Low-cost web hosting: what you really pay after year one

Hosts lose money on the first term and win it back later. The discount applies only to the term you pay for upfront, so a 48-month plan locks the low price for four years, while a 12-month plan expires after one. The advertised price is real. It's just not the price you'll keep paying.

That's why I compare plans by what they cost over the whole stretch I'd keep a site, not by the monthly figure on the banner. The renewal price guide covers why the jump happens and the honest ways to soften it.

Premium shared hosting lists at $3.49/mo on 12 months and $2.49/mo on 48 months (indicative USD before tax; the cart shows the live price). Here is what each route adds up to.

Do this for every host you shortlist, on the same day, in the same currency. It takes five minutes and it's the only fair comparison.

1. 1Pick the same kind of plan at each host: one site, the entry tier, the longest term offered.
2. 2Write down the first-term price per month and the term length in months.
3. 3Write down the renewal price per month shown in the small print, and whether it's for the same term length.
4. 4Multiply: first-term price × term months, plus renewal price × the months left until your planning horizon (four years works well).
5. 5Divide the total by 48 to get your true monthly cost, and compare that number, not the banner.

Price is only part of cheap hosting. These habits keep the cost down without hurting the site.

• Match the plan to the site. A single blog doesn't need an unlimited-sites plan.
• Commit long only after the refund window. Test speed and support first, then lock the long term.
• Use the first-year extras and diarise them. A free domain and mailboxes usually last one year; the free domain guide explains the catch.
• Read the renewal price before checkout, not after.
• Watch for add-ons sold separately. Backups, malware scanning and a dedicated IP are sometimes extra.
• Move only if the saving is real. Migrating costs time, so leave a host only for a clear gain.

I don't print competitor prices, because they change often and differ by country. The pattern is what matters: most budget hosts advertise a low first-term rate and renew higher, and the size of the jump varies a lot between them. Open each pricing page on the same day and run the worksheet above.

My side-by-side write-ups are Hostinger vs Bluehost and Hostinger vs SiteGround. SiteGround in particular is known for premium support at a higher price, so measure its renewal rate carefully against what you actually need.

Low-cost shared hosting suits blogs, portfolios and small business sites. It becomes a false economy when downtime costs you money.

• An online store where every minute offline loses orders: consider cloud hosting or a managed WordPress host.
• A site with lots of traffic or large file downloads.
• A project that needs a custom server setup: a VPS fits better. See website hosting types for where each sits.
• A site that isn't earning anything and doesn't need email or PHP: free static hosting may be enough, with the limits in the free hosting guide.

Every plan I'd recommend has a 30-day money-back window, which is long enough to move a site over, run a speed test and open a support chat. The rules, including what is not refunded, are in the Hostinger refund policy guide.

SaveMores is an independent Hostinger referral site. If you buy through a link here we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. That's why a coupon button appears on this page, and it's why I also say where Hostinger is the wrong choice. The disclosure page and how we test explain the rest.