What web hosting really costs after the intro price

The price on a web host's homepage is almost never what you pay for long. Shared hosts sell the first term at a discount and renew at their regular price, which is often several times higher. Here is how big the jump is at the hosts we track, and how to plan around it. All prices were checked on each host's pricing page on 9 October 2026.

How big the renewal jump is

Each bar pair below shows a host's cheapest plan on its cheapest term: what you pay first, and what the same plan renews at.

SiteGround's StartUp plan shows the biggest jump: $2.99 a month for the first 12 months, then $17.99 a month, six times as much. GreenGeeks Lite goes from $2.95 to $13.95 a month. Rocket.net is the exception in this group. It says it never raises prices on renewal, though its plans start at $25 a month.

Compare three years, not the first month

Because the jump comes after the first term, the cheapest host in month one is often not the cheapest over three years. On 12-month terms, three years of each entry plan costs:

• SiteGround StartUp: $35.88 for year one, then $215.88 a year, so $467.64 in total.
• GreenGeeks Lite: $35.40 for year one, then $167.40 a year, so $370.20 in total.
• Hostinger Premium: $47.88 for year one, then $131.88 a year, so $311.64 in total.

Same starting price range, but more than $150 between the cheapest and the dearest over three years. The hosting cost calculator runs this sum for every plan and term we track.

Longer prepaid terms lock in the low price

Most shared hosts give a lower monthly price for a longer upfront term, and that price holds for the whole term. Hostinger Premium was $3.99 a month on a 12-month term and $2.99 a month on a 48-month term, paid as $143.52 up front for four years. DreamHost Launch was $1.99 a month on a 48-month term, paid as $95.52 up front.

Prepaying four years only makes sense if you are confident in the host. Use the money-back window first: Hostinger, DreamHost, SiteGround and GreenGeeks all list 30 days.

Don't forget the domain

Many hosts include a free domain for the first year. After that it renews at the registrar's normal price. A .com renewed at $18.48 a year at Namecheap, against $11.08 a year at Porkbun, which charges the same price every year. Over five years that difference adds up, so check the renewal price of the domain as well as the hosting.

How to keep renewal costs down

1. Read the renewal price before you pay. Hosts print it near the plan, often in smaller type.
2. Compare the total over three years, not the first month.
3. Match the term to your confidence. Prepay a long term only once you know the host works for you.
4. Set a reminder a month before renewal, so you have time to compare and move if the new price is too high.
5. Register your domain separately at a registrar with a flat renewal price if you plan to keep it for years.