Among the different types of web hosting, managed hosting is where the service provider takes care of all the technical aspects for your business. They deliver essential IT infrastructure services that simplify day-to-day operations.
A managed hosting provider handles setup, administration, management, support, and maintenance of your server and/or applications, allowing you to focus on more pressing business tasks.
A quick search will reveal countless managed hosting providers in the UK. But how do you identify the one that’s best for your business?
To help you narrow down the options and find a service that truly fits your needs, here’s a comprehensive list of 10 reliable managed hosting partners.
1. BlackBox Hosting
Overview
BlackBox Hosting specialises in managed cloud hosting services for different industries, with a particular focus on the software sector. They also cater to private cloud hosting and support businesses with critical infrastructural solutions like BaaS and DRaaS. With high-performance RDS and support for 10,000 RDP users every day, BlackBox Hosting is extremely proud to be the leading provider of RDS in the UK.
With a robust infrastructural backing of Tier 3+ facilities on UK soil and sovereign-based hosting services, BlackBox Hosting leads the pack in our top 10 reliable managed hosting providers in the UK.
Key Features
- Fully managed UK-based servers
- Reliable cloud hosting infrastructure – never had an outage in our 10+ years of service
- Solid data backup infrastructure
- Compliance-ready with Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001
- Single-click app installs
- Performance optimisation
- Advanced 24/7 monitoring
- Customisable advanced server technologies
- Also offers RDS, co-location, and application publishing services
- Offers a 30-day trial
Ease of Use
User-centric, clean, and intuitive dashboard with powerful features
Support & Customer Service
- 24/7 technical support from UK-based experts, response within 15 minutes
- SLA-backed response times
Advantages
- Developer-friendly tools
- Blazing-fast speeds, low latency
- Excellent 99.999% network up-time guarantee
- Static, transparent billing
- UK GDPR data compliance
- Transparent pricing; no hidden fees
- Free migration support
- Complimentary DDoS and ransomware protection
- Ideal for digital agencies, SaaS builders, and eCommerce sites
Disadvantages
May not be ideal for small personal projects
Pricing
Private managed cloud services start at ~£116/month with support, unlimited bandwidth, and storage for transaction data, else £55 to £85 a server a month
2. ANS
Overview
ANS is a leading UK-based cloud and managed hosting provider catering to enterprises, public sector organisations, and growing digital businesses.
Key Features
- Managed cloud hosting (Azure, AWS, VMware)
- Kubernetes & container hosting
- Compliance-ready infrastructure
- DevOps integration available
- Supports hybrid cloud
Ease of Use
Custom onboarding and management tools for DevOps and IT teams. However, it is not ideal for solo founders or non-technical users.
Support & Customer Service
- 24/7 UK-based support with account management
- Dedicated technical engineers
Advantages
- Highly secure and compliant for regulated industries
- Deeply integrated with Microsoft and AWS ecosystems
- Enterprise-grade SLAs
Disadvantages
- Premium pricing plans; unsuitable for small businesses
- Custom quotes; no transparent pricing available on their website
Pricing
Depends on project size and compliance needs, upwards of £150+/month
3. Kinsta
Overview
Kinsta is well-known for its managed WordPress-based hosting. This Google Cloud-based platform is based out of London but is not exclusive to the UK.
Key Features
- WordPress-specific tools
- Google Cloud infrastructure
- Staging
- Daily backups
Ease of Use
Custom dashboard, unmatched user experience
Support & Customer Service
24/7 expert WordPress support
Advantages
Fast, secure, developer features like SSH, Git, and staging
Disadvantages
Costlier compared to UK-based options
Pricing
Starts at ~£24/month ($30)
4. Guru Hosting
Overview
Guru Hosting is a UK-based managed hosting company that offers optimised WordPress hosting and VPS. They believe in offering consistent support and using green energy.
Key Features
- LiteSpeed servers for better speed
- SSD/NVMe storage
- Automated backups
- Daily malware scanning
Ease of Use
Easy to use for small to mid-sized projects
Support & Customer Service
Excellent response times via live chat and tickets
Advantages
- UK data centres
- Strong eco-hosting services
- Top-notch speed and performance
Disadvantages
- Scale-up options are limited for large organisations
- Limited enterprise-grade infrastructure
Pricing
Private dedicated hosting starting from £119/month
5. Cloudways
Overview
Offering customisable and flexible managed hosting options, users can choose from different cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. Choosing a UK data centre still retains its performance, scalability, and easy server management, which it’s known for.
Key Features
- A variety of managed cloud options
- Free SSL certificates, built-in firewall, and real-time monitoring
- On-demand or Automated backups
Ease of Use
Not very user-friendly for beginners; needs some technical background for setup
Support & Customer Service
24/7 live chat, ticketing, and add-on advanced support
Advantages
- Offers a choice of cloud provider infrastructure
- 3-day free trial
Disadvantages
No domain registration or email hosting; slight learning curve
Pricing
Starts from $14/month (~£11) depending on the cloud provider
6. 20i
Overview
20i offers managed hosting with scalability and auto-scaling cloud infrastructure based in the UK. It focuses on automation and performance that helps growing businesses and resellers. They also offer green hosting.
Key Features
- Managed WordPress and managed cloud hosting options
- Global data centres
- Offers add-ons like CDN and a website acceleration suite
Ease of Use
A custom and intuitive My20i dashboard offers users an easy-to-use user interface
Support & Customer Service
- UK-based support
- Available on weekdays with extended hours
Advantages
- Affordable reseller plans
- green web hosting
- Supports auto-scaling
Disadvantages
- There’s limited phone support
- Some features are gated behind higher tiers
Pricing
Managed cloud hosting starts from £9.99/month
7. Fasthosts
Overview
With data centres in Gloucester, Fasthosts offers a scalable, managed hosting service. It’s known for offering affordable and robust infrastructure for small to medium-sized businesses.
Key Features
- Managed WordPress hosting
- Offers cloud servers
- Data backups available
Ease of Use
Basic control panel with cPanel on some plans.
Support & Customer Service
24/7 UK support via phone and chat.
Advantages
- Broad service offerings
- Affordable plans
- Good performance
Disadvantages
- Customer support quality can vary
- The interface can feel dated
Pricing
Basic WordPress hosting starts from £5/month
8. WP Engine
Overview
WP Engine is renowned for its managed WordPress hosting services supported by a strong infrastructure and reliable developer tools. Although it has a global presence, users can choose from UK-based Google Cloud data centres.
Key Features
- WordPress-specific tools
- Offers staging environments
- Security with advanced caching and threat detection
Ease of Use
Customisable dashboard, but WordPress-focused only
Support & Customer Service
24/7 global support via chat and tickets
Advantages
- Fast and secure performance
- Feature-rich enterprise-level infrastructure
Disadvantages
- High cost
- WordPress-only features
- No email hosting
- No dedicated UK-based support
Pricing
Starts at £20 for a basic plan, which rises exponentially for larger plans
9. HostPresto
Overview
HostPresto is a UK hosting service offering semi-managed and managed hosting services. Based in London, it’s known for its affordable web hosting services made available through clear pricing terms.
Key Features
- Offers a host of plans, including shared, WordPress, reseller, and cloud
- Provides full root access
- 99.9% server uptime
Ease of Use
Clean interface
Support & Customer Service
UK-based support through tickets and email
Advantages
- Transparent pricing plans
- Easy setup and onboarding for small businesses
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Disadvantages
- Limited scalability options
Pricing
Cloud hosting plans start from £34.31/month
10. SiteGround
Overview
SiteGround is a well-known global brand with UK and EU data centres. Its services combine performance, affordability, reliability, and simplicity.
Key Features
- Beginner-friendly managed WordPress plans
- Free e-mail, SSL, CDN and daily backups
Ease of Use
Very user-friendly interface with custom site tools
Support & Customer Service
24/7 live chat and ticket support
Advantages
- Easy to use
- Ideal for beginners to hosting
- Stable and fast performance
Disadvantages
- Renewal pricing is very high
- No phone support, only chat or ticket-based assistance
Pricing
Managed web hosting starts at £3.99/month but renews at £23.99/month. Prepaid for 12 months. (Ex. VAT), while cloud hosting starts at £60.00/month (Ex. VAT).
How to Choose the Best Managed Hosting Provider for Your Business?
Picking one from the above can be overwhelming, but in addition to the above-listed features, you can filter down your choice with the help of these factors:
Uptime Guarantee
Look for managed hosting providers that offer at least 99.95% uptime. Anything below this affects your revenue and SEO.
Security
The best managed hosts never compromise on security. The offer robust security from DDoS protection, malware scanning, real-time monitoring, and server-side firewalls.
Performance and Speed
Google’s benchmark for page load speed is under 2 seconds. Conversion rates drop by 4.42% with every second of load time, according to a Portent study. Choose a host with low latency and lightning-fast speed.
Scalability & Resources
As your business grows, so will your hosting needs. Pick a hosting provider that supports vertical scaling and doesn’t punish you for it.
User-Friendliness
The more user-friendly the interface, the easier it is for your users to get the most out of your hosting investment. A clean dashboard, one-click WordPress installs, and access to support without jumping through hoops matter the most, especially if you’re not a developer.
Real Support
A managed hosting provider is truly one only when they can provide a dedicated support team to handle a variety of issues as and when they arise. From plugin conflicts to migration issues, you need to weigh in on round-the-clock, fast, human support with quick resolution times.
To Sum Up
You can’t overstate the importance of selecting a reliable managed hosting provider that not only meets your immediate business needs but also supports long-term growth. This list gives you some perspective and insight before you decide on a managed hosting provider.
