Price study
The web hosting renewal trap
That $2.99 a month deal ends. Here is what each host’s entry plan costs after the first term, straight from their own pricing pages.
The short answer
Almost every budget host raises the price when your first term ends. SiteGround’s StartUp plan jumps the most, from $2.99 to $17.99 a month (6.0 times). GreenGeeks, DreamHost and Hostinger roughly triple or more. IONOS has the smallest jump of the budget hosts (2.0 times). Kinsta and Rocket.net cost more up front but keep the same price on renewal.
The way to avoid the trap: compare the renewal price, not the first-term price, and work out the total for three years. Our tools and each host page show the full three-year cost.
The numbers
Per month, US dollars. Click a column to sort.
| Host | Plan | First term | Renewal | Increase | First term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | StartUp | $2.99 | $17.99 | 6.0x | 12 months |
| GreenGeeks | Lite | $2.95 | $13.95 | 4.7x | Not stated |
| DreamHost | Web Hosting Launch | $2.89 | $10.99 | 3.8x | 12 months |
| Hostinger | Premium | $2.99 | $10.99 | 3.7x | 48 months |
| InMotion Hosting | Launch | $4.99 | $13.99 | 2.8x | 36 months |
| Bluehost | Starter | $3.99 | $9.99 | 2.5x | 36 months |
| IONOS | Essential | $4.00 | $8.00 | 2.0x | 12 months |
| Kinsta | Single 35k | $29.17 | $29.17 | 1.0x | 12 months |
| Rocket.net | Starter | $25.00 | $25.00 | 1.0x | 12 months |
How we built this
We took each host’s entry-level plan from its official pricing page on October 8, 2026. First-term prices usually require paying for the whole term up front. HostGator is left out because its official page showed placeholder prices that day. Prices change often; see our price change log for anything we have spotted since.
Frequently asked questions
Which web host has the biggest renewal price increase?
Of the entry plans we checked on October 8, 2026, SiteGround StartUp rises the most: $2.99 to $17.99 a month.
Which hosts do not raise prices on renewal?
Kinsta and Rocket.net list the same price for the first term and renewal on the plans we checked.