Individual rack units
For smaller setups you can rent individual rack units in a 19-inch rack. This is suitable, for example, for one or a few rack servers.
Colocation Comparison UK 2026
Are you looking for the perfect colocation site in the United Kingdom for your servers? Here you will find a wide selection of suitable offers where server housing (colocation) is provided.
0 from 0 Offers.*
Share results
* At hosttest, only a selection of providers can be found. Offers marked with an asterisk have additional conditions on the offer detail page. More information about our ranking and sorting details.
* All prices on this page are net prices and are subject to the applicable VAT.
Didn't find the right one?
Now post an individual tender for free & without obligation and receive offers in the shortest possible time.
Start tender
Colocation comparison
Colocation & Server housing providers compared
Do you want to operate your own server hardware professionally in a data centre without having to invest yourself in power supply, cooling, fire protection, network connectivity and physical security? With colocation or server housing you install your own hardware in a provider's data centre and use their professional infrastructure for your project.
Simply explained
What is colocation or server housing?
Colocation and server housing refer to placing your own server hardware in a professional data centre. Instead of renting a Dedicated Server from a hosting provider, you bring your own hardware and use the provider's infrastructure: rack space, power, cooling, internet connection, physical security and, depending on the provider, additional services.
This keeps control of the hardware with the customer while operating it in an environment designed for continuous server operation. This includes redundant power supply, climate control, fire protection, access controls, Monitoring and high-capacity network links.
Colocation is particularly suitable for businesses, IT service providers, agencies, SaaS providers, platform operators and projects with specific hardware requirements. Those who already own servers or who need to retain control of certain hardware for compliance reasons can also benefit from server housing.
🏢
Your own hardware, professional data centre infrastructure
With colocation you combine control over your own servers with the infrastructure of a professional data centre. This is especially useful when rented servers are not flexible enough or when specific hardware must be deployed.
Use cases
Who is Colocation suitable for?
Colocation is particularly useful when you want to use your own hardware but operating it in your office or server room is not cost-effective, secure or reliable enough.
Businesses
Businesses can operate their own IT systems, database servers, applications or internal platforms within a professional data centre environment.
IT service providers
IT service providers use colocation to run customer environments, their own server clusters, backup systems or specialised solutions centrally and securely.
SaaS and platform providers
Operators of SaaS solutions, portals or data-intensive applications benefit from controlled hardware, stable network connectivity and professional infrastructure.
Hosting and reseller projects
Anyone who wants to operate their own Hosting services can house their servers in a data centre and provide customer projects or web hosting environments on them.
Game servers & community projects
For game servers, community platforms or specialised online services, owning hardware with good connectivity and low latency can be attractive.
Specialised hardware
When specialised hardware, custom storage systems, firewalls, appliances or bespoke network components are required, colocation can be the right solution.
Advantages & Limitations
What advantages does colocation offer?
Colocation provides professional infrastructure without a company having to operate its own data centre. At the same time, control over the company's own hardware is retained.
Benefits of colocation
- Your own server hardware remains fully under your control
- Use of professional data centre infrastructure
- Redundant power supply and professional environmental control
- High-performance and redundant internet connectivity
- Physical security through access controls and surveillance
- Fire protection and monitoring in the data centre
- Scalable from individual rack units to entire racks
- Suitable for specialised hardware and compliance requirements
What to look out for
- Hardware procurement is the customer's responsibility
- Maintenance, spare parts and hardware lifecycle must be planned
- Physical access is only possible on-site at the data centre
- Remote hands services can incur additional costs
- Power consumption and traffic may be billed on a variable basis
- Not every data centre accepts every form factor
- Often more complex for simple web projects than web hosting, VPS hosting or cloud servers
Options
What colocation options are available?
Depending on the provider and data centre, your hardware can be housed in different ways. The right option depends on how much space, power, network capacity and access you need.
Half-rack
A half-rack offers more space for multiple servers, switches, firewalls or storage components. This option is suitable if individual rack units are no longer sufficient.
Full rack
A dedicated rack provides plenty of space and greater control over your infrastructure. It is suitable for larger setups, multiple servers or businesses with growing hardware needs.
Private cage
For larger or particularly sensitive installations, a segregated area within the data centre can be appropriate. A cage increases physical separation and can provide additional security.
Tower housing
Some providers can also accommodate tower cases. However, rack servers are more common, so the supported form factor should be confirmed with the provider in advance.
Remote Hands
Remote Hands refers to on-site technical assistance. This can include reboots, cabling, hardware replacement or visual inspections. Scope and costs vary between providers.
Terms explained
Key Colocation terms explained simply
When comparing colocation and server housing offers, many technical terms appear. The key ones are easy to understand.
Colocation
Colocation means hosting your own server hardware in a third‑party data centre, where it is provided with power, cooling and network connectivity.
Server housing
Server housing is often used as a synonym for colocation. It refers to housing your own servers with a provider.
Rack
A rack is a standardised frame for servers and network equipment. Data centres typically use 19-inch racks.
Rack unit
A rack unit (abbreviated HE or U) denotes the space required in a rack. Many rack servers occupy one or more rack units.
UPS
A UPS is an uninterruptible power supply. It bridges power outages until backup systems such as generators take over.
Carrier
Carriers are network operators that connect the data centre to the internet. Multiple carriers increase redundancy and resilience.
Traffic
Traffic refers to the data traffic that flows through the connected servers. Depending on the plan, it can be included or charged on a usage basis.
Remote Hands
Remote Hands are technical tasks performed by data centre staff on the customer's behalf directly at the hardware.
Selection guide
Colocation, Dedicated Server or Cloud Server?
Whether colocation, a rented Dedicated Server or a Cloud Server is more suitable depends on how much control, flexibility and your own hardware you require.
Colocation is better if …
- you want to use your own hardware
- you need specialised server, storage or network components
- you want long-term control over hardware and configuration
- you want to use professional data centre infrastructure
- you can plan hardware lifecycle and maintenance yourself
A Dedicated Server is better if …
- you want to use dedicated hardware but don't want to buy your own
- you want less effort for hardware replacement and provisioning
- you need predictable server performance
- you don't want to bring your own hardware into the data centre
- you want to get started faster
A Cloud Server is better if …
- you need flexible scaling
- you want to deploy or delete servers quickly
- you don't want to manage hardware
- you want to handle temporary load spikes
- you want to use additional cloud services
Web hosting is better if …
- you only want to run a simple website
- you don't want to take on server administration
- you have low technical requirements
- you are looking for an affordable and straightforward solution
- you don't need your own infrastructure
Data centre
What criteria should a data centre meet?
The quality of the data centre is crucial when comparing colocation providers. In addition to price and location, security, power supply, cooling, fire protection, network and support should be carefully reviewed.
Security
Physical security
Access controls, video surveillance, security personnel, locked racks and clear access procedures protect hardware from unauthorised access.
Fire protection
Early fire detection & suppression
Fire detection systems, fire compartments and appropriate suppression systems help to avoid or limit damage to hardware and infrastructure.
Climate
Climate control
Servers require constant temperatures and controlled humidity. Redundant cooling systems and cold-/hot-aisle concepts improve efficiency and operational reliability.
Power
Power supply
Redundant power feeds, UPS systems and generators are important so that servers can continue to operate during faults or power outages.
Network
Internet connectivity
Multiple carriers, fibre connections, peering and high-capacity ports ensure high availability and a low risk of outages.
Operations
Monitoring & Support
24/7 monitoring, clear escalation paths and available remote-hands services are particularly important in production environments.
Selection criteria
What should you consider when comparing colocation providers?
Colocation offers vary widely in rack space, power, network, contract terms, access options and additional services. Therefore a detailed comparison is worthwhile.
Rack space
Check whether individual rack units, partial racks, full racks or cages are offered. It's also important whether your hardware form factor is accepted.
Power consumption
Power is a central cost factor in colocation. Pay attention to how power is billed, what power limits apply and whether redundant power feeds are possible.
Network & traffic
Important factors include port speed, traffic billing, carrier connectivity, redundancy, latency and possible additional charges for bandwidth or data transfer.
Access to the data centre
Clarify when and how you'll gain access to your hardware. For business-critical systems, clear access procedures and emergency arrangements are important.
Remote Hands
Check which on-site tasks the provider can perform. These can include reboots, cabling, hardware replacements or simple visual checks.
Redundancy
Power, network, cooling and central infrastructure should be designed with redundancy where possible. The more critical your project is, the more important this becomes.
Location
The location affects latency, data protection, accessibility and physical access. A nearby location can be practical if hardware work is frequently required.
Contract terms
Compare minimum contract lengths, notice periods, setup fees, additional charges, SLAs, support hours and policies for excess power or traffic usage.
Costs
How much does colocation cost?
The costs for colocation usually consist of several components. These include rack space, power consumption, network connection, traffic, IP addresses, remote hands services and possible setup fees.
Whereas with rented servers hardware and operation are often included in a fixed monthly price, with colocation you bear the purchase and maintenance of your hardware yourself. In return you get greater control over the systems used and can use your own hardware long term.
€
Realistically calculate total costs
When comparing colocation providers you should not only look at the price per rack unit. Power, traffic, remote hands, spare parts, hardware replacement, travel, support and contract length can significantly affect the actual total costs.
Recommendation
How to find the right colocation provider
The right colocation provider should not only offer affordable rack space, but also provide a reliable data centre with robust power infrastructure, professional cooling, redundant network connectivity, clear access procedures and good support. Crucial is whether the offering fits your hardware, security requirements and operational model.
For individual servers:
pay attention to appropriate rack units, power costs, remote hands, traffic and straightforward access options.
For businesses:
check redundancy, security, SLA, data protection, support, location and contract terms.
For larger setups:
compare partial racks, full racks, carrier connectivity, power feed, cages and scalability.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about colocation and server housing
What is colocation?
Colocation means that your own server hardware is housed in a professional data centre. The provider supplies rack space, power, cooling, network, security and other infrastructure.
What is the difference between colocation and server housing?
Both terms are often used similarly. They usually refer to housing your own server hardware in a provider's data centre.
Who benefits from colocation?
Colocation is suitable for companies, IT service providers, platform operators, hosting projects and anyone who wants to operate their own hardware professionally.
What is the difference between colocation and a dedicated server?
With colocation the hardware belongs to the customer and is housed in the data centre. With a dedicated server you rent a physical server from the provider.
What hardware can be accommodated in colocation?
Rack servers in 19-inch format are commonly used. Depending on the provider, firewalls, switches, storage systems or, in some cases, tower cases can also be accommodated.
How much does colocation cost?
Costs depend on rack space, power consumption, network, traffic, IP addresses, remote hands services, location and contract terms.
What are Remote Hands?
Remote Hands are technical tasks performed by data centre staff on site. These can include reboots, cabling, hardware replacement or simple checks.
Why is the power supply so important?
Servers must run continuously. Redundant power feeds, UPS systems and generators help avoid or bridge outages.
What role does network connectivity play?
Good network connectivity ensures reachability, speed and resilience. Important aspects are carrier redundancy, port speed, traffic rules and latency.
What should I consider when comparing colocation providers?
Important factors are rack space, power, network, traffic, data centre security, fire protection, air conditioning, Remote Hands, location, support, SLA and contract terms.
Tags for this comparison
Articles related to this comparison
Colocation - What to consider?
What criteria should customers pay attention to when choosing a suitable Colocation provider?
Media Partner:
