Reviewed by Nick Oakley, Head of Digital
Nicada Digital has built and looked after more than 800 websites since 2014, almost all of them on WordPress. Hosting is the part clients never see and always feel.
SiteGround and Hostinger are two of the most popular hosts for small business websites, and they were both founded in 2004. But they have gone in different directions. Hostinger competes hard on price. SiteGround charges more and puts it into support and features.
Before you read on
We are an affiliate for SiteGround, not Hostinger. We earn a commission if you buy SiteGround through our links. We have still said plainly where Hostinger wins, because it wins on price by a wide margin. Prices were checked on each company's own site on 1 October 2026.
The short answer
Choose Hostinger if the lowest price matters most and you are happy to pay four years up front.
Choose SiteGround if you want to be able to phone a person at any hour, want daily backups and staging, or your website brings in enough work that a bad day would cost more than the price difference.
At a Glance
| SiteGround GrowBig | Hostinger Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| UK price, start | £3.99/mo, 12 months up front | £3.99/mo, 48 months up front |
| UK price, after | £23.99/mo | £13.99/mo |
| Sites | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 50GB | 50GB |
| Backups | Daily, plus on-demand | Daily |
| Staging | Yes | Check plan |
| Free | Free for year one | |
| Free domain | Yes | Year one |
| Phone support | Yes, 24/7 | No phone line found |
| UK data centre | London | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 4.9 from 30,899 reviews | 4.6 from about 72,700 reviews |
UK prices before VAT. SiteGround's Trustpilot figure is from Trustpilot; Hostinger's is from the rating data shown on Hostinger's own site.
Price: Hostinger Wins
There is no getting round this. Hostinger is cheaper.
The catch with Hostinger's headline price is that you pay for 48 months up front. Hostinger Premium (3 sites) at £2.99 a month is £143.52 for four years. Then it renews at £10.99 a month.
SiteGround's headline price is for 12 months. After that, GrowBig renews at £23.99 a month. Over four years, before VAT:
- SiteGround GrowBig: £47.88 in year one, then £287.88 a year. About £911 over four years.
- Hostinger Unlimited: £191.52 for all four years, at £3.99 a month.
That is a big gap. If price is your main concern, Hostinger is the better buy.
Support: SiteGround Wins
SiteGround's support is staffed by people it employs, and you can phone, chat or open a ticket at any hour. Its Trustpilot score is 4.9 out of 5 from 30,899 reviews.
Hostinger's live chat starts with its AI agent, which Hostinger says handles about 85% of chats on its own, then passes you to a person. We could not find a phone number on its contact page. Its customers rate it well too, at 4.6.
For many people an AI agent that fixes a problem quickly is fine. If you want a person on the phone when your site goes down, SiteGround is the one.
Want a person on the phone when it matters?
SiteGround's support team is in-house and answers by phone, chat or ticket 24/7. GrowBig adds unlimited sites, staging and on-demand backups.
See SiteGround Plans →Put the renewal date in your diary. The price goes up after the first term.
Affiliate link. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Backups and Safety Nets: SiteGround Wins
- Backups. SiteGround backs up every plan daily and keeps 30 days. Hostinger's entry Premium plan backs up weekly; daily backups start on Unlimited.
- Staging. SiteGround's GrowBig lets you test changes on a copy before they go live. It is the easiest way to avoid breaking your site with an update.
- On-demand backups. GrowBig lets you take a backup yourself just before a big change.
AI Tools: Both Are Strong
This is one area where both companies have moved fast.
- SiteGround includes an AI Agent for WordPress and free monthly AI Studio tokens on every hosting plan. The agent can write posts, manage plugins and update WooCommerce products by chat. SiteGround also sells Coderick AI for building web apps from a description. See our SiteGround AI tools guide.
- Hostinger has an AI website builder, its Hostinger Agent for building and managing WordPress sites, and a "Hostinger Connector" that lets tools like Claude or Cursor work directly with your hosting.
If you are a developer who already uses AI coding tools, Hostinger's connector is interesting. If you want AI to help run a normal WordPress site, SiteGround's agent is the more complete package today.
Speed
Neither SiteGround nor Hostinger took part in the 2026 Review Signal benchmarks, the main independent test of WordPress hosting speed, so we cannot compare them on current independent results. Both are well-run, modern hosts. If independent speed results matter to you, see the fastest WordPress hosting.
Which Should You Choose?
Hostinger, if:
- The lowest price is what matters most.
- You are happy to commit four years up front.
- You are comfortable getting help from an AI agent first.
SiteGround, if:
- You want to phone a person at any hour.
- You want daily backups, staging and on-demand backups.
- You do not want to pay four years in advance.
- Your website earns its keep, and a bad day would cost more than the difference in price.
If you choose SiteGround, choose GrowBig rather than StartUp. It holds unlimited sites and adds staging. Our SiteGround pricing guide explains the plans, and our SiteGround review has the full verdict.
Try SiteGround with 30 days to change your mind
Start on GrowBig: unlimited sites, staging, and the AI tools included. Phone support any time, and 30 days to get your money back.
See SiteGround Plans →Put the renewal date in your diary. The price goes up after the first term.
Affiliate link. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SiteGround better than Hostinger?
It depends what you value. SiteGround has human phone support 24/7, daily backups on every plan, staging on GrowBig and 11 data centres. Hostinger is much cheaper, especially over four years, and has strong AI tools. If budget comes first, Hostinger. If support and safety nets come first, SiteGround.
Is Hostinger cheaper than SiteGround?
Yes, over any period longer than a year. Hostinger's Premium plan is £2.99 a month in the UK when you pay for 48 months up front. SiteGround's first year is similar, but it renews at £13.99 to £34.99 a month before VAT.
Does Hostinger have phone support?
We could not find a phone line on Hostinger's contact page in October 2026. Support is by live chat, which starts with Hostinger's AI agent and passes to a person when needed. SiteGround offers phone, chat and tickets, staffed by people, 24/7.
Which is better for AI, SiteGround or Hostinger?
Both are strong. SiteGround has an AI Agent for WordPress and free AI Studio tokens on every plan, plus Coderick AI for building apps. Hostinger has an AI website builder, its Hostinger Agent, and a connector that lets tools like Claude or Cursor work with your hosting.
Do both have UK servers?
Yes. SiteGround has a London data centre and Hostinger lists a UK data centre among its locations.
What is the catch with Hostinger's low price?
The lowest price needs 48 months paid up front, the entry plan backs up weekly rather than daily, and email is free for the first year only. After the term, Premium renews at £10.99 a month before VAT.