Key facts
- Web hosting email provides mailboxes on your domain using IMAP, POP3 and SMTP.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are paid per user and bundle email with office tools.
- Email routing is controlled by MX records in your domain's DNS.
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC records help prove your email is genuine and reduce spam filtering.
- You can host your website in one place and your email in another.
- dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT includes 10 POP3/IMAP email accounts with webmail, and Cloudflare DNS set up and managed.
Your options for business email
There are two common ways to run email on your own domain, such as you@yourbusiness.co.uk:
- Hosting email on the same server as your website, using mailboxes created in the control panel.
- A productivity suite such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, where email comes bundled with calendars, file storage and office apps.
Your website and email do not have to live in the same place. The domain's MX records decide where email goes, so you can host the website with one provider and email with another.
Hosting email vs Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
| Factor | Email with web hosting | Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Usually part of the hosting plan | Paid per user, per month or year |
| Mail apps | Any app using IMAP or POP3, plus webmail | Their own apps and webmail, plus others |
| Calendars and file sharing | Basic or none | Shared calendars, file storage and office apps |
| Spam filtering | Depends on the host | Mature, large-scale filtering |
| Mailbox size | Depends on the hosting plan | Set by the plan you buy |
| Admin | Simple control panel | Admin centre with users, devices and policies |
| Best for | A few simple mailboxes | Teams that share calendars and documents |
| At dijitul | 10 POP3/IMAP accounts included in £1 a day + VAT | You buy the licences; dijitul sets up the DNS |
When hosting email with your website is enough
Email on your hosting suits small businesses that:
- Need a handful of mailboxes or forwarders.
- Already use a mail app such as Outlook or Apple Mail over IMAP.
- Do not need shared calendars or team file storage.
- Want to keep costs low and everything in one place.
The trade-off is that a website problem and an email problem can share the same server. Good hosts separate the risk with monitoring, sensible sending limits and proper authentication records. Ask how much storage each mailbox gets, whether webmail is included and how spam is filtered before you commit.
When Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is better
A suite is usually the better choice when your team works together closely. Shared calendars, meeting booking, shared mailboxes, document editing and device management are the reasons most businesses switch. It also keeps email running independently of your website, so a hacked plugin cannot affect your inbox.
The cost is per user, so it grows with your team. Check current pricing directly with the provider, as plans change. Moving to a suite later is straightforward: you create the users, migrate existing mail over IMAP and then switch the MX records, so starting with hosted email does not lock you in.
Deliverability: the part everyone forgets
Wherever your email lives, it lands in spam if DNS is wrong. You need:
- MX records pointing to the right mail service.
- An SPF record listing every service that sends as your domain, including your website's contact form.
- DKIM signing turned on and its TXT record published.
- A DMARC policy, starting at monitoring before tightening.
A common mistake is having two SPF records, or an SPF record that misses the website server, so contact form emails fail checks. There should only ever be one SPF record per domain.
See how to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC and why business emails go to spam.
How dijitul helps
dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT includes 10 POP3/IMAP email accounts on your own domain, with webmail, on our managed Plesk server. For many small teams that is all the email they need. If your team wants shared calendars, file sharing or video calls, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace still works: you buy the licences and we set up the DNS. Either way, Cloudflare DNS is set up and managed for you, so we configure MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC for whichever email you choose. Moving up to 5 existing email accounts is part of the free migration. See email hosting. Call 01623 650333 or order online.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep Microsoft 365 if I move my website to a new host?
Yes. Your email follows the domain's MX records, not the website. When you move hosts, the MX, SPF, DKIM and autodiscover records for Microsoft 365 just need copying to the new DNS exactly. Done correctly, email keeps working throughout the move.
Is email from my web host good enough for a business?
For a small business with a few mailboxes, often yes, provided the host sets up SPF, DKIM and DMARC and filters spam well. If your team needs shared calendars, document collaboration or device management, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is usually a better fit.
Why do my emails go to spam after changing host?
The most common cause is missing or wrong DNS records. After a move, SPF may not include the new server, DKIM may not be published, or DMARC may be failing. Check all three records and make sure every service that sends email for your domain is listed.
Can my website and email be with different providers?
Yes. The domain's MX records send email to one provider, while A or CNAME records send website traffic to another. Many businesses host their website with a hosting company and use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for email.
Does dijitul set up DNS for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Yes. dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT includes Cloudflare DNS set up and managed, so dijitul adds the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or hosted email and checks mail flows correctly.
Does dijitul hosting include email accounts?
Yes. dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT includes 10 POP3/IMAP email accounts on your own domain, with webmail, plus managed MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Teams that need collaboration tools can use Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace instead, and dijitul sets up the DNS.
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