Fasthosts vs IONOS: which is better for UK websites?
Short answer
Fasthosts wins on our overall score
Fasthosts7.2/10
vs
IONOS6.2/10
Fasthosts scores 7.2/10 against 6.2 for IONOS, mainly on UK data centre and intro price (inc vat). IONOS is stronger on support and guide features.
Choose Fasthosts for UK small businesses or multiple sites. Choose IONOS for budget buyers or storage-heavy sites.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission, which never changes a score. Disclosure
Side by side (entry plans)
| Item | Fasthosts | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Start | Standard |
| Intro price /mo | £1.20£1/mo for 3mo ex VAT | £3.60£3/mo for 6mo ex VAT |
| Renewal /mo | £6.90£5.75/mo | £7.20£6/mo |
| Term | Monthly after promo | Monthly after promo |
| Year 1 cost | £66 | £65 |
| 3-year cost | £231 | £238 |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD | 100 GB NVMe |
| Sites | 1 | Unlimited |
| 1 | 1 | |
| UK data centre | UK data centre | No UK data centre verified |
| 24/7 live chat | Not stated | Yes |
| Phone support | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Email included | Yes | Yes |
| Daily backups | Not stated | Yes |
| 1-click installer | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free domain | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Prices verified 2026-11-01 (Fasthosts) and 2026-11-01 (IONOS). Highlighted = cheaper. "Not stated" means the pages we checked don't say.
Score breakdown
| Component (weight) | Fasthosts | IONOS |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal price (inc VAT) (25%) | 5.7 | 5.5 |
| Intro price (inc VAT) (10%) | 10.0 | 3.3 |
| Trustpilot (15%) | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Support (15%) | 4.0 | 10.0 |
| Guide features (20%) | 6.7 | 8.3 |
| UK data centre (15%) | 10.0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 7.2 | 6.2 |
Same overall score as our homepage and reviews, calculated across all hosts we track. How it works.
Fasthosts
British brand, UK data centres, strong small-business hosting
- UK data centres
- 24/7 UK phone support
- Generous storage
- Free domain included
- Renewal jump after 3–12 month promo
- Few mailboxes on cheaper plans
- Green-energy claim self-declared
IONOS
Rock-bottom entry prices with big storage allowances
- 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
- Renewal jump after promo
- UK data centre for shared hosting not stated
- Few mailboxes on lower plans
Frequently asked questions
Is Fasthosts better than IONOS?
On our overall score, Fasthosts scores 7.2/10 and IONOS scores 6.2/10. The score weights renewal price, intro price (both inc VAT), Trustpilot, support, features and UK data centre; the breakdown table on this page shows where each one wins.
Which is cheaper, Fasthosts or IONOS?
On entry plans including VAT: Fasthosts Start costs about £66 in year one and £231 over three years; IONOS Standard costs about £65 and £238. That includes the switch to renewal pricing after any promotion.
Do Fasthosts and IONOS have UK data centres?
Fasthosts: yes (UK data centres). IONOS: not verified (Shared hosting data centre location in UK not stated (existing record)).
Can I switch from IONOS to Fasthosts later?
Yes. You can move a site between hosts at any time; the main costs are your time and any unused prepaid term. See our guide to moving host for a step-by-step checklist.