Martin Cole
25 June 2026
In the market for an ANS alternative?
ANS operates at enterprise scale, but does that make it the right fit for a digital agency? We break down exactly what separates the two, so you can make an informed decision, and why we’re confident that ProStack comes out tops.
ProStack vs ANS
Introducing ProStack
Founded in 2016 by CEO Martin Cole, ProStack was built specifically to serve digital agencies and e-commerce businesses. With over two decades of hands-on hosting experience, we’ve stayed deliberately independent, keeping our focus narrow so our clients get a genuinely managed, human service rather than being absorbed into a large corporate portfolio.
- 100% uptime with 24/7 support
- 6 minutes – average ticket response time
- 11 minutes – average resolution time
- Offers a proprietary control panel (Cito UI), plus Windows and cPanel
- Independent with no parent company
Introducing ANS
ANS is a Manchester-based cloud and managed hosting provider with a broad portfolio spanning public sector, enterprise, and agency clients. Originally established as UKFast, the business was rebranded as ANS following its acquisition and has since expanded into cloud services across Azure, AWS, and its own eCloud VPC platform.
- UK-based with 24/7 support
- ISO 27001, ISO 9001, PCI DSS certified
- Microsoft UK Services Partner of the Year 2024
- Crown Commercial Supplier via the G-Cloud framework
- Acquired UKFast; now operates under the ANS brand
ProStack vs ANS: how do they compare?
Both ProStack and ANS serve digital agencies, and both offer fully managed UK-based hosting. But the experience on the ground looks quite different.
| ANS | ProStack | |
| Fully managed | Yes | Yes |
| UK-based | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | On request only | Transparent – see prostack.uk/portal/index.php |
| Control panel | cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, Webmin | Cito Platform, cPanel, Windows |
| 24/7 support | Yes | Yes |
| ISO accreditations | ISO 27001, ISO 9001 | ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 |
| Free trial | 30 day money back guarantee | 30 days (flexible) |
| Free managed migration(no crossover billing) | Not publicly confirmed | Yes |
| Trustpilot rating | 3.6 stars (503 reviews) | 4.9 stars (84 reviews) |
What sets ProStack apart?
We’re proudly independent
- ✓ No parent company setting our pricing, processes, or priorities. Every decision we make is in the interest of our customers.
- ✓ Customers get dedicated account managers who know them by name – not a shared inbox or a call centre handling multiple brands.
- ✓ We’ve been in the hosting industry for over 20 years. We’re not a rebranded business finding its feet – we know what agencies need.
We’re all about speedy support
- ✓ We resolve tickets within 11 minutes on average. Some customers have noted changes in their support experience since ANS’s acquisition of UKFast.
- ✓ Our most recent Trustpilot reviews average 4.9 stars. ANS currently holds a 3.4-star Trustpilot rating, compared with ProStack’s 4.9 stars.
- ✓ We become an extension of our customers’ teams, taking on their business priorities and hosting needs as our own.
We’re customer-centric
- ✓ Transparent pricing – no need to request a quote just to understand what you’re signing up for..
- ✓ Flexible contract terms, from rolling monthly to annual upfront with additional discounts.
- ✓ Free trials and audits available before any commercial commitment. No pressure to commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is ProStack a good alternative to ANS?
Yes. ProStack is built specifically for digital agencies and e-commerce businesses, rather than large enterprise or public-sector clients — so you get a focused, genuinely managed service.
How much does ProStack cost compared to ANS?
ProStack offers transparent pricing in GBP, with no need to request a quote to understand what you’re signing up for. You can see current plans at prostack.uk/portal/index.php.
Does ProStack handle migration from ANS?
Yes. We provide free managed migration with no crossover billing, so you won’t pay for two hosts at once while we move you.
Is ProStack support UK-based?
Yes. Our support team is UK-based, with an average ticket resolution time of 11 minutes.
Ready to make the switch?
Start your 30-day free trial, or book a free migration call with our UK team today.
