Hosting Costs Explained

Introductory vs. Renewal Prices

This is the #1 thing to watch out for. Most hosts offer a massive discount for your first term (e.g., $2.99/mo). However, when that term ends (usually after 12 or 36 months), the price renews at the "regular" rate, which is often 2x or 3x higher (e.g., $10.99/mo).

Tip: Lock in the longest term possible (3-4 years) to keep the low rate for as long as you can.

Cost by Hosting Type

Shared Hosting ($2 - $15/mo)

The most affordable option. Good for small business sites, blogs, and portfolios.

VPS Hosting ($20 - $80/mo)

For sites with higher traffic or specific technical needs. You get more resources and power.

Dedicated Hosting ($80 - $300+/mo)

For large enterprises. You rent the whole physical server.

Hidden Costs & Essential Add-ons

Besides the base monthly fee, here are other costs to budget for:

• Domain Name: ~$10-15/year (often free for the first year).
• SSL Certificate: Free with most good hosts, but some charge ~$50/year.
• Site Migrations: Often free, but some charge fees ($100+) to move your site for you.
• Backups: automated daily backups might cost extra ($2-$5/mo) with budget providers.
• Email Hosting: Often included, but professional suites (like Google Workspace) cost ~$6/mo/user.

How to Save Money

• Buy long-term: Commit to 3 or 4 years upfront.
• Avoid unnecessary add-ons: Uncheck expensive "extras" like "SEO Tools" or "SiteLock" during checkout if you don't need them.
• Choose a host with a free domain: Saves you the upfront registration cost.