Web Hosting · Pricing

Web Hosting Pricing and Cost Guide

What hosting really costs once the intro discount ends. Intro and renewal prices across the main hosts, and the add ons that quietly grow the bill.

          Reviewed by Morten Andersen·
          Updated June 2026·
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The intro price is the bait

Hosting pricing is built around one trick: a deep discount for the first term, then a renewal two to three times higher. The headline you see in an ad is real, but it is the price for prepaying years in advance, and it does not come back at renewal. Read both numbers and the term they require, and the comparison gets honest fast.

Below is what the main hosts charge as of June 2026, intro and renewal, followed by the add ons that quietly grow the bill. Figures are verified against vendor sites this month; always check the vendor for current pricing, since hosting promotions change often.

Pricing

What the main hosts cost

Lowest advertised plan, longest qualifying term. Intro and renewal verified against vendor sites as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing. Cloud and managed prices shown are standard monthly rates, which do not carry a separate renewal hike.

HostIntro / moRenews / moClass

Hostinger$2.99$10.99Shared

Bluehost$2.95$8.99Shared

SiteGround$2.99$17.99Shared

DreamHost$2.89$10.99Shared

A2 Hosting$2.99$10.99Shared

InMotion$4.99$13.99Shared

Cloudways$11.00$11.00Cloud

WP Engine$20.00$20.00Managed WP

Kinsta$35.00$35.00Managed WP

The pattern is clear: budget shared hosts win on the intro rate and lose much of that edge at renewal, while Cloudways, WP Engine and Kinsta charge a flat rate with no renewal surprise. SiteGround has the steepest renewal of the budget group, the price of its speed and support.

Cost drivers

What grows the bill beyond the plan

Term length The lowest rate needs the longest prepayment, often three or four years. A monthly or one year term costs more per month and sometimes carries a setup fee. Pay for the term you are confident you will use.

Domain and email A domain runs about $10 to $20 a year after any free first year, and professional email is often a paid add on. Some hosts bundle both at the higher tiers; budget plans usually charge separately.

Backups and restore Daily backups and one click restore are sometimes included and sometimes a few dollars a month extra. Skipping them is cheap until the day you need a restore and cannot do it yourself.

Migration and SSL SSL is now free almost everywhere. Migration is often free for the first site and charged per extra site. Confirm both before you switch, especially if you are moving several sites.

Overage and upgrades Resource limits on shared plans push you to the next tier as you grow. Read what happens when you exceed CPU, storage or visits, so the upgrade is a choice rather than a surprise.

Common questions

Why does web hosting renew so much higher?

The intro rate is a promotion to win the first term, discounted heavily for prepaying years up front. The renewal reflects the standard price. As of June 2026, shared plans that start near $3 a month commonly renew between $9 and $18, so budget for the renewal from day one.

Which hosts do not raise the price at renewal?

Cloud and managed hosts like Cloudways, WP Engine and Kinsta charge a flat monthly rate with no separate renewal hike, starting near $11, $20 and $35 a month respectively as of June 2026. You pay more up front but avoid the renewal jump.

How much should a small website cost to host?

For a simple site, plan for roughly $3 to $5 a month on the intro term and $9 to $14 a month at renewal, plus about $10 to $20 a year for a domain. Add backups and email if they are not included. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

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