I was recently creating a brand new website for another project that I am doing (not related to Geeky Gorevan), when I realised that I was just going on autopilot and going with my usual web hosting, without really thinking about the options that I have in this day and age (I’ve been using Ionos (previously 1&1) for well over a decade).
If you have been on my site before, you know what that means… A new ‘No BS’ project! Usually these kinds of pages are received very well by my readers, simply because I don’t pull any punches, and just tell you the actual truth behind my experiences, and don’t take bribes from the companies, unlike the majority of the internet!
The prices will vary slightly depending on what offers are available, so please make sure that you read the T&Cs carefully before you sign up. It’s also worth noting that the prices are excluding VAT too.
Disclaimer for transparency, I will include affiliate links where I can for if you would like to support me (It’s probably only £1 if you use them), but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, It’s completely fine! I’m here to help you, not make a quick buck!
So let me just outline what the idea is for the page, before we get started. I’m going to sign up with each of the companies on the list to create a basic website, choosing the cheapest 12-month option (if available). I know it’s a 12-month contract for every single one of these companies, but I’m hoping that the experience will help you make your decision easier, and that’s how I get my kicks on here! I’ll list my recommendation based on that experience, and if I need to, companies to avoid…
| Company Name | Price |
| Ionos (Formerly 1&1) | £48 per year, with the same monthly pricing |
| Fasthosts | £50.49 for the first year, then £96 for the second year |
| Hostinger | £143.52 for the contract (48 months), then £131.88 per year afterwards, if you forget to cancel |
| GoDaddy | £47.88 for the first year, then a whopping £300.85 if you forget to cancel. (DO NOT USE!) |
| SiteGround | £23.88 for the first year, then £167.88 if you forget to cancel |
| Bluehost | £45.48 for the first year, then £107.88 for the second year |
| Wix | £108 per year (£9 per month), with same monthly pricing |
Ionos
Price
£48 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as £3 per month for 6 months, then £5 per month for the remainder. The renewal price is also £5 per month afterwards, which is nice and transparent.
Pros
- Well-known brand
- Reliable service
- Good customer service
- Transparent pricing
- Free email address
- Free domain name
Cons
- The only con that I can think of is that if you are a pro at wordpress websites, you might find the AI tool a bit annoying, because it is catered to people who aren’t as seasoned in websites, but for the majority of us, that isn’t a problem!
Summary
Firstly, let’s start off with my go-to web hosting company, Ionos (formerly known as 1&1). You will probably already know about IONOS because they advertise all over the place and are an established company, especially in the UK.
Ionos has an AI web builder that helps you build your pages. All you have to do is describe what you want, and it will build it for you!
Click here to see the current offers
Fasthosts
Price
£50.49 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as 45p for the first 6 months, then £8 per month for thereafter. The renewal price is also £8 per month, which is nice and transparent.
Pros
- Very cheap for the first 6 months
- Free .co.uk domain name
- Free email address
Cons
- Although it boasts that it is cheap, the monthly cost after the introductory offer is expensive.
- Not a well-established brand name like others on the list.
Summary
Let’s move on to a hosting provider that I hadn’t heard of before, Fasthosts. I don’t know a whole lot about this company, but the adverts and deals pages boast that they are super cheap and prices start from just 45p. The marketing says that the 45p package isn’t even the basic version, so it looked like a score!
Click here to see the current offers
Hostinger
Price
£143.52 total price over the 48-month contract (£35.88 per year).
This is broken down as £2.99 per month, with 2 months free (which didn’t work, it was full price). This, however, auto-renews at £10.99 per month, which is £131.88 per year!
Pros
- Somewhat established company in the online space
- Free domain name
- Free email address
Cons
- Only does 18-month contracts
- Auto-renews at a really high cost
Summary
Hostinger is not an overly common hosting company, especially not in my circles, but I know that some online brands have used them in the past (mostly bloggers trying to get you to sign up, mind you!). The drawback of using this company is that they only offer 48-month contracts, so the pricing for this page is a little skewed… in the price section above, I gave the total contract cost, then what that would be in a year figure.
In essence, this company lures you in with a reasonable price, but bets on you forgetting to cancel the contract at the end, and stings you with a big bill.
Click here to see the current offers
GoDaddy
Price
£47.88 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as £3.99 per month. The renewal price is £197.87 for the year for the hosting + £89.99 for the SSL certificate + £12.99 domain name cost (£300.85 in total).
Pros
- Well-known brand throughout the world
- Reliable service
- Free 1-year domain name
Cons
- Uses unclear jargon, while seeming transparent, to confuse the buyer
- Auto-renews at a ridiculous price
- No email included (3-month trial that you are charged more for afterwards)
Summary
I just want to say that if you are considering going with GoDaddy for your website, you NEED to reconsider. This company relies on the forgetfulness of its customers, charging the whole lump sum upfront, making sure that if you do forget to cancel, you are hit with a £300.85 bill for your troubles. How this company is still in business is a tragedy.
Click here to see their website, but do not buy from them, please.
SiteGround
Price
£23.88 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as £1.99 per month. The renewal price £13.99 per month afterwards (£167.88 for the year)
Pros
- Cheapest for the first year of service
- Transparent with their costings
- Free domain name
- Free email address
Cons
- Auto-renews at a very high price
- Not a well-known brand
Summary
Unfortunately, this is another company that has built its business model on your forgetfulness. This is technically the cheapest hosting out there at the moment, but if you were to forget to cancel, you will be stung for £167.88 for the second year. It is, however, upfront and transparent about this catch, which is positive, I suppose.
Click here to see the current offers
Bluehost
Price
£45.48 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as £3.79 per month. The renewal price is £8.99 per month afterwards (£107.88 for the second year)
Pros
- Well-known brand for marketing companies/influencers
- Good customer service
- Free domain name
Cons
- Higher auto-renewal cost
- No email address included
Bluehost is a well-known name, especially in the marketing and influencer space. You will probably have heard them sponsoring marketing videos/podcasts or have people talking about how good their customer service is. While mostly positive, the only gripe is the auto-renewal price. It isn’t as bad as some of their competitors, but raising the price by over double if you forget to cancel doesn’t sit right with me.
Click here to see the current offers
Wix
Price
£108 total price over the 12-month contract.
This is broken down as £9 per month. The renewal price is also £9 per month afterwards, which is nice and transparent.
Pros
- Well-known brand
- User-friendly if you don’t know how to build a website
- Reliable service
- Free domain name
Cons
- Expensive
- Not able to use WordPress (which is superior in my opinion)
- No email address included
Wix do a lot of online advertising, especially on YouTube, so chances are that you have heard about them. They boast about their easy-to-use platform that helps you build a website without any knowledge, in just a few clicks. The pricing is simple at £9 per month. I would only recommend this option if you have no knowledge of WordPress, or frankly, don’t care about the bells and whistles that come with a WordPress website.
Click here to see the current offers
