Key facts
- Budget hosts keep prices low by putting a great many websites on one server and keeping human support to a minimum.
- On most budget plans you apply WordPress, plugin and PHP updates yourself.
- Backups on cheap plans are often stored on the same server as the site, and a restore can be a paid extra.
- dijihost Complete Hosting is £1 a day + VAT: £365 a year + VAT, or £35 a month + VAT.
- It includes daily backups kept for 14 days, free SSL, Cloudflare DNS, 10 email accounts and free migration.
- Hack clean-up is included at no extra charge.
- Out of hours, problems are picked up by Olly, the director.
What cheap web hosting actually means
Search for cheap web hosting and you will find endless deals: a couple of pounds a month, a free domain, unlimited everything and "no hidden costs". It sounds great. For most small businesses it ends up being one of the more expensive decisions they make, and not because of the monthly fee.
When hosting is that cheap, something has to give. Usually it is one or more of these:
- Server performance
- Support quality
- Security
- Backup reliability
- Resource limits
Ultra-cheap hosts fit a very large number of websites onto each server. If one of those sites gets hacked or has a traffic spike, the others feel it: slow pages, random downtime, emails not sending, admin panels timing out. And when you need help, you usually get a ticket number and a wait.
The hidden costs of going cheap
The real cost of cheap hosting shows up in other places.
Lost leads
If your website is slow or offline, customers leave. They do not come back later to try again.
Hacked websites
Out-of-date WordPress installs with nobody watching them are a common target. Paying someone to clean up a hacked site can easily cost more than a year of decent hosting.
DIY maintenance
With budget hosting, these jobs are usually yours:
- Updating WordPress
- Keeping plugins current
- Managing backups
- Renewing SSL certificates
- Fixing email problems
For a small business owner, that is time you simply do not have.
Cheap hosting vs fully managed hosting
There is a big difference between cheap and good value. Cheap hosting is fine if you are happy doing the work yourself. This is what changes when we do it.
| What changes | Cheap hosting | Fully managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies the updates | You do. WordPress core, plugins and the PHP version are yours to keep on top of. | We do. Core, theme and plugin updates, then a check that the site still works. |
| Where the backups live | Often on the same server as the site, and a restore is sometimes a paid extra. Worth reading the plan. | Daily backups kept away from the server for 14 days, so there is a clean copy even when the server itself is the problem. |
| Who answers when it breaks | A ticket queue or a chatbot first, then whoever happens to be on shift. | The people who run the servers. Out of hours that is Olly, our director. |
| What happens when you outgrow it | You move the site yourself, or pay for a bigger plan and hope it fits. | We move you. We have merged whole servers, split them, and taken over agency client books. |
| Where the servers are | Depends on the plan, and it is not always the UK. Ask before you buy. | UK data centres. |
| What it costs | A few pounds a month, plus your own time whenever something goes wrong. | £1 a day + VAT, with the work included. |
Why a business should buy quality, not cheap
When you run a business, your website is not a hobby. It is part of your sales process. You probably would not pick the cheapest accountant, solicitor or electrician you could find, yet plenty of businesses hand their whole online presence to the lowest bidder.
Good hosting is not about paying more for the sake of it. It is about stability, speed and someone to help when you need it. Instead of searching for the lowest price, look for:
- Fully managed hosting, where updates and backups are done for you
- Clear pricing with no hidden upsells
- Daily backups included, not sold as an add-on
- Real human support you can phone
- UK data centres
- Resource limits that are written down
The goal is not to pay as little as possible. The goal is to avoid the stress. Our guides on what hosting should include and what web hosting costs in the UK go further into both.
When cheap hosting is fine
Cheap hosting is not always bad. A hobby site, a personal blog or a page for an idea you are testing this month can sit on a budget plan quite happily. If you are technical and like doing the maintenance, go ahead.
The line worth watching is the day the website starts bringing in money. Once enquiries, bookings or orders arrive through it, a day offline can cost more than a year of the difference in hosting.
A simpler alternative
At dijihost we work with businesses who are tired of forgotten updates, expired SSL certificates, slow shared hosting and support that never really helps. Our approach is simple: we host your website, monitor it, update it and back it up. You get on with running your business.
dijihost Complete Hosting is £1 a day + VAT (£365 a year + VAT, or £35 a month + VAT). It includes managed hosting, daily backups kept for 14 days, free SSL, Cloudflare DNS, 10 email accounts with webmail, one domain registration or renewal a year, and free migration from your current host. If a site does get hacked, the clean-up is included at no extra charge. Call 01623 650333 or order online.
Buy quality once, instead of fixing problems over and over.
Frequently asked questions
Is cheap web hosting always bad?
Not always. It can work for hobby sites, personal blogs and test projects, especially if you are happy doing the updates and backups yourself. For a business website that brings in enquiries or orders, very cheap hosting often falls short on support, security and reliability, and the cost of downtime soon outweighs the saving.
Why is managed hosting more expensive?
Because people do the work. Managed hosting includes updates, monitoring, daily backups and support from someone who knows your site. You are paying for that time and expertise rather than server space. dijihost Complete Hosting costs £1 a day + VAT with that work included.
Can I move from cheap hosting to better hosting easily?
Yes. Most good hosts will migrate your website for you, and moving is usually far easier than people expect. dijihost moves your site for free as part of Complete Hosting, checks it on our servers and only then points your domain across. Moving more than 5 email accounts may be charged.
What does cheap hosting usually leave out?
Mostly the work. On a budget plan you normally apply your own WordPress and plugin updates, check your own backups and chase your own email problems. Backups may sit on the same server as the site, restores can be a paid extra, and support is often a ticket queue rather than a phone call.
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.