How much does web hosting cost in the UK?

Search for web hosting and you’ll see prices from under £1 a month to well over £50. Here’s what drives the difference, and how to work out what you should actually expect to pay.

The main types, and what they typically cost

• Shared hosting: the right choice for most small business websites. Expect to pay from a few pounds a month for a single site, up to around £15 a month for plans that host several sites with priority support.
• Managed WordPress hosting: shared or dedicated hosting where the host also looks after WordPress updates and security. Usually costs more than basic shared hosting, because you’re paying for people’s time.
• VPS and cloud servers: your own dedicated resources. Typically from around £10 a month for a small server, rising with processor, memory and storage.
• Reseller hosting: for agencies and freelancers hosting client websites under their own brand. Usually priced by the number of accounts you can create.

Why the headline price can mislead

• Introductory prices. A low first-term price often renews at two or three times as much. Always check the renewal price. We explain the renewal trap here.
• Long commitments. The cheapest monthly figure often requires paying for two or three years up front.
• VAT. Some hosts show prices without VAT, adding 20% at checkout.
• Paid extras. SSL certificates, backups, malware protection, email and website migration are free with some hosts and paid add-ons with others.

How to compare fairly

Work out the total cost over three years, including renewals, VAT and the extras you’ll need. Then compare what’s included that affects your business directly:

• Are backups included, how often, and where are they stored?
• Is malware protection included on the cheapest plan?
• Will they move your existing website for free?
• When something breaks, who do you talk to?

What’s too cheap?

Hosting has real costs: servers, software licences, electricity and the people who keep everything running. Several of those costs are rising, including control panel licences. A price far below the market usually means the money is made back somewhere else: at renewal, through upsells, or by cutting support.