Cheap web hosting: 6 plans and what they cost after year one
We compared the intro price, the prepaid term and the renewal rate of 6 budget hosts, then did the math on what each one costs over 3 years.
Short answer: Hostinger Premium gives you the smallest bill over 4 years if you can prepay 48 months ($95.52 up front, $1.99 a month). Bluehost Starter comes to $143.64 on a 36-month term ($3.99 a month, then $9.99). If you'd rather commit one year at a time, IONOS Essential lands at $240 over 3 years, and DreamHost comes to $298.44 on its yearly plan, billed annually, with monthly billing offered on every web hosting plan. SiteGround and GreenGeeks look like the bargains at $1.99 and $1.95, until their renewals at $17.99 and $13.95 a month kick in.
That is the whole game with budget hosting: the headline price lasts 12 to 48 months, then the plan renews at two to fourteen times the rate (IONOS Essential doubles, IONOS Plus goes from $1 to $14). Every card below puts the three numbers side by side. If budget isn't your main constraint, see our best web hosting ranking, or hosting for small businesses.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
What you pay in year one, and after
Shared hosting (your site shares a server with other sites, and the host runs the machine) is plenty for a portfolio, a blog or a small store. In this market almost every advertised price is an intro rate tied to a term you prepay, usually 12, 36 or 48 months. When the term ends, the plan renews at the regular rate. Compare the total over the life of your site, not the sticker.
The summary (intro price · term · renewal · 3-year total):
- IONOS Essential: $4 · 1 year · $8 · $240
- Bluehost Starter: $3.99 · 36-month term · $9.99 · $143.64
- DreamHost: $2.89 · 1 year, billed annually · $10.99 · $298.44
- IONOS Plus: $1 · 1 year · $14 · $348
- GreenGeeks Lite: $1.95 · 12 months prepaid · $13.95 · $358.20
- SiteGround StartUp: $1.99 · 12 months prepaid · $17.99 · $455.64
- Hostinger Premium: $1.99 · 48 months prepaid ($95.52) · $10.99 · $95.52 for the first 4 years
Prices read on each host's official pricing page in 2026, entry plan of each host, in US dollars.
Hostinger Premium
Smallest bill if you prepay 4 years
$95.52 up front · renews at $10.99/mo
- 3 websites, 20 GB storage
- Free domain for the first year
- Weekly backups
- The catch: renews automatically at $10.99/mo for another 48 months
DreamHost Web Hosting Launch
Monthly billing available
Renews at $10.99/mo
- Monthly billing offered on every web hosting plan
- Free domain on annual and multi-year plans
- 25 websites, 25 GB NVMe on the entry plan
- The catch: the intro rate covers year one only
IONOS Essential
Smallest 3-year total on a 1-year term
Then $8/mo
- Unlimited websites, 100 GB NVMe
- Plus plan at $1/mo for a year, then $14/mo
- Monthly billing with a one-month notice also offered
- The catch: the $1 Plus plan costs more than Essential from year two
GreenGeeks Lite
Low entry, 30-day refund
Renews at $13.95/mo
- 5 websites, 25 GB storage
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Intro rate labeled as an early Black Friday price
- The catch: year two costs about 7 times year one
SiteGround StartUp
Strong support, steep renewal
Renews at $17.99/mo
- One website on StartUp
- Prepaid for 12 months
- Renewal rate printed on the plan card
- The catch: $215.88 a year from year two
Bluehost Starter
Low 3-year total on a 36-month term
Renews at $9.99/mo
- 10 websites, 10 GB NVMe storage
- Free domain for the first year
- Weekly website backups
- The catch: the low rate needs a 36-month term
Hosts change their promos often: check the plan card and the checkout total before you pay. Need SSL? See hosts with free SSL. Want a free domain? See hosts with a free domain.
DreamHost
DreamHost's entry plan, Web Hosting Launch, costs $2.89 a month for the first year on a yearly plan billed annually ($34.68), then auto-renews at $10.99. Over 3 years that's $298.44. What sets it apart in this list is flexibility: DreamHost states that every web hosting plan can be billed monthly, so you can start without prepaying a long term. You pay more per month that way than on the yearly deal, but you can walk away when you want.
The entry plan covers 25 websites and 25 GB of NVMe storage, and annual plans include a free domain for the first year. The plan card lists 40k monthly visits; DreamHost says that figure describes what the tier handles comfortably, not a hard cap. If you know your site will last, the yearly deal is the better math.
- Monthly billing on every plan
- 25 websites on the entry plan
- Free domain on annual plans
- ✓Renewal rate shown right under the intro price
- ✓Monthly billing on every plan, no long prepaid term
- ✓Room for several small sites
- ✗Intro price covers year one only
- ✗Professional email is a 3-month trial
- ✗Support ratings trail the best hosts in our broader ranking
The safest budget pick if you don't want to prepay years in advance.
IONOS
IONOS has two numbers that matter. The headline $1 a month is the Plus plan, with a 1-year term, and it renews at $14 a month: $348 over 3 years. The quieter Essential plan starts at $4 and renews at $8: $240 over 3 years, the smallest total here among plans you commit to one year at a time (Hostinger and Bluehost go lower, on 48- and 36-month terms). Both include unlimited websites; Essential gives you 100 GB of NVMe storage.
IONOS also offers monthly billing with a one-month notice period, which makes it easy to leave a short project. Pick Essential unless you're sure you'll move before month 18: Plus costs $6 more every month from month 13, so its year-one saving is gone by month 18. Plus does come with more room (350 GB of NVMe storage).
- Unlimited websites from the entry plan
- 100 GB NVMe on Essential
- Monthly billing option
- ✓$240 over 3 years on Essential
- ✓Renewal printed on each plan card
- ✓Easy exit with a one-month notice
- ✗The $1 plan costs more than Essential after month 18
- ✗Support rated below DreamHost in our broader ranking
- ✗Price doubles after year one on Essential
The smallest 3-year bill here on a 1-year term, on Essential. Skip the $1 plan unless you'll leave within 18 months.
SiteGround
SiteGround's StartUp plan looks like one of the best deals on the market at $1.99 a month. The plan card tells the rest: prepaid for 12 months, then $17.99 a month. That's $23.88 for year one and $215.88 for each year after, so $455.64 over 3 years.
The reason it still makes this list is support, which we score 4.0 out of 5, the highest of the six hosts on this page. A year on StartUp is a cheap way to launch with good help; plan your move, or your budget, before the renewal date.
- Support scored 4.0 in our ranking
- Renewal printed on the plan card
- Prepaid 12-month term
- ✓Cheap first year with strong support
- ✓Clear terms on the plan card
- ✓Good place to learn before moving up
- ✗$17.99/mo from year two
- ✗One website on StartUp
- ✗$455.64 over 3 years
Great first year, expensive second. Treat it as a 12-month launchpad.
Hostinger
Hostinger's pitch is one number: $1.99 a month for 48 months. The pricing page is clear about the condition: "All plans are paid upfront." You pay $95.52 on day one. After that, the plan renews automatically at $10.99 a month for the same 48-month term, which is $527.52 for the second term.
Premium covers 3 websites and 20 GB of storage with weekly backups; daily backups start on the next plan up. Turn off auto-renew right after you buy, and decide at the end of year four whether to renew or move.
- 48-month locked rate
- Free domain for year one
- Beginner-friendly control panel
- ✓Smallest monthly cost over 4 years
- ✓Quick setup for a first site
- ✓AI site builder included
- ✗$95.52 due up front
- ✗Auto-renews at $10.99/mo for 48 months
- ✗Weekly backups only on Premium
Great math if you prepay 4 years and switch off auto-renew. Otherwise the second term costs over five times the first.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks Lite costs $1.95 a month, prepaid for 12 months ($23.40), then renews at $13.95 a month. Over 3 years that's $358.20. The page labels the intro rate an early Black Friday price, so expect it to move. Lite covers 5 websites and 25 GB of storage.
The 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a real trial: set the site up, check its speed, and ask for a refund if it doesn't suit you.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 5 websites on Lite
- 25 GB storage
- ✓Low first-year cost
- ✓Refund window to try it
- ✓Room for 5 sites
- ✗Renews at $13.95/mo
- ✗Intro rate tied to a seasonal promo
- ✗$358.20 over 3 years
A fine first year with a refund safety net. Compare its renewal with IONOS Essential before year two.
Bluehost
Bluehost's Starter plan costs $3.99 a month on a 36-month term, then renews at $9.99 a month. Over the 3-year term that's $143.64, less than any plan here except Hostinger's 48-month prepay. The catch is the commitment: the low rate is the 36-month one, so you sign for three years on day one.
Starter covers 10 websites and 10 GB of NVMe storage, with weekly website backups and a free domain for the first year on 12- or 36-month terms. Professional email is a free trial that renews at $2.50 a month, so switch it off if you don't need it. A 30-day money-back guarantee lets you check the setup before the term really starts to bind.
- $143.64 over a 36-month term
- 10 websites on Starter
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✓Second-smallest multi-year bill on this page
- ✓Renewal under $10 a month on Starter
- ✓Room for 10 small sites
- ✗Low rate tied to a 36-month term
- ✗Weekly backups only on Starter
- ✗Email is a trial that renews at $2.50/mo
A solid 3-year deal if you can commit to the full term. For a site you might stop, IONOS Essential or DreamHost leave you freer.
8 ways to keep your hosting cheap
These come from the hosts' own pricing pages and terms, and from customer reviews. None bends a rule: they just stop an intro price from turning into a surprise bill.
Always do the 3-year math
AllMultiply the intro price by its term, then add the renewal rate up to month 36. IONOS Essential: $4 × 12 + $8 × 24 = $240. SiteGround StartUp: $1.99 × 12 + $17.99 × 24 = $455.64. Ranked by sticker, SiteGround looks cheap; ranked by 3-year cost, it sits at the bottom of this page.
- Formula
- Intro × term + renewal
- Horizon
- 36 months
Turn off auto-renew the day you buy
HostingerHostinger renews automatically at $10.99 a month for the same 48-month term. Switch off auto-renew in your account right after checkout and set a calendar reminder three months before the end. Customer reviews of several hosts show the same advice: don't let a renewal charge you by default.
- Second term
- $527.52 over 48 months
- Reminder
- 3 months before
Read past the $1 plan
IONOSIONOS Plus costs $1 a month for a year, then $14. Essential costs $4, then $8. Past month 12, Plus costs $6 more every month. The headline price is the bait; the plan next to it is often the deal.
- Plus, 3 years
- $348
- Essential, 3 years
- $240
Use the refund window as a free trial
AllAll six hosts on this page offer a 30-day money-back guarantee; at DreamHost the terms count the 30 days from initial signup, exclude VPS and dedicated servers, and never refund a domain registration, even one included with the plan. Build your site in week one, check its load time from a few locations, and decide before day 30. Read the exact refund terms at checkout before you build.
- Window
- 30 days
- Check
- Speed and support
Register your domain separately
AllA free domain is usually free for year one only, then renews at the host's rate. Keeping it at a separate registrar makes moving hosts a DNS change instead of a transfer. Watch registrar renewal prices too: some customers complain that renewals cost more than the first year.
- Free domain
- Usually year one
- Move
- Change DNS only
Keep your own backup
AllEntry plans often back up weekly (Hostinger Premium). Add a WordPress backup plugin that sends a copy to your own cloud storage every week. When you switch hosts at renewal, you already have the whole site.
- Rhythm
- Weekly copy
- Where
- Off the host
Pay monthly when the project is uncertain
DreamHost, IONOSDreamHost offers monthly billing on every web hosting plan, and IONOS offers monthly billing with a one-month notice. You pay more per month than on a yearly deal, but you never prepay years for a site that might stop.
- IONOS notice
- 1 month
- DreamHost
- Monthly on every plan
Plan your exit before you sign up
AllThe cheapest long-term setup is often to move hosts at each renewal. Our guides on leaving Hostinger and leaving SiteGround walk through backups, DNS and the cut-over.
- Timing
- Before renewal
- Steps
- Backup, restore, DNS
Do you make a tool in this category? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
Stay on an entry plan or pay more: 6 signals
IONOS Essential covers it for $240 over 3 years.
DreamHost's entry plan holds 25 sites and 25 GB; upgrade only when pages slow down. See hosting for bloggers.
Downtime costs sales: look for daily backups and reachable support. See WordPress hosting.
Managed hosting pays for itself; compare plans in managed WordPress hosting.
Pay monthly at DreamHost or IONOS rather than prepaying a long term.
Move to a new entry plan elsewhere and restart the intro rate, or switch to IONOS Essential ($4 a month for year one, then $8).
Cheap web hosting FAQ
Does cheap web hosting limit traffic?
Mostly not on bandwidth, but on everything else. SiteGround StartUp, GreenGeeks Lite and IONOS advertise unlimited or unmetered traffic, and DreamHost's Launch plan lists 40k monthly visits, which DreamHost describes as a comfort level, not a hard cap. What really caps you is storage (10 GB on Bluehost Starter, 20 GB on Hostinger Premium) and the number of sites (one on SiteGround StartUp).
Why does cheap hosting renew so much higher?
Because the advertised price is an intro rate. SiteGround StartUp goes from $1.99 to $17.99 a month after 12 months; GreenGeeks Lite from $1.95 to $13.95. Hosts print the renewal rate on the plan card, usually in small type under the main price.Is $1 a month hosting legit?
Yes, for a year. IONOS Plus is $1 a month on a 1-year term, then $14 a month. If your site lasts 3 years, you mostly pay the second rate: $348 in total.Can cheap hosting run an online store?
Yes for a small store, if you watch two things. Hostinger Premium includes WooCommerce at no extra cost, and Hostinger's own Ecommerce builder is free for 12 months, then $1.99 a month. Backups are the other point: Hostinger Premium and Bluehost Starter back up weekly, while GreenGeeks Lite lists daily backups, so a store taking orders every day should pick a daily plan or add its own backup.Can I get cheap hosting billed monthly?
Yes. DreamHost offers monthly billing on every web hosting plan, and IONOS offers monthly billing with a one-month notice. Expect a higher monthly rate than the yearly deals.What about Hosting.com, InterServer or Namecheap?
They show up in many cheap hosting lists. Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting), InterServer and Namecheap advertise low entry prices too. Run the same 3-year math on them: intro price times its term, plus the renewal rate up to month 36, read on the plan card before you pay.Is free hosting a better deal than cheap hosting?
For anything professional, no. Free hosts usually force a subdomain, ads or strict limits. For $1 to $4 a month in year one you get your own domain and support, and on most of these plans an email address.