The Best Web Hosting in the UK Under £20: Your 2025 Step-by-Step Guide
Launching a website is one of the most exciting steps you can take for your business, blog, or passion project. But let’s be honest: the world of web hosting can feel like a maze of technical jargon and confusing pricing. If you’re based in the UK and want a fantastic start without breaking the bank, you’ve come to the right place.
You don’t need to spend a fortune to get reliable, fast, and feature-rich hosting. In fact, you can get top-tier web hosting for under £20 for your entire first year.
This guide will cut through the noise. We’ll compare the best UK hosting providers, break down what you actually get for your money, and walk you through the process of getting your web online, step-by-step.
Why Choosing a UK-Based Web Hosting Server Matters
Before we dive in, let’s address a key question: does server location matter? Absolutely. For a UK audience, hosting your website on servers located in the UK is crucial for two main reasons:
- Faster Loading Speeds: The physical distance between your visitor and the server affects load time. A UK server means data has a shorter distance to travel, resulting in a snappier experience for your users.
- Better SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Google and other search engines use site speed as a ranking factor. A faster site can rank higher. Furthermore, a local server location can be a slight positive signal for local search results.
All the providers listed here offer data centres in London or elsewhere in the UK, ensuring optimal performance for your visitors.
Top 5 Best Web Hosting Providers in the UK Under £20
After extensive testing and research, these five providers consistently offer the best combination of price, performance, and features for new website owners.
1. ScalaHosting – Best Overall & for Performance
ScalaHosting stands out for its incredible blend of power, price, and proprietary technology. Their focus on performance and security makes them a top choice.
- Price: From £2.75/mo (on a 36-month term)
- Key Features:
- Free Domain Name
- Free SSL Certificate
- SShield – 24/7 AI-powered security that blocks 99.998% of web attacks.
- SPanel – A custom control panel (alternative to cPanel, saving you fees).
- Unlimited Email Accounts, SSD Storage, and Bandwidth on their start-up plan.
- UK Data Centre in London.
- Best For: Anyone who values security and performance right out of the gate. Their custom SPanel makes management a breeze.
2. Hostinger – Best Value for Money
Hostinger is renowned for its aggressively low prices without compromising on essential features. It’s incredibly popular for beginners for a reason.
- Price: From £1.99/mo (on a 48-month term + first 3 months FREE)
- Key Features:
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free Weekly Backups (on premium plans and above)
- User-friendly hPanel custom control panel.
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- 24/7/365 Customer Support
- UK Data Centre (London)
- Best For: Beginners and those on an extremely tight budget who still need reliable, full-featured hosting.
3. IONOS (by 1&1) – Best for UK Small Businesses
IONOS offers arguably the best starter deal on the market and has a huge presence in Europe and the UK. Their packages are tailored for small businesses, including essential tools to get started.
- Price: From £1.00/mo for the first 6 months, then £4.00/mo.
- Key Features:
- Incredible £1/mo intro offer.
- Free Domain for the first year.
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free Business Email for the first year.
- DDoS Protection included.
- UK Data Centres.
- Best For: Small businesses and solo entrepreneurs who want a professional email and domain name included from day one.
4. Krystal – Best for Ethical & Eco-Conscious Hosting
A UK-owned and operated company, Krystal is a breath of fresh air. They power their services with 100% renewable energy, have outstanding customer support, and are transparent in their pricing.
- Price: From £5/mo (on a 12-month term)
- Key Features:
- UK-Based Support Team
- 100% Renewable Energy
- Free SSL & SSD Storage
- Free Website Migration
- cPanel included.
- No sneaky price hikes on renewal.
- Best For: Those who prefer to support a independent UK business and want eco-friendly hosting without compromising on quality.
5. Namecheap – Best for Simplicity & Domain Bundles
Primarily known as a domain registrar, Namecheap’s hosting services are straightforward, reliable, and often come with great deals that bundle a domain and hosting seamlessly.
- Price: From £1.58/mo (on a 12-month term)
- Key Features:
- Free Domain Name + Privacy Protection
- Free SSL Certificate (AutoSSL)
- cPanel included.
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- UK Data Centre available.
- Best For: Those who want to register a domain and get hosting from the same simple, easy-to-use platform.
Comparison Table: UK Web Hosting Under £20
| Feature | ScalaHosting | Hostinger | IONOS | Krystal | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | £2.75/mo | £1.99/mo | £1.00/mo (6 mos) | £5.00/mo | £1.58/mo |
| Free Domain | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Free SSL | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Control Panel | SPanel | hPanel | Custom | cPanel | cPanel |
| UK Data Centre | ✅ London | ✅ London | ✅ Yes | ✅ UK-Based | ✅ Available |
| Key Strength | Security & Speed | Overall Value | Business Tools | Ethics & Support | Simplicity |
| Link | Visit Scala | Visit Hostinger | Visit IONOS | Visit Krystal | Visit Namecheap |
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Hosted in 2025
Follow these steps to get your website online in under an hour.
Step 1: Choose Your Hosting Plan
Based on the comparisons above, select the provider that best fits your needs. For this guide, we’ll use ScalaHosting as our example, but the process is very similar for all providers.
Action: Click on a plan like “Start” or “Premium” and then click “Get Started” or “Order Now.”
Step 2: Register a New Domain Name
Your domain is your website’s address (e.g., yourname.co.uk).
- On the order page, you’ll see an option to register a new domain.
- Type your desired name into the search box to check its availability.
- If it’s available, add it to your cart. If not, the provider will suggest alternatives.
Pro Tip: Choose a .co.uk, .uk, or .com domain for a UK audience.
Step 3: Choose Your Subscription Term
You’ll be asked to select a billing cycle. To lock in the lowest price (often under £20 for the first year), choose the longest term you’re comfortable with (e.g., 24 or 36 months). Remember, you’re usually covered by a money-back guarantee.
Step 4: Review the Configuration & Add-ons
The host will suggest add-ons like Site Backup, SEO tools, or enhanced security. For your first website, you can usually skip these for now. The core plan comes with everything you need to start. You can always add them later.
Step 5: Create Your Account & Checkout
Fill in your personal and payment details to create your customer account. Review the total cost (ensure it’s within your £20 budget for the term) and complete the purchase.
Step 6: Install WordPress (or Another Platform)
Most hosts offer a “one-click install” for WordPress, the world’s most popular website builder.
- Log in to your hosting account’s control panel (e.g., SPanel, hPanel, or cPanel).
- Look for a section called “WordPress Manager,” “Softaculous,” or “One-Click Installs.”
- Click on it, select WordPress, and follow the simple installation wizard. You’ll need to choose your domain name and set up an admin username and password.
Step 7: Build Your Website!
Once WordPress is installed, you can access your website’s admin area by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin. Log in with the details you just created.
From here, you can:
- Choose a theme (design) from Appearance > Themes.
- Add pages and posts from the Pages and Posts menus.
- Install plugins to add functionality from Plugins > Add New.
Congratulations! Your website is now live.
Final Verdict and Recommendation
All the hosts on this list are excellent choices for starting a website in the UK for under £20.
- For the best balance of cutting-edge features, security, and price, we recommend ScalaHosting. Their free domain, unlimited resources, and brilliant SShield security offer immense value.
- If your absolute priority is the lowest possible entry cost, Hostinger or IONOS are unbeatable, with IONOS edging ahead for including a business email.
- If supporting a principled, UK-owned company is important to you, Krystal is the clear winner.
Don’t get paralysed by choice. The best move is to start. Pick a plan, follow the steps, and you’ll have your corner of the internet ready for the world to see in no time.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support the creation of free content like this guide. I only recommend products and services I have personally used and genuinely believe in.
Write the 5 frequently asked questions with answers as well.
Of course! Here are 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that perfectly complement the blog post on UK web hosting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is web hosting under £20 actually any good?
Absolutely. The prices listed are introductory offers from reputable companies to help you get started. For your first term (usually 12-36 months), you will receive the same high-quality service, performance, and support as customers paying standard rates. These plans include all the essentials like SSD storage, free SSL certificates, and access to UK data centres, making them exceptional value.
2. What happens after my initial term ends? Will the price increase?
Yes, this is a standard practice across the hosting industry. The low introductory price is a discount for your first billing cycle. When it’s time to renew, the price will revert to the provider’s standard rate. This is why it’s important to check the renewal prices before buying. For example, a plan might be £1.99/month for the first term but £8.99/month upon renewal. Always factor this into your long-term budget.
3. Can I upgrade my plan later if my website grows?
Yes, and it’s a very straightforward process. All reputable hosts make it easy to scale up. If you start on a basic shared hosting plan and later need more power—because your traffic has surged or you need more resources—you can usually upgrade to a higher-tier shared plan, VPS, or even cloud hosting with just a few clicks from your customer dashboard, often with no downtime.
4. Do I need to know how to code to use these hosting plans?
Not at all. This is one of the biggest myths about starting a website. The recommended plans all include easy one-click installation for WordPress, which is a Content Management System (CMS). WordPress allows you to build and manage your entire website using a visual, user-friendly editor. You can choose from thousands of pre-designed templates (themes) and simply drag-and-drop elements to create a professional site without writing a single line of code.
5. What is the difference between a domain name and web hosting?
Think of it like this:
- Your Domain Name is your website’s address (e.g.,
www.mybakery.co.uk). It’s what people type into their browser to find you. - Your Web Hosting is the plot of land and the building where your website’s files and data are physically stored.