I seem to be constantly looking for the best UK web hosting service, either to try out new projects or else when an existing host becomes insufferably bad.
I’ve had various recommendations over the months and compiled most of them onto a wiki page: Web Hosting but it’s hard to do any kind of comparison so I usually have several in a state of trial at any one time. Moving stuff over from one web host to another is not exactly trivial so it’s a bit like the home utilities companies, you get stuck with a service you know isn’t necessarily the best value – inertia I think they call it. Then there’s the whole question of whether ti use UK web hosting at all or take advantage of some very cheap US hosting deals. Overselling is another thorny topic.
Maybe someone out there knows better, what’s the best web hosting you’ve used so far?
Andy Roberts is a writer who initiated DARnet. Contact me on aroberts@gmail.com or @aroberts on twitter
I use 1and1 and I believe they have a UK operation. On the rare occasions, I have had some problem, it was resolved promptly. Sometimes it was even “my” problem as opposed to “theirs”. Now I may be blissfully unaware, but that’s my pov. ymmv, fjohn
I agree about 1and1 – very easy to use as you can add domains very easily to your hosting package without having to deal with nameservers. But I also use Hostgator, as their pricing is very good, and for their cpanel interface.
I had looked at loads of hosting services years ago but didn’t like what I found on offer. Wanting to host many domains that seems to have been the real issue. They wanted more and more for each new domain added, etc, etc.
I ended up just going for my own server (not a VPS or shared server). It costs me $99/mth US and gives me complete freedom and more bandwidth then I know what to do with. I actually now have 2 servers both out of need and to provide some redundancy.
It’s not as daunting as it may seem, and depending on how many domains you want to host it may work out to be cheaper. There are of course some trade offs, you do need to manage the server yourself (not a problem for me as I’m an IT professional anyhow).
As for the question of using a UK provider for “speed”? I get less then 100ms response times to my servers in Texas.. 80-100ms average.. most UK hosted sites are about the same (some are even slower, go figure). The actual location of the server is, generally speaking, quite irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Just my £0.0136p (2 cents) worth
All the hosting sites have stupid pricing plans – 2.49 per month for the first six months, which goes up to 4.99 per month after that, with a special offer of three months free, then add in the £9 set up fee and add on VAT.
I would be amazed if these people get any customers with prices like that.
I’m going with Web Mania – £24 per year. I have spent hours trawling the internet trying to find the best deal – not sure if it works out to be the cheapest, but at least this one has an open pricing plan.
We have used webmani for 3 years, not anymore though. Since they moved their operations to India they have caused us no end of problems with the security of their servers, we have had many pass word changes to our FTP as well as login to control panels changed.
All because their Indian employees are bent as hell and the latest problems of malicious script being run on their servers caused Google to blacklist our website as harmfull to your computer!!!
Yes it may be very cheap webhosting but when it goes wrong (happening more all the time) its hard to get anything out of their indian employees who tell you its your problem and that they will email you etc etc etc.
We are changing our web hosts this week as we have had enough.
I’m with Webmania on a friend’s recommendation… not for much longer I suspect.
Website got hacked the other week and their IT support is terrible – it sometimes seems like they haven’t even read your message…
Hello,
I been with one of the best UK webhosting for 6 months now its http://www.webhost.uk.net
Very happy with there support and service.
Regards,
Kiran