Key facts
- PHP forums (phpBB, XenForo, vBulletin, Invision, SMF, MyBB, Flarum) run on the £1 a day + VAT plan
- Discourse is a Docker application needing its own VPS, so it is quoted separately
- PHP version set per forum, so old boards and current releases each get what they support
- Daily backups cover the database and the attachments folder, which is often the biggest part of a forum
- Migration included: database, attachments, avatars, custom styles and email settings
- UK company, DIJITUL LTD, trading since 2006
Forum software we host
Each forum platform has different server needs and different upgrade traps. These pages go into the detail:
- phpBB hosting: phpBB 3.3 on PHP 8, plus old 3.0 and 3.1 boards
- XenForo hosting: XenForo 2.3, add-ons and moving from vBulletin
- vBulletin hosting: vBulletin 6, and keeping vBulletin 3 and 4 boards alive
- Invision Community hosting: self-hosted Invision 4 and 5
- SMF hosting: Simple Machines Forum 2.1 and old 2.0 boards
- MyBB hosting: MyBB 1.8 and upgrading from 1.6
- Flarum hosting: Flarum 1.8 and 2.0 with Composer
- Discourse hosting: Docker on a managed VPS, quoted
What a forum needs that a normal website doesn't
Forums are busier behind the scenes than a brochure site of the same size:
- Lots of small database writes. Every post, view count, session and notification is a write. MySQL or MariaDB tuning matters more than raw disk space.
- Attachments and avatars. Years of uploads can be many gigabytes and must be included in backups.
- Outgoing email that arrives. Registration and notification emails need SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up, or they go to spam.
- Scheduled tasks. Digests, pruning and queued jobs run better from a server cron than from visitor traffic.
- Spam defence. Bot registrations are constant on any public board.
Old forums are welcome
Many UK communities have been on the same board for 15 or 20 years. vBulletin 3.8, phpBB 3.0, SMF 2.0 and MyBB 1.6 forums still hold years of useful posts, and they often break when a host moves to PHP 8. Where it can be done safely, we run the board on the PHP version it needs, isolated and firewalled, then help you upgrade or convert to a current platform without losing the archive. See old website hosting and legacy PHP hosting.
Member data and GDPR
A forum holds personal data: email addresses, IP addresses, private messages. You are the data controller; we are your hosting processor. Keep a privacy policy, prune old IP logs, delete accounts on request and keep the forum software patched. Our servers are run by a UK company, and our GDPR-compliant hosting page explains how we handle data.
When a forum needs more than £1 a day
Most hobby, club and trade forums sit comfortably on Complete Hosting. We quote a managed VPS for Discourse, for very large boards that want Elasticsearch-powered search, and for communities with heavy traffic spikes. If in doubt, call 01623 650333 and we'll look at your stats with you.
Frequently asked questions
Who can host a forum in the UK?
dijitul, a UK company trading since 2006, hosts phpBB, XenForo, vBulletin, Invision Community, SMF, MyBB and Flarum forums on managed hosting for £1 a day + VAT, including migration, daily backups and SSL. Discourse forums need Docker on their own server, so they are quoted on a managed VPS.
Who can host an old forum that my host has stopped supporting?
dijitul hosts older forums such as vBulletin 3 and 4, phpBB 3.0, SMF 2.0 and MyBB 1.6. Where it can be done safely, we run them on the PHP version they need, isolated and behind a firewall, for £1 a day + VAT, and help plan an upgrade without losing your posts.
What is the best forum software in 2026?
It depends on your community. phpBB, SMF and MyBB are free and mature. XenForo and Invision Community are paid, polished and well supported. Flarum is modern and free but has a smaller extension ecosystem. Discourse is powerful but needs its own server. dijitul hosts all of them.
Why do my forum registration emails go to spam?
Usually because the domain is missing SPF, DKIM or DMARC records, or the forum sends mail from an address that doesn't match the domain. Setting those records and sending through an authenticated mail server fixes most cases. dijitul sets up DNS records through Cloudflare as part of hosting.
Can I move my forum to a new host without losing posts?
Yes. A forum move copies the database, the attachments and avatars folders, styles and config. Done properly, members, posts and private messages all carry over. dijitul includes forum migration in its £1 a day + VAT plan and tests logins and posting before switching your domain.
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.