Limited Lowest Plan
  • Upsells & High Renewal Fees
  • Confusing Money-Back Guarantee


GoDaddy is one of the world’s largest domain registrars and complete website hosting service providers. Millions of small and large websites are registered with GoDaddy, and thousands more join the ranks every day. The incredible variety of features and affordable pricing of web hosting plans make GoDaddy a popular domain registrar and web host globally.

Features

GoDaddy offers website owners a large variety of basic and advanced web hosting features, including:

  • 1-click installation of over 125 free apps
  • 1-click domain set up
  • User friendly control panel
  • 24/7 online security
  • DDoS protection

Uptime and Speed

GoDaddy servers score an incredible 99.97% uptime in regular uptime evaluations. Compared to other popular top-20 hosts, GoDaddy’s uptime score is constant and assures customers of zero downtime.

Despite being an extremely affordable web hosting service, GoDaddy’s webpage loading speeds are on par with the most premium web hosting services. GoDaddy has maintained an impressive page loading time of 517ms for a long time.

Customer Support

GoDaddy owes its growing customer base to affordable web hosting and impressive customer support. GoDaddy offers 24/7 customer support through their knowledge base, live chat, and phone support services.

Pricing Overview

GoDaddy is renowned for its extremely low-priced domain registering and web hosting services. You can choose any one of four different hosting plans to fulfill your specific requirements. Go to full review


#7. GreenGeeks: UK Best Eco Web Host (£2.26/mo)

GreenGeeks Best for Small Sites
GreenGeeks Pros:
  • Above Average Uptime – 99.95%
  • Good Load Time – 477ms
  • Good Support
  • Free Domain & Site Migration
  • Environment-Friendly
  • 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
  • Free CDN

GreenGeeks Cons:
  • Higher Renewal Price
  • Questionable Refund Policy


GreenGeeks is another popular name in the hosting industry, targeting both small and large business firms as well as novice bloggers. They offer Shared, WordPress, and Reseller hosting. If you are a beginner with close to zero experience in technical matters, starting with GreenGeeks shared hosting is not a bad idea. As we proceed, we will look at the most important factors of hosting services.

Features

GreenGeeks claims to provide 99.97% uptime and 100% customer satisfaction. Before we rate that claim, let’s detail the features we can expect from GreenGeeks hosting services. The key features of GreenGeeks are as follows:

  • Above average performance
  • Quick and responsive support
  • Free domain and website transfer
  • Environment friendly
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Nightly backups
  • Multiple server locations
  • Free CDN
  • Unlimited bandwidth, storage, and email accounts

Uptime and Speed

When it comes to server uptime and speed, GreenGeeks has performed well around the clock. In the past 16 months, the only month they experienced downtime was August 2018. The rest of the months maintained a 99.99% uptime. The average response time, on the other hand, was 477ms, which is pretty good for a cheap hosting provider. This speed is way better than the industry average.

Customer Support

Good customer support is vital for any hosting company. We admire the quick response of GreenGeeks’ customer support desk. However, one factor that triggered our negative senses was their English knowledge. There were grammar flaws in their answers during the interaction. This indicates the possibility of them outsourcing support from non-native English speakers or lacking detailed attention. Nevertheless, from a technical aspect, they are good enough to resolve problems related to the hosting service.

Pricing Overview

GreenGeeks has tried to maintain a standard low price-tag with a monthly rate of £2.45 on the first purchase. However, the harsh reality is that this super low rate can only be achieved when you purchase the plan for a minimum of three years in advance. Go to full review


About Web Hosting Reviews X | WHRX


WHRX is the best online source for detailed and unbiased reviews on everything related to website hosting. Here, we constantly test and evaluate numerous website hosting services to provide our users with the ultimate free UK web hosting reviews. We offer our users only the most reliable UK web hosting comparisons, which ensure that users always get the best deals when selecting a web hosting service. Our UK domain hosting reviews provide readers with all the necessary information about website hosting.

Behind the scenes, a website consists of numerous small and large files, which are stored on a “host server”. The server stores these essential website files and provides access to users when they enter your website URL in their browser’s address bar. The server immediately sends the website files to the user’s computer, which translates them into a human-readable format that we see on our screens. Web hosting service providers offer website owners storage space on host servers, allowing websites to remain online and be updated when required.

At WHRX, our goal is to keep readers informed about the latest web hosting technology, services, offers, deals, and discounts offered by various web hosting service providers, particularly in the UK. Our best web hosting UK reviews have helped small and large online businesses choose the most cost-efficient and advanced web hosting services.

WHRX guarantees its readers completely factual and independent UK web hosting reviews.

Types of Hosting


There are numerous options in web hosting services to choose from when it comes to publishing your website online. It is important to remember that the different types of web hosting services are designed mainly to fulfill the needs and requirements of website owners.

Our UK web hosting reviews explain the details of each of these individual types of web hosting services, their specifications and features, as well as highlight the best website hosting services that the top hosting companies of today have to offer. In our reviews, you will learn how to select the best UK web hosting for small businesses, as well as extensive UK web hosting comparisons.

Let’s check out the details and special features of the different types of website hosting services you can choose from:

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the basic option for website hosting. We highly recommend shared hosting in our various UK hosting reviews for first-time website owners. Choosing shared hosting is very profitable and is the best web hosting for small businesses in the UK.

Shared hosting is also the top solution for cheap hosting in the UK. In shared hosting, the server resources are shared between your own website and several other websites. That’s because the RAM, CPU, etc., of the one host server is being used to keep your website online along with a bunch of other websites at the same time.

Most of the top shared hosting services today also offer sufficient management features. This makes shared hosting even more ideal for hosting your first website, especially if you do not have website development skills.

Shared hosting services are highly recommended for newcomers as it is the simplest, most affordable, and definitely the best domain hosting in the UK. Shared hosting comes with a handful of essential development and management features. It becomes easier to publish your website and maintain it online, without having to learn about website development. According to our experiences in making UK domain hosting reviews, we found that shared hosting services provide the necessary website development tools, such as website builders, email accounts, WordPress hosting, etc.

VPS Servers

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. Our UK website hosting reviews will tell you that the VPS service is the perfect way to shift from the basic shared hosting plan to an advanced dedicated server hosting plan when your website needs more resources than the shared hosting server can provide.

Just like shared host servers, the VPS servers also host multiple websites at the same time. However, the difference between the two is that VPS servers do not share server resources between multiple clients. A VPS hosting service is probably the best web hosting service in the UK as it provides a complete pack of features and separate storage space on servers for each website. Website owners can choose the amount of space required and also customize their integrated features easily.

VPS website hosting services are highly recommended for small to medium websites that are experiencing increased user traffic and thus require additional server resources than the basic shared hosting service can provide.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting technology is an extremely advanced and popular type of website hosting service in the industry. It stores essential website files and provides website resources using a complex yet efficient network of several server computers connected together. Cloud hosting technology can be seen as a utility that hosting service providers offer to website owners.

As stated in several of our UK web hosting comparisons and reviews, a major advantage of cloud hosting is that it gives website owners access to numerous server resources without the need to maintain a separate, complicated website hosting framework. Since multiple server computers are joined together in cloud hosting, the resources are more than sufficient to share between several websites. An additional advantage of using cloud hosting is that websites do not face the risk of downtime due to server malfunctions, as the cloud hosting immediately shifts to the next available server in the network.

Last but not least, cloud hosting is also considered one of the best web hosting services in the UK due to its incredible scalability. This means that your website is assured of additional resources according to the rate at which it experiences increasing user traffic.

Dedicated Servers

Dedicated servers, as the name suggests, are designed to be used exclusively by a single website owner. In our free UK web hosting reviews, we have seen how dedicated servers provide website owners with complete control over website file storage and the use of server resources. Dedicated servers are considered ideal for the best website hosting, especially for big websites that experience increasing user traffic daily.

Dedicated servers give website owners complete root and admin access, thus giving them full control over website operation, security, and more. Obviously, having complete server resources at your disposal comes at a considerable price. However, the excellent advantages of higher-priced dedicated website hosting services make them worth every penny, according to our latest UK hosting reviews.

In addition, dedicated servers require considerable technical skills on the website owner’s part and are therefore mostly used by larger websites with professional website developers on board.

Colocation Services

The best and most reputable web hosting service providers offer additional security for your website’s data and files by storing them in a physically separate and secure location. Instead of choosing servers that are stored in their offices or private data centers, colocation servers are located in rented space in a colocation data center.

Our articles about web hosting services in the UK have shown the specific server resources offered by colocation data centers, such as IP addresses, bandwidth, power, and cooling, as well as servers being placed in separate racks and cabinets for additional safety.

In our various free UK web hosting reviews, we have highlighted the advantages of colocation hosting services over conventional website hosting services. With colocation servers, website owners get a larger bandwidth at a comparatively lower cost. However, it is important to have professionals on board who can handle website development and maintenance work, as colocation services do not include web development.

Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting services are similar to shared hosting services, but with additional features and options that enable website owners to resell their hosting space for a profit.

Our previous UK domain hosting reviews have shown that reseller hosting plans provide website owners with greater control over the technical aspects of their websites. This includes access to tools such as WHM (Web Host Manager), billing software, free website templates, white label technical support, private name servers, and other tools that enhance web hosting efficiency.

Reseller hosting services are particularly useful for those who want to start a web hosting business.

Difference Between Shared & Dedicated Hosting


As we mentioned in our earlier UK web hosting reviews, there are significant differences between shared and dedicated hosting services. While both belong to the hosting services spectrum, they are suitable for particular websites they were designed to host.

Shared hosting is considered the best UK web hosting for small businesses that receive less user traffic on a daily basis. In contrast, dedicated server hosting services are designed for websites that face high traffic regularly.

Let’s compare shared and dedicated hosting in more detail, so you can decide when to switch from shared hosting to dedicated hosting.

  • Performance – Website performance is essential to attract new users and maintain a large user base. Server downtime can affect your website’s performance. Shared hosting servers may show slow performance for larger websites because they allocate a portion of server resources to each website. Dedicated hosting servers allocate complete server resources to a single website, making websites hosted on dedicated servers perform faster.
  • Management – In our best web hosting UK reviews, we’ve shown that shared servers come with management services, making them easy to manage for newcomers with little to no technical skills in website development. Dedicated servers, on the other hand, require technical know-how and website management skills, which works for website owners experienced in such aspects or who can hire a professional website developer.
  • Resources – Shared web hosting services require websites to share resources with other websites on the same server, making it ideal for smaller or less-visited websites. However, websites with increasing user traffic require additional server resources and tools to manage properly. Dedicated servers offer a complete range of server resources to website owners for optimal efficiency.
  • Security – Website hosting security is a top priority in our hosting reviews. While shared hosting servers from reputable web hosting service providers offer extensive data storage security, the level of security offered by dedicated servers is incomparable.
  • Price – Finally, there is a significant difference in cost between shared hosting and dedicated hosting services. The best services often come at a higher price.

When to Switch from Shared Hosting to Dedicated?

When to switch from shared hosting to dedicated hosting depends on your specific requirements. Our excellent web hosting reviews for the UK show that shared hosting is an excellent option when starting a new website and looking for affordable hosting options. In this case, we highly recommend switching to dedicated hosting servers from the best web hosting services in the UK.

Dedicated hosting is a type of hosting where you rent an entire server for your website. This means that you have full control over the server, and you don’t have to share its resources with any other website. This can lead to faster website speeds, better security, and improved website performance.

So, when should you switch from shared hosting to dedicated hosting? Here are some signs that it may be time to make the switch:

  1. Your website is experiencing slow loading times: If your website is taking too long to load, it may be due to the shared hosting server being overloaded with traffic. Upgrading to a dedicated server can ensure that your website loads quickly and efficiently.
  2. You need more resources: Shared hosting comes with limited resources such as disk space, bandwidth, and RAM. If your website requires more resources than what shared hosting can provide, it may be time to switch to dedicated hosting. With a dedicated server, you can customize the resources to meet your website’s specific needs.
  3. You need better security: Shared hosting can be vulnerable to security breaches as you’re sharing the server with other websites. If you handle sensitive information or have an e-commerce website that processes payments, it’s crucial to have a secure hosting environment. A dedicated server can provide better security measures, including firewalls, DDoS protection, and regular security updates.
  4. Your website traffic has increased: As your website grows and attracts more visitors, shared hosting may not be able to handle the increased traffic. A dedicated server can handle high levels of traffic without affecting website performance.
  5. You need more control: Shared hosting limits your control over the server. With a dedicated server, you have complete control over the server’s configuration, software installations, and security settings.

Difference Between VPS and Cloud Hosting


In our previous UK hosting reviews, we found little difference between Virtual Private Server (VPS) and cloud hosting services. However, these small differences matter when it comes to ensuring you get the best domain hosting in the UK.

When it comes to efficiency, VPS servers lag behind cloud hosting because they tend to provide limited server resources. If resource requirements increase, VPS hosting services become inefficient to handle the increasing user traffic.

In contrast, cloud hosting servers adapt well to increasing resource requirements. As servers are connected through a common network, you can easily request more server resources as needed.

The main difference between VPS and cloud hosting is the amount of server resources provided. If you want to know the difference between VPS and Dedicated service, you can visit the link provided.

Difference Between Linux and Windows Hosting


The decision to choose between Linux-powered and Windows-powered hosting servers has been a long-standing one, ever since these technologies were used in host computers. Today, top web hosting service providers in the UK offer both options to their customers.

Linux hosting servers are widely used in shared hosting services because they are more cost-effective and flexible. Linux OS is easy to manage and compatible with popular hosting platforms like WordPress, phpBB, and Zen Cart, due to its compatibility with MySQL and PHP.

In contrast, Windows-powered hosting servers are designed to offer Windows-specific features and tools like .NET, ASP, MSSQL (Microsoft SQL Server), and Microsoft Access.

The choice between Linux and Windows hosting services should depend on the specific technology required by your website.

WordPress CMS & Hosting


According to various UK hosting reviews, WordPress CMS is currently one of the most popular and efficient website hosting platforms available. Its simple tools and ease-of-use have propelled it to the top of the list, as it outshines other types of web hosting platforms. Let’s take a look at some statistics related to WordPress CMS and hosting:

  • Over 35% of websites on the internet use WordPress today, which is a 2% increase from the previous year.
  • WordPress CMS is used to develop and maintain over 60% of all websites on the internet.
  • WordPress powered websites boast a staggering 400 million users each month.
  • Apart from large-scale blogging, WordPress CMS is used in nearly 28% of ecommerce websites that utilize the WooCommerce tool.
  • Every day, more than 660 new WordPress websites are introduced to the internet.
  • WordPress CMS offers an incredible 50,000+ Plug-Ins and over 3,500 themes licensed by GPL, making it an extremely versatile hosting platform.

These statistics indicate that WordPress CMS and hosting is the most popular and efficient website hosting platform available today.

Magento CMS & Hosting


Magento is considered the best hosting platform for e-commerce websites, and our previous UK hosting reviews have highlighted its exceptional user-friendliness. The following statistics illustrate the popularity and efficiency of Magento CMS and hosting services:

  • More than 250,000 online merchants worldwide rely on Magento to power their e-commerce websites.
  • A dedicated team of over 150,000 developers from around the world frequently updates Magento with new extensions and innovative features to enhance its efficiency.
  • Currently, Magento powers a remarkable 28% of e-commerce websites online, including 16% of the top 1 million websites on the internet.
  • As a result, Magento has become the preferred destination for website hosting migrations, with more and more e-commerce website owners switching to Magento from other e-commerce platforms.
  • While Magento is popular worldwide as the ideal e-commerce platform, the UK, US, and the Netherlands are the countries with the highest number of Magento users.

Drupal CMS & Hosting


Drupal is a website hosting platform that has been featured in several UK web hosting reviews since its launch in 2000. It is a popular content management system (CMS) and has a significant market share among other website hosting services. Here are some statistics that highlight the popularity and importance of Drupal CMS and hosting:

  • Drupal has over 42,650 modules and more than 2,700 themes available for use.
  • It is the third most popular CMS globally, based on market share.
  • Over 1 million websites are currently powered by Drupal, accounting for a 4.7% market share of CMS services worldwide.
  • Drupal is a free website development tool, but it offers features, plugins, and tools that can cost up to USD $20,000.
  • The Drupal global community comprises over 1.3 million members from different countries.

Joomla CMS & Hosting


Joomla CMS is a highly popular web hosting platform that is favored by many service providers. Our UK web hosting review on Joomla provides more details about this platform. Here are some statistics that demonstrate the popularity and efficiency of Joomla CMS and hosting services:

  • Joomla CMS has been downloaded by nearly 100 million users worldwide.
  • There are currently over 2.5 million websites worldwide that are powered by Joomla.
  • With a market share of 5.7%, Joomla is the second most widely used CMS in the world.
  • Over 9% of all e-commerce websites on the internet use Joomla CMS.
  • The global Joomla community includes 400 full-time volunteers who are committed to developing and innovating the website hosting platform.

Why to Not Choose Free Hosting?


When it comes to selecting the best web hosting service in the UK, we advise our readers to avoid choosing a free web hosting provider in our frequent independent UK web hosting reviews. There are several major reasons why free hosting should be avoided.

Take note of the primary arguments against selecting free hosting services compared to paid but the best domain hosting service providers:

  • Hidden Charges – Every company that offers free web hosting services will eventually charge you hidden fees or unlisted costs. This often results in you spending more than you can afford, and even more than what other affordable and cheap web hosting UK companies offer their services at.
  • No Support – Almost all free web hosting providers do not include customer support in their web domain subscription plans. This leaves you without much-needed technical support in case of downtime or any other server malfunction, rendering your effort and resources useless.
  • Unwanted Ads – The reason why some web hosting companies can provide domain hosting services for free is that they include a clause that allows them to display paid advertisements on your website. This is not only inconvenient for your website users, but it also restricts your options to gain revenue from advertisements on your website.
  • Restricts Redirection – Free web hosting providers do not offer the ability to redirect user traffic from your website to a different domain of your choice. This restricts your ability to create redirections, and makes your website static, which can have an adverse effect on your plans to grow your website to higher levels.

Things Your Hosting Providers Will Never Tell You


There are numerous facets of web hosting that providers might not reveal to clients upfront. Being cognizant of these concealed facts can assist you in making well-informed choices when selecting a hosting provider. Here are some things your hosting provider may not disclose to you:

Unlimited resources aren’t truly unlimited: Numerous hosting providers promote “unlimited” resources, such as storage and bandwidth. However, in reality, there are often limitations or “fair use” policies in place to prevent misuse. If your website begins consuming an excessive amount of resources, your provider may restrict your performance or even suspend your account.

Server performance can be influenced by other websites: In shared hosting environments, multiple websites are hosted on a single server. If one website on the server experiences a spike in traffic or utilises a large amount of resources, it can adversely affect the performance of other websites on the same server.

  • Security is not infallible: While hosting providers implement measures to protect their servers and your website, no security system is flawless. Your website may still be susceptible to hacking, DDoS attacks, or data breaches. It’s crucial to take your own security precautions, such as using robust passwords, keeping software up to date, and incorporating SSL certificates.
  • Regular backups are not assured: Some hosting providers include regular backups as part of their service, but they may not always be dependable or accessible when required. It’s vital to create your own backups and store them in a separate location to ensure you can restore your website in the event of data loss or server failure.
  • Customer support quality may differ: The quality of customer support can vary considerably between hosting providers. Some may provide 24/7 support with rapid response times, whilst others may have limited support hours and longer waiting times. It’s crucial to research a provider’s customer support reputation before committing to their service.
  • You may encounter downtime: No hosting provider can guarantee 100% uptime. There will inevitably be instances of server maintenance, hardware failures, or other issues that can cause your website to go offline temporarily. Be mindful of your provider’s uptime guarantee and their track record for maintaining reliable service.
  • Hidden fees or additional costs: Some hosting providers may advertise low prices but have concealed fees or charge extra for essential features, such as SSL certificates, domain registration, or additional email accounts. Be sure to read the terms and conditions thoroughly and comprehend all costs involved before signing up for a hosting plan.
  • You may be locked into a long-term contract: Many hosting providers offer discounted rates for customers who commit to long-term contracts, sometimes lasting several years. Before signing up for a long-term plan, ensure that you’re content with the provider’s performance and support, as breaking a contract early can result in substantial fees.

For any businessperson, the cost of business operations is crucial. While it’s not feasible to obtain top-notch services for free, eCommerce and website owners consistently seek cost-effective and straightforward solutions for web hosting. In numerous of our best web hosting UK reviews, we have demonstrated how you can effortlessly reduce website hosting expenses with our extremely enticing discount codes and coupons for web hosting.

At Website Hosting Reviews, we always make certain to keep our readers informed about the latest methods for obtaining the finest web hosting in the UK at the most reasonable prices.

What To Ask Before Choosing a Web Hosting?


Before opting for any website hosting services, it is highly advised to have your priorities sorted. As a website owner, it is crucial that you are aware of your requirements and know the essential features and tools needed for your specific website to function well.

Our expert hosting services specialists have outlined a few points on what to ask before selecting a web hosting service.

#1. Does hosting come with a free domain?

Domain registration has become almost entirely free with the majority of the top UK hosting service companies today. Ensure your chosen website hosting provider offers a free domain with their hosting plans, reducing costs when launching your new website.

#2. Is free SSL encryption provided?

SSL, short for Secure Sockets Layer, is a critical online security protocol. It’s essential that your selected website hosting provider includes free SSL encryption with hosting plans to guarantee privacy, authentication, and data integrity for online communications.

#3. Is 24/7 support available?

As with any technical service, web hosting services can sometimes face issues. To ensure quick resolution and minimise downtime for your website, confirm that the hosting services also offer round-the-clock customer support to website owners.

#4. Is website migration free or paid?

Website migration involves moving from one website host service to another. No one can predict when you might find a better deal for website hosting than your current service provider offers. In such cases, you should be able to transfer your website data and files from your existing web host to the new one without charge. Some web host service providers may charge a nominal fee; however, the website migration option has essentially become free today.

#5. What are the backup and security systems?

Website data security should be a top priority. With the increasing instances of websites being hacked globally, it’s crucial that your chosen web host also offers regular backup and advanced online security systems with their hosting plans.

#6. Data centres

Data centres are the backbone of website hosting services. The number and location of data centres are vital to ensure uninterrupted user traffic to your website. The location of data centres is important for security purposes, while the number of data centres mostly indicates the expansiveness and advancement of the host provider’s hosting network.

#7. What is the uptime?

No owner wants their website to go offline due to technical or physical issues. Therefore, always ensure to check the uptime assurance provided by your chosen website hosting service to guarantee that your website is online round the clock and downtime is minimised as much as possible.

#8. Is there a money-back guarantee?

With increasing consumer awareness, almost all service providers offer some form of money-back guarantee to their customers. A money-back guarantee is an excellent way to avoid the risk of long-term commitment to an unsatisfactory host service provider, and you can easily get your paid amount back within the specified time period if you are dissatisfied with their website hosting services. Make sure to read the specific terms and conditions of the money-back guarantee carefully before selecting any website hosting plan.

#9. Will I get cPanel access?

cPanel, short for Control Panel, is an online GUI powered by Linux. cPanel makes website control and server management extremely easy. With cPanel, website owners can easily publish and update their websites, manage multiple domains simultaneously, organise web files, create numerous email accounts, and more. Ensure your chosen website hosting service provides complete cPanel access with the hosting plans.

#10. Is it Environment-Friendly?

The vast, global network known as the internet consists of servers and client computers connected to one another. The tremendous energy required to operate and manage these servers also results in significant emissions, which can be harmful to the environment. However, leading UK web hosting service providers are taking measures to minimise their carbon footprint and make their servers and data centres more eco-friendly. Contribute your part in keeping our planet healthy by choosing web hosting that is conscientious about the climate.

#11. Are Email Accounts included?

Every leading web hosting provider offers one or more email accounts, even with the most basic subscription plans. Emails featuring your domain names are incredibly useful for a successful website. Ensure that your chosen web hosting provider also includes free email accounts with their hosting plans.

#12. Do They Provide Data Backup Services in the Basic Hosting Plan?

Data backup is crucial, particularly given the numerous cyber attacks reported worldwide. Even if you are subscribed to the most basic and affordably priced hosting plan, it is essential to ensure that your website host provides regular and secure website data backup for optimal security.

#13. What Are the Hosting Renewal Prices?

Web hosting subscription plans are typically signed for a one-year term, although website hosts also offer plans for shorter or longer periods. However, when your current subscription expires, you will need to renew it before your domain expires. Check the hosting renewal prices with your chosen host service provider before paying the initial subscription fee to avoid unexpected charges later on.

#14. Are there any Hidden Fees?

Hidden charges are an unfortunate aspect of many service industries, and the web hosting industry is no exception. Sometimes, unscrupulous web hosting companies offer services claiming to be free but then start to accumulate and charge you hidden fees at the most critical moments. To avoid this issue, ask the hosting company to clearly outline the total charges for their services before paying the subscription amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What Is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is essentially a plot of land that we purchase on the internet. The services provided by different companies vary. Some companies design and provide everything for their customers (good support, website backup systems, design, and more), while others simply give us space on the internet and leave the rest to us. Choosing a web host is crucial as it acts as a direct link between us and our clients, so we need to keep certain things in mind while selecting a web host. Firstly, we must consider our requirements, such as the number of people needed to manage the server, the expected traffic, and, most importantly, our budget.

Q: Which Web Hosting Plan Should I Choose?

There are numerous web hosting plans depending on users’ needs. Some sites offer free web hosting, while others provide web hosting for a small fee. As users, we need to consider our requirements before choosing a plan. A plan that seems expensive might not fulfil our basic needs. Sometimes, more affordable plans are more flexible and offer better options than the pricier plans. So, when choosing a hosting service, we must assess our needs and select a plan accordingly.

Q: What is Server Location?

In today’s world, everyone wants instant results; nobody wants to wait for a website to load. That’s why the web hosting server location is an important factor when selecting a web host. Always choose the best domain hosting before launching your website project, and if you decide to host your website overseas, you can also check UK website hosting reviews for better understanding and compatibility. Furthermore, your chosen server must be located in a secure location with a reliable protection system to ensure business continuity and connectivity in the event of a disaster.

Q: What is Disc Space?

Disk space is the amount of storage assigned to the website owner by the hosting companies. Whether you are creating a single webpage or multiple webpages, you need an appropriate amount of web space. The real drawback of disk space is that once the storage is full, there’s no more room for files. So, always compare web hosting plans before purchasing, and choose the one that provides adequate space. For more information, you can also search the internet for the top 10 best web hosting services and select one that offers sufficient space.

Q: What is Bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred between your website and the rest of the internet. In simple terms, if bandwidth is a tunnel, the larger the tunnel, the more cars can pass through it. The main question is, how much bandwidth do you need? The estimate for bandwidth can be calculated using the simple formula: “Bandwidth = Average page views x Average page size x Average daily visitors x Number of days in the month”. Generally, the best domain hosting companies offer bandwidth in terms of gigabytes. For more affordability, you may also turn to cheap hosting services, which can provide excellent web hosting facilities at a price you can afford.
A subdomain is a name under your primary domain name; for instance, if your domain name is yourdomain.com, a subdomain for your website would be “subdomain.yourdomain.com”. The best thing about using a subdomain is that it doesn’t require any registration – the company will register it for you. Generally, all your plans include domains and subdomains. If you’d like more understanding, you may also check the best cheap web hosting companies’ reviews.

Q: What is CND and Content Delivery Network?

To minimise the distance between visitors and your website server, a CDN stores the cached version of content in multiple geographical web hosting locations. CDNs play a significant role in surpassing the computing resources of traditional web hosting in order to deliver rich and high-quality content in a reliable and cost-effective manner, especially when content delivery networks, such as Key CDN, are used for multimedia content. If you want the power of flexibility on your website, always go with the most popular top 10 web hosting services, because these services have only one aim – to offer you the perfect plan that increases your online presence and converts your visitors into customers.

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