How Much Does It Cost to Host a Website? | Compare 2024 Prices

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Starting Price
$2.95 Basic
Overall rating

5 out of 5 stars

Website hosting is an important part of being online, and we know the wise amongst you will know that nothing important comes for free.

But if you know exactly what you need before you start, there’s no need to worry. You are able to get shared hosting (the cheapest kind) from between $2.95 – $49.99/month, and dedicated hosting (the most expensive kind) costs $45 – $629.99/month.

We have done the research and compiled this guide to help you work out how much web hosting is going to cost you. There are hundreds of other options and plans available, and with costs becoming more important than ever in the current economic climate, it’s vital to find a cheap but good-value hosting plan to help your money go further.

Web Hosting Costs Explained

Every hosting provider out there has its own extensive list of pricing plans which may seem a little overwhelming at first. However, from our own experience, it’s actually a lot simpler than it looks they are spread out to accommodate different sizes of websites.

Take a look at the different prices you can expect to pay for each type of hosting below. Here we’ve selected the top performers for each type of hosting along with the bucks you’ll potentially be spending – click each type to get a speedy overview.

This is beginner-level web hosting – shared hosting means that you’ll be sharing your web server with other websites. If you have a super low-traffic website with a static page, or a small blog, then this is the best option. Shared hosting is often the cheapest form of web hosting, but also the least robust, as your website is one of many sites sharing the resources of a single server.

In our research we found HostGator offers the best overall shared hosting, it scores 4.7/5 and its cheapest shared plan comes in at $3.95/month when you pay annually. The highest you could pay for HostGator’s shared hosting is  $18.95 per month for its most advanced shared plan.

HostGator’s affordable, feature-rich plans are the best choice for shared hosting.

Virtual private server hosting, or VPS hosting, is the next step up from shared hosting. The big difference is that you’re mostly running your own server. In reality, your website is still one of several websites sharing a single server, but there are far fewer websites sharing resources than with shared hosting – meaning your site’s performance should be better.

Why is site performance important? Well, with better website performance you can manage higher traffic and the overall security of your website is better – which is important if you’re planning to sell online.

We recommend Bluehost’s VPS hosting plans, as Bluehost themselves came out as top in most categories of our research – its prices range from $24.99 to $89.82 per month when you choose a 12-month subscription (prices depend on the plan and billing cycle).

Bluehost packs a punch with its VPS hosting plans. Take a closer look to see exactly what you get for your money!

With dedicated hosting, you’re paying for your very own server. This means that your site will run faster, will have less downtime, and gain in power. The general rule of thumb is that businesses of 500+ employees and have a lot of data should get a dedicated server!

Typically, these services are tiered based on how powerful your server will be, and if the web host manages the service or the business manages it in-house. Not every dedicated hosting provider offers managed services, although some do.

Bluehost is our front-runner for dedicated servers with its feature-rich server, and it has cost-effective dedicated server options from $99.97 to $149.98 per month (when you choose the 12-month contract).

We were blown away by Bluehost’s impressive uptime. Will its dedicated plans wow you too?

You’ve probably heard talk of “the cloud,” a vague term meant to describe online services like Dropbox or OneDrive. What it actually means is a cluster of servers working together, so that a web service never goes down (or goes down very infrequently). Cloud hosting, then, is a group of servers working together to keep your website up and running. If one server goes down, another picks up the slack, and so on. As you might imagine, cloud hosting doesn’t come cheap – but if you can’t afford even a few hours of downtime, it might be the best option for you.

We recommend Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans, which start at $9.99 per month and come with root access, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans aren’t just cheap – they’re super flexible too!

Before we start, let’s be clear about one thing: you can run a WordPress site on pretty much any web hosting service. Managed WordPress hosting is not about running a WordPress site per se – it’s about getting a service that’s tuned to meet the needs of WordPress sites. That includes key features like 24/7 support and automated backups, or other items you may not get with regular shared hosting.

Bluehost is hands down the best WordPress host, with automatic WordPress installation and updates available from just $2.95 per month (paid annually).

Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress, and we can see why! See what you can get for $2.95/month with Bluehost.

We tested 27 hosting providers to evaluate them in terms of price, performance, features, help and support, and more so we can make the most useful recommendations to our readers.

Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in five main categories of investigation and 30 subcategories. In total, we cover 282 areas of investigation – and we go through this process for every type of hosting the provider has to offer!

Our main testing categories for hosting providers are:

  • Price: the cost associated with the hosting services provided by a hosting provider, such as subscription plans, pricing tiers, and any additional fees or charges.
  • Performance: the speed, reliability, and overall performance of a hosting provider’s servers. It encompasses factors such as server uptime and response time.
  • Features: the specific functionalities and capabilities provided by a hosting provider, including storage space, bandwidth allocation, and server location.
  • Help and Support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance, e.g. tutorials and email or chat support.
  • Market Analysis / Customer Score: the assessment of the hosting provider’s position and reputation in the market.

The Website Builder Expert product testing process

Website Builder Expert Product Testing Process diagram

In a hurry? Find the ideal hosting pricing plan for you in less than a minute.

What kind of website(s) do you have?

Find Your Hosting Provider

Keep in mind that as your web hosting plan increases in features, it will usually increase in cost. Take a look at our top-rated web host Bluehost as an example. Bluehost’s shared hosting plans range from $2.95 to $13.95 per month, and you unlock more features the more you pay. The key is to find the plan that fits your budget and provides you with the features you need.

If you start on Bluehost’s cheapest Basic shared plan for $2.95 per month, you can use it for one website. You also get a free domain for a year, a free SSL certificate for a year, and you get 10GB of storage. In contrast, with Bluehost’s higher-tiered shared plans, such as the $13.95 per month Pro plan, you have unlimited websites and domains at your disposal, 100GB of storage – plus extra features such as automatic daily backups, optimized CPU backups, and a free dedicated IP.

Pricing and key features for Bluehost's four shared hosting plans
Although not the cheapest, Bluehost's plans offer great value for websites that want to grow

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Not sure which hosting type is best for you? You can read our comparisons of:

How Much Does Website Hosting Cost?

Now let’s take a closer look at the costs of different types of hosting. A lot of the pricing you’ll see here is initial promotional pricing, where you pay a specific price for a certain amount of months or years of service. Once your promotional period is over, your monthly cost may go up.

From our own experience, we’ve shown the prices for 12-month contracts, as we believe this is the fairest representation of the provider’s price. Some providers offer cheaper rates for contracts up to 36-48 months, but we know this is a long commitment and a large upfront payment for small businesses on a budget.

Shared Hosting

$2.95 – $13.95 per month

Shared hosting is where most people start their web hosting journey.

Of the top five shared hosting providers, HostGator offers great shared hosting plans –  it offers unlimited bandwidth on all plans and comes in first overall with a 4.7 out of 5.

In second place is Bluehost with 4.5 out of 5, which has the highest average rating across all categories. Bluehost also comes has an Online Store plan for $9.95 per month, making it ideal for those wanting to start a small online business.

Host Entry Plan Mid-Tier Plan Highest Plan Subscription length for price shown
HostGator $3.95 $5.00 $18.95 12 months
Bluehost $2.95 $5.45 $13.95 12 months
Dreamhost $2.95 - $2.95 12 months
iPage $2.99 - - 12 months
Hostinger $3.19 $4.99 $9.99 12 months

Bluehost’s online store plan is great for first-time ecommerce users

VPS Hosting

$2 – $110 per month 

VPS hosting is the next step up from shared web hosting when traffic starts to increase on your website.

Of our top five VPS hosting providers, Bluehost may not have the cheapest VPS hosting plan at $34.99/month – but it is very feature-rich, coming in with the third-highest features score in our research. This is because it comes with a free IP address and rare unlimited domains. Bluehost also scores well for its help and support and has a stellar online reputation – in fact, it came out top in our market analysis.

If you are looking for the cheapest provider, that would be Hostinger. While IONOS does start at only $2 per month, that is for the first six months (after that it is $10 per month). Hostinger’s VPS entry pricing of $6.49 is good for the entire 12 months and is our choice if you wanted the lowest-cost hosting provider.

However, cheap isn’t always as cheerful as the breadth of features you get with Bluehost or HostGator.

Host Entry Plan Mid-Tier Plan Highest Plan Subscription length for price shown
Bluehost $34.99 $51.99 $99.82 12 months
HostGator $34.99 $51.99 $93.99 12 months
InMotion $14.99 $24.99 $44.99 12 months
Ionos Hosting $2 (with $10 set-up fee) $6 $30 First 6 months
Dreamhost $13.75 $27.50 $110 12 months
Hostinger $5.99 $7.99 $21.99 12 months

Hostinger’s VPS plans are cheaper than competitors and great for hosting on a budget.

Dedicated Hosting

$89.99 – $739.99 per month

Dedicated hosting is for businesses and websites that are growing. If you’ve decided to pay for your own server, traffic must be getting pretty serious, and your needs are outgrowing the lower-tiered hosting plans.

From our own expertise and time spent comparing the prices of different hosting types and plans across the market, we can tell you that dedicated hosting is the most variably priced kind. A price range of $89.99/month to $739.99/month is wild! But of our top five dedicated hosting providers, Bluehost is what we would recommend. It scored the highest overall in our research with a 4.9 out of 5, mostly due to its pricing being the best value for money versus feature offerings.

Host Entry Plan Mid-Tier Plan Highest Plan Subscription length for price shown
Bluehost $109.97 $139.99 $159.98 12 months
Ionos Hosting $90 $130 $160 Varying lengths
HostGator $109.97 $139.99 $159.98 12 months
InMotion $89.99 $139.99 $259.99 12 months
A2 Hosting $99.99 $199.99 $159.99 12 months

Bluehost’s starting price of $99.97 is a great deal for those wanting a cheap price and good features.

Cloud Hosting

$2.99 – $360 per month

Cloud hosting is what you turn to when even the slightest downtime could prove fatal to your business. The best cloud hosting providers make sure there’s always a server on hand, ready to provide your website to the world.

Cloud hosting is relatively inexpensive. We should mention that Hostinger’s cloud hosting plan is made specifically for start-ups. Its cheapest cloud hosting plan costs $9.99 per month for the 12-month plan. When we reviewed Hostinger, we found it effective for new businesses trying to begin their online journeys, as you can create up to 300 websites on all of its plans.

Host Entry Plan Mid-Tier Plan Highest Plan Subscription length for price shown
Dreamhost $4.50 $12 $48 1 month
A2 Hosting* $4.99 $7.99 $24.99 12 months
InMotion $6 $34 $192 12 months
SiteGround $100 $300 $400 Varying lengths
Hostinger $9.99 $16.99 $39.99 12 months

*A2 Hosting doesn’t offer traditional cloud hosting – instead, it offers unmanaged VPS Hosting.

Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans are designed for start-ups and offer a lot of freedom

WordPress Hosting

$2.95 – $16.99 per month

These plans are for those who need dedicated and specialized services designed just for WordPress sites and blogs.

From our own experience, there can be quite a difference in what you get from one WordPress hosting plan to another, and this is reflected in the price. Of our top five WordPress hosting providers, Bluehost offers the cheapest plan at $2.95/month. On the other side, InMotion’s top-tier plan is the priciest at $16/month.

It’s worth noting these are the discounted WordPress hosting prices, so prices can go up to around $30, especially for renewals.

Host Entry Plan Mid-Tier Plan Highest Plan Subscription length for price shown
Bluehost $2.95 $5.45 $13.95 12 months
InMotion $4.49 $8.99 $12.75 12 months
SiteGround $2.99 $4.99 $7.99 12 months
HostGator $3.95 $7.25 $18.95 12 months
GreenGeeks $2.95 $4.95 $8.95 12 months
Hostinger $3.19 $4.99 $9.99 12 months

Bluehost’s cheapest $2.95/month plan is great for small blogs and websites

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Extra Web Hosting Costs to Consider

A hosting package is one thing, but there are often some “hidden” fees that you may not really think about until you’re already up and running. Beyond the hosting package, you need to own a domain name, for example. Sometimes your domain name registration is included in your hosting package, while other times, you turn to a domain registrar.

Based on our own findings, here’s a breakdown of a few of the extra costs you should consider.

Domain Name Registration

Typically costs $10 to $15 per year

When you run a website, you need a domain name. This is the web address that you put on your business cards, shopping bags, and other company marketing materials. Most people opt for a .com domain name, but you can also choose from .net, .biz, or country-specific suffixes such as .ca or .us.

Domain name registration has some extra fees of its own, such as privacy protection, which keeps your name and address out of public WHOIS listings (database of all registered domains).

It’s also worth pointing out that keeping your domain name registration with your web hosting provider is not always the best choice. If you should ever want to leave your web host, having your domain registered with services such as Domain.com or GoDaddy makes that easier, as you’ll avoid the hassle (and potential cost) of transferring your domain to a new registrar.

Domain.com Prices
You can buy a custom domain name for your site from your hosting provider, or from domain registrars such as Domain.com

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Office 365 or G Suite

Adding business email and productivity suites typically costs $6 to $15 per month

Not all hosts provide this service, but a number of them allow you to purchase business accounts for G Suite or Office 365 at good prices. The end result is that you can have your business email in Gmail or Outlook.com.

SSL Certificates

Vary from free to $450 per year, with the average price around $50

When you have an SSL certificate, your website gets that little green lock in the URL bar of a browser. This is a must have for any webpage handling financial transactions, or where users need to login to the website. Many websites choose to use SSL even when they’re just simple pages displaying information, because Google often favors sites using SSL over those that don’t.

These days, most web hosts provide free SSL certificates with their mid-to-high-tier plans. In our research over the years it used to be more common for web hosts to make you buy your own, but these days we’re very surprised when we find a web host that doesn’t include SSL for free, for at least a year, even on their cheapest plans. Usually, this is a basic version, but provides the basics needed to secure your site and also keep Google from flagging your site.

Keep in mind that if you have the technical know-how to deal with the command line, you can get a free SSL certificate via Let’s Encrypt.

a2 hosting ssl certificate cost
You can buy a range of premium SSL certificates from A2 Hosting that secure your site and your visitor's data.

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SiteLock

Typically costs about $24 per year

Not all web hosts offer SiteLock added security as part of its services, but those that do usually charge about $2 per month. SiteLock offers features such as daily malware scans, web application firewalls, and DDoS attack protection. Whether SiteLock is worth the money is something of a debate online, but we won’t get into that here. Some web hosts also offer SiteLock services for free as part of its packages.

Automated Site Backup and Restore Services

Website backups with web hosts are often free, but may cost $2 per month or more

Just like your PC at home, it pays to have your website files copied to another location that is not your web host server in case the worst happens. Some plans include backups for free, while others won’t charge to save the backup, but may charge you a restoration fee should your data disappear.

Keep in mind that you could backup the site yourself, but that usually takes a little bit of technical know-how. You’ll also need to manage your backups to make sure they’re working and copying correctly.

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Cost to Switch Web Hosts

For many different reasons, you may want to transfer your website hosting to a new provider, but how much will that set you back?

If you have the required skills (and time to spare), you can switch hosting providers yourself at no cost. However, we’re sure that most of you simply don’t have the time to migrate your whole website to another server among your other tasks. Thankfully, you can pay your new host to do all the legwork for you.

Typically, migrating your website to another host will cost between $150 and $400, depending on the host, and the number of files, extensions, and images your website contains.

Bluehost’s Free Switching Service

Worried you don’t have the time or tech skills to perform a full WordPress website migration yourself? Worried how much it’ll cost to get someone else to do it all for you? Good news – Bluehost will complete one website transfer for you, for free!

Paid migration services usually cost around $149.99, which comes with a whole host of extra services. But if you just need a single WordPress site moved from one host to another, Bluehost’s experts will do that for you, totally free of charge.

As long as you already have a WordPress website, and you’ve signed up to a Bluehost plan, Bluehost’s experts will review your site to see if they can migrate it for you. If your site meets the criteria, you can sit back, relax, and let Bluehost migrate your site for you!

Bluehost will migrate your site for free, saving you time and money.

How Much Does It Cost to Host a Website: Summary

Now you know how much web hosting should cost, based on the type of hosting you require, from the services we recommend. There is certainly a wide range of pricing options, with hosting costing from as little as $2.95 to more than $739.99 per month.

From what we’ve seen, if you opt for a higher-priced plan, or for a whole lot of years at a lower price, many web hosts offer a limited-time money-back guarantee. These often last between 30 and 90 days. That way you can try out the service, and if you don’t like it, you can walk away without losing your investment.

To review, here are the five types of web hosting we looked at, along with the overall price ranges:

Cost to Host a Website:

  • Shared Hosting: $2.95 – $13.95 per month
  • VPS Hosting: $2 – $110 per month
  • Dedicated Hosting: $89.99 – $739.99 per month
  • Cloud Hosting: $2.99 – $360 per month
  • WordPress Hosting: $2.95 – $16.99 per month

The important issue to remember with web hosting is that the type of website you’re running will often dictate the type of web hosting you need.

Beginner sites in almost all categories should go with shared hosting. VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting are for more active websites, with the latter being more important for websites that can’t afford any downtime. WordPress hosting, meanwhile, is specifically for WordPress-based sites that want the specialized support and features which managed WordPress hosting services provide.

Once you’ve got your hosting plan picked out, don’t forget to consider those extras we discussed. You’ll be on your way to running an active and well-maintained website in no time.

FAQs

You can pay anything from $2.95 per month all the way to $739.99 per month to host a website. It all depends on what type of website you need.

For a single-page website or just a blog, we’d recommend paying from the $2.99 – $15 per month range, as you won’t need any more features than what plans in that range offer.

If you are wanting a bigger site and perhaps run a business, it will get more expensive, but most providers will let you upgrade at any time.

It can be. It all depends on the size.

A single-page website or blog should only cost you around $2.95 a month, but a full enterprise-level online store with thousands of pages could cost you up to $739.99 a month.

A one-page website should only cost you around $2.95 per month.
Yes, but we don’t recommend it. The most common way is to have your hosting included as part of a website builder, but you will have to pay for that instead. Website builders like Wix or Weebly often include free hosting for users to practice building their site on.

And while there are completely free hosting providers, like x10Hosting, their performance is worse and they are a target for hackers, unlike a provider like Hostinger, which starts from only $2.99 per month. From our own experience, you are better off spending the money and having a secure hosting provider.

The easiest way to save money on web hosting is by knowing exactly what plan you need before you go in. Doing your research and buying the perfect provider saves a lot of the hassle of either spending too much and having to downgrade to spending too little and having to upgrade.
Written by:
I started writing about the wonderful world of the web more than three years ago, and haven’t looked back since. Put simply, there’s never been a more exciting time to get online. Having tested all of the best website builders and ecommerce platforms on the market, myself and the other writers at Website Builder Expert are in a great position to help you do just that. Why wait to get started?

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