True Cost Calculator
What will your hosting really cost?
Advertised prices usually last one billing term, then renew higher. Pick a category and time frame to see the real total for every provider we track — computed from intro and renewal prices verified on vendor sites (latest pass: 2026-08-08).
Category
Time frame
$107.64
cheapest true 3-year cost — Hostinger
+$360.00
biggest renewal surprise — SiteGround costs this much more than its advertised price implies over 3 years
1 of 6
providers in this category charge exactly what they advertise at renewal
| Provider | Advertised | Renews at | True 3-yr cost | Effective / mo | Renewal surprise | Provider link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $2.99/mofirst 4 years | $10.99/mo | $107.64 | $2.99/mo | none | Check pricingNon-affiliate |
| Bluehost | $3.99/mofirst 3 years | $9.99/mo | $143.64 | $3.99/mo | none | Check pricing |
| DreamHost | $2.89/mofirst 1 year | $10.99/mo | $298.44 | $8.29/mo | +$194.40 | Check pricingNon-affiliate |
| A2 Hosting | $2.99/mofirst 1 year | $11.90/mo | $321.48 | $8.93/mo | +$213.84 | Check pricingNon-affiliate |
| Cloudways | $11/moflat price — never jumps | same price | $396.00 | $11.00/mo | none | Check pricing |
| SiteGround | $2.99/mofirst 1 year | $17.99/mo | $467.64 | $12.99/mo | +$360.00 | Check pricing |
How this is calculated
- • The advertised price is applied for its full advertised term (vendors require prepaying that term), then the verified renewal rate applies for the remaining time.
- • Yearly-priced products (domains, some email) use the first-year price for year one and the renewal price from year two.
- • Only providers with cleanly comparable, vendor-verified intro and renewal prices are included — hover a provider for its per-row verification date. Providers whose renewal terms can't be verified are excluded rather than guessed at.
- • Excludes taxes, domain registration, and add-ons. Renewal prices can change; the full dataset with verification dates is in the Renewal Price Index (open CSV included).
Keep comparing
The calculator ranks by price alone — the category guides weigh performance, support, and features too.
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