Aden Clark
10 of the UK’s best web hosting companies are constantly been tested and tracked during my ongoing research, so rather than overwhelm you with data for all 10, I’ve compared the top 3.
Server Uptime Comparison
Uptime is tracked automatically using a reliable website monitoring tool that pings the servers of each web hosting provider automatically every 1 minute, 24 hours a day, allowing me to attain more accurate data.
In order for me to track server uptime I have my own accounts with all of the UK’s best web hosting companies so I can track server uptime consistency in order to compare the data against each other.
Server Uptime FAQ
What is server uptime?
Every time your server is down your website will become offline and inaccessible, meaning that your potential or existing customers will be unable to reach your website until the server comes back online.
It’s vital that you buy web hosting that has a track record of delivering the highest server uptime over long periods of time and Krystal hosting has proven to deliver that based on my independent research.
If you have a website with poor uptime, it can have a real impact on the reputation of your business as this will frustrate customers who will then visit your competitors website if your website is unavailable.
What can effect website uptime?
It would also be useful to know that you as the customer can also cause your website to fail or go offline if you may simple mistakes that can be avoided.
These causes can include poor web hosting management, server traffic overload, scheduled maintenance, power outages, adverse weather, hardware/software malfunction, malicious cyber attacks, outdated CMS software or plugins, expired payment methods, outstanding invoices.
How do I track the uptime of a website?
Uptime Robot is a free website monitoring service and can help you track your uptime by automatically pinging your website every 5 minutes (1 minute on pro) and alerts you when your website is down.
As a website owner it’s important to track the uptime percentage of the server where your website is installed as when your website is down it can have a negative impact on customer experience.
Tracking this metric manually would be impossible as you need to check if your website is live at least every 5 minutes, 24 hours per day, so it’s a good job there are automated tools to track this for you.
What is the best server uptime?
Based on my own personal research, the best uptime you can hope for is 99.99% and above which is hard to find, unless you decide to host with Krystal hosting who guarantee 99.99% and actually deliver on that based on my tracking data.
How do I improve my website uptime?
This is why I track the uptime statistics every single day for the most popular web hosting companies within the UK as the true stats only become apparent over months of tracking and comparing results.
Krystal hosting has proven time and time again that their uptime statistics are better than their competitors who offer similar services at the similar price range, which is why I recommend them.
What does 99.9% uptime mean?
Daily: 1m 26s
Weekly: 10m 4.8s
Monthly: 43m 28s
Quarterly: 2h 10m 24s
Yearly: 8h 41m 38s
Most websites will guarantee a server uptime of 99.9% as they have to take into account scheduled server maintenance and other unforeseen circumstances that may cause server outages.
However, some web hosting providers who do guarantee 99.9% uptime don’t actually deliver on their promises based on my own uptime tracking data, where as companies such as Krystal hosting guarantee a server uptime of 99.99% and actually deliver on that promise.
Loading Speed Comparison
As I have my own live accounts for my ongoing research, I’m able to install the same simple website on all providers so when I test the loading speed it’s fair and the only variable is the performance of the server.
The website I install for testing is the same size on each different server with the same software and plugins, meaning that every single thing is the same on each server before I start the loading speed tests.
The website loading speed tests are performed on a weekly basis using advanced website performance testing software to ensure the comparisons on this page are as accurate and up to date as possible.
Loading Speed FAQ
Why is my website loading so slow?
While there are many other reasons that can cause your website loading speed to slow down, you are best hosting your website from the start with a company that has proven to deliver excellent performance.
Other things that can cause your website loading speed to slow down may include scripts, large images, self-hosted videos, outdated themes or unnecessary plugins.
How can I test the loading speed of my website?
Google Page Speed Insights will not tell you how fast your server is performing but will give you valuable insights into what content is taking the longest to load so you can reduce the load.
GTmetrix is a more advanced website performance testing tool and will give you a better insight into how well your actual server is performing, allowing you to compare your metrics with mine above.
How can I improve the loading speed of my website?
If you already have a web hosting provider and you are not willing to move your existing website to a new provider that offers better server performance then you can improve the content on your website.
Use a website performance testing tool such as Google Page Speed Insights to see which content on each page takes the longest to load and implement the suggestions provided by the tool.
To improve your website loading speed even further, you can install a caching plugin which delivers a static version of your web pages, reducing the load on your server when people visit your website.
Some larger websites that are really popular may even implement a CDN (content delivery network) which can load your website from a server in close proximity to the location of each website visitor.
Hosting Features Comparison
While 20i hosting and eUKhost both offer an impressive list of features with more than you’ll actually need for just one website, they are still lacking in specific areas compared to Krystal hosting that are more balanced.
20i offer a reasonable amount of resources on their entry package although you will have to make do with no uptime guarantee, bandwidth restrictions and their in-house control panel which is clunky and complicated, rather than cPanel which is smooth and simple.
eUKhost also offer an impressive set of web hosting features on their entry package for the price, although they lack important performance metrics such as server uptime and loading speed. They also don’t run on 100% renewable energy.
Krystal hosting on the other hand offer everything you’ll ever need for 1 website on their entry package including cPanel and free SSL certificate. Plus they have the best server uptime, website loading speed and run on 100% renewable energy.
Hosting Prices Comparison
Krystal hosting and 20i hosting have similar monthly pricing for shared hosting, which is the package most suitable for small and medium sized business owners.
Although with 20i hosting you don’t get cPanel (the best control panel), your server uptime and website loading speed will be slightly lower than Krystal hosting, plus your bandwidth is restricted.
Other the other hand, eUKhost pricing is slightly lower but that will mean you’ll have to compromise on server performance as during my research their uptime was worse than both Krystal hosting and 20i hosting, plus their website loading speed was twice as slow as Krystal.
Hosting Pricing FAQ
How can I save money on my web hosting package?
Here’s an example:
Krystal hosting offer you 2 months free when paid yearly and 6 months free when paying 2 years in advance, plus if you order the Ruby package that offers web hosting for unlimited domains, you also get a free domain name registration for the life of your account.
Most web hosting providers will offer you a discount when paying a year or two in advance and even if this is not clear on their website, you can ask for this type of discount or any active offer on live chat.
Can I upgrade and downgrade my web hosting package?
However this may not be possible with all hosting providers as they all have their own way of doing things but if the option is not available within your user account then contact support for assistance.
How can I get a free domain name?
Right now, if you subscribe to the Ruby package (billed monthly or yearly) that offers unlimited web hosting for unlimited domain names then you will be provided with a free domain name registration for life, as long as your hosting package remains active.
Where can I find coupon codes for web hosting?
The best way to get a discount is to first choose a web hosting company that has proven to deliver on their promises and then contacting them directly from their website on either live chat, phone or support ticket.
Simply ask them directly by telling them what your current needs are, what you can do to save the most money and they will tell you straight.
Conclusion
Based on my historical and current web hosting research I have clearly proven that Krystal hosting continue to deliver the best UK web hosting service and is the company I would recommend to family and friends.
I have personally been a customer of Krystal for years. Hosting Spy is built and delivered to your computer screen by Krystal hosting, as I actually use what I recommend because they deliver on their guarantees.
Krystal hosting ticks all these boxes as your website will be online most of the time, load super fast and you have all the features you’ll ever need to build and scale your business at a reasonable price.
Krystal are also one of the very few web hosting companies that offer a 60 day money back guarantee as they are so confident that you’ll love their service and stick around, so you can try them out for 2 full months risk free.
Give them a try before you decide to sign up to any other web hosting company and see how they can become a valuable asset for your business as they are for mine.
