cost of website hosting uk explained with real-world examples
What drives pricing
The headline cost depends on resources, support, and contract terms. In the UK, shared hosting often runs £2–£6 per month, managed WordPress £10–£30, VPS £15–£40, and dedicated or cloud setups from £60+. Factor VAT, data centre location (London or Manchester), and whether SSL, email, and backups are included. Many hosts bundle basic SSL, but off-site backups or malware scans can add £2–£10 monthly.
How to compare plans
Look past teaser rates. Check renewal pricing, NVMe storage, bandwidth policies, CPU/RAM limits, and support SLAs. An uptime claim of 99.99% versus 99.9% matters for shops. Prefer providers offering free migrations, staging, and a clear exit policy. Annual billing often yields a discount without locking you into a multi‑year gamble.
- Starter: Blog or portfolio on shared hosting; target under £60/year including a .uk domain.
- Growing: VPS or managed WordPress; budget £20–£50/month with daily backups.
- High‑traffic: Cloud or dedicated; expect £80+/month and a CDN.
Tip: Calculate total cost of ownership, including renewals, add‑ons, and potential overage fees.