Windows servers are best for ASP.Net and MySQL apps but they are too expensive. With this list, you can choose the best yet cheap Windows VPS in UK that you can proceed with.
These servers are reliable and come at an affordable rate. I have also considered the Windows license fee. To make it better I have enlisted pros and cons for each of these VPS providers.
So, let’s start the list.
Cheap Windows VPS in UK
The list of these Windows VPS providers also mentions the starting price of the base plan.
1. Kamatera (Best overall)
If you’re looking for the best Windows VPS in the United Kingdom, Kamatera is your go-to choice because of the customization it offers.
You can configure the entire server on your own and choose from any Windows distribution. They have Windows 2012 (R2 and normal), 2016, 2019, and 2022. All of these versions are available in both standard and data center versions (64-bit).
Kamatera takes pride in having multiple data centers including one in London, UK. They have the most user-friendly control panel. You can add Microsoft add-ons such as SQL, Remote desktop, Office, or Plesk panel.
Starting price of Kamatera: Regular server costs $4 while it’s $25 a month (including Windows license).
Pros of Kamatera
- With unlimited scaling, you can add as many drives as you want. So, you get more storage as your site grows.
- The server is fully configurable, meaning, you only pay for what you want.
- You also get a free user-friendly control panel. So, you don’t need to pay extra.
- It’s super-easy to use, scale, and manage the server with Kamatera.
Cons of Kamatera
- The pre-sale support is good but there are many complaints for after-sale support.
- They often ask for identity verification which causes your server purchase orders to delay.
2. Vultr
Vultr is yet another cheap Windows VPS in the UK with multiple Windows versions available. You can choose from Windows 2016 to 2022 (standard and datacenter). You get London and Manchester data center locations in the UK.
This cloud hosting is highly recommended for developers due to its developer’s tools. For instance, they support AI/ML with pre-built GPUs. Along with this, they even have Kubernetes support.
Beginners love Vultr due to their free interactive control panel. There are multiple add-ons available to make your cloud a bit more usable. You can add load balancers to manage traffic. In the same way, you can implement single sign-on or add team management.
Starting price of Vultr: The base price is $10/m while Windows costs $14/m. The total price is $24/m.
Pros of Vultr
- Vultr has the most user-friendly control panel even on mobile devices.
- Marketplace helps beginners to install any apps with just a few clicks.
- They have 100% SLA. So, your website won’t go down.
- The VPS has all mandatory features like server health, settings management, etc.
Cons of Vultr
- They have a huge record of banning accounts for excessive CPU usage.
- The support is almost non-existent.
3. Contabo
Contabo is one of the few cheap Windows VPS in the UK that provides high-spec servers with lots of features. Many scripts require you to have a minimum requirement for running it. In that case, you can use Contabo. You can choose from Windows 2016, 2019, and 2022.
Contabo has data centers in Portsmouth, England. The server is fully configurable.
You can choose from NVMe, SSD, or even HDD. They allow you to select the server management options (managed or self-managed). DevOps features such as APIs, SSH, Cloud-init, CI/CD pipelines, etc. will help you in managing the server effectively.
Starting price of Contabo: $15.45 (includes $9 Windows 2022 fee and $0.95 for UK location), a one-time setup of up to $7.50 if you go for less than a 12-month package).
Pros of Contabo
- You get a very high-spec CPU at a very low price. It’s good if your script recommends a minimum amount of RAM.
- Multiple add-ons are available despite being a cheap option.
- You can fully rely on hardware (you won’t face any issues) due to their standard-quality hardware from Dell, HP, AMD, etc.
- Web UI is useful for beginners while developer tools are useful for experts.
Cons of Contabo
- Despite being a very high-spec CPU, you can expect a bit less performance.
- Servers are often down possibly due to their overselling issue.
4. Accuwebhosting
Accuwebhosting tops the list if you want a feature-pack yet cheap Windows VPS in the UK.
They have Windows 2012, 2016, and 2019. Unfortunately, they don’t support Windows 2022 as of now. The London location is available for their UK data center. They use Hyper-V virtualization which is recommended for Windows OS.
Along with that, you get Remote Desktop Access. You get a lot of features here such as free weekly backups, regular audits, etc. They guarantee you will get the resources you will pay for. There is no overselling with Accuwebhosting.
Starting price of Accuwebhosting: $14.99 per month (includes Windows license).
Pros of Accuwebhosting
- You get a lot of free features such as backups, SSL, panels, etc.
- Performance is awesome, you get 99.9% uptime as well.
- It’s perfect for Windows due to RDP (you get remote access to VPS), Plesk panel (Good panel for Windows OS), and web UI (Free panel if you don’t wish to pay).
- The support team is always ready to help whenever you need it.
Cons of Accuwebhosting
- The account creation sometimes requires additional verification. However, it’s rare.
5. OVH
OVH is a cloud service with Windows OS as one of their options. You can choose from Windows 2016, 2019, or Windows 2022. They only have a standard version available for installation.
OVH has servers in London for their UK data centers. The cloud is highly recommended if you have high traffic due to its unmetered bandwidth.
It’s good for a gaming VPS (Minecraft) or you can even use it to host multiple web apps. Make sure you check the availability of Windows OS during sign-up. Some VPS plans don’t have Windows options while some are not available in the UK region.
Starting price of OVH: VLE-2 plan starts at £12.45 ($15.59) per month (includes £8 Windows license fee).
Pros of OVH
- The biggest benefit you will get is unmetered bandwidth. So, your web app can handle high traffic as well.
- You get resource isolation. So, you will have fully allocated resources.
- Their add-ons are cheap compared to others. So, you can add a Plesk or Windows license at a lower rate.
- Server monitoring and interventions to keep your server safe.
Cons of OVH
- Standard support is terrible. Premium support starts at $56 /month.
- Their server often crashes. Due to bad support, it’s hard to fix it.
6. Ultahost (Most Windows Distributions)
Ultahost is the managed cheap Windows VPS in the UK. You can choose from Windows 2022, 2019, Windows 10, or even Windows 11. You can choose London for the UK location. They have unmetered bandwidth. You get auto-healing servers with lesser downtime.
Due to its managed services, you can fully rely on its software as well as its support team. All important small features such as regular security patching, staging environment, CDN, etc. are available.
Starting price of Ultahost: $15.90 per month.
Pros of Ultahost
- Awesome BitNinja security with 24/7 monitoring and a dedicated firewall which keeps your server secure.
- The support is 24/7 with great response.
- Full RDP access for the VPS. It allows you to access and use your VPS remotely from your own computer.
- Your server won’t go down as they have 99.99% uptime.
Cons of Ultahost
- They do promise a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, many people faced issues regarding the refunds. The company refused to refund.
- Trustpilot removed many reviews as they were “fake”. This could be a potential red flag.
7. IONOS
IONOS offers unlimited traffic up to 1 Gbit/s. You can either install Windows 2019 or 2022. In the first view, you might think the servers are pretty much vanilla. However, you will get most features such as IPS/IDS, firewall management, DDoS protection, etc.
The best part is that they have an amazing support team with clearly defined terms and conditions. You will have fast NVMe for storage and read/write speed. They have a cloud control panel for free to manage the server.
Starting price of IONOS: £12/m ($15.08) for the first 6 months, £14/m ($17.59) from next month. (A 1-month contract involves a £10 setup fee)
Pros of IONOS
- The support is available 24/7 to help whenever you want.
- The servers are fast enough.
- They have 99.9% uptime with high performance.
- Beginner-friendly control panel.
Cons of IONOS
- Their selling tactics are too aggressive. So, make sure you don’t add too many add-ons.
- Double-check money-related transactions as they might stuff in some add-ons.
8. Fasthosts (Best Price)
Fasthost is one of the cheapest Windows VPS in the UK. It comes with free Plesk for easy server management. Their Windows license is also cheap compared to others.
They have Windows 2022 and 2019. The traffic is unlimited. The servers are set up in just a few minutes after you place your order.
Coming to the performance, you will get NVMe storage along with 99.999% uptime. They have 3 data centers in the UK including Gloucester, Worcester, and London. You can use this VPS for games, VPN, etc. They allow setting up CI/CD environments for faster testing.
Starting price of Fasthosts: £7/m ($8.79) for the first 6 months, then it’s £8/m ($10.04) (includes £5 Windows fee) from the next month.
Pros of Fasthosts
- 999% uptime makes it easier for anyone to access your website.
- You will get a free control panel (Plesk).
- The support is always there to help you.
- Multiple plans to choose from make it easier to scale.
Cons of Fasthosts
- There are a few issues regarding the refund as they don’t pay you.
- You will have to “apply” for cancellation instead of just canceling it.
How to choose a Windows VPS in the UK?
Here are a few factors you need to keep in mind while buying a cheap Windows VPS in the UK.
- Price Comparison: Firstly, check exact pricing of the VPS. If you are looking for a cheap Windows VPS in the UK, make sure to check the Windows license price and renewal price of the VPS. The plan should not be the “cheapest” but “value for money”.
- Data Center Location: A data center near your target audience location gives low latency which gives better performance to the users.
- Operating System Options: Make sure the Windows distributions you’re looking for are available in the VPS. You can also check OS add-ons such as control panels.
- Resource Allocation: Don’t just check RAM, Storage, and CPU, but also check the storage (SSD or NVMe) and RAM (DDR3 or DDR4) type. Make sure it has enough resources to fit your needs or else you will face performance issues.
- Customer Support: You will need customer support if you go with a VPS. Check the response time and also check the possible channels of communication. Look for in-house UK-based support in the same time zone or with 24/7 availability.
Conclusion
To conclude, these are the best cheap Windows VPS in UK. When you choose the VPS, you need to choose the one that fits your requirements.
Here’s a quick selection for you based on your needs.
- Best overall: Kamatera
- Most Windows distributions: Ultahosts
- Best price: Fasthosts
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why are Windows VPS so expensive?
Windows VPS is expensive as the OS isn’t free. You will have to pay a license fee for Windows which increases the cost.