123 Reg vs Kamatera: Which Is Better?

123 Reg Review 2026

123 Reg is one of the UK's leading domain registrars and web hosting providers, offering domains, website hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, professional email, website building tools, SSL certificates, and other services designed to help businesses establish and grow their online presence.

Founded in 2000, 123 Reg has more than 25 years of experience in the internet services industry. The company has registered more than 3.5 million domain names and currently hosts more than 1.7 million websites. 123 Reg is particularly well known in the UK market for its focus on .uk and .co.uk domains and straightforward hosting services.

Company Overview

123 Reg was launched in 2000 with a focus on making domain registration accessible to businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom.

The company grew rapidly during its first decade. By 2004, 123 Reg had become the UK's leading domain registrar, followed by major milestones of 2 million registered domains in 2009 and 3 million domains in 2012.

In 2017, 123 Reg's parent company, Host Europe Group (HEG), was acquired by GoDaddy. 123 Reg subsequently continued operating as a UK-focused hosting and domain brand within the broader GoDaddy ecosystem.

The company celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025.

Today, 123 Reg focuses primarily on helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and organizations establish an online presence without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

Domains

Domain registration is at the core of the 123 Reg business.

The company offers more than 400 domain extensions, including popular international domains as well as a broad selection of country-code and industry-specific TLDs.

Its strongest position is in the UK domain market, particularly:

• .co.uk
• .uk
• .org.uk
• .me.uk

123 Reg has been serving UK domain customers since 2000 and has registered more than 3.5 million domains.

Customers can register new domains, transfer existing domains, manage DNS settings, and combine domains with hosting, email, SSL, and website services.

UK Domain Expertise

One of 123 Reg's biggest competitive advantages is its specialization in the UK domain market.

The company has been offering .co.uk and other UK domains for more than 25 years and has built its brand around helping British businesses establish a recognizable online identity.

123 Reg offers:

• .uk
• .co.uk
• .org.uk
• .me.uk
• .com
• .net
• .org
• New generic TLDs
• Industry-specific domains

The company also provides domain privacy services designed to hide eligible personal information from public WHOIS records.

Web Hosting

Web hosting is another major part of the 123 Reg platform.

The company provides shared web hosting designed primarily for small businesses, personal websites, blogs, and growing online businesses.

Current hosting plans use NVMe SSD storage and are designed to provide faster website loading while remaining relatively affordable. Hosting packages can include domain registration, professional email, SSL certificates, and website tools.

123 Reg's web hosting is particularly aimed at customers who want an easy-to-manage hosting environment rather than a highly technical cloud platform.

Typical uses include:

• Business websites
• Small e-commerce websites
• Blogs
• Corporate websites
• Landing pages
• Portfolio websites
• WordPress websites
• Small online stores

WordPress Hosting

123 Reg offers managed WordPress hosting for customers who want to use WordPress without managing the entire server environment themselves.

The service is designed to simplify WordPress deployment, updates, security, and day-to-day management.

WordPress hosting can be used for:

• Business websites
• Blogs
• E-commerce
• Professional portfolios
• News websites
• Content websites
• Small SaaS landing pages

Managed WordPress is positioned as a more convenient alternative to traditional self-managed VPS hosting for customers who prioritize simplicity.

VPS Hosting

123 Reg also provides Virtual Private Servers for customers who require more control and resources than shared hosting provides.

Current VPS plans are available for both Linux and Windows and include features such as NVMe SSD storage, root access, additional IP addresses, unlimited traffic, DDoS protection, monitoring, and automated backups.

Entry-level VPS configurations currently start at approximately 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM and 40 GB NVMe SSD storage, while larger configurations provide additional CPU, memory, and storage resources.

VPS customers can choose monthly or annual billing depending on the product.

Linux VPS

Linux VPS hosting provides customers with root-level access and the ability to configure their own operating environment.

Linux VPS servers can be used for:

• Websites
• APIs
• SaaS applications
• Databases
• Development
• Docker
• VPN servers
• Monitoring
• Self-hosted applications
• Testing environments

The combination of root access, NVMe storage, and scalable resources provides considerably more control than standard shared hosting.

Windows VPS

123 Reg also provides Windows VPS hosting.

Windows-based VPS environments are particularly useful for applications and workloads that require the Microsoft Windows ecosystem.

Typical use cases include:

• Windows applications
• ASP.NET applications
• Remote desktop
• Microsoft software
• Business applications
• Development environments
• Database applications

123 Reg specifically notes that Windows VPS can be suitable for websites and applications built using the ASP.NET framework.

Dedicated Servers

For customers requiring physical hardware and dedicated resources, 123 Reg provides dedicated server hosting.

Dedicated servers provide customers with the full resources of a physical machine rather than sharing hardware with other VPS customers.

They are suitable for:

• High-traffic websites
• Large databases
• E-commerce
• Business applications
• Game servers
• High-performance applications
• Resource-intensive workloads
• Customers requiring greater hardware control

Dedicated servers are available alongside VPS and shared hosting, allowing businesses to move to more powerful infrastructure as their requirements grow. 123 Reg's current terms specifically include dedicated-server services as part of its hosting portfolio.

Global Data Centers

Although 123 Reg is strongly focused on the UK market, its VPS infrastructure is supported by data center locations across Europe, North America, and Asia.

The company promotes its global network as a way for customers to select infrastructure closer to their target audience and improve website and application performance.

This gives 123 Reg a broader geographic footprint than a purely UK-based hosting company while maintaining its strong UK market orientation.

Performance and Uptime

123 Reg currently advertises a 99.9% uptime guarantee for its VPS hosting.

Its VPS infrastructure includes 24/7 network monitoring, DDoS protection, performance monitoring, and automated backups. Customers can also receive email alerts when performance or availability issues are detected.

For web hosting, the company uses NVMe SSD-based infrastructure designed to improve website loading performance.

Security

Security features vary depending on the product, but 123 Reg provides several security technologies across its hosting platform.

These include:

• SSL certificates
• DDoS protection
• 24/7 monitoring
• Firewall protection
• Domain privacy
• Domain ownership protection
• Automated backups
• Secure server access
• Malware and website security products

VPS customers receive DDoS protection and dedicated IP functionality as part of the current VPS offering.

Domain Privacy is also available for eligible domains to reduce exposure of personal information in WHOIS records.

Professional Email

123 Reg provides professional email services for businesses that want email addresses using their own domain.

The portfolio includes:

• Professional Email
• Microsoft 365
• Business email accounts
• Email storage
• Spam protection
• Calendar and productivity features

Microsoft 365 services are also available through the platform, allowing businesses to combine their domain with Microsoft's productivity applications. 123 Reg's current promotional bundles include Microsoft 365 email together with .co.uk, .uk, or .com domains.

Website Builder

For customers who do not want to use WordPress or build a website manually, 123 Reg provides a Website Builder.

The service is designed for non-technical users and allows businesses to create and publish websites without coding.

Typical features include:

• Drag-and-drop website creation
• Mobile-friendly websites
• Business templates
• Domain integration
• SSL
• Basic SEO functionality
• Online store functionality on supported plans

123 Reg currently offers a 30-day Website Builder trial for selected customers.

E-Commerce

123 Reg provides website and hosting solutions for businesses that want to sell products online.

E-commerce functionality can be used to create:

• Online stores
• Product catalogs
• Small business shops
• Service-based websites
• Payment-enabled websites

The company's e-commerce offerings are designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses rather than large enterprise marketplaces.

DNS and Domain Management

Because 123 Reg is primarily a domain registrar, domain and DNS management are important components of its platform.

Customers can manage:

• Nameservers
• DNS records
• A records
• MX records
• CNAME records
• Domain forwarding
• Domain transfers
• Domain renewals

Domains registered with 123 Reg can be connected directly to the company's hosting services, while domains registered elsewhere can also be pointed to 123 Reg hosting using DNS configuration.

Support

Customer support is one of 123 Reg's major selling points.

The company provides support through:

• Telephone
• Live chat
• Support tickets
• Online documentation
• Help centre

123 Reg describes its support as UK-focused and emphasizes assistance from real people rather than relying exclusively on automated systems.

Support availability varies by product. General customer support is available through the main support channels, while dedicated server and VPS technical support currently has specific telephone hours. Live chat is also available during published hours.

Money-Back Guarantee

123 Reg provides a 14-day money-back guarantee on eligible web hosting and VPS products.

For VPS hosting, customers can request a refund within the first 14 days, although domain registration costs are excluded because registered domains cannot simply be unregistered.

This provides new customers with an opportunity to test the hosting service before making a longer-term commitment.

Pricing Strategy

123 Reg follows a value-oriented pricing model aimed primarily at small businesses and customers entering the online market.

The company frequently uses introductory promotional pricing for domains and hosting, with standard renewal prices applying after the promotional period.

Current examples include:

• Web hosting from around £1.99/month on selected promotional terms
• VPS from around £3.99/month on selected annual plans
• .co.uk domains from around £3.99 for the first year
• .com promotional offers
• Website Builder from around £3.99/month

Prices can vary significantly according to promotional campaigns, billing terms, VAT, and renewal periods, so the renewal price should always be checked before purchasing.

Who Is 123 Reg Best For?

123 Reg is particularly suitable for UK-focused customers who want to manage their domain, website, hosting, and business email through a single provider.

Typical customers include:

• UK small businesses
• Startups
• Freelancers
• Entrepreneurs
• Agencies
• Local businesses
• Bloggers
• E-commerce businesses
• Developers
• Website owners
• Small organizations

Typical use cases include:

• Business websites
• .co.uk and .uk domains
• WordPress websites
• E-commerce
• Professional email
• Landing pages
• Small SaaS websites
• VPS applications
• Databases
• Development environments
• Remote applications

123 Reg's Main Competitive Advantages

123 Reg's biggest competitive advantage is its strong UK market presence and long history in domain registration.

Key advantages include:

• Founded in 2000
• More than 25 years of industry experience
• More than 3.5 million domains registered
• More than 1.7 million websites hosted
• 400+ domain extensions
• Strong .uk and .co.uk expertise
• Web hosting
• Managed WordPress
• Linux VPS
• Windows VPS
• Dedicated servers
• Professional email
• Microsoft 365
• Website Builder
• SSL certificates
• Domain Privacy
• DDoS protection
• NVMe SSD hosting
• 99.9% VPS uptime guarantee
• 24/7 network monitoring
• UK-focused customer support
• 14-day money-back guarantee on eligible products

Overall

123 Reg is a long-established UK domain registrar and web hosting provider that has been helping businesses establish an online presence since 2000.

Unlike infrastructure-first providers such as Contabo, Database Mart, or Kamatera, 123 Reg is primarily focused on the domain-to-website journey. Its ecosystem is designed to make it easy for a customer to register a domain, create a website, set up professional email, add SSL, and eventually move to VPS or dedicated infrastructure as the business grows.

Its strongest market position remains the United Kingdom, particularly around .co.uk and .uk domains. The company combines more than 25 years of domain expertise with web hosting, WordPress, VPS, dedicated servers, email, website building, and business services.

For UK small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for an all-in-one provider, 123 Reg can be a convenient option. For advanced developers and enterprises requiring highly customizable cloud infrastructure, however, providers such as IONOS Cloud, Kamatera, or other dedicated cloud platforms generally offer a broader infrastructure toolset.

Overall, 123 Reg is best described as a UK-focused domain registrar and full-service web hosting provider, with additional VPS and dedicated server capabilities for customers whose infrastructure needs grow beyond traditional shared hosting.

Kamatera is a global cloud infrastructure and hosting provider offering enterprise-grade cloud computing services to businesses, developers, startups, IT professionals, and organizations of all sizes. The company provides highly customizable cloud servers, VPS, virtual dedicated servers, private cloud environments, cloud desktops, storage, networking, security, and managed cloud services.

Kamatera is part of The OMC Group, a technology company with roots dating back to 1995. Kamatera's cloud infrastructure business has developed around the idea of providing flexible, scalable, and reliable cloud services that can be customized to meet specific customer requirements.

Company Overview

Kamatera's history goes back to 1995, when its parent company, OMC, was co-founded by Yohay Azulay. In 1996, Azulay launched the first hosting brand under the Kamatera name.

Unlike many traditional hosting companies that primarily offer predefined server packages, Kamatera has built its platform around infrastructure customization. Customers can select the number of CPU cores, RAM, storage, operating system, networking configuration, data center location, and additional cloud services according to their requirements.

Kamatera serves a broad international customer base that includes startups, application developers, SMBs, international enterprises, IT professionals, and organizations operating mission-critical applications. The company states that it operates thousands of servers worldwide.
Cloud Infrastructure

Kamatera's primary business is cloud infrastructure. Its platform is designed to provide customers with flexible computing resources without requiring them to purchase or maintain physical hardware.

The company's core product portfolio includes:

Cloud Servers
Cloud VPS
Virtual Dedicated Servers
Virtual Private Cloud
Cloud Desktop
Block Storage
Cloud Firewall
Load Balancers
Reseller Hosting
Cloud API
Managed Cloud Services
Backup solutions
Disaster Recovery
VPN Hosting
Monitoring
Software licensing

These services can be combined to build customized cloud environments ranging from a single VPS to large-scale multi-server deployments.

Customizable Cloud Servers

One of Kamatera's major differentiators is the level of customization available when deploying a cloud server.

Customers can select their preferred data center, CPU resources, RAM, NVMe/SSD storage, operating system, networking configuration, and additional services.

Kamatera supports both Windows and Linux operating systems and provides more than 100 operating system images and configurations through its cloud platform. Customers can also scale their infrastructure as requirements change.
This approach makes Kamatera particularly suitable for developers and businesses that need infrastructure tailored to a specific application rather than a fixed hosting package.

VPS Hosting

Kamatera provides VPS hosting starting from low-cost configurations and allows customers to customize resources as needed.

Its VPS platform supports multiple server configurations, including dedicated CPU resource options. For example, Kamatera's Type B general-purpose configuration provides dedicated CPU threads with reserved resources designed to provide more predictable performance under load. (kamatera.com)

Customers can configure servers with up to 104 vCPUs on supported configurations, along with adjustable RAM and storage. Storage can also be expanded with additional drives. (kamatera.com)

Kamatera's VPS platform is designed for:

Websites
Web applications
APIs
SaaS platforms
Databases
Development environments
E-commerce
Business applications
Remote desktops
VPNs
Testing and staging
High-resource workloads

Virtual Dedicated Servers

For workloads requiring stronger resource isolation, Kamatera offers Virtual Dedicated Servers (VDS).

Unlike conventional VPS configurations where resources can be shared between customers, Kamatera's VDS platform provides dedicated CPU cores and guaranteed RAM and storage resources. The company states that its VDS infrastructure uses zero oversubscription for CPU, RAM, and storage.

VDS customers receive a combination of virtualization flexibility and dedicated infrastructure characteristics, making the service suitable for demanding databases, business applications, SaaS platforms, and other production workloads.

Kamatera's VDS offering also includes enterprise-level security features such as DDoS mitigation, network isolation, firewall management, and encrypted storage.

Global Data Center Network

Kamatera operates a global network of cloud data centers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Current locations include:

Amsterdam
Atlanta
Bucharest
Chicago
Dallas
Frankfurt
Hong Kong
London
Los Angeles
Madrid
Miami
Milan
New York
Santa Clara
Seattle
Singapore
Stockholm
Sydney
Tel Aviv
Tokyo
Toronto

This international footprint allows customers to deploy infrastructure closer to their users in order to reduce latency and improve application performance.

Kamatera has also expanded its network significantly in recent years, including new locations in Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo.

Canadian Infrastructure

Kamatera operates a data center in Toronto, Canada, providing a local infrastructure option for Canadian businesses and customers serving users in Canada.

The Toronto location supports VPS deployments with NVMe storage, multiple CPU configurations, 5 TB of included internet traffic on selected plans, and a stated 99.95% uptime guarantee.

The Toronto location can be particularly useful for Canadian companies that want their infrastructure geographically close to Canadian customers while maintaining access to Kamatera's broader global cloud network.

Reliability and Data Center Infrastructure

Kamatera emphasizes redundancy and high availability throughout its infrastructure.

The company's data centers use conditioned UPS systems and N+1 redundant infrastructure with instantaneous failover. Independent generators are available to maintain operations during extended power failures.

Kamatera also uses multiple network providers and Tier-1 carriers for its backbone connectivity. Core routing infrastructure is designed with redundancy and enterprise-class networking equipment.

The company currently advertises a 99.95% uptime guarantee for its cloud infrastructure.

Network and Security

Security is an important part of Kamatera's cloud infrastructure.

The company operates controlled-access data centers with surveillance and security procedures designed to prevent unauthorized access. Visitors and third-party contractors are subject to security clearance and are escorted within the facilities.

At the cloud level, Kamatera provides additional security services including:

Cloud Firewall
DDoS protection
Private networks
Network isolation
Encrypted storage
VPN hosting
Load balancing
Backup and disaster recovery

These services can be combined to create more secure multi-server cloud environments.

Managed Cloud Services

Kamatera provides both self-managed and managed cloud infrastructure.

The standard platform is primarily designed for customers who want to manage their own servers and operating systems. For organizations that require additional assistance, Kamatera offers Managed Cloud Services as an optional add-on.

Managed services can include:

24/7 infrastructure monitoring
Operating system management
Network and firewall management
Backup administration
DNS administration
Database administration
Load balancing
Troubleshooting
Application and service management
Disaster recovery
Performance monitoring

Kamatera's managed service can scale from a single server to environments containing thousands of servers. Enterprise customers can also receive dedicated account and technical management.

Cloud API and Automation

Kamatera provides a Cloud API that allows customers to automate infrastructure management.

API-based management is useful for developers, DevOps teams, SaaS providers, hosting companies, and organizations that need to automatically create, modify, monitor, and manage cloud resources.

The platform's automation capabilities can be used alongside scalable cloud infrastructure, load balancers, firewalls, private networks, and other services.

This makes Kamatera suitable for infrastructure-as-code workflows and automated deployment environments.

Flexible Pricing and Billing

Kamatera uses a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model rather than requiring long-term contracts.

Customers can choose between monthly and hourly billing depending on the type of server and deployment. Hourly servers can be terminated when they are no longer needed, while monthly servers can be canceled without a long-term commitment.

This pricing model is particularly useful for development, testing, temporary projects, seasonal workloads, and businesses that need to scale infrastructure quickly.

Kamatera also offers a 30-day free trial with services worth up to $100, allowing new customers to test the platform before committing to a paid deployment.

Reseller Hosting

Kamatera also operates a reseller hosting program designed for hosting companies, agencies, developers, and IT service providers.

The reseller platform allows partners to offer Kamatera's cloud infrastructure to their own customers, including the ability to use white-label branding and control their own pricing and billing.

This makes Kamatera not only a direct infrastructure provider but also a potential backend platform for companies building their own hosting or managed-service businesses.

Customer Support

Kamatera provides 24/7/365 technical support for customers worldwide.

Its support organization includes technical specialists and cloud administrators who assist customers with infrastructure-related issues. The company also maintains a knowledge base and technical documentation for customers who prefer to manage their infrastructure independently.

Enterprise customers using managed cloud services can receive additional support, including account management and dedicated technical resources.

Who Is Kamatera Best For?

Kamatera is particularly well suited for customers who value flexibility, scalability, global deployment options, and highly customizable infrastructure.

Typical use cases include:

SaaS applications
Business websites
E-commerce platforms
Development and testing
Databases
Enterprise applications
Remote desktops
VPN infrastructure
Web applications
APIs
Game servers
DevOps and CI/CD environments
Disaster recovery
Multi-server applications
High-availability systems
Managed IT infrastructure
Hosting reseller businesses

The platform is suitable for both individual developers and large enterprises because infrastructure can start with a small server and scale to hundreds or thousands of servers.

Kamatera's Main Competitive Advantages

Kamatera's main strengths are its flexibility and infrastructure customization.

Unlike providers that primarily sell fixed VPS configurations, Kamatera allows customers to configure cloud servers according to their specific requirements. Customers can choose the location, CPU, RAM, storage, operating system, networking, security features, and management services.

Other important advantages include:

Global data center network
Toronto data center for Canadian customers
24/7/365 technical support
99.95% uptime guarantee
Hourly and monthly billing
No long-term contracts
30-day free trial
Custom server configurations
Virtual Dedicated Servers
Managed cloud services
Cloud API
Reseller hosting
Private networking
Cloud firewall
Load balancers
Backup and disaster recovery

Overall

Kamatera is a long-established cloud infrastructure provider with roots going back to 1995. The company has developed a global cloud platform focused on flexibility, customization, scalability, and enterprise-grade infrastructure.

Its portfolio covers everything from affordable VPS servers to virtual dedicated servers, private cloud environments, managed infrastructure, cloud desktops, networking, storage, security, and disaster recovery.

Kamatera is particularly attractive to businesses and developers that need more control over their infrastructure than traditional hosting providers offer. Its combination of global data centers, customizable server configurations, flexible hourly and monthly billing, managed services, API automation, and 24/7 support makes it a strong option for startups, developers, SMBs, enterprises, and hosting resellers.

For customers in Canada, Kamatera's Toronto data center provides an additional advantage by allowing applications and services to be deployed locally while still giving customers access to the company's wider international cloud network.