Almost every cheap hosting deal has two prices: the introductory price you see in big letters, and the renewal price you pay once the first term ends. The gap between them is the single biggest reason people end up paying more for hosting than they planned.
We track intro and renewal prices for every billing term across the providers on HostingPickers, so we can show how big that gap really is.
How big is the jump?
Across the shared and WordPress hosting plans we track, this is how much the renewal price is on average compared with the intro price (prices checked on 4 October 2026):
| Provider | Renewal vs intro price |
|---|---|
| IONOS | about 4.9× |
| SiteGround | about 4.4× |
| hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) | about 3.1× |
| Hostinger | about 2.7× |
| InterServer | about 2.3× |
| DreamHost | about 2.2× |
| OVHcloud | about 2.2× |
| Namecheap | about 1.7× |
| Bluehost | about 1.6× |
| Hetzner, netcup, Kinsta, Cloudways | same price every term |
These are averages over each provider's plans and billing terms, so a single plan can be higher or lower. Every plan page on HostingPickers shows its own intro and renewal price for each term.
A worked example
SiteGround's StartUp plan costs $3.99 a month for the first year when you pay 12 months up front, then renews at $17.99 a month. Over three years that is:
- Year 1: 12 × $3.99 = $47.88
- Years 2 and 3: 24 × $17.99 = $431.76
- Total: $479.64, or about $13.32 a month
The advertised price is $3.99; the real three-year average is more than three times that. This is why HostingPickers shows a three-year cost and an effective monthly price next to every plan.
Why providers do it
Hosting is cheap to start and a hassle to move, so most people who sign up stay. Providers use low first-term prices to win new customers and earn their margin on renewals. The intro price is usually only available on a long prepaid term (often 24 to 48 months), which also locks you in.
Five ways to pay less
- Compare the three-year cost, not the headline price. A plan that is $1 more per month up front can be far cheaper over three years if it renews lower.
- Prepay the longest term you are comfortable with. The intro price usually lasts for the whole first term, so a 48-month term keeps it for four years. Only do this with a provider you have checked carefully, and check the refund window first.
- Consider providers that do not discount. Hetzner, netcup, Kinsta and Cloudways charge the same price every month, so there is no renewal surprise.
- Set a reminder before renewal. Providers will often offer a better price to keep you, and moving a small site to a new host's intro deal is usually straightforward.
- Turn off auto-renew for add-ons you do not use, such as paid backups, SEO tools or site scanners that were added at checkout.
The bottom line
Cheap intro prices are fine, as long as you know what comes next. Before you buy, look at the renewal price and the total over the years you plan to stay. You can sort and filter every plan on HostingPickers by real total cost, renewals included.