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.
WPX and SiteGround are two of the hosts we get asked about most. Both are WordPress specialists, both are based in Bulgaria and serve customers worldwide, both have London data centres, and both have excellent reputations for support. The big differences are how they price, and how far each has gone with AI.
We are affiliates for both
If you buy WPX or SiteGround through our links, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Because we earn either way, we have no reason to push you to one or the other. Pick the one that fits.
The short answer
Choose WPX if you want one steady price, malware removal included, and the host with the stronger independent speed record. That is most small businesses.
Choose SiteGround if your budget for year one is tight, you want phone support, you want AI tools built in, or you need a data centre in mainland Europe or Asia.
WPX vs SiteGround at a Glance
| WPX | SiteGround | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $14.99/mo paid yearly (Starter) | £1.99/mo first year (StartUp) |
| After year one | Same price | £13.99/mo |
| VAT for UK buyers | WPX say they do not charge it | Prices shown before VAT |
| Malware removal | Included on every plan | Paid, or may carry a fee |
| Site moves | Free, done for you | Free plugin; done-for-you is paid |
| Visitors | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| UK data centre | Yes, London | Yes, London |
| Support | 24/7 chat and tickets | 24/7 chat, tickets and phone |
| Review Signal 2026 | Top Tier in every WordPress band entered | Not in the $25–50 band tested |
| Money back | 30 days | 30 days |
WPX prices from WPX's order page and SiteGround prices from siteground.co.uk, both checked on 1 October 2026. WPX prices are in US dollars, SiteGround's in pounds.
Price: Where SiteGround's Deal Changes
SiteGround's headline prices are first-term prices. You pay for the first 12 months up front at the low rate, then the plan renews at its normal price. Here is the jump on siteground.co.uk, before VAT:
| SiteGround plan | First year | Then | Extra per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| StartUp | £1.99/mo | £13.99/mo | +£144 |
| GrowBig | £3.99/mo | £23.99/mo | +£240 |
| GoGeek | £5.99/mo | £34.99/mo | +£348 |
That is not hidden; SiteGround shows it. But most people choose on the big number and forget about the renewal until the bill arrives.
Three Years, Side by Side
Take a small business that wants a few sites and email. That is SiteGround's GrowBig against WPX's Business plan.
- SiteGround GrowBig: £47.88 in year one, then £287.88 a year. That is £623.64 over three years before VAT, or about £748 with UK VAT added.
- WPX Business, paid yearly: $299.90 a year, so $899.70 over three years. That is roughly £670 depending on the exchange rate, and WPX say they do not charge VAT to UK customers.
So over three years they end up in the same area, and WPX can come out cheaper once VAT is counted. Over five years WPX gets cheaper still, because a five-year term brings Business down to $19.99 a month.
Speed
The fairest speed comparison is an independent one. Review Signal's WordPress Hosting Performance Benchmarks have put WPX in Top Tier in every price band it entered in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2026. In 2026 it had the fastest static response in the $25–50 and $51–100 bands.
SiteGround was not among the hosts tested in the 2026 $25–50 band, so we cannot compare the two directly on this year's numbers. SiteGround runs on Google Cloud and is not a slow host. But if speed is your deciding factor, WPX is the one with the recent independent results to back it up.
Switching from SiteGround?
WPX's team moves your site across for free, usually within a day. Your SiteGround site stays live until you point your domain over, so there is no downtime.
See WPX Plans →Already sure? Pay yearly. You get two months free.
Affiliate link. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Security and Malware
This is a bigger difference than it looks. If a WordPress site gets hacked — usually through an out-of-date plugin — someone has to clean it.
- WPX scans every day and removes malware for free on every plan.
- SiteGround sells its malware scanner as a paid add-on. On its basic plan, clean-up is a paid service, and even on its top plan SiteGround says an extra clean-up fee "may apply".
Most sites never get hacked. But the ones that do usually find out at the worst possible time, and the clean-up bill from a security firm can be more than a year's hosting.
Support
Both have a good reputation here. SiteGround has the edge on choice, because you can phone them. WPX is chat and tickets only, but says it answers live chat in about 30 seconds on average, and its Trustpilot page shows 4.7 out of 5 from more than 3,600 reviews as of late September 2026.
If you strongly prefer to talk to someone on the phone, that is a fair reason to pick SiteGround.
AI Tools: SiteGround Is Well Ahead
If AI matters to you, this decides it. Over the last year SiteGround has added:
- An AI Agent for WordPress, free on every hosting plan. You ask in plain English and it writes posts, changes settings, manages plugins or updates WooCommerce products for you.
- Free monthly AI tokens for its AI Studio, where you can use ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, plus ready-made assistants for SEO, ads, social posts and emails.
- Coderick AI, a separate paid tool that builds web apps and sites from a description, with hosting included.
- AI text and images in its website builder.
WPX has none of this. Its only AI feature is AI-powered spam filtering on email. WPX is very good at fast, well-looked-after hosting, but if you want AI to help run your site, SiteGround is the one. Our SiteGround AI tools guide covers each tool.
Want AI built into your hosting?
Every SiteGround plan includes the AI Agent for WordPress and free AI tokens. GrowBig adds unlimited sites and staging. Phone support any time.
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.
Where SiteGround Wins
- The first-year price. Nothing at WPX comes close to £1.99 a month.
- Phone support.
- More data centres. SiteGround has locations in mainland Europe and Asia. WPX has Chicago, London and Sydney.
- SSH access. Developers get a command line. WPX does not offer SSH.
- AI tools, included free.
- Unlimited sites on GrowBig, and a free domain on every plan.
Where WPX Wins
- A steady price. No big jump after year one.
- Malware removal included.
- A stronger independent speed record.
- No VAT for UK buyers, by WPX's own terms.
- Email with unlimited mailboxes from the Business plan up.
Our Verdict
If you want phone support, AI tools, or a cheap first year to see whether an idea works, choose SiteGround, and go for GrowBig.
If you are running a business that relies on its website and plan to stay for years, WPX is the better long-term home. The price evens out within a few years, and in the meantime you get malware clean-up included and the stronger independent speed record.
For more detail, see our WPX review and SiteGround review. If you are in the UK and want to see other options, read the best WordPress hosting for UK sites.
Try WPX with 30 days to change your mind
Pick a plan and WPX move your site across for you, usually within a day. If it is not faster or better looked after, cancel inside 30 days for a full refund.
See WPX Plans →Already sure? Pay yearly. You get two months free.
Affiliate link. We earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Or start with SiteGround
GrowBig: unlimited sites, staging, a free domain and the AI tools, with phone support any time. 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 WPX better than SiteGround?
For most small business WordPress sites, we think so. WPX keeps the same price year after year, includes malware removal, and was Top Tier in every band it entered in the 2026 independent Review Signal tests. SiteGround is much cheaper in year one, offers phone support and has more data centres, so it suits people who want the lowest start-up cost or need phone help.
Is SiteGround cheaper than WPX?
In the first year, by a long way. SiteGround's UK StartUp plan is £1.99 a month for the first year, then £13.99 a month, before VAT. Over three years the gap narrows a lot, and once you add VAT to SiteGround the totals can be close.
Does SiteGround put its prices up?
Yes. The low price is for the first term only. On siteground.co.uk in October 2026, StartUp goes from £1.99 to £13.99 a month, GrowBig from £3.99 to £23.99, and GoGeek from £5.99 to £34.99, all before VAT.
Does SiteGround remove malware for free?
Not on every plan. SiteGround sells malware scanning as a paid add-on, and clean-up is either paid or may carry an extra fee depending on the plan. WPX includes malware scanning and removal on every plan.
Which has better support, WPX or SiteGround?
Both are well regarded. SiteGround offers phone support as well as chat and tickets. WPX is chat and tickets only, but says it answers live chat in about 30 seconds on average and has a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot score from more than 3,600 reviews.
Which is better for AI, WPX or SiteGround?
SiteGround, clearly. Every SiteGround hosting plan includes free AI tokens and an AI Agent for WordPress that can manage your site by chat, and SiteGround also sells Coderick AI for building apps from a description. WPX's only AI feature is AI-powered spam filtering on email.
Is SiteGround a US or UK company? What about WPX?
Neither. Both are Bulgarian companies that serve customers worldwide. SiteGround has a UK website with prices in pounds and a London data centre. WPX prices in US dollars and also has a London data centre.
How do I move from SiteGround to WPX?
Buy a WPX plan, then fill in WPX's move request form from your new account. Their team copies the site across for free, usually within 24 hours. Then you point your domain to WPX. Keep SiteGround running until the move is checked.