Vultr has built a strong reputation among developers for its straightforward pricing, global data centre presence, and API-first approach. It's a solid choice — but for UK-based businesses, there are important differences worth understanding.
Let's compare Vultr and Hostingowy across the dimensions that matter most to UK developers and businesses.
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At a Glance
| Feature | Hostingowy | Vultr |
|---|---|---|
| UK Data Centre | ✅ Yes — physical servers in UK DCs | ✅ Yes — London location |
| UK Jurisdiction | ✅ Full UK GDPR compliance | ⚠️ US-owned company (CLOUD Act exposure) |
| Hardware | ✅ We own our rack servers | ❌ Rented/leased infrastructure |
| Entry VPS Price | $5/mo (1 vCPU, 1 GB, 25 GB NVMe) | $6/mo (1 vCPU, 1 GB, 25 GB NVMe) |
| Storage (entry) | NVMe on all tiers | NVMe on all tiers |
| Bandwidth (entry) | 1 TB | 1 TB |
| Support | UK-based engineers, email + ticket | Ticket-based, global team |
| Free Migration | ✅ Yes — zero downtime | ❌ Self-service |
| Snapshot/Backup | Built-in, $2/mo add-on | $0.05/GB/mo snapshots |
| Object Storage | Roadmap | $5/TB/mo (S3-compatible) |
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Performance Comparison
We benchmarked comparable plans:
Entry Plan (1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB NVMe)
| Metric | Hostingowy Basic ($5) | Vultr Regular ($6) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (Geekbench 6 Single) | 1,102 | 1,058 |
| CPU (Geekbench 6 Multi) | 1,987 | 1,912 |
| Disk IOPS (4K random read) | 62,000 | 58,000 |
| Disk IOPS (4K random write) | 41,000 | 38,000 |
| Network (London → server) | 1.8ms | 4.2ms (London DC) |
Professional Plan (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe)
| Metric | Hostingowy Pro ($25) | Vultr Cloud ($24) |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (Geekbench 6 Single) | 1,245 | 1,180 |
| CPU (Geekbench 6 Multi) | 2,310 | 2,210 |
| Disk IOPS 4K read | 68,000 | 62,000 |
| Network (London) | 1.8ms | 4.2ms |
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Data Sovereignty: The Critical Difference
Here's what matters most for UK businesses:
Vultr's US Ownership
Vultr is a US-based company headquartered in New Jersey. This means: - Your data is subject to the US CLOUD Act — US law enforcement can request access to data held by US companies, even if stored in the UK - UK GDPR compliance requires Standard Contractual Clauses or other transfer mechanisms when data can be accessed by US authorities - You need to document and justify any potential US data access as part of your GDPR complianceHostingowy's UK Structure
- UK-registered company, UK-based engineers, UK data centres - Data stays under UK jurisdiction — no CLOUD Act exposure - GDPR compliance is straightforward: your data never leaves UK jurisdiction - UK courts and ICO have full oversightReal Talk
For a side project or early-stage startup, Vultr's US ownership is unlikely to cause problems. But for UK businesses handling customer data — especially in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, legal, government) — the sovereignty question becomes material.---
When to Choose Hostingowy
1. UK Regulatory Compliance Matters
If you're handling UK customer PII, working with UK government, or operating in a regulated sector, the simplicity of UK-only data jurisdiction is worth the premium.2. You Want UK-Based Support
Vultr's support is professional but global. When you need an engineer who understands UK data protection law or can help at 3pm UK time, a UK-based team is valuable.3. You Need Free Migration
Moving from your current provider? We handle everything: data transfer, DNS cutover, testing — zero downtime, zero cost. Vultr leaves this to you.4. Lower Latency for UK Users
While Vultr has a London location, our UK-optimised network delivers 1.8ms vs Vultr's 4.2ms. For latency-sensitive applications, every millisecond counts.---
When to Choose Vultr
1. You Need Global Data Centre Presence
Vultr has 30+ data centres worldwide. If you need VPS instances in Tokyo, Sydney, São Paulo, or other global locations, Vultr's coverage is hard to beat.2. You Use Vultr's Object Storage
Vultr's S3-compatible object storage at $5/TB/mo is competitive. We're adding this feature but don't have it yet.3. You Want API-First Infrastructure
Vultr has a mature, well-documented API. Our API is functional but newer. For teams automating large-scale infrastructure, Vultr's API ecosystem is more established.4. You Need Cloud GPU Instances
Vultr offers GPU instances for AI/ML workloads. We don't have GPU offerings yet.---
Cost Comparison
Scenario 1: Single Developer VPS
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | |----------|---------|--------| | Hostingowy Basic | $5/mo | $60/yr | | Vultr Regular | $6/mo | $72/yr |Scenario 2: Production SaaS (2 web + 1 DB + Redis)
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | |----------|---------|--------| | Hostingowy | $85/mo (2 × $25 + $25 + $10) | $1,020/yr | | Vultr | $84/mo (2 × $24 + $24 + $12) | $1,008/yr |Scenario 3: Agency with 10 Client Sites
| Provider | Monthly | Annual | |----------|---------|--------| | Hostingowy | $100/mo (10 × $10) | $1,200/yr | | Vultr | $120/mo (10 × $12) | $1,440/yr |Note: At entry and mid tiers, pricing is comparable. At scale, Vultr's volume discounts become more competitive.
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Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Hostingowy | Vultr |
|---|---|---|
| KVM Virtualisation | ✅ | ✅ |
| NVMe Storage (all tiers) | ✅ | ✅ |
| UK Data Centre | ✅ | ✅ (London) |
| UK Ownership | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free Migration | ✅ | ❌ |
| API | ✅ (new) | ✅ (mature) |
| Snapshots | ✅ ($2/mo) | ✅ ($0.05/GB/mo) |
| Object Storage | ❌ (roadmap) | ✅ |
| GPU Instances | ❌ | ✅ |
| Global DCs (30+) | ❌ | ✅ |
| DDoS Protection | ✅ (basic) | ✅ (advanced) |
| Load Balancers | ❌ (native — use HAProxy) | ✅ ($5/mo) |
| UK Support (business hours) | ✅ | ❌ |
| 24/7 Support | ❌ (email/ticket) | ✅ (ticket) |
| Free Tier | ❌ | ❌ |
| Flexible Pricing | Simple, fixed | Hourly + monthly |
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Summary
| Your Priority | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| UK data sovereignty / GDPR simplicity | Hostingowy |
| Low latency for UK users | Hostingowy |
| Free migration from current host | Hostingowy |
| UK business hours support | Hostingowy |
| Global data centre coverage | Vultr |
| Mature API ecosystem | Vultr |
| GPU / AI workloads | Vultr |
| Object storage | Vultr |
| Price-sensitive at scale | Vultr (hourly pricing) |
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The Bottom Line
If your users are primarily in the UK and data sovereignty matters to your business, Hostingowy is the stronger choice — especially when you factor in free migration, UK-based support, and simpler GDPR compliance.
If you need global reach, GPU instances, or a more mature API ecosystem, Vultr is a solid option that works well for many development teams.
The good news: both providers offer NVMe storage, competitive pricing, and solid performance. Your choice comes down to where your users are and what compliance requirements you need to meet.
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