If you only need to host a small website, a blog or a portfolio, you can pay very little. But the cheapest-looking plan is often not the cheapest one to keep. Below are the low-cost plans that stand out in our catalog, with what you get and the catch with each. The price cards always show today's verified price.
What to check before you buy
- Renewal price. Many $1 to $3 plans renew at $8 to $15 a month.
- Term length. The lowest price usually needs 24 to 48 months paid up front.
- Number of sites. Starter plans often allow only one site.
- Data-centre location. A server close to your visitors makes your site faster. Some budget plans run in a single country.
Lowest long-term cost: Hetzner and netcup
The two German hosts Hetzner and netcup do not use intro discounts: the price you see is the price you keep. That makes them some of the cheapest options over three years, especially for visitors in Europe. The trade-off is a simpler, less beginner-oriented control panel and data centres mainly in Germany and nearby.
Low intro price with a modest renewal: Namecheap Stellar
Namecheap's Stellar plan hosts up to three sites, offers data centres in the US, UK, the Netherlands and Singapore, and its renewal is a smaller step up than most budget hosts.
Low price for a US audience: DreamHost Launch
DreamHost's entry plan is among the cheapest per month when you prepay a long term, but it renews at about four times the intro price, so the long prepaid term is what makes it cheap. It is hosted in the US, so it suits a mainly American audience best.
Best known brand on a budget: Hostinger Premium
Hostinger's Premium plan hosts three sites, has data centres in 11 countries (including India, Singapore, Brazil and several in Europe) and a beginner-friendly panel. The intro price is very low on a 48-month term; the renewal is much higher, so prepaying the long term is what makes it good value.
The trap to avoid
Some plans advertise $1 for the first year and then renew at $12 to $14 a month. That is fine for a short experiment, but over three years they cost far more than the plans above. Always compare the three-year cost.
Our pick
- Europe, long term: Hetzner or netcup, for flat pricing.
- US audience on a budget: DreamHost Launch.
- Visitors in Asia or worldwide, easiest setup: Hostinger Premium on a long term.
You can compare all shared and WordPress plans side by side, sorted by real three-year cost, on our home page.