This Fasthosts review looks at one of the longest established British web hosts: a Gloucester company that keeps its customers' sites in its own UK data centres, answers the phone around the clock, and sells everything from shared hosting to GPU servers. NerdBible has not run hands-on tests for this review. It is an editorial assessment built from Fasthosts' own plan, company and data centre pages, and from the published findings of TechRadar, Website Planet and Web Hosting Review UK, each linked below.
Fasthosts review: our verdict
Fasthosts is our pick for UK businesses because it is built around the UK: British data centres including a Tier IV certified facility in Worcester, UK based support by phone at any hour, Linux or Windows hosting on the same plans, and a 99.99 percent service level on every shared tier. Independent reviewers have generally found it fast for UK visitors and reliable in recent tests.
The trade-offs are clear. All data centres are in the UK, which is a strength for British audiences and a weakness for global ones. The entry plan has no free SSL certificate. Renewal prices are much higher than promotional ones, and TechRadar found that cancelling requires a phone call. If your customers are mainly in Britain and you value local support, those are acceptable costs.
What Fasthosts is and who it is for
Fasthosts says on its about page that it has been headquartered in Gloucester since its founding, that it began as a student's A Level project, and that it was later acquired by United Internet, the German group that also owns IONOS. It sells domains, shared and Windows hosting, WordPress hosting, a website builder, professional and Exchange email, Microsoft 365, VPS, dedicated and bare metal servers, and cloud backup.
Fasthosts suits:
- UK businesses whose visitors are mostly in Britain and who prefer their data to stay in the country.
- Sites built on Microsoft technologies, since the shared plans offer Windows hosting and MSSQL databases as well as Linux and MySQL.
- Owners who want to speak to a UK support team by phone, day or night.
- Agencies running several client sites, thanks to the higher tiers' site allowances and the partner programme.
Key features
UK data centres with strong certifications
The web hosting page says customer sites are hosted in UK data centres, that the Worcester facility is Tier IV certified and designed for 99.999 percent availability, and that the data centres are ISO 27001 certified for information security. Few budget hosts can point to that combination.
Renewable electricity
Fasthosts says its data centres use 100 percent renewable electricity, run generators on HVO biofuel rather than diesel, hold an ISO 50001 energy management certificate, and that the Worcester roof is covered in solar panels. TechRadar and Website Planet both mention the renewable electricity, and TechRadar named the supplier. For buyers who weigh environmental impact, this is one of the clearest published statements in this category.
Linux or Windows on the same plans
Every shared tier lets you switch between Linux and Windows hosting and choose MySQL or MSSQL databases, according to the plan table. That flexibility is unusual and valuable for ASP.NET sites. Linux plans include SSH, and all tiers include SFTP, phpMyAdmin, current PHP versions with OPcache, unlimited subdomains and a one click app installer.
Plans that scale by site count
The four shared tiers are Start, Grow, Scale and Pro. They allow one, three, ten and up to a hundred websites respectively, with SSD storage and database allowances rising at each step, unlimited bandwidth throughout, and professional mailboxes from one on Start to eight on Pro. Site Scan, which Fasthosts says checks pages for malware, is listed on every tier.
How much does Fasthosts cost?
Our page shows prices from our own data, so this section covers structure only. Fasthosts quotes prices including UK VAT, which makes them look higher than hosts quoting ex VAT figures. Promotional rates apply for an introductory period, sometimes as short as a few months, and then the standard rate applies. Website Planet and Web Hosting Review UK both flagged renewal pricing as the main drawback.
- Every shared plan includes at least one free domain for the first year, on common extensions such as .co.uk and .com.
- SSL is not included on Start. Grow includes two certificates for one year, while Scale and Pro include three and five certificates for the lifetime of the package.
- Higher tiers add Fasthosts' Marketing Radar tool and enhanced performance features such as fault tolerant servers and caching.
- Microsoft 365 and Exchange email are sold as separate products, not bundled into hosting plans.
Is Fasthosts reliable?
The plan table lists a 99.99 percent service level on every shared tier. TechRadar's earlier testing found no downtime over two weeks, and it noted that Fasthosts had added a formal uptime guarantee after previously having none. Website Planet said Fasthosts had a history of below average uptime but that its recent tests showed clear improvement in both uptime and speed. Web Hosting Review UK reported no critical outages over three months of monitoring and quick page loads from UK servers.
The consistent theme is that performance is best for UK audiences. TechRadar pointed out that all data centres are in the UK, so a site with mostly overseas visitors will see more latency than it would with a host that has servers closer to them, unless a CDN is added.
Is Fasthosts safe for your data?
Fasthosts' security story rests on its infrastructure: ISO 27001 certified data centres, a Tier IV facility, and UK data residency, which matters to some businesses for compliance and customer trust. Site Scan malware checks are on every plan. Backups are less prominent on the shared hosting page than on many rivals' pages; Website Planet said automatic backups come with the WordPress hosting plans, and Fasthosts sells Acronis based cloud backup as a separate product. Confirm what backup is included on your chosen plan, and keep your own copies regardless.
Support
Fasthosts says its UK based support team is available 24/7 by phone, email or live chat, with specialist support for servers. Independent reviewers found the guides well written and easy to follow. TechRadar noted that phone support was round the clock while chat was limited to office hours at the time of its review. One practical quirk TechRadar reported is that cancellation could only be done by phone, not through the control panel.
Refund policy
All shared hosting plans carry a 30 day money back guarantee, and the plan page says you can cancel anytime within 30 days. TechRadar noted the guarantee does not extend to some advanced hosting products, so read the terms if you are buying a server.
What could be better
- No free SSL certificate on the entry Start plan.
- Renewal prices are much higher than promotional prices.
- All data centres are in the UK, which suits British audiences more than global ones.
- Cancelling has required a phone call, according to TechRadar.
- Backup inclusion on shared plans is less clearly advertised than on some rivals.
Who should choose something else
If most of your visitors are in North America or Asia, choose a host with data centres in those regions. If you want a single low price for years, look for a host with flat renewal pricing. Hobbyists who need only one small site may find the Start plan's lack of SSL a reason to look elsewhere, since a free certificate is standard at many hosts. And WordPress users who want staging, daily backups and server level caching on every plan may prefer a managed WordPress specialist.
Bottom line
Fasthosts is a strong choice for British businesses that want their sites hosted, supported and certified in the UK, with the rare ability to switch between Linux and Windows on one plan and one of the clearest renewable electricity statements in the market. Skip the Start plan if you need SSL, budget for the renewal price, and confirm your backup coverage before launch.
What other reviewers found
- TechRadar praised the range of hosting types, ease of use and round the clock phone support, but noted UK only data centres, a sharp price rise after the promotion and phone only cancellation.
- Website Planet found the sign up and control panel very easy to use and saw improved uptime and speed in recent tests, while calling it reasonably priced rather than the best value.
- Web Hosting Review UK reported fast UK page loads and no critical outages over three months, with renewal pricing and some advanced feature limits as the weak points.
- HOSTtest collects customer reviews, several of which describe long standing accounts and helpful support.
Where they agree: Fasthosts is easy to use, well supported and best suited to UK audiences, and renewal pricing is the main drawback. Where they disagree: on value, with Web Hosting Review UK more positive than Website Planet, and on past reliability, which Website Planet saw improve over time. For a buyer, the agreement matters more than the disagreement: if your audience is British, Fasthosts is a dependable local option, and the decision comes down to whether the renewal price fits your budget.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Fasthosts' data centres?
Fasthosts hosts customer websites in UK data centres, including a Tier IV certified facility in Worcester, and its headquarters are in Gloucester. The company says its data centres are ISO 27001 certified and run on 100 percent renewable electricity. Keeping data in the UK suits British businesses, though sites with mostly overseas visitors may want a CDN in front.
Does Fasthosts include a free SSL certificate?
Not on every plan. According to the shared hosting comparison, the Start plan has no free SSL certificate. Grow includes two certificates valid for one year, and Scale and Pro include three and five certificates for the lifetime of the package. If you choose Start, factor in the cost of a certificate or upgrade to a tier that includes one.
Can I use Windows hosting with Fasthosts?
Yes. Fasthosts' shared plans let you switch between Linux and Windows hosting and choose MySQL or MSSQL databases on every tier, and it also sells a dedicated Windows web hosting product and Windows VPS. That makes it one of the more convenient UK options for sites built on ASP.NET or other Microsoft technologies.
What is Fasthosts' refund policy?
Fasthosts offers a 30 day money back guarantee on its web hosting plans, and its plan page says you can cancel anytime within 30 days. TechRadar reported that some advanced hosting products are excluded and that cancellation was handled by phone rather than through the control panel, so call support early in the window if you change your mind.
Who owns Fasthosts?
Fasthosts was founded in Gloucester and is owned by United Internet, the German internet group that also owns IONOS. It continues to trade under its own brand with its own UK data centres, plans and support team, which is why it feels more like a British company than a subsidiary of a larger European group.