How Much Does Web Hosting Cost? (2026)
Updated October 2026
Shared web hosting runs $2.99–$7.99 a month on the intro promo and renews at $10.99–$44.99 a month — a 3.3× to 6.0× jump that is the single most important number on this page. Every figure below is priced from the publishers' live pricing pages, with the renewal trap shown next to the promo it replaces.
| Plan | Promo | Renewal | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Premium (shared)48 months term | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | Renews at 3.7× the promo rate; 4-yr term $143.52 upfront vs $575.52 at list |
| Hostinger Business (shared)48 months term | $3.99/mo | $16.99/mo | Renews at 4.3× the promo rate |
| Hostinger Cloud Startup48 months term | $7.99/mo | $25.99/mo | Renews at 3.3× the promo rate |
| SiteGround StartUp (shared)12 months term | $2.99/mo | $17.99/mo | Renews at 6.0× the promo rate — the highest hike ratio we've recorded |
| SiteGround GrowBig (shared)12 months term | $4.99/mo | $29.99/mo | Renews at 6.0× the promo rate |
| SiteGround GoGeek (shared)12 months term | $7.99/mo | $44.99/mo | Renews at 5.6× the promo rate |
The promo is the headline; the renewal is the price
Hostinger's cheapest rates require a 48-month lock-in ($143.52 upfront for Premium) and renew at $10.99/mo — 3.7× the promo. SiteGround's terms are only 12 months, which makes the cliff arrive sooner: StartUp renews at $17.99/mo against a $2.99 promo — 6.0× the intro rate, the highest hike ratio in our dataset. Neither pattern is a scam — both publishers disclose the renewal rate — but pricing a site off the promo number alone is how people end up surprised in month 13 or month 49.
The honest 4-year comparison
A cheap 4-year promo term usually beats a cheap 1-year promo plus three renewals — but only if you actually use the full term. Hostinger Premium costs $143.52 total over 48 months at promo rates; SiteGround StartUp costs $35.88 in year one and $215.88 per year at renewal after that. If you churn hosting (most solo projects change hands), the short-term/no-lock-in option wins; if the site will run untouched for years, the long promo wins. Decide on your churn probability, not the headline rate.
What you get for the money
- Entry shared tiers (Hostinger Premium, SiteGround StartUp): one site, adequate for a portfolio or content site.
- Mid tiers (Business/GrowBig): more resources, staging and on-demand backups on SiteGround GrowBig.
- Cloud tiers ($7.99 promo / $25.99 renewal class): more dedicated resources for higher-traffic properties.
Domain registration is typically separate from these prices, and renewal-rate jumps apply to renewals of the hosting term itself. Our LLC cost page covers the formation side if you're costing out a full business setup. For the exact Hostinger plan math behind the shared tier above, see the Hostinger cost breakdown. For the SiteGround side of the comparison, see the SiteGround cost breakdown.