SiteGround Review: Our #1 Choice for Global Web Hosting
Reviewed By: Greg Narayan
Last Update: February 5th, 2020
As a WordPress support community, trust us we know web hosting. Here are some sites who recommend us:
Table of Contents:
Rating
Why SiteGround?
Deep Review
Pricing Overview
Types of Hosting
Why is Hosting Important?
Consider this: Google states that a 1 second decrease in your site’s speed can cause a 20% loss in readership. If you have 100K visitors, that’s 20K people gone bye-bye forever! The web host you choose can have huge effects on the success of your business, and your happiness.
Aggregate Rating:
(5 / 5)
Cheapest Plan:
$3.95/mo (67% discount)
Recommended for Total Beginners: YES
Favorite Plan:
Startup Managed WordPress Package
5 Reasons People Choose SiteGround Over The Rest of the Pack:
Note: This SiteGround review was formally a UK web hosting review. However since it’s publishing, SiteGround has expanded their amazing services to the entire globe, so we’ve made this a global (including USA, Asia, South America, Canada, Australia and more) review page for SiteGround!
Let’s start our SiteGround review with the short list of what makes hosting at SiteGround a total no-brainer for 1000s of customers every day.
1. Cheap plans + value + FAST hosting: SiteGround has created two amazingly valuable plans for beginners – the Startup Web Hosting plan and the Startup WordPress Hosting plan. Both plans are super affordable and offer you dedicated hosting performance for shared hostignn costs – they really are a great value! And have you heard of SiteGround being fast?!? IT’S TRUE! Everything from how fast you can click around in your WordPress dashboard to how fast WP installs to how fast your audience gets to click around your content is way faster than the other hosts we test each day. Do a simple Pingdom test on any SiteGround site and you’ll see the proof for your own eyes, it’s just that much faster than other hosting. More details on this below in our pricing breakdown!
2. 24/7/365 support: SiteGround is ready to talk hosting, WordPress, etc all day every day. They will even email you follow up answers if they find them, and to check in on your progress!
3. Free daily backups: If you really make a mess of things and overcook the goose, you can always roll it right back to how it looked earlier that day.
4. Recommended by WordPress: Automattic (the company behind WordPress) works with and approves SiteGround. Peace of mind? Check.
5. Free SSL: Google and SEO now generally require an SSL certificate (that little padlock icon you see in the upper left of our site) It’s needed for more than just eCommerce nowadays, blogs, etc.
For most of us looking for a great cheap web hosting plan, that’s more than enough to seal the deal. However, if you’re still unsure about SiteGround or just love reading the full user-manual of details (that’s us) keep reading below!I
Other Best Web Hosting 2019 Reviews for You
While we love this web host more than the Easter bunny loves chocolate, you might need something different depending on where you are or your price range. We’ve also covered the best web hosting in the US, best web hosting Canada, best web hosting UK, as well as several more individual web hosting WordPress reviews for 2019. Basically, whatever hosting you need, whether it’s something we use here or you’ve found in a far corner of the web, we can help! And if we can’t, well, we tried 🙂
About SiteGround: Our Best All Around Web Host
We tell everyone SiteGround is a great bet for a first web host, their cheap, have headquarters and servers in Netherlands and the, and most importantly, their backend is just built with us in mind (as they say on their website, it’s all about “easy website management’ and that’s so true!)
They were founded by college friends in 2004 and now employ over 500 people, hosting over 1.8M domains.
SiteGround also gives you the confidence of being one of 3 recommend WordPress hosts! I cannot stress how huge this recommendation is. It’s a cornerstone piece of this SiteGround review UK.
Why is the WordPress vote so crucial, you ask?
Well, consider how over 35% of websites are powered by WordPress, there is a good chance you’ll want to use WordPress to create a blog or website. As such, you will want the easiest WordPress tools on the planet. 
When WordPress recommends a web host, they go through what’s called a 5 Pillar S-Test to determine if the host meets their criteria (which we’ve heard are simplicity of use, server speed, server optimization capabilities, security measures, and lastly, support).
So, you could say SiteGround passed this test with flying colors, as made it onto the WordPress recommended hosts list.
Of course, you can install WordPress.org as well as about 300 other scripts with the wave of 1-click.
Other features include an average live chat support response time of 7 minutes (we tested it!) and 30 day money back guarantee (which takes the risk out of this decision!)
The cherry on the top? This SiteGround review UK wouldn’t be complete without telling you one simple fact which separates SiteGround from the pack: all of SiteGround’s plans come with free SSL (essential for Google rankings and especially eCommerce websites), daily automated backups managed for you by their awesome team, and a custom caching plugin they built themeselves called SuperCharger to keep your pages loading faster than the competition’s!
Their Reliable Web Hosting – Grow Big plan is our favorite package at SiteGround.
Cheapest plans start at only £2.95
Pros:
Premium support, holds that rare WordPress recommendation, and only a few clicks need to get a website live. From everyone we speak to regarding their web hosting experience, SG have been the most user friendly web host in the, by a long shot too! Plus all that good stuff listed above!
Cons:
The most basic plan gives you a touch less storage space at 10GB. But considering this blog here has been around since 2012 and only weights 5GB, you’ll have to really blog hard to fill 10GB’s
Affordability
100%
Easy Setup
98%
Speed, Performance & Power
93%
WordPress Tools Easy of Use
100%
Need To Install WordPress Quickly at SiteGround? Here’s How!
How To Install WordPress at SiteGround (2020 Guide)
SiteGround plans are all awesome, we’ve been a customer for years and have tried the StartUp, GrowBig and GoGeek plans if you need guidance.
Note: SiteGround Staff has informed us that the “Web Hosting” and “WordPress Hosting” plans are the exact same now. This means you get the exact same WordPress install and dashboard with either type of plan. SiteGround has simply created a different sales page for each type of plan because some people always prefer one type of hosting. To keep it simple, let’s do WordPress hosting.
To begin, visit www.SiteGround.com
Use this link ↗ to get our latest SiteGround discounts updated daily.
You’ll see three Powerful WordPress Hosting plans, exactly what we want.
- StartUp
- GrowBig
- GoGeek (what we use here)
If you are on a budget then you can choose their “StartUp” plan. It’s great for smaller blogs and sites with low traffic.
However, if you expect more traffic and have a larger website (100+ posts) , we recommend choosing their “GoGeek” plan which we run on here. It’s truly unlimited.
Whichever you choose, migration will work fine and you can later upgrade or downgrade based on your needs.
Once you’ve made up your mind, click on Get Plan:
Next, choose “I already have a Domain” and enter your domain then click the blue Proceed button:
Now create your SiteGround account with a login email and password:
Then enter your Client Information (about you or your business):
Next, enter your Payment Information just like you would at Amazon, AinBnB, Uber, Apple or wherever you shop online:
Need to pay with PayPal? Please email me and I’ll show you how.
Now it’s time to review your Purchase Information. Click on Data Center and choose the closest location to you. 12 months is a great period but longer is good too. In Extra Services, I would leave SG Site Scanner unchecked. It just lets you know if you’ve been hacked (trust me, you’ll just know you ever get hacked, which is very rare at SiteGround.)
Now it’s time to Pay Now. If you chose 12 months then your total should be $143.40. Check the Confirm box and click Pay Now:
Hopefully it will say Your Account Was Successfully Created!
You’re well on your way now with the process to transfer hosting from Bluehost to SiteGround. Let’s keep our momentum!
Next, click on Proceed to Customer Area:
SiteGround Hosting Review: Pricing Overview
So we are set on going with SiteGround. But you ask, “Which SiteGround plan should I choose?”
In a nutshell, we recommend getting the Startup Managed WordPress hosting plan at SiteGround because it gives you all the value of the best WordPress tools, but remains the price of a shared hosting plan.
Most hosts who offer managed WordPress hosting do so at a higher price because it’s a concierge service. However SiteGround has the technology to keep prices down.
So, StartUp Managed WP hosting is by far our fav option inside this SiteGround review for a beginner or relative newbie who wants to create a WordPress site.
If however you’re interested in having not only WordPress at your finger tips but also 400+ other scripts like Joomla, Drupal, Magento and so on, try the StartUp Web Hosting plan for the same price. This is the best option if you want to become a professional web designer, as you get a more complete perspective of the tools available today, not just WordPress. Just something to consider. You can also switch between plans at anytime.
Bottom line, for anyone just wanting to make a simple WordPress website or blog, the StartUp Managed WP Hosting is our #1 pick!
Web Hosting FAQ: SiteGround and Beyond
This SiteGround review United Kingdom just wouldn’t be complete without a collection of the most frequently asked web hosting UK reader questions we get. We’ve use layman’s terms and everyday English and answered all your FAQ here on this page so you don’t have to run around searching for answers.
a. What is the best web hosting for small business?
If you were instead to ask which is the best web hosting for a small business, that may depend on where your current business connections and budgeting sits. Many web hosts have partnerships with other brands, for example HostGator has strong parternships with WordPress, Comodo, and Constant Contact, while Siteground has a strong relationship with WordPress, SiteGuard, Joomla and Aweber.
You should consider all possible marketing opportunities that may arise from your host of choice, and place your web hosting payments in the right hands to position yourself for the most future success.
b. What is the best hosting United Kingdom for WordPress?
Another good question is which hosting is best for WordPress? To answer this question you need to look at availability of 1-click “script” (WordPress, Joomla, Magento, and more are all scripts among which there are about 400-500 available today) which can be installed in 1-click at the host so you don’t need to do any coding to get your website setup. However, all the best web hosting UK have this feature! So, you should look at cPanel strength, and also reviews from WordPress bloggers who might be further ahead of you.
c. Does a website even need hosting?
Every WordPress website and every website has to be hosted somewhere, and literally everyone we talked to is happy when they choose a a web host from our list above, as opposed to trying to survive on a free host. You may research the costs to setup a basic WordPress.org hosting, and get another big list of providers! But this is it, right here. The costs to setup a WordPress site are low these days. Even the small nominal cost of web hosting puts you on the same playing field as big names like Mashable, TechCrunch, ProBlogger and more right away, so nearly everyone considers it worth it (even if they wait too long, haha).
All of these web hosts also let you buy a domain name in the US too, and some even offer domain name discounts in the US.
d. How can I pick the best domain name?
How to pick a domain name can be a tricky task too. That’s why in every WordPress tutorial we make we feature not only how to setup web hosting cheaply but how to select the right domain name to match your business goals.
e. What’s the difference between web hosts?
Marketing gimmicks aside, the main differences you will see in web hosting providers in the USA are price, features, storage space, customer satisfaction, and support. We hope this article has provided some clear differences between web hosts, however doing a little more homework never hurts or asking your blogging friend next doors.
f. Can Google host a website?
Google has their own cloud hosting for small business and WordPress websites. The hosting is done by Compute Engine. You can try it free which is nice, the not so nice part is it’ll cost about nearly $25/month after your trial has ended. That’s just too much for a basic website, but, as it’s Google, you can expect this service to have premium support (haha!). You can also host a blog for free on .blogspot, the Google free blog hosting platform which is truly amazing, let’s you try Adsense and more.
g. What is a web hosting platform?
A web hosting platform is most-commonly a group of servers, powered by several advanced softwares for maintenance, security and usability. You can find a web hosting platform at one of our best web hosting providers on this page, or on our international web hosting pages. Web hosting companies are judged based on price, quality of support, speed, user-friendliness and performance among other things.
h. What is the cheapest way to host a website?
The cheapest way to host a website is technically to do it yourself. You can download a software packet called WAMP and turn any laptop or home computer into a server. This type of setup won’t allow for high levels of traffic, it’s more just for testing out software you may be designing and other personal uses. If you host a website yourself for lots of traffic, you’ll need to invest in thousands of dollars worth of equipment. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s still an option! After all, all these top US web hosting companies had to start somewhere!
i. Can I host my own website?
See above. You can from your own computer. However your long-term costs will be much lower and your traffic much happier if you choose a basic web hosting UK company, pay a few dollars per month, and you’ll still be able to say you “host it yourself” just with the help of a web host like the vast majority of us bloggers and web designers use.
j. What does it mean to host a website?
To host a website means to keep any type of website online for viewers on a daily basis while maintaining control of the hosting account.
k. How do I start a web hosting company?
You would first want to work for a web hosting company if you want to start a web hosting company. Common entry level jobs that would teach you the necessary skills are tech support, server security and server maintenance. From these positions, you will be able to network with the types of people who can guide you towards starting your own web hosting company. Of course, you would also probably manage a few web hosting accounts (or a ton, like us) just to see what it feels like and build your own websites too!
SiteGround Review: Types of Web Hosting
As a leader in web hosting, SiteGround offers you every plan you’d expect, and a few that will just knock your socks off.
Shared Hosting: The cheapest and greatest hosting for small businesses. This hosting is where we all start. You get your own hosting space but the down side is it’s hosted alongside many other websites. But that’s okay you don’t see those sites ever. You basically get an apartment in a really nice building which is shared by others.
VPS Hosting: You get all the benefits of shared hosting, but you also get your own virtual private address as if you got a luxury unit aka an entire floor of the apartment building. This is a great happy medium of web hosting, generally faster than your average shared hosting.
Dedicated Hosting: The big daddy of hosting, you get your own space on a virtual private dedicated server. You are the only person in the apartment building, and can literally dictate all the settings on your own, like the temperature and who is allowed in the entry way. It’s at least $1000/year, but it’s worth it for some big time bloggers and website owners for this utter peace of mind. Basically, you get a butler at your door every day asking you how you’d like your web hosting prepared, with 3 eggs and ketchup, steak, ham, or biscuits.
Cloud Hosting: Cloud is like one step above shared. It is a new and modern version of shared where the majority of your SSD is pushed to the cloud to optimize speed and reduce server usage. This plan is modern and flexible, it’s for the professional we designer who doesn’t want the pressure of a VSP but still wants that upgraded speed and control.
Reseller Hosting: You basically become the host, you get a portion of the hosting space and are expected to sell it off to your own customers or perhaps employees of your company. Nowadays, the reseller method has become a bit out of date as you can simply host many websites on a basic shared plan and charge users as you wish.
How To Make a WordPress Blog at SiteGround
Made it to the bottom of the page club? Here’s our newest full-length (1hour) video on how to get a domain name, the new updated web hosting for WordPress at SiteGround, install WordPress, pick an established looking theme, and learn how to blog
New Jams? Yes, that’s right SiteGround now has a totally updated Client Area and Site Tools which we’ll explore and use in the video above. The Client Area is simply the dashboard you login to at my.siteground.com in order to manage your web hosting, while the Site Tools is SiteGround’s awesome inhouse replacement for cPanel. You’ll use Client Area to install WordPress if it’s your first time, then going forward, you can manage lots of fun WordPress things like File Manager from within your Site Tools. All new SiteGround web hosting setups in the United States come with this new awesome setup! Enjoy, and let me know any questions!
What's Next: Try SiteGround Today
And there you have it. While I could write forever about all the little things SiteGround does behind the curtains for us, I’d risk boring you to death. SiteGround has our recommendation (and WordPress’), try them out today, you won’t be disappointed!
Go with a SiteGround Web Hosting Plan, or click below to read more into our full review of web hosts.
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