4.4 billion people use email services in 2024. We are living in a world where one won’t think twice about signing up for an email account. However, as a business owner, you must have a dedicated company email to create your brand. While you can turn to Google, Yahoo, Neo, or Outlook for your business email, looking into some other email hosting platforms is worthwhile. 

Entrepreneurs who have just entered the market may have never heard of email hosting services before, and this isn’t uncommon. That is why we have put together an easy-to-understand guide containing the basics to help anyone trying to find out more about email hosting in the UK. 

What is Email Hosting?

Email hosting refers to a service in which a particular hosting platform lends email servers to its users. Many businesses take advantage of these professional email services, which are flexible and powerful. Moreover, some companies even provide free email hosting plans with limited features or free trials on premium versions. 

A hosted business email always runs email servers on behalf of a particular organization. The platform usually allows you to rent space for yourself or your business for a fee. You will need to find an email hosting provider in the UK if you own a domain in the country and want an email service for it. 

An email hosting service includes:

• a personalized domain name,
• more storage space or cloud storage,
• antivirus and spam management,
• zero advertisements,
• collaboration tools, such as SEO and marketing tools,
• email synchronization across devices,
• folder and contact management, and 
• larger attachments and archiving options.

How does Email Hosting Work?

Email hosting provides different servers that store and manage several email accounts. This allows users to send, receive, and manage emails using their custom domain names.

Certain premium email hosting services, such as Neo, offer more advanced solutions for business communications. These providers host all your business emails in a dedicated hosting environment.

Email authentication is also offered to protect your business and its customers, stakeholders, and clients from phishing scams and other cybercriminal activity.

Does the location of the server matter?

Although the location of your email hosting server does not matter, it’s better to choose a host from within your country. If you are based in the UK, an email hosting service from the same country will be more advantageous. It can significantly reduce any decrease in server lag, especially if your emails contain large attachments. By email hosting in the UK, you can also send out or receive many emails without any issues. 

Types of Email Hosting 

Email hosting gives you access to a specific server. It is usually maintained by a hosting provider to send and receive various emails. This particular server is where your emails are stored and eventually accessed.

Email hosting is of three types: 

• Shared Hosting: This service is used when multiple users share a single server. It is less expensive but could be unreliable and not offer high security.
• Dedicated Hosting: You can purchase a separate and exclusive server. It is dedicated specifically to your email hosting needs. This option can be expensive but provides greater reliability and security. 
• Cloud hosting:  This type of hosting does not require a physical server to host your data. It gives you access to high-security virtual servers. The advantage of this system is its flexibility and, since it’s not dependent on a physical server, its reliability is high. 

Most Common Ways of Email Hosting That Businesses Prefer 

Some email hosting companies offer domain and website hosting along with email hosting. This is useful for those who want to manage their business effectively by storing all data in a single place. This strategy can help you create a strong brand identity and make a memorable impression on your customers. 

There are three different ways of email hosting.

Dedicated Email Hosting

A dedicated email hosting provider enables you to handle several accounts and offers enhanced features. It uses an entire mail server for your domain’s use, ensuring the email hosting account focuses on handling emails only.

You get a set amount of bandwidth and storage space for your business account, which comes with a dedicated email hosting service. These services will be separate from your respective domain’s managed web hosting.

This type of email hosting has other advantages, too, such as  

• Extra security and protection,
• Automated synchronization with all kinds of smart devices,
• Easy setup, and
• Several email accounts can be included at an affordable price.

Bundled Hosting (Web and Email)

Bundled hosting includes email hosting services, usually with a web hosting account. It can significantly help with email management without the extra costs of separate web hosting for website management. This usually depends on your business requirements and changing demands.

Most bundles have a particular bandwidth and a singular space shared between all your web and email hosts. However, most of the bundled email and web hosting services generally have bandwidth, limited storage capacity, and features. They also come with several advantages.

• Easy-to-navigate settings,
• Host several small email accounts in the form of packaged pricing,
• More affordable than any other dedicated email hosting service and
• Hosting a website without having to invest separately in web hosting. 

Email and web-bundled hosting are some of the best options for small enterprises or new businesses.

Enterprise Solutions (SaaS)

SaaS services offer excellent email hosting solutions across platforms. These dedicated email hosting solutions are straightforward to use and intuitive. They also act as the most powerful service providers. The main differentiator of enterprise email hosting lies in its scope. It is specifically designed for larger companies.

• It provides more resources, such as space, to meet the needs of a large corporation.
• It provides more security features. 
• It offers constant support with software upgrades and bug resolutions.

Benefits of Email Hosting 

Email hosting provides numerous benefits, including tools to handle simple tasks so you can concentrate on the more complex part of your business. Its major benefits include the following:

1. Creating Brand Awareness and Consistency

Creating brand awareness is very important for any individual or entity who wants to provide business authenticity. It helps them build trust with all of their respective customers. They can do so by having an email address for the same domain as their brand or website. 

Also, users should consider creating a business email signature once they have a personalized email. 

2. Advanced Security of Emails

Email hosting offers high-end security tools to safeguard your data, including 2FA, email encryption, and outstanding spam protection.

3. More Options for Growth to Meet Business Needs

Business email hosting service providers offer different options for any requirement, including collaboration tools, increased storage capacity, and dedicated customer support. Some email hosts also support the addition of unlimited subdomains and a one-page website builder. 

4. Multiple Mailboxes

You will need the ability to create mailboxes instantly if you have a growing business. An efficient email host allows you to add the mailboxes you need to support your respective business operations. A few hosting platforms provide more than 100 email accounts even on their cheapest hosting plans. Most companies have different and dedicated mailboxes to categorize their emails based on business functions. 

Choosing the Right Email Hosting Provider

You already know that there are several email hosting providers available in the online market. That is why you must consider certain factors when choosing the right hosting services for you. For those who want to find the best email hosting services in the UK for your business needs, you should consider: 

1. Size of your Organization

Your hosting plan will depend on the number of departments and personnel organization. Many hosting providers offer cost-conscious plans ideal for small teams.

2. Your email usage needs

You must also consider the number of emails you send and receive each day. This involves identifying the type of email features you need daily. This factor will determine the amount of storage space you require from any specific email hosting provider.

3. Reliability 

You must be able to access your emails whenever you need them in the future. It means you must look for an email hosting provider in the UK that offers reliable service and high uptime (99.9%) and guarantees.

4. Security 

Your data should have high security and encryption protection to keep them safe from malicious attacks.

5. Customer Support 

An ideal email hosting provider should provide 24/7 support to help resolve your issues. 

6. Budget 

The last and the most important factor is budget in this case. Email hosting plans can be different, and they vary greatly in cost. So,  choose a provider that fits within your budget and also fulfills your requirements. 

Our Recommendations

There are several email hosting providers in the UK. We’ve compiled a list of the 3 best email hosting providers in the UK to help you get started on your work by selecting the perfect option for your business needs.

1. Hostinger

Hostinger provides cost-effective solutions to your email hosting needs. You can create email aliases and enjoy up to 50 GB of storage space. Additionally, with antivirus and anti-spam features, you can stay assured of your email security. 

Price: The base plan starts at £1.99 per month per mailbox, and the advanced at £3.99 per month per mailbox. 

2. Simply Webmail

Simply Webmail is another great email hosting provider in the UK. It allows you to migrate your email and other data from your previous email hosts. In addition to that, it supports IMAP and POP3 protocols and has a user-friendly interface. It also allows calendar synchronization to keep you updated! 

Price: €0.30 per month for the first year of your purchase. After that, the price will be €5 per month.

3. Fasthosts

Fasthosts is one of the most reliable email hosting services in the UK. It allows you to promote your brand effectively with your business domain. However, one of the best features of this email hosting platform is its UK-based servers. This ensures high uptime as well as security. Fastshosts also provides the most budget-friendly plan on our list. 

Price: Initial year, the plan costs £1 per month and then £2.40/ month subsequently. 

Note: We have made the list of top email hosting providers in the UK considering all the factors an email hosting provider should have, including resilient security protocols, robust email marketing protocols, storage, and price. 

Conclusion

Email has been an important form of electronic communication for several decades. There is no denying that this is likely to continue in the case of all businesses for many years to come. However, while plenty of free email hosting services are available for individuals and businesses, many lack specialized features. So, you must choose the right email hosting in the UK that caters to your respective needs without compromising on the quality. Follow the points mentioned in this guide to ensure you find the right service for your hosting needs in the future. So, make your choice and transform your email requirements now! 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best email hosting service in the UK?

Several email hosting services are available in the UK, such as Fasthosts, Simply Webmail, and Hostinger. Select the one that suits your business requirements and your budget. 

2. Can I get my email domain in the UK?

You can always register a particular domain online through any certified registrar in the UK. Besides, you can approach email hosting services to get your email domain in the country. 

3. How much does email hosting in the UK cost?

The cost of email hosting services in the UK depends on certain factors. These include the type of business you operate, your requirements, budget constraints, and time. 

4. Are email hosting services in the UK safe?

Yes, all email hosting services in the UK are safe. Many of them come with encryption and data security protection facilities. You can contact customer support for your chosen platform and ask experts about the security features for further help.