Names.co.uk Review: Should You Host with Names.co.uk?

Names.co.uk

Best web host with UK based support

5 / 5

Names.co.uk is a long-established UK-based web host, domain registrar, and online services provider that has been helping businesses get online since 1997. It is best known for its beginner-friendly hosting plans, UK-based infrastructure, human phone support, free first-year domain, managed WordPress tools, and AI (artificial intelligence) website building features. A Names.co.uk-hosted test site also recorded a fast worldwide average server response time of 144.2 ms, earning it an A+ score in the Bitcatcha Server Speed Checker. Today, we’re diving into the details of the types of hosting Names.co.uk offers, their pricing, their data centre infrastructure, and their server performance. We’ll also examine features offered, including their Online Control Panel, Plesk access, AI website builder, WordPress and WooCommerce suitability, security features, GDPR compliance tools, sustainability efforts, developer support, customer support, website migration, refund terms, and current deals. Finally, we’ll discuss some close alternative web hosts to see how Names.co.uk compares.

Maximum websites allowed

1

Disk storage

25 GB

Starting price /month

£0.99

What are the pros and cons of Names.co.uk?

• Free .co.uk domain for the first year on most plans
• UK-based phone support with real humans, Mon–Fri

Get Names.co.uk @ 90% OFF (from £0.99 /mo)

Is Names.co.uk Recommended?

Yes, Names.co.uk is recommended, especially for UK-based beginners, small businesses, and WordPress users who want hosting with human support. It is not the slickest or most modern-feeling host we have tested, but it gets the practical things right and does them well. 

Something we noticed immediately is how Names.co.uk is clearly geared toward beginners. This shows up across all their products, from its emphasis on support, to the scope of its FAQ which includes charming queries like “Will my site be No.1 on Google?” Names.co.uk also leans heavily into managed services and provides convenient AI tools to help users quickly build and launch a site without needing coding knowledge.

We also like how much Names.co.uk leans into human customer support, and presents phone support as a core value proposition. This makes it especially well-suited for the UK market. UK customers particularly value human support, as supported by a 2025 Trustpilot study which found that 61% of UK shoppers preferred talking to human customer service over chatbots. Names.co.uk’s infrastructure makes it particularly strong fit for UK-focused websites, with UK-based data centers and a free first-year .co.uk domain included on most plans. 

That said, its Online Control Panel feels a little dated, phone support is not available on weekends or bank holidays and live chat is not available 24/7. And of course – Names.co.uk also does not offer data centers outside the UK, which makes them less suitable for sites targeting other parts of the world. Overall, we’d strongly recommend Names.co.uk for UK beginners and businesses small businesses, WordPress users, and anyone who prefers speaking to a real support team.

Who Is Names.co.uk?

Names.co.uk (also known as Namesco) is a UK-based domain registration, web hosting, website, and online business services provider. The company was founded in 1997 and is operated by Team Blue Internet Services UK Limited which gives it 25+ years of experience in the field. Names.co.uk is also part of team.blue, a wider European digital services group that operates a network of 60+ brands.

Where Is Names.co.uk Located?

Names.co.uk is located in the United Kingdom. Its registered office is at Second Floor, Oak House, Bridgwater Road, Worcester, WR4 9FP. The company is also registered in England and Wales under Team Blue Internet Services UK Limited. 

Names.co.uk’s hosting infrastructure is entirely UK-based. Its main data centre is a 50,000 square foot facility located in the Thames Valley, and their team claims it spreads its network infrastructure across multiple UK data centers.

Names.co.uk Pros and Cons

The 8 pros to using Names.co.uk’s web hosting services are listed below.

The 4 cons to using Names.co.uk’s web hosting services are listed below.

How Much Does Names.co.uk Cost?

Names.co.uk costs between £0.99 to £125.57 per month for its publicly listed hosting plans, depending on the type of hosting and plan tier chosen. Names.co.uk’s plans are available on either a monthly or yearly billing cycle. This means customers have the option to pay on a monthly recurring basis, or pay upfront for a one-year (12 month) term. Details on how much Names.co.uk’s different types of hosting cost are listed below.

Shared Hosting – Starts from £0.99/month

Names.co.uk’s shared web hosting plans cost between £0.99 to £5 for the first month, then renew between £9.99 to £32.99 per month.

VPS Hosting – Starts from £13.74/month

Names.co.uk’s self-managed VPS hosting costs between £13.74 to £58.66 per month, depending on the plan tier.

Names.co.uk’s managed VPS hosting plans cost between £65.07 to £125.57 per month, depending on the plan tier. Managed VPS costs more than unmanaged VPS because it includes server management, health monitoring, Plesk, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 monitoring 

WordPress Hosting – Starts from £1/month

Names.co.uk’s standard (unmanaged) WordPress hosting plans cost between £1 to £40.99 per month for the first month, then renew between £9.99 to £40.99 per month.

Names.co.uk’s Managed WordPress plans cost between £0.99 to £42.99 per month for the first month, depending on the plan tier, then renew between £10.99 to £42.99 per month.

Dedicated Hosting – Requires Enquiry

Names.co.uk’s dedicated hosting prices are not publicly listed on their Managed Dedicated Servers page. Instead, users need to enquire directly with Names.co.uk for pricing details. 

Reseller Hosting – Starts from £60.99/month

Names.co.uk’s reseller hosting plan costs £60.99 per month when paid yearly.

Is It Better to Opt for Monthly or Annual Plans?

It is better to opt for Names.co.uk’s annual plans rather than monthly plans if you want the best overall cost saving. For example, Names.co.uk’s Beginner Web Hosting plan renews at £9.99 per month on monthly billing, but costs £9.16 per month when paid yearly. This makes the monthly plan slightly more expensive than the annual plan. Annual plans require a larger upfront payment, but they reduce the average monthly cost across the year. They also offer more convenience since you do not need to manage a recurring monthly hosting bill. 

Opt for Names.co.uk’s monthly plans only if you prefer flexibility and a smaller upfront cost. Monthly billing makes it easier to test the host, cancel, switch providers, or upgrade your plan without committing to a full year.

Does Names.co.uk Have Any Hidden Costs?

No, Names.co.uk does not have hidden costs, but users need to understand the nature of its introductory and renewal pricing to avoid expensive surprises. Names.co.uk hosting plans are generally advertised with a very low first-month price, then renewed at a much higher monthly rate from the second month onward. For example, Names.co.uk’s Beginner Web Hosting plan costs £0.99 for the first month, then renews at £9.99 per month on monthly billing. This means the renewal price is significantly higher than the initial advertised price, which can confuse users who are not familiar with web hosting pricing structures. Avoid unexpected costs by double checking the introductory price, the renewal price and included features within your preferred Names.co.uk plan.

Where Are Names.co.uk’s Data Centers?

Names.co.uk’s data centers are located in the UK. Their website states that their main data centre is a Tier 3+ 50,000 square foot facility in the Thames Valley which it shares with its sister company Simply Hosting & Servers. This server infrastructure includes 450 racks, high-speed connectivity, dual independent power feeds, diesel generators, UPS batteries, monitored CCTV, access control, and multi-layer access points. Its core network also connects the main data centre to POP sites in Slough and London. 

However, Names.co.uk does not offer data centers outside of the UK. This makes it better suited for individuals and businesses targeting UK visitors, but less ideal for users who want data center locations in North America, Asia, or Oceania.

What Is Names.co.uk’s Performance Like?

Names.co.uk’s performance is strong, especially for UK and nearby European visitors. 

A Names.co.uk-hosted test site recorded a global average server response time of 144.2 ms in the Bitcatcha Server Speed Checker test. This earned Names.co.uk an A+ ranking, which indicates that its server responded quickly across multiple international test locations. This suggests Names.co.uk delivers solid global performance despite only offering UK data centers.

The fastest server response times came from London at 11 ms and Germany at 29 ms, which reflects Names.co.uk’s UK data centre setup. Response times were also reasonable from US East at 99 ms and Canada at 101 ms. The slowest results came from Sydney at 284 ms, Japan at 236 ms, and Bangalore at 183 ms, confirming that performance is weaker for visitors farther from the UK. 

Names.co.uk’s performance is supported by fast SSD storage, caching tools, and server-level optimisation. Its Web Hosting plans include caching technologies such as Varnish and Redis, while its Managed WooCommerce plans use LiteSpeed technology and LiteSpeed Cache. However, because Names.co.uk does not offer data centers outside the UK, websites targeting Asia-Pacific or other distant regions benefit from using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) on top.

What Is Names.co.uk’s Uptime Like?

Names.co.uk’s uptime refers to the percentage of time during which its servers and network infrastructure stay operational and accessible for customers. Names.co.uk offers a strong 99.99% uptime guarantee for shared hosting and managed dedicated servers, which means these services should experience no more than about 4 minutes of downtime in a 30-day month. This is higher than the common 99.9% uptime standard offered by many web hosts.

Names.co.uk provides service credits if it fails to meet this 99.99% uptime guarantee. Downtime of up to and including 12 hours is compensated with a credit worth 10% of the monthly payment for the affected service. Downtime of more than 12 hours and up to 72 hours is compensated at 30%, while downtime over 72 hours is compensated at 50%.

Names.co.uk’s unmanaged and cloud servers come with a separate, slightly lower 99.9% uptime guarantee. If uptime falls between 95% and 99.8%, customers can claim a 10% monthly credit for the affected server. Uptime between 90% and 94.99% is compensated at 25%, while uptime of 89.99% or below is compensated at 40%. Planned maintenance, network attacks, hardware failure, account suspension, and user-caused errors are excluded from this SLA.

What Control Panel Does Names.co.uk Use?

Names.co.uk uses different control panels depending on the type of hosting being purchased. Shared hosting and reseller hosting plans solely use Names.co.uk’s Online Control Panel, which is their own software that provides a centralized hub for users to manage their hosting accounts. 

Our thoughts using the Online Control Panel were that it is functional and easy enough to navigate. Sections were structured by Billing, Account and Support. Advanced Settings were in a separate tab, making it easy for beginners to find their way around. While clean, it did feel a little outdated compared to some of the very visual and colour-organized custom control panels that we see in many web hosts these days.

Names.co.uk’s Managed VPS and Managed Dedicated Server plans also include the Plesk control panel within the plan. Plesk allows users to manage websites, domains, email, firewalls, security, and site health from one dashboard. Managed VPS plans include the Plesk control panel, with Plesk Web Admin for 10 domains on the entry plan and Plesk Web Pro for 30 domains on higher plans.

Names.co.uk’s self-managed VPS plans are supplied without a control panel by default, with options to add on Plesk (from £9.99 per month), WePanel (from £20.99 per month) or Direct Admin (from £5.99p/m).

Does Names.co.uk Come with a Free AI Website Builder?

Yes, Names.co.uk comes with a free AI website builder on select shared and WordPress hosting plans. An AI website builder is an all-in-one design tool that helps users build, customise, and manage a website with the support of artificial intelligence. Names.co.uk’s AI Website Builder works by guiding users through the setup process and using AI prompts to help create website content. Users choose a template, customise colours and styles, add their own information and images, then use the AI Text Assistant to generate new website sections. The starter text is editable before publishing the website to a domain name.

All Names.co.uk Managed WordPress plans also include AI Site Assistant, which is the WordPress-specific AI tool. Instead of helping users build through the general website builder, AI Site Assistant helps create a WordPress site by asking a few questions, selecting suitable templates, adjusting the layout, and adding tailored starter content.

Names.co.uk also offers a separate “Build Me A Website” service for users who want the website built for them. Rapid Website builds take up to 3 working days, while Starter Website, Professional Website, and Website & Shop packages are built within 4 weeks.

How Much Is a Domain Name with Names.co.uk?

Expect to pay between £0 and £22.99 for a domain name with Names.co.uk when registering selected domains for the first year. The registration fee depends on the domain extension. Here’s a list of selected first-year domain prices:

Names.co.uk’s discounted first-year prices do not apply to renewals or transfers, so users are recommended  to check the renewal price before registering a domain.

Do I Get a Free Domain Name?

Yes, you get a free domain name from Names.co.uk in two ways. The first is by registering a .co.uk domain, which Names.co.uk offers free for the first year. The second is by signing up for eligible annual Names.co.uk plans. These include Web Hosting, Website Builder, Website Builder Ecommerce, WordPress Hosting, Email Hosting, and Microsoft 365 packages. Eligible plans include a free domain name for the first year, but only for selected extensions such as .uk, .co.uk, .me.uk, and .org.uk at the time of writing. Users need to pay the normal domain renewal price after the first year. This means the domain is free to register initially, but not free to keep long term.

Is Names.co.uk Good for WordPress?

Yes, Names.co.uk is good for WordPress because it offers Managed WordPress hosting that reduces the technical maintenance involved in running a WordPress site. These managed service covers WordPress updates, plugin updates, PHP updates, backups, malware protection, and 1-click restore, which helps keep WordPress sites updated, protected, and easier to recover. Names.co.uk’s Managed WordPress plans also include AI Site Assistant, which supports the WordPress site-building process since it helps generate a starting website structure, text, and images through AI-guided onboarding and agent-assisted editing. Managed WordPress users also get a test environment, which is useful because WordPress plugin, theme, and update changes can affect how a site works. The test environment lets users try changes on a copy of the site before applying them to the live WordPress website. 

Those wanting WordPress hosting on a smaller budget are able to opt for Names.co.uk’s unmanaged WordPress plans. These lack managed services but still include WordPress-specific essentials such as pre-installed WordPress, unrestricted plugins, caching, free SSL, and unlimited data traffic.

Is Names.co.uk Good for WooCommerce?

Yes, Names.co.uk is good for WooCommerce as it offers tailored Managed WooCommerce hosting plans optimized for eCommerce sites built with the WooCommerce WordPress plugin. Names.co.uk’s Managed WooCommerce plans come with WordPress and WooCommerce pre-installed, so users start configuring their online shop immediately. They also include AI Site Assistant, which helps generate a shop layout and starter content based on a few simple prompts, including drafted product pages and checkout features. 

Names.co.uk’s WooCommerce hosting also includes LiteSpeed technology, LiteSpeed Cache, automatic WordPress and plugin updates, hourly backups, 1-click backup restore, a test environment, free SSL, a free domain name, malware protection, multiple firewalls, and daily virus scanning.

How Is Names.co.uk Customer Support?

Names.co.uk customer support is excellent and available through phone support, ticket support, and its Online Support Centre. 

Names.co.uk’s phone support is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm. It provides both UK and international phone numbers that cover a range of specific departments (Sales, Technical Support, Customer Care, Domain Administration, Dedicated Server Sales & Support). This is a major plus given that many web hosts today fail to offer direct phone access to real humans and instead force users into conversing with unhelpful AI chatbots. Names.co.uk, by contrast, proudly displays its support phone number and pushes phone support as a core part of its customer service.

Names.co.uk’s ticket support is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, and on weekends and bank holidays from 8am to 4pm. Tickets are submitted through the user’s Online Control Panel by clicking on the Support tab, filling in your contact details, selecting the relevant department and affected service, and giving a brief description of your enquiry. The whole process is simple and the portal allows you to easily keep track of your ongoing and past queries.

Their “Tell The Boss” option on the portal also caught our eye. It turned out to be an area where users can provide feedback on the quality of customer support, with Names.co.uk stating that “every comment and score provided is reviewed” to help them “build a better business”. It’s a small detail but suggests Names.co.uk has a deliberate feedback loop for maintaining support quality. 

Lastly, Names.co.uk provides an Online Support Centre which functions as their knowledgebase. It contains 300+ self-help articles and video tutorials that are well-organized to help users resolve common domain, hosting, email, WordPress, and account issues. 

The main limitation with Names.co.uk’s customer support is that phone support is not available on weekends or bank holidays. It’s also a shame that Names.co.uk does not offer 24/7 live chat, which many users expect from a modern web host.

Do I Get Free Website Migrations? How Do I Migrate My Website?

Yes, you get free website migrations, but only on Names.co.uk’s managed hosting plans. Website migration refers to the process of moving a website from one hosting provider to another, including site files and databases. Names.co.uk’s Managed WordPress, Managed VPS, and Managed Dedicated Server plans include migration support at no extra cost. Their support team transfers site content and data, and aims to keep downtime minimal during the migration process. You migrate your website by contacting Names.co.uk’s support team directly through your Online Control Panel.

Does Names.co.uk Offer a Money-Back Guarantee?

Names.co.uk does not advertise a standard 30-day hosting money-back guarantee for its hosting plans. Instead, its refund terms are based on UK consumer rights and discretionary refund requests. New customers are given a 14-day cooling-off period to change their mind and request a refund. This means eligible customers can cancel within 14 days of purchase, although Names.co.uk may deduct the cost of any service already supplied during that period. Refunds outside of this 14-day period are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by their billing and customer care teams.

How to Cancel a Names.co.uk Subscription

Follow 4 steps to cancel a Names.co.uk subscription. First, back up your website files, databases, and emails. Second, log in to your Names.co.uk Online Control Panel. Third, go to the support section and submit a logged enquiry to the Customer Care Team. Fourth, clearly state which service or contract you want to cancel. Names.co.uk also accepts subscription cancellation via a letter sent by post, but the Online Control Panel is the most practical method for most users.

How to Get a Refund from Names.co.uk

Follow 3 steps to get a refund from Names.co.uk. First, log in to your Names.co.uk Online Control Panel. Second, go to the support section and submit a logged enquiry to the Customer Care Team. Third, include a clear refund request with the relevant service, order details, and reason for the refund. Names.co.uk states that refund requests are usually reviewed within 10 working days.

What Names.co.uk Deals Are There?

Names.co.uk deals refer to the limited-time discounts and seasonal promotions available on its hosting plans, domain names, website builder packages, and email services. At the time of writing, Names.co.uk is offering significant first-month discounts on selected hosting plans, including up to 90% off shared web hosting for the first month before renewal at the regular monthly price. Names.co.uk has also offered seasonal discounts during major sale periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with past discounts of around 40% to 50% off hosting plans.

What Are the Alternatives to Names.co.uk?

Alternatives to Names.co.uk refer to other web hosting brands on the market that offer similar hosting services to Names.co.uk’s offerings. 5 Names.co.uk alternatives are listed below.

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