Hosting true-cost calculator
Pick how long you will keep the plan. I add the intro term at the promo price and every remaining month at the renewal price each host states on its own pricing page.
| Host / plan | Intro /mo | Renewal /mo | Jump | 3-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ChemiCloud Starter cheapest |
$1.49 36-mo term |
$11.95 | +702% | $53.64 $1.49/mo avg |
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| 2 AccuWeb Hosting Budget (Best Cheap Web Hosting) cheapest |
$1.99 12-mo term |
$1.99 | +0% | $71.64 $1.99/mo avg |
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| 3 HostArmada Start Dock cheapest |
$1.99 36-mo term |
$9.95 | +400% | $71.64 $1.99/mo avg |
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| 4 DreamHost Web Hosting Launch cheapest |
$1.99 48-mo term |
$7.99 | +302% | $95.52† $1.99/mo over 48 mo |
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| 5 Verpex Bronze cheapest |
$2.69 36-mo term |
$5.99 | +123% | $96.84 $2.69/mo avg |
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| 6 WordPress.com Personal cheapest |
$2.75 36-mo term |
$2.75 | +0% | $99.00 $2.75/mo avg |
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| 7 HostPapa Essentials cheapest |
$2.95 36-mo term |
$8.99 | +205% | $106.20 $2.95/mo avg |
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| 8 ScalaHosting Mini cheapest |
$2.95 36-mo term |
$11.95 | +305% | $106.20 $2.95/mo avg |
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| 9 UltaHost Starter (Shared) cheapest |
$3.44 24-mo term |
$3.44 | +0% | $123.84 $3.44/mo avg |
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| 10 HostGator Hatchling cheapest |
$3.75 36-mo term |
$10.99 | +193% | $135.00 $3.75/mo avg |
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| 11 Hostinger Premium cheapest |
$2.99 48-mo term |
$10.99 | +268% | $143.52† $2.99/mo over 48 mo |
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| 12 Bluehost Starter cheapest |
$3.99 36-mo term |
$9.99 | +150% | $143.64 $3.99/mo avg |
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| 13 InterServer Standard Web Hosting cheapest |
$2.50 24-mo term |
$7.00 | +180% | $144.00 $4.00/mo avg |
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| 14 EasyWP (Namecheap) EasyWP Starter cheapest |
$3.58 24-mo term |
$5.25 | +47% | $148.92 $4.14/mo avg |
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| 15 InMotion Hosting Launch cheapest |
$4.99 36-mo term |
$13.99 | +180% | $179.64 $4.99/mo avg |
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| 16 GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy cheapest |
$5.99 36-mo term |
$11.99 | +100% | $215.64 $5.99/mo avg |
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| 17 Hostwinds Basic Web Hosting cheapest |
$4.54 12-mo term |
$6.99 | +54% | $222.24 $6.17/mo avg |
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| 18 IONOS Essential cheapest |
$4.00 12-mo term |
$8.00 | +100% | $240.00 $6.67/mo avg |
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| 19 KnownHost Basic Web Hosting cheapest |
$6.71 36-mo term |
$8.95 | +33% | $241.56 $6.71/mo avg |
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| 20 GreenGeeks Lite cheapest |
$2.95 12-mo term |
$13.95 | +373% | $370.20 $10.28/mo avg |
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| 21 SiteGround StartUp cheapest |
$2.99 12-mo term |
$17.99 | +502% | $467.64 $12.99/mo avg |
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| 22 Cloudways Micro (DigitalOcean, Flexible, 1GB) cheapest |
$14.00 1-mo term |
$14.00 | +0% | $504.00 $14.00/mo avg |
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| 23 Pressable Signature 1 cheapest |
$20.83 12-mo term |
$20.83 | +0% | $749.88 $20.83/mo avg |
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| 24 Rocket.net Starter cheapest |
$25.00 12-mo term |
$25.00 | +0% | $900.00 $25.00/mo avg |
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| 25 WP Engine Startup cheapest |
$20.00 12-mo term |
$30.00 | +50% | $960.00 $26.67/mo avg |
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| 26 Kinsta Single 35k / Single 20GB cheapest |
$30.00 12-mo term |
$30.00 | +0% | $1,080.00 $30.00/mo avg |
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| 27 FastComet Starter cheapest |
$1.99 | $9.95 | +400% | intro term not published | Visit |
Totals are the cheapest purchasable way to cover the period: the longest intro term upfront, then the stated renewal price. † = the cheapest option is buying a full term longer than the period (you keep the extra months). Prices last verified 2026-10-16.
The plan each host puts forward is the one badged most popular, best value or bestselling, which 15 of the 24 do; where a host badges none I take the middle tier instead, and that choice is mine rather than theirs. Switching the selector to it is not a small step: across the 24 hosts that publish both prices the cheapest plan rises $6.00 a month at renewal and that one rises $9.00, and it is dearer on 16 of 24. The widest gap is IONOS, whose Plus goes $1.00 to $14.00, $9.00 a month more than its cheapest plan rises.
Most intro terms run 36 months, so a 3-year total for those hosts is all intro price and no renewal months at all. That is the horizon this table opens on, and it is the one that flatters the steepest cliffs. ChemiCloud is first here on a +702% renewal, and number 11 over 5 years. Set the period to 5 years and AccuWeb Hosting leads instead, on a renewal that does not rise at all.
For the numbers across all 27 hosts (median intro, median renewal, how many at least double), see what a cheap web host really costs.
How to read this
- Intro price is the per-month price shown when you commit to the longest term (usually 36–48 months, paid upfront).
- Renewal is the per-month price the host states you pay after that term. Where a host states the renewal term, it is the same length as the intro term you bought; where it does not, the host page says so.
- Jump = renewal ÷ intro − 1. A +150% jump means the price becomes 2.5× the intro rate.
- Switching hosts is normal: the cheapest multi-year path is often "longest intro term, then move". Most hosts migrate a site for free.
Frequently asked
Why do hosts hide the renewal price?
Because the intro price converts better. Most state the renewal price in small print under the plan card, in the cart, or in their terms; I quote the exact sentence on each host page.
Can I keep paying the intro price?
Usually not; the intro rate applies to the first term only. A few hosts (Cloudways, Kinsta) have flat pricing with no intro discount, which is why they can look expensive in year one and reasonable over five years.
Do these totals include the free domain?
No. Where a host bundles a domain for the first year I note it on the host page and on the fine print table; from year two a .com domain typically renews at $15–20.
How often are prices checked?
Every day. See methodology for exactly how, and price changes for what moved.
Get an email when a price moves
One email when a tracked price moves. Nothing else, and you can leave in one click.