What to look for: email hosting
Mailboxes and storage per £Plans differ widely in mailbox count and size.
Renewal priceEmail promos end too, often after 6–12 months.
Where mail is storedSome providers state UK or European data centres; many don't say.
SupportEmail problems are urgent.
Email hosting gives you mailboxes on your own domain (you@yourbusiness.co.uk). We compare 4 dedicated business email plans from UK hosting brands on mailboxes and total storage per pound (inc VAT, at the renewal price), plus support, Trustpilot and UK data centre. This is an editorial comparison built from each provider's published prices and features; we haven't run our own deliverability or uptime tests.
Business email hosting UK: prices and storage compared
Verified 2026-11-01 on each provider's email page (linked). VAT added at 20% where prices are ex VAT.
Email hosting UK reviews: provider by provider
IONOS (8.8/10). Email Basic (5 accounts): 5 mailboxes, 2 GB each for £1/mo for 12mo, then £2.50/mo ex VAT. Free domain, spam filter, webmail; optional AI add-on. Data-centre location for email not stated. Trustpilot 4.7/5 (company-wide, not email-specific). Support: phone 24/7, 24/7 chat.
Fasthosts (7.0/10). Mail Basic 5: 5 mailboxes, 2 GB each for £1/mo for 6mo, then £3/mo ex VAT. Email hosted in "secure European data centres". Trustpilot 4.8/5 (company-wide, not email-specific). Support: phone 24/7.
WebHosting UK (6.1/10). Email Lite: 1 mailbox, 2 GB for £1.99/mo ex VAT. Email hosted in the UK; renewal price not published. Trustpilot 4.9/5 (company-wide, not email-specific). Support: phone 24/7, 24/7 chat.
123 Reg (3.9/10). Professional Email Pro Light: 1 mailbox, 10 GB for £1.99/mo for 12mo, then £3.99/mo ex VAT. Per mailbox; data-centre location for email not stated. Trustpilot 3.8/5 (company-wide, not email-specific). Support: phone in office hours.
Email included with web hosting
If you also need a website, a hosting plan that includes mailboxes can be cheaper than separate email: Krystal lists unlimited mailboxes on Amethyst (£7/mo ex VAT), 20i includes 10 x 10 GB mailboxes on Startup (£10/mo), and WebHosting UK shared plans list unlimited mailboxes. 20i states its email is stored on separate servers from web hosting (source). See the small business hosting guide for plans with email, backups and a UK support line.
Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Proton
Many businesses use Google Workspace (Gmail on your domain), Microsoft 365 (Outlook/Exchange) or Proton (encrypted email). They bundle office apps, shared drives and video calls and cost more per user than basic mailboxes: Google Workspace Business Starter is £7/mo per user ex VAT on the monthly plan and Microsoft 365 Business Basic £5.40/mo per user on an annual subscription. We compare them head to head, with hosts' mailboxes, in our business email UK guide. 123 Reg and Fasthosts also resell Microsoft 365 plans.
How to choose an email host
- Count mailboxes you need now and in a year; per-mailbox pricing adds up quickly.
- Check storage per mailbox: Fasthosts estimates 2 GB holds about 10,000 emails, and 123 Reg estimates 10 GB holds about 50,000.
- Compare the renewal price, not the promo: most plans here jump after 6–12 months.
- Make sure SPF, DKIM and DMARC can be set up for your domain to help deliverability (see the NCSC's guidance).
- You can keep your website where it is: email follows your domain's MX records. Our moving host guide covers switching email without losing mail.
The hosts in this guide
Rock-bottom entry prices with big storage allowances
Pros
- Very cheap first year (Plus £1/mo for 12 months)
- Huge NVMe storage allowances
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support
- Free domain and SSL
Cons
- Renewal jump after promo
- UK data centre for shared hosting not stated
- Few mailboxes on lower plans
Scored plan: Email Basic (5 accounts), 5 mailboxes, 2 GB each. 12-month promo, then monthly. Free domain, spam filter, webmail; optional AI add-on. Data-centre location for email not stated. Trustpilot 4.7/5. Verified 2026-11-01.
British brand, UK data centres, strong small-business hosting
Pros
- UK data centres
- 24/7 UK phone support
- Generous storage
- Free domain included
Cons
- Renewal jump after 3–12 month promo
- Few mailboxes on cheaper plans
- Green-energy claim self-declared
Scored plan: Mail Basic 5, 5 mailboxes, 2 GB each. 6-month promo, then monthly. Email hosted in "secure European data centres". Trustpilot 4.8/5. Verified 2026-11-01.
Leeds-based host with transparent pricing and 24/7 UK support
Pros
- UK host with UK data centres
- 24/7 support by phone, chat and tickets
- No renewal price jump
- cPanel with 1-click installer
Cons
- Not the cheapest in year one vs promo deals
- No multi-year prepay discounts
- Smaller storage allowances (10 GB Starter)
Scored plan: Email Lite, 1 mailbox, 2 GB. Monthly. Email hosted in the UK; renewal price not published. Trustpilot 4.9/5. Verified 2026-11-01.
Established UK brand with cheap 3-year lock-in deals
Pros
- Very low upfront for 3-year lock
- Free domain & SSL
- cPanel control panel
- Long-established UK brand
Cons
- High renewal prices
- 3-year lock-in commitment
- Mixed support reviews
Scored plan: Professional Email Pro Light, 1 mailbox, 10 GB. 1-year term (£23.88 today, renews at £47.88/yr ex VAT). Per mailbox; data-centre location for email not stated. Trustpilot 3.8/5. Verified 2026-11-01.
Frequently asked questions
What is email hosting?
A mailbox on your own domain (you@yourbusiness.co.uk). Many web hosting plans include mailboxes; dedicated email plans suit you if your website is hosted elsewhere or you need more mailbox storage.
Can I keep my website where it is and change email provider?
Yes. Email is routed by your domain's MX records, so you can point email at one provider and your website at another.
What is the best email hosting in the UK?
On our published score, IONOS ranks first (8.8/10): 5 mailboxes, 2 GB each for £1/mo for 12mo, then £2.50/mo (ex VAT). Fasthosts is second. The score rewards storage and mailboxes per pound at the renewal price, support and Trustpilot.
What is the cheapest business email in the UK?
Of the plans we compare, the lowest year-one cost inc VAT is IONOS Email Basic (5 accounts) at about £14. Check the renewal price: most email promos end after 6–12 months.
Should I use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 instead?
If you want office apps, shared drives and video calls bundled in, yes, but they usually cost more per user than basic mailboxes. If you just need reliable mailboxes on your domain, a hosting provider's email plan is usually cheaper. We don't take commission from Google or Microsoft.
Are these email hosting reviews based on testing?
No. We compare prices, storage, support and data-centre information published by each provider, plus their Trustpilot rating. We don't claim deliverability, speed or uptime results we haven't measured.