Best cloud hosting providers of 2024
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Finding the right cloud host in the United Kingdom can be a real challenge. There are so many key features to compare, such as RAM, vCPUs, disk space, SSLs, security features, customer support, and pricing, that users might find frustrating.
Luckily, I’ve already done the research for you. Looking at product pages, our speed tests, reviews, and more – I ranked 7 best UK cloud hosting services with impressive performance, affordable prices, and comprehensive support for UK customers.
By the end of this article, you should have the perfect cloud host for your specific needs. So, let’s get started.
7 best cloud web hosts 2024 – in short
- Bluehost – the best cloud hosting in the UK overall
- Hostinger – UK cloud hosting well suited to beginners
- SiteGround – cloud host for expert support and performance
- IONOS – best web host for fast-growing businesses
- Microsoft Azure – enterprise-favorite cloud hosting
- HostGator – cheap UK cloud hosting solution
- Google Cloud Platform – cloud host for scalable packages
Best cloud hosting services – detailed overview
After carefully analysing reviews, pricing, limitations, customer support options, security features, and more, I am confident I’ve found the 7 best UK cloud hosting services.
1. Bluehost – all-in-all, the best UK cloud host
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | £23.99/month |
| Features: | Up to 225GB SSD storage, up to 150vCPU threads, unrestricted bandwidth |
| Best deal: | Get up to 81% OFF Bluehost |
ffering great flexibility, Bluehost is the best cloud hosting service in the UK with a broad range of performance options and easy-to-use apps on affordable plans.
Features. Bluehost cloud hosting plans include:
- 10-225GB storage (approximately 56,250 images, 1.15M text files, 112.5 hours of HD video)
- Up to 150 vCPU threads (750 moderate tasks or 300 heavy tasks)
- Automatic WordPress and Plugin updates
- 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support, as well as knowledgebase
Performance. With up to 150 vCPUs, it can handle up to 22.5 million monthly visitors. What I also like about Bluehost’s cloud hosting is that it offers unrestricted bandwidth. Besides, its premium CDN ensures excellent load times.
More about Bluehost. Bluehost also uses cPanel, which is pretty straightforward to use. There are plenty of easy-to-use apps for beginners. Plus, all cloud packages include 24/7 support with live chat, email, and call options. What’s more, Bluehost includes essential security features, like DDoS protection, Realtime Security Scan, Anti-Malware, and Realtime Backup. To optimise your site’s performance and SEO rankings, Bluehost offers the Yoast SEO Premium plugin.
Price. Bluehost is very affordable, starting at £23.99/month for two vCPUs. Although Bluehost cloud hosting plans might seem pricey compared to other providers on my list, the quality of the service outweighs it. Besides, you can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee should you not like the service.
2. Hostinger – beginner-friendly cloud host
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | £7.64/month |
| Features: | Up to 300GB NVMe storage, up to 6 CPU cores, unlimited bandwidth |
| Best deal: | Get up to 87% OFF Hostinger + free months |
Hostinger delivers fast-performing cloud services, UK servers, 24/7 support, and a range of easy-to-use tools, making it the best option for beginners.
Features. Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans include:
- Up to 300GB storage (approximately 75,000 images, 1.5M text files, 150 hours of HD video)
- Up to 6 CPU cores (30 moderate tasks or 12 heavy tasks)
- Up to 12GB RAM (6 moderate tasks or 3 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 live chat support, email support, and knowledgebase
Performance. Hostinger’s tech caters to most cloud hosting users, handling up to 225,000 visitors on its most extensive plan – enough for the average business. Plus, with London servers, unique optimising features, and LightSpeed technology, it offers impressive load times.
More about Hostinger. All hosting plans include premium-level 24/7 chat support. But thanks to the cloud host's custom-developed control panel, hPanel, it’s easy to set up and use without assistance. With every plan, you also get a free domain, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited SSL certificates, daily backups, and unlimited website migrations.
Price. Starting at just £7.64/month on a 48-month term, Hostinger is affordable for most small businesses. Its cheapest plan renews at £12.99 – excellent considering the performance and practical tools (especially for beginners).
3. SiteGround – a reliable UK cloud host
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | £60.00/month |
| Features: | Up to 160GB SSD space, up to 16 CPU cores, 5TB data transfer |
| Best deal: | Get up to 83% OFF SiteGround + FREE TRANSFER |
With high-performing tech, premium customer support, and valuable apps, SiteGround is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a reliable cloud host.
Features. SiteGround cloud hosting plans offer:
- Up to 160GB storage (approximately 40,000 images, 819K text files, 80 hours of HD video)
- Up to 16 CPU cores (80 moderate tasks or 32 heavy tasks)
- Up to 20GB RAM (10 moderate tasks or 5 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support and knowledgebase
Performance. You can choose between 4-16 vCPUs, 8-20GB RAM, and 40-160GB SSD storage, giving you a ton of processing power (covering up to 1 million visitors) and great flexibility. To enhance overall performance, Siteground offers an Ultrafast PHP setup.
More about Siteground. Siteground offers an excellent introduction to cloud hosting for beginners with a 24/7 chat and email support and even a local UK phone number to call. Besides, it gives a custom control panel, Site Tools, which I found incredibly easy to navigate.
Price. SiteGround starts slightly higher than most cloud hosts – £60.00/month, excluding VAT. However, its most basic plan handles a lot of traffic – making it ideal for mid-sized businesses and successful startups.
4. IONOS – flexible UK-based hosting solution
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | £7.00/month |
| Features: | Up to 480GB SSD storage, up to 24 vCores, unlimited traffic |
| Best deal: | Get up to 91% OFF IONOS |
IONOS offers UK cloud hosting with a wide range of customisable options, making it perfect for those who need flexibility.
Features. IONOS cloud hosting plans feature:
- Up to 480GB storage (approximately 120,000 images, 2.45M text files, 240 hours of HD video)
- Up to 24 CPU cores (120 moderate tasks or 48 heavy tasks)
- Up to 48GB RAM (24 moderate tasks or 12 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 phone and email support, live chat, and knowledgebase
Performance. Whether you’re a small startup, enterprise CEO, or tech developer, IONOS has the necessary resources and tools. There are 7 vCPU options (up to 24), 9 RAM choices (up to 48GB,) and London-based servers ensuring top speeds for UK-based visitors.
More about IONOS. IONOS uses the popular and user-loved Plesk control panel, which is fairly intuitive. If you ever need help, IONOS has a UK phone number to call and a friendly 24/7 email support team.
Price. With monthly prices between £7.00 and £420.00, IONOS offers the perfect middle ground for companies that are moving toward enterprise-level and need something scalable.
5. Microsoft Azure – great cloud host for UK enterprises
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| Starting price: | From $200 free credit |
| Features: | Customizable storage, CPU, and RAM |
| Best deal: | Check Microsoft Azure Web Apps pricing |
Thanks to its robust performance, vast scalability, seamless integration with Microsoft products, flexible pricing, and UK support, Microsoft Azure is one of the best choices for UK enterprises.
Features. All Microsoft Azure cloud hosting plans include:
- Up to 1TB storage (approximately 250,000 images, 5.12M text files, 500 hours of HD video)
- Up to 64 CPU cores (320 moderate tasks or 128 heavy tasks)
- Up to 256GB RAM (128 moderate tasks or 64 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support and support center
Performance. Microsoft Azure caters to large companies, handling up to 200 million visitors on a single cloud server. However, thanks to its customisable plans, even a small business, especially one already using Microsoft Apps, can benefit from its services.
More about Microsoft Azure. Microsoft’s Azure portal improves usability. But with such complex configurations, you might still need help. Thankfully, it offers 24/7 expert-level service with live chat, email, and UK phone support.
Price. Azure’s prices range from completely free (60 minutes of shared CPU use daily) to £1000+ for enterprise-level performance, so there’s something for all budgets.
6. Google Cloud web hosting – UK cloud host with advanced tech and fair prices
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | From $300 free credit |
| Features: | Customizable storage, CPU, and RAM |
| Best deal: | Check Google Cloud Web Hosting pricing |
Google Cloud web hosting has London-based servers with scalable, high-performing technology – ideal for businesses with high traffic demands from UK residents.
Features: Google Cloud web hosting plans offer:
- Up to 9TB storage (2.25M images, 46M text files, 4,500 hours HD video)
- Up to 96 CPU cores (480 moderate tasks or 192 heavy tasks)
- Up to 360GB RAM (180 moderate tasks or 90 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support and knowledge centre
Performance. Google Cloud has enough processing power for even the largest enterprises (up to 108 million visitors). Plus, thanks to its highly customisable packages, you can get the exact performance you need.
More about Google Cloud. The Cloud Management Console allows for easy integration with familiar Google apps and APIs. But with so many options, it might seem overwhelming. Luckily, all cloud hosting plans come with 24/7 support.
Price. Its services usually cost between £37 and £816, suitable for most budgets. However, Google Cloud gives a $300 credit to test the service for free. Some free tiers, like the e2-micro VM, include 30GB of disk space and 1GB of outbound bandwidth.
7. HostGator – UK web hosting for affordable cloud deals
| Rating: | |
| Starting price: | $4.95/month |
| Features: | Unmetered storage, up to 3 CPU cores, unmetered bandwidth |
| Best deal: | Get up to 81% OFF HostGator |
HostGator offers user-friendly cloud servers at incredible prices, making it the perfect choice for budget-conscious UK customers.
Features. HostGator cloud hosting plans include:
- Unmetered storage (unlimited images, text files, and HD videos based on usage)
- Up to 3 CPU cores (15 moderate tasks or 6 heavy tasks)
- Up to 8GB RAM (4 moderate tasks or 2 heavy tasks)
- 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support and knowledgebase
Performance. HostGator offers up to 3 vCPUs and 8GB RAM (75,000 monthly visitors) – decent for small businesses. Unfortunately, HostGator doesn’t have any UK server options, limiting local performance.
More about HostGator. It uses a control panel most developers are familiar with, cPanel, which is known for being user-friendly. For help, there’s 24/7 chat, email, and phone (international) support.
Price. What HostGator lacks in performance and UK support it makes up for with price.Its cloud hosting plans start at just $4.95/month on a 36-month term with a free domain – perfect for small businesses and tight budgets.
Compare the best cloud hosting providers
Take a look at the table below to compare the best UK cloud hosting options and features to pick the perfect plan for you.
| Hosting provider | CPU | RAM | Price range | CDN | UK server location |
| Bluehost | 2-150 vCPU threads | N/A | From £23.99 | Yes, Cloudflare | N/A |
| Hostinger | 2-6 CPU cores | 3-12GB | From £8.99 | Yes, Cloudflare | ✅ Yes |
| SiteGround | 4-16 CPU cores | 8-20GB | From £60.00 | Yes, Cloudflare | ✅ Yes, London |
| IONOS | 1-24 vCores | 512MB-48GB | From £7.00 | Yes, IONOS CDN | ✅ Yes, London |
| Microsoft Azure | 1-64 vCPUs | 1GB-1TB | From free | Yes, Azure CDN | ✅ Yes |
| Google Cloud | Shared-96 vCPUs | 0.9-360GB | From free | Yes, Google Cloud CDN | ✅ Yes, London |
| HostGator | 1-3 vCPUs | 2-8GB | From $4.95/month | Yes, TrueSpeed CDN | ❌ No |
Cloud hosting testing and ranking methodology
To find the best UK cloud hosting solution, together with our research team I researched multiple hosting providers on the UK market. After reviewing, I selected and tested these services according to our host testing guidelines. Here are the main criteria we followed:
- Performance (30%). Scanning cloud host sites, I noted key metrics such as vCPUs, RAM, and SSD storage options. Unique features like caching, custom dashboards, and unique apps also helped me rank each provider.
- UK support (20%). I ranked hosts with UK features, such as London-based servers and local phone lines, higher.
- Monthly visitors (20%). Based on the average cloud host’s ability to handle 25,000 visitors with 2VCPUs and 4GB RAM, I researched how many monthly visitors each cloud host can handle. Note that your experience may differ.
- Usability (15%). Our research team tested control panels for each cloud host and ranked how user-friendly each is.
- Pricing (15%). I listed pricing for each host’s cloud offerings, created a comparison table, and selected the best value offers.
You should know:
- I used BlueHost’s estimate. Bluehost doesn’t share RAM information, so I couldn’t calculate it myself. However, our research team reviewed Bluehost, and we’re confident in its performance.
- I made some exceptions. Enterprise cloud hosts like Google Cloud offer complex deals. I didn’t account for every possible option with these hosts, but I got enough data to get a good idea of the processing power.
Final thoughts
Bluehost is the best UK cloud host overall. With affordable options, reasonable scalability, apps that enhance performance, and helpful customer service, it offers the perfect balance of service offerings for the average UK customer.
However, the best provider for you depends on your specific needs. If you want a UK support line or to host a site with more than 200,000 visitors, consider Hostinger or SiteGround instead. All of my listed cloud hosting providers are great for UK users, depending on their individual needs.
Best cloud hosting FAQ
Which is the best hosting server?
Overall, Bluehost offers the best cloud hosting for UK residents and business owners. It provides premium apps, top-tier customer service, an easy-to-use control panel, and high-performing servers.
What is the most used cloud hosting?
Amazon Web Services is the most used cloud hosting provider globally, with an estimated 33% market share. However, Microsoft’s Azure isn’t that far behind, currently at approximately 25%.
Which cloud server is the fastest?
Azure offers some of the fastest cloud servers thanks to its efficient caching, autoscaling, advanced CDN, and powerful hardware capable of handling 200 million visitors on a single plan. Of course, the fastest cloud server for you depends on your needs – Bluehost shows excellent cloud server performance as well.
Is cloud hosting the best?
Yes, cloud hosting is best in general. Although hosting needs differ, it offers an affordable, scalable, and reliable solution suitable for most businesses. You can quickly change plans, so you don’t need to worry about traffic spikes. Uptime is often better, security is improved, and there’s less risk of overspending on resources.
