How much does it cost to host a website? You don’t know which price is right for your blog? And you found lots of services with different options, and you need a good choice? So, here is all that you need to know about website hosting prices, renewal fees, and everything you need to know to successfully start a website and make work fast.
The average cost for hosting a website
We hosted different websites on many servers and shared hosting is the cheapest solution. So, if you want to start a website for the first time, then, choose a shared plan.
The average business website hosting costs start at $5/month. Remember that many companies have 12-month billing options at least. So, that’s one payment for the full year.
Hosting one website on premium quality servers with HostGator will cost you $2.75/month, billed for 36 months, and $5.95/month for one-year subscription billing. However, the web host offers a great trial for one month with a total cost of just $0.01, so, you can see how the web host works, and get the latest cPanel control panel version that no other company offers at that exceptional level of security and professionalism.
With other web hosting services, the hosting cost ranges from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the resources of the server you need.
Website hosting cost comparison
Yearly web hosting cost
Choosing an annual hosting plan for your website will save a lot of money especially for beginners. The shared hosting packages cost less, bet, you can save money with a one-year plan or more.
The majority of services offer good discounts for 12 months and more billing options. So, take that into consideration if you’re planning to stats a blog, a website, or an eCommerce store.
The cheapest web hosting plan per year starts at $60. That’s a G Suite hosting plan that includes a free domain, setup, and daily backups with auto-installer software and cPanel.
Web hosting cost per month
In reality, monthly hosting cost more, and it’s clear that there are some additional fees especially for the first subscription. So, on average, the 30-day hosting plan costs around $9, and in one case, it will cost just $5 with InterServer.
It’s a good web host with fast servers, good support, and lots of features including cPanel.
The price of short-term hosting is higher, so, to avoid that and get discounts, we recommend choosing a hosting plan for 12 months, at least.
WordPress hosting prices
WordPress hosting is a little bit different in resources and features. That’s because the software uses PHP and MySQL and that needs lots of server RAM and CPU.
If we talk about a typical hosting, that can be somehow a solution, but not the ideal environment for WordPress.
For that reason, there is a need for dedicated resources just for WordPress. Next, the web hosting company should optimize the server for better caching and fast database drives.
In our tests, companies that use SSD for database storage and WordPress are faster and better. So, if you really care about speed, performance, and security, then, choose a good SSD web hosting.
The average price of a WordPress hosting plan is around $7/month. However, if the website is for professional use like eCommerce, then, only VPS hosting is recommended.
The cost of WordPress VPS hosting costs $30/month, which includes the full management service, security upgrades, and daily malware scanning. Furthermore, a fully managed hosting service like WP Engine will take care of all your plugins, themes, and WordPress code issues and fix them. All that comes with live chat support and of course a phone number to get help in real-time.
In other cases, hosting and maintaining your WordPress site will cost higher for extra features and 100% uptime guaranteed. The cost can be $60 or more depending on the server RAM and resources.
VPS web hosting prices
The web hosting price for a VPS plan is expensive compared to shared plans, that’s because the user gets dedicated server resources like RAM, CPU, disk space, and bandwidth. That means, exceptional quality hosting for your website and if you want to rank higher in search engines, then, choose a VPS instead of the cheap shared hosting plan that costs a few dollars a month.
Now, because VPS hosting costs are higher, expect to pay $30 on average for a 2 GB RAM Virtual Private Server plan that’s managed by your web hosting provider. In this case, you’re not going to struggle with complicated server management and very technical web hosting operations, the fully managed VPS is the right choice for bloggers, small business owners, and those who want to focus on their site content instead of technical configurations.
On the other side, if you’re a developer and you really know how to manage a VPS on Linux or Windows servers, then, choose a cheap unmanaged VPS plan that will cost around $10 per month, but don’t expect to find any issues, you’ll need to deal with complicated web hosting tasks in one day.
Free web hosting using a website builder
When you choose a website builder tool like Gator and pay the fees for one year or more, you get completely free hosting with SSL, Site backups, no ads, unlimited number of pages, free domain registration, unmetered bandwidth, and also unmetered disk space and of course, the best customer support service in web hosting.
Gator website builder is one of the best in today’s world of speed, optimization, and features. It’s a drag-drop site builder tool that comes lets you build a website with no page number limits and get Analytics and mobile-friendly site templates for all kinds of businesses. Thus, the site will look professional, well designed, and even better, it’s hosted for free by one of the leading web hosting companies in the United States. For more details and features, read our Gator website builder review article.
Understanding the business website hosting costs
Comparing the business web hosting costs may look overwhelming for many, there are many options, details, and hidden facts. Now, let’s understand why the small business web hosting costs are different from one host to another, and in many cases, the difference in hosting fee is huge.
In reality, there are three types of web hosting companies:
- Web hosts that own their data centers, servers and have in-house customer support like Liquid Web. These web hosting providers are the best in quality, support, and features: They wholly own the data center and they manage their own servers without the need for third-party services.
- Web hosting companies rent dedicated servers inside a data center owned and operated by another company and offer customer support service elsewhere. This type of website hosting business work well for WordPress to cut the cost of building data centers, and thus lets web hosting providers to grow step by step without investing in a data center building and infrastructure that costs millions of dollars. An example of these companies is WP Engine that we recommend for WordPress sites.
- The third type of companies is those who resell web hosting service, that includes web design agencies and others. In this case, the company is just reselling other services and they bill customers based on the custom pricing model, and of course, they should offer customer support. This is the cheapest way to host a website, but wait, there are many scammers in this web hosting industry who appears and disappears like bubbles every year. So, we recommend staying away from these web hosts unless you really trust them and know who they’re.
Now, think about the resources and investment that these different web hosting types have, the first and second types of web hosting providers are the best. But that does not mean to choose any provider, just read the hosting reviews, compare the web hosting prices and read the list of features that each web host offers. Then, understand the differences in website fees between addons and services you really need and exclude the options your site does not need.
Comparing hosting prices on Linux and Windows servers
Because Linux is open-source software, it’s free to use, however, Windows is a product of Microsoft. So, Linux is the cheapest hosting environment thanks to its open-source operating system. In addition, Linux is better known for its higher levels of security.
On the other side, Windows hosting is recommended only for applications that use Windows programming languages. Windows can handle millions of users for a website. Thus, it’s a high level of web server configuration that’s recommended for enterprises.
So, how much the prices are different? From our experience, Windows web hosting costs 40% more than the equivalent server resources on Linux. So, keep that in mind when choosing a web hosting provider.
Domain name cost
If you choose the right web hosting provider, you’ll get the domain for free. However, we recommend registering your own domain separately with another company if the cost to host a Website is higher become of the domain name registration.
There are many cases where the blogger wanted to move a website and found problems in moving the domain names. So, when you host and also register the website domain name with a different provider, you’ll be totally independent.
You can move your website when you want and you just need to update the nameservers or the IP address.
To have the best services, we recommend the biggest domain name registrar called GoDaddy. We have used their service for years and never found a problem.
There is a DNS management tool with lots of options, add-ons, and great services, also, there is professional customer support.
You’ll be charged based on server resources
No matter if you choose a cheap or an expensive web hosting package, if the servers struggle with bandwidth, it’s not the best scenario. For a high-traffic website, the cost depends on the disk space usage, the bandwidth needed, the RAM, and also other options like the SSL.
The more RAM a VPS or a dedicated server includes the more money you’ll pay, but the best stability your site gets.
What is the cheapest way to host a website?
The best option we recommend is choosing HostGator’s penny offer and trying the service for one month. That special web hosting discount will cost just $0.01 and you’ll get a professional hosting plan from a trusted company to count on. Then, if you liked the web hosting features, tools, and service, you can renew for $10 a month or choose a yearly hosting plan that will cost less and give you a free domain name registration for one year.
Keep in mind that HostGator is the fastest shared web hosting now, we compare the service to others like InMotion and many and it’s better, but don’t forget to enable all site files compression under cPanel, there is a tool for that, and you’ll save lots of disk space and bandwidth at the same time.
If you want super-fast web hosting but that’s fully optimized for WordPress, then, choose WP Engine or Liquid Web. These are the best web hosts for blogging professionally without thinking about site speed, security, uptime, and support. When you choose a yearly web hosting plan with one of these companies, you get 2 months of free managed WordPress hosting and that’s a great saving.
Low-cost web hosting vs expensive plans
If you carefully compare any low-cost web hosting provider and the plans it offers, you’ll find two facts:
- First, there will be very expensive renewal prices for your web hosting plan next year
- Second, the web hosting provider offers low-quality services with overloaded servers, lots of downtime, no customer support (or bad one), and real security threats.
On both sides, web hosting costs should reflect the real value of the service, it does not matter if you choose a cheap $2 hosting or lower costs if you don’t care about security and other features. So, the first thing to remember is that choosing the cheapest web hosting plan doe snot always guarantee that you get a good service.
So, think about the real server maintenance cost, data center building, or collocation that web hosting providers should pay and invest in. If a web hosting company invests lots of money in making their servers better, faster, and more secure, then, expect to pay extra web hosting fees for that better quality.
Web hosting renewal prices
It’s important to note that web hosting renewal prices for the majority of providers will be higher than the first term billing cycle. So, don’t expect to pay the save web hosting fees the next years with any web host like Bluehost or other companies.
The first term billing cycle is an that’s not extended next year, so, the customer has to pay the web hosting plan cost at regular rates, and this time, you’ll find some surprises with web hosts like Bluehost and GoDaddy. So, it’s better to focus on quality and not just signup for the cheapest web hosting offer you find, you may be surprised by the hidden extra costs and renewal costs later.
Some web host will let you hosta site and pay monthly, however, there will be some hidden activation fees that you’ll see on the checkout page, and we recommend avoiding these services, as there is no such a thing called activation cost in web hosting, it’s a way to get your money no matter how they do it. If you sign up for a one-month hosting plan, you should get a special discount to try the service and no hidden costs for activation fees.
FAQ about web hosting fees
There are many guides and tutorials telling you how to sats a website and maintaining it, but many of you won’t even notice some important factors to consider when buying a web hosting plan. There are many hidden features and options that you can check and compare things together. So, these are some Friestly Asked Questions about web hosting costs, extra fees, and options:
How much does it cost to host a website on Google?
The cost of hosting a WordPress site on Google Compute Engine starts at $26/month, but that comes with lots of template code to access the cloud platform, install WordPress and even manage it. So, only chose Google WordPress hosting if you can deal with complicated server codes and management.
For other types of websites, the cost of hosting a website with Google starts at $42/month and despite the fact that Google has a super-fast cloud infrastructure, it’s not easy at all to host a site and manages it if you’re not an expert in web hosting or coding.
How much does it cost to host a website on GoDaddy?
GoDaddy hosting costs $3.5/month if billed for 2 years in advance, and $1/month for one-year billing, however, you’ll need to pay for SSL, site backups, and security. Thus, GoDaddy SSL will cost$6.67/month or $79 for one year, and site backup costs $2.99/month billed at $35.88 per year. If you add the site security fees of $5.59/month billed at $67 yearly, then, the total cost for hosting a single website with GoDaddy will be $194/year even with the promotional offer of $1/month during the first year (not cheap at all!).
How much does a domain name cost per year?
Most web hosting companies charge $10-$15 for a domain name registration for one year, however, you can get one for free during the first 12-month of your hosting subscription if you choose the HostGator. Additionally, domain name registrars like GoDaddy, Google, and others will charge you more fees when you renew the domain, so, read the full pricing page when buying a domain name the first time for your website.
Final advice on real cost to host a Website
As you can see, the real cost to host your website may not be cheap as you expect and want, it can start from $5/month for a good quality service that lasts. You can choose a good hosting company that cares about their customers’ websites and business-like HostGator.
On the other hand, you have the choice to choose the next level of hosting companies for high traffic websites including WordPress and other CMS. Liquid Web is what works better for VPS and Dedicated server hosting that worth the price you pay for.
We hope this guide helped you to compare options and know how much should you pay for a good web hosting plan.
