Web hosts with no year-two shock
We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our rankings or the prices we show. How we make money.
Almost every shared host advertises a discounted first term and renews at a much higher "regular" price. The size of that jump varies enormously, from 0% for cloud servers and some managed hosts to 500% or more for some shared plans.
This list ranks every host by the renewal jump on its cheapest plan. At the top you'll find providers with flat pricing (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Kinsta, Rocket.net, Cloudways) and shared hosts with modest increases, such as IONOS and Bluehost. Hosts that don't publish a renewal price are listed last, because a price you can't see is a risk.
At a glance
| # | Host & plan | Intro | Renews | 3-yr cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloudways DigitalOcean 2 GB | $11 | $11 | $396 |
| 2 | DigitalOcean Basic 512 MiB | $4 | $4 | $144 |
| 3 | Kinsta Single 35k | $29.17 | $29.17 | $1,050 |
| 4 | Rocket.net Starter | $25 | $25 | $900 |
| 5 | Vultr Cloud Compute 0.5 GB | $2.50 | $2.50 | $90 |
| 6 | ScalaHosting Managed Cloud VPS Build #1 | $29.95 | $54.95 | $1,678 |
| 7 | GoDaddy Economy | $5.99 | $11.99 | $216 |
| 8 | IONOS Essential | $4 | $8 | $240 |
| 9 | Bluehost Starter | $3.99 | $9.99 | $144 |
| 10 | InMotion Hosting Launch | $4.99 | $13.99 | $180 |
Our picks
DigitalOcean 2 GB plan
Growing sites that want cloud performance without managing a server.
- 3-day free trial, no card required
- Backups: Automated (configurable)
Basic 512 MiB plan
Developers who want a clean, cheap Linux server.
- Billed hourly: stop paying any time
- Backups: Paid add-on
Single 35k plan
Business WordPress sites where speed and support justify the price.
- 30-day money-back
- Backups: Daily, 14-30 days retention
Starter plan
WordPress sites that want fast global delivery with flat pricing.
- 30-day money-back
- Backups: Daily
Cloud Compute 0.5 GB plan
Developers who need servers in many regions cheaply.
- Billed hourly: stop paying any time
- Backups: Paid add-on
Managed Cloud VPS Build #1 plan
Sites outgrowing shared hosting that want a managed VPS without cPanel costs.
- "Anytime" money-back guarantee for unused time
- Backups: Daily
Economy plan
People who already keep their domains at GoDaddy.
- 30-day money-back
- Free domain
- Backups: Automatic daily
Essential plan
Budget buyers who want the smallest renewal jump.
- 30-day money-back
- Free domain
- Backups: Daily (files and databases)
Starter plan
WordPress beginners who want a familiar name and modest renewal prices.
- 30-day money-back
- Free domain
- Backups: Weekly
Launch plan
Small businesses that want room to grow and a long trial window.
- 90-day money-back
- Free domain
- Backups: Backup Manager add-on (automated …
Why renewal prices matter more than intro prices
A website lives for years. If you pay $3 a month for four years and then $11 a month for the next six, the "cheap" host costs you more than one that charged $6 all along. The 3-year cost is a fairer comparison, and the renewal jump tells you how painful staying will be.
How to beat the renewal increase
- Ask. Many hosts offer a retention discount if you contact support before renewal.
- Renew during a sale: some hosts let existing customers renew at promotional prices around Black Friday.
- Switch. Moving a WordPress site takes an afternoon, and many hosts migrate it for free. See how to switch web hosts.
Frequently asked questions
Which hosting has no renewal price increase?
Cloud providers (DigitalOcean, Vultr) and managed hosts such as Kinsta and Rocket.net bill the same price every month. Rocket.net explicitly promises no renewal price hikes.
Why do hosts charge more at renewal?
Introductory prices are a customer-acquisition cost. Hosts expect to recover it once customers stay: moving feels like a hassle, so many do.
Is it legal to raise prices at renewal?
Yes, as long as the renewal price is disclosed in the terms. That's why it often sits in the fine print: we bring it to the surface.