All 8 hosts, renewal first
Sort by the renewal column, never the promo. Prices in USD, checked 28 October 2026. Promo rates apply to the first term only; renewal rates are what you pay every year after that. Renewal prices vary by term — the figure shown is the longest-term renewal rate.
| Host | Plan | Promo / mo | Renewal / mo | 3-year total | Websites | Storage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap Cheapest Cheapest renewal | Stellar | $2.28 | $4.66 $55.88/year billed annually | $139.20 | 3 websites | 20 GB SSD | Cheapest long-term renewal; one account for domain + hosting |
| Hostinger Best-known budget host | Premium | $2.99 | $10.99 48-month first term; renewal is the regular rate | $299.64 | 100 websites | 100 GB SSD | Beginners who will prepay 48 months and want a modern panel |
| HostGator | Hatchling | $3.75 | $10.99 3-year renewal term; 1-year renewal is $13.19/mo | $308.76 | 10 websites | 10 GB SSD | Several small sites on one familiar cPanel account |
| DreamHost No long lock-in | Launch | $2.89 | $10.99 12-month first term; formerly Shared Starter | $298.44 | 25 websites | 25 GB NVMe | Buyers who want real specs per dollar and a monthly option |
| A2 Hosting | Startup | $2.99 | $10.99 Now sold as Ignite on Hosting.com after the rebrand | $299.64 | 1 website | 100 GB SSD | Developers and speed-focused users; Singapore/Amsterdam data centres |
| Bluehost WordPress.org recommended | Basic | $2.95 | $11.99 36-month first term; plan names being restructured in 2026 | $323.16 | 1 website | 10 GB SSD | Absolute WordPress beginners on their first site |
| GoDaddy | Economy | $5.99 | $11.99 36-month first term; free SSL covers year one only | $359.64 | 1 website | 25 GB SSD | One login for domain, hosting, email and builder |
| SiteGround Best support | StartUp | $2.99 | $17.99 12-month first term; steepest renewal jump here | $467.64 | 1 website | 10 GB SSD | Owners who value support and reliability over the lowest price |
3-year total = first 12 months at the promo rate + 24 months at the renewal rate, before taxes. Namecheap bills $55.88/year; its monthly figure is the yearly total divided by 12.
Host by host — honest short reviews
Every host reviewed the same way: what it costs to stay, what's genuinely good, what isn't, and who should — and shouldn't — use it. No host has paid for a word of this, and none is our affiliate; if that ever changes, it will be disclosed in our Disclaimer & Affiliate Disclosure.
Namecheap Stellar
$4.66/mo renewal (promo $2.28/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free CDN, free migration, cPanel, 30-day free trial, backups twice a week
What's not: More than 3 sites, or anyone who needs phone support
Our take: Cheapest renewal we track — and it barely jumps
Best for: Cheapest long-term renewal; one account for domain + hosting. Not for: More than 3 sites, or anyone who needs phone support.
Hostinger Premium
$10.99/mo renewal (promo $2.99/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free domain 1st year, weekly backups, AI website builder
What's not: Anyone who wants cPanel or phone support
Our take: Best-known budget brand; renewal is 3.7x the promo — budget for it
Best for: Beginners who will prepay 48 months and want a modern panel. Not for: Anyone who wants cPanel or phone support.
HostGator Hatchling
$10.99/mo renewal (promo $3.75/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free domain 1st year, unmetered bandwidth, Cloudflare CDN, chat support
What's not: Anyone who needs daily backups guaranteed in writing
Our take: Familiar cPanel-style hosting; renewal triples the intro
Best for: Several small sites on one familiar cPanel account. Not for: Anyone who needs daily backups guaranteed in writing.
DreamHost Launch
$10.99/mo renewal (promo $2.89/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free domain 1st year, 100% uptime guarantee, month-to-month option
What's not: Anyone who needs phone support
Our take: Transparent pricing and no long lock-in required
Best for: Buyers who want real specs per dollar and a monthly option. Not for: Anyone who needs phone support.
A2 Hosting Startup
$10.99/mo renewal (promo $2.99/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free Cloudflare CDN, free migration, anytime prorated refund
What's not: Anyone who wants LiteSpeed caching on the entry plan
Our take: Speed-focused; the Turbo speed claims need a higher tier
Best for: Developers and speed-focused users; Singapore/Amsterdam data centres. Not for: Anyone who wants LiteSpeed caching on the entry plan.
Bluehost Basic
$11.99/mo renewal (promo $2.95/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, free domain 1st year, WordPress.org recommended
What's not: Anyone staying past year one on a tight budget
Our take: The beginner default; renewal is 4x the intro
Best for: Absolute WordPress beginners on their first site. Not for: Anyone staying past year one on a tight budget.
GoDaddy Economy
$11.99/mo renewal (promo $5.99/mo)
What's good: Free SSL (1st year only), free domain 1st year, 24/7 phone support
What's not: Anyone watching the bill past year one
Our take: One-stop shop; the dearest entry intro in this list
Best for: One login for domain, hosting, email and builder. Not for: Anyone watching the bill past year one.
SiteGround StartUp
$17.99/mo renewal (promo $2.99/mo)
What's good: Free SSL, CDN and email, daily backups, Google Cloud, 24/7 support
What's not: Anyone on a tight long-term budget
Our take: Best support in this list — and the highest renewal
Best for: Owners who value support and reliability over the lowest price. Not for: Anyone on a tight long-term budget.