Key facts
- There is no single best host; the right one depends on what your site runs and who looks after it.
- dijihost Complete Hosting is £1 a day + VAT: £365 a year + VAT, or £35 a month + VAT, for one website.
- Included: managed hosting, Plesk login, Cloudflare DNS, daily backups kept 14 days, free SSL and 10 email accounts with webmail.
- Free migration from your current host (moving more than five email accounts may be charged).
- PHP 5.6 to 8.5 can be selected per site, so older websites are welcome.
- Shops, multi-site setups, reseller accounts and UK dedicated servers are quoted.
- dijihost is part of DIJITUL LTD, trading since 2006 in Mansfield; phone 01623 650333.
There is no single best web host
We are not going to tell you we are the best web host in the UK. Nobody can say that honestly, because the best host for a one-page brochure site is different from the best host for a busy shop or an old bespoke PHP system. The only reliable way to find yours is to work out what your site needs, then talk to a human.
What the best hosting has in common is that you never think about it. The site stays up, the contact forms keep working, the SSL certificate never expires, and when something does go wrong, somebody has already noticed. Speed and security matter, but the real difference between hosts is what happens when something breaks.
Budget hosts will sell you a plan for a few pounds a month, and for some people that is the right answer. What the price does not mention is the time you spend doing the work yourself, or moving again when you outgrow it. Our guide on why cheap hosting usually costs more covers the trade-off, including when cheap is genuinely fine.
What to check before you buy
- Who applies the updates. On unmanaged plans, WordPress core, plugins and the PHP version are yours to keep on top of.
- Where the backups live and how long they are kept. Backups on the same server as the site do not help when the server is the problem. Check whether a restore costs extra.
- Who answers when it breaks. A ticket queue or chatbot, or the people who run the servers?
- Where the servers are. Not always the UK, even when the website looks British. Ask which country holds the servers and the backups.
- Whether your software will run. Older sites often need an older PHP version that many hosts have removed.
- What happens when you outgrow it. Do you move the site yourself, or does the host move you?
- The real cost. Compare renewal prices, not introductory ones, and count what is included.
Our guides on what UK hosting costs and what fully managed hosting covers go into more detail.
Cheap hosting versus fully managed
| What changes | Cheap hosting | Fully managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies updates | You do. | The host does, then checks the site still works. |
| Backups | Often on the same server; restores sometimes a paid extra. | Daily backups included, restored for you. |
| When it breaks | A ticket queue or chatbot first. | The people who run the servers. |
| Outgrowing it | You move the site yourself. | The host moves you. |
| Server location | Depends on the plan; ask before you buy. | With dijihost, UK data centres. |
| Cost | A few pounds a month, plus your own time. | dijihost: £1 a day + VAT, with the work included. |
Cheap hosting is fine if you are happy doing the work yourself. Managed hosting is for people who would rather someone else did it.
Three shapes most businesses fit
One website and its email
dijihost Complete Hosting is £1 a day + VAT (£365 a year + VAT, or £35 a month + VAT). It covers one website with managed hosting, your own Plesk login if you want it, Cloudflare DNS set up and managed, daily backups kept for 14 days, free SSL, 10 POP3/IMAP email accounts with webmail, one domain registration or renewal a year, and free migration. PHP 5.6 to 8.5 can be selected per site. Most customers never log in, which is the point of managed.
Shops, several sites or lots of mailboxes
A busy WooCommerce or OpenCart shop, several websites on one server, or old PHP sites other hosts turn away. These are quoted after a quick call, sized to what you actually run.
Agencies and dedicated servers
White-label reseller accounts on Plesk for agencies, and fully managed UK dedicated servers, including GPU machines when a project needs one. We have moved whole servers, merged several into one and split one into several. These are quoted too.
Who dijihost is
dijihost is the hosting side of dijitul, a digital agency in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The company, DIJITUL LTD, has traded since 2006. We host brochure sites, large content sites and most things in between, on WordPress, WooCommerce, OpenCart and plenty of bespoke PHP.
Servers are monitored around the clock. Support comes from the people who run the servers, and out of hours, Olly, our director, picks up problems himself. dijitul has a 5.0-star Google rating from 35+ reviews on its own listing, and you are welcome to read them before you ring.
If you are not sure what you need, call 01623 650333 or get in touch. We will tell you honestly, even if the answer is that you should stay where you are. If you already know, you can order online.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a web hosting provider the best?
Speed, uptime and security matter, but the real difference is what happens when something breaks. The best web hosting comes with people who answer the phone and fix problems before you notice them. A dashboard full of features is less useful than a human who knows your website and can log into the server.
How much does good web hosting cost in the UK?
dijihost fully managed UK hosting is £1 a day + VAT, which is £365 a year + VAT or £35 a month + VAT, for one website with email, daily backups, free SSL and free migration. Shops, multi-site setups and dedicated servers are quoted once we know what they need to run.
Are dijihost servers based in the UK?
Yes. dijihost servers are in UK data centres, and the people managing them are in Mansfield. That helps speed for UK visitors and suits businesses that cannot put client data in overseas clouds. dijihost can name the specific UK data centre on request.
Will you migrate my website from my current host?
Yes, and it is free. We copy your website and email across, test everything on our servers, then move the domain at a quiet time so the site stays online. You do not need technical knowledge. Moving more than five email accounts may be charged.
Can the best UK hosting run an older website?
It should. Many hosts remove old PHP versions, which breaks older sites. dijihost has PHP 5.6 through to 8.5 installed and selectable per site, so an older website can keep running on the version it needs while the server around it is kept updated and backed up.
Is the cheapest web host the best value?
Not usually for a business. A plan costing a few pounds a month often leaves updates, backups and fixes to you, and support may be a ticket queue. If you are happy doing that work, cheap hosting is fine. If not, managed hosting usually costs less once your own time is counted.
Related
Set it up and forget about it
Managed hosting, Plesk, Cloudflare DNS, daily backups and your domain for £1 a day + VAT. We move your site for you.