IONOS vs SiteGround: which is better for UK websites?
Short answer
SiteGround wins on our overall score
IONOS6.2/10
vs
SiteGround6.6/10
SiteGround scores 6.6/10 against 6.2 for IONOS, mainly on UK data centre and intro price (inc vat). IONOS is stronger on renewal price (inc vat) and support.
Choose IONOS for budget buyers or storage-heavy sites. Choose SiteGround for wordpress sites or owners who value support over price.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission, which never changes a score. Disclosure
Side by side (entry plans)
| Item | IONOS | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Standard | StartUp |
| Intro price /mo | £3.60£3/mo for 6mo ex VAT | £2.39£1.99/mo ex VAT |
| Renewal /mo | £7.20£6/mo | £16.79£13.99/mo |
| Term | Monthly after promo | 12 months |
| Year 1 cost | £65 | £29 |
| 3-year cost | £238 | £432 |
| Storage | 100 GB NVMe | 10 GB SSD |
| Sites | Unlimited | 1 |
| 1 | Unlimited | |
| UK data centre | No UK data centre verified | UK data centre |
| 24/7 live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support | 24/7 | Not stated |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Email included | Yes | Yes |
| Daily backups | Yes | Yes |
| 1-click installer | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | Not stated | No |
| Free domain | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 4.7 | 4.9 |
Prices verified 2026-11-01 (IONOS) and 2026-11-01 (SiteGround). Highlighted = cheaper. "Not stated" means the pages we checked don't say.
Score breakdown
| Component (weight) | IONOS | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal price (inc VAT) (25%) | 5.5 | 2.4 |
| Intro price (inc VAT) (10%) | 3.3 | 5.0 |
| Trustpilot (15%) | 8.5 | 9.5 |
| Support (15%) | 10.0 | 6.0 |
| Guide features (20%) | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| UK data centre (15%) | 0.0 | 10.0 |
| Total | 6.2 | 6.6 |
Same overall score as our homepage and reviews, calculated across all hosts we track. How it works.
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
SiteGround
Managed WordPress hosting with a 4.9★ Trustpilot score and London data centre
- Trustpilot 4.9★
- Daily backups and managed WordPress
- London data centre selectable
- 24/7 live chat and tickets
- Steepest renewal here (StartUp £1.99 → £13.99/mo ex VAT)
- StartUp: 1 site, 10 GB
- No phone support listed; no staging on entry plan
Frequently asked questions
Is SiteGround better than IONOS?
On our overall score, SiteGround scores 6.6/10 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, IONOS or SiteGround?
On entry plans including VAT: IONOS Standard costs about £65 in year one and £238 over three years; SiteGround StartUp costs about £29 and £432. That includes the switch to renewal pricing after any promotion.
Do IONOS and SiteGround have UK data centres?
IONOS: not verified (Shared hosting data centre location in UK not stated (existing record)). SiteGround: yes (London data centre selectable (also US/EU/APAC)).
Can I switch from IONOS to SiteGround 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.