How Much Does It Cost to Host a Website? | Compare 2023 Prices
How Much Does It Cost to Host a Website? | Compare 2023 Prices
There are several different types of hosting to choose from, and many different variables come into play. We will detail the costs of the five most popular types of hosting.
Web Hosting Costs Explained
Each hosting service provider has its extensive list of pricing plans, which at first glance may seem overwhelming.
In short, shared web hosting tends to be the cheapest type. Keep in mind that as the capabilities of your web hosting plan increase, it usually increases costs.
How Much Does Website Hosting Cost?
1. Shared Hosting
$2.49 - $13.95 per month
Shared hosting is where most people start their web hosting journey.
Of the top five shared hosting providers, InMotion offers the cheapest shared hosting plan, called "Core", starting at just $2.29 / month (exclusive plan only for Web builder expert users! DreamHost follows at $2.59, while Bluehost and A2 Hosting's top shared Hosting plans are at the end of the pricing spectrum at $13.95 / month and $12.99 / month respectively.
| Host | Entry Plan | Mid-Tier Plan | Highest Plan | Subscription length for the price shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dreamhost | $2.59 | - | $3.95 | 3 years |
| InMotion | $2.29 | $4.99 | $12.99 | 3 years |
| HostGator | $2.75 | $3.50 | $5.25 | 3 years |
| Bluehost | $2.95 | $5.45 | $13.95 | 3 years |
| HostGator | $2.99 | $5.99 | $12.99 | 3 years |
2. Virtual host
$7.71 -- $90 per month
VPS hosting is the next step in shared hosting when traffic on the site starts to increase.
We've done the research for you:
3 Best Philippines VPS Hosting Providers 2023 | Compared & Reviewed
3. Dedicated hosting
$80 - $506 per month
If you decide to pay for your server, the traffic will have to be severe and your demands will exceed those of lower-level hosting plans.
4. Cloud hosting
$4.50 - $240 per month
Cloud hosting is what you rely on when resorting to an outage that can be fatal to your business. The best cloud hosting providers make sure you always have a server on hand, ready to offer your website to the world.
5. WordPress Hosting
$2.95 -- $228 per month
These programs are for those who need dedicated and professional services designed specifically for WordPress sites and blogs.
Again, the content you get from one WordPress hosting plan to another can vary considerably.
3 additional hosting costs to consider
Hosting packages is one thing, but there are often "hidden" costs that you might not think about until you're up and running. For example, in addition to hosting packages, you need to own a domain name. Sometimes, your domain registration is included in your hosting package, while other times, you turn to a domain registrar.
Here's a breakdown of some of the extras you should consider.
1. Domain name registration
It usually costs $10 to $15 a year
To run a website, you need a domain name. This is the URL you put on business cards, shopping bags, and other company marketing materials. Most people choose.com domains, but you can also choose from.net,.biz, or country-specific suffixes such as.ca or.us.
Domain name registration has some additional costs, such as privacy protection, which keeps your name and address from appearing in the public WHOIS list.
It is also worth noting that keeping a domain name registration with a web hosting provider is not always the best option. If you want to leave your web host, registering your domain name with a service such as Domain.com or GoDaddy can do so more easily because you will avoid the hassle (and potential cost) of transferring your domain name to a new registrar.
Office 365 or G Suite
Adding corporate email and productivity kits typically costs $6 to $15 a month
Not all hosts offer this service, but some of them allow you to purchase a G Suite or Office 365 business account at a discounted rate. The result is that you can put corporate email in Gmail as well as Outlook.com.
2. certificate
Prices range from free to $450 per year, with an average price of about $50
When you have an SSL certificate, your site gets a little green lock in the URL bar of your browser. This is a must for any web page that processes financial transactions or for any site that users need to log into. Many sites choose to use SSL, even if they are simple pages that display information because Google generally prefers sites that use SSL to those that don't.
Most Web hosts today offer free SSL certificates in mid - to high-level plans; However, keep in mind that if you have technical knowledge of working with the command line, you can obtain a free SSL certificate with Let's Encrypt.
3. Site lock
It usually costs about $24 a year
Not all web hosts offer SiteLock as part of their services, but those that do typically charge about $2 a month. SiteLock provides daily malware scanning, Web application firewall, and DDoS attack protection. Whether SiteLock is worth paying for is an online debate, but we won't discuss it here. Some web hosts also offer SiteLock services for free as part of their software packages.
Automate site backup and restore services Backing up your Web site with a Web host is usually free, but can cost $2 or more per month
Just like your PC at home, it's worth copying your Web site files to another location that isn't your Web host server, just in case the worst happens. Some plans include free backups, while others won't charge you to keep backups, but may charge you to restore them if your data disappears.
Keep in mind that you can back up the site yourself, but this usually requires some technical knowledge. You also need to manage backups to ensure that they work and replicate correctly.
Summary: How much does it cost to host a website
Now, depending on the type of hosting you need, you know how much web hosting should cost from our recommended services. There are, of course, a wide range of pricing options, with hosting costs ranging from $2.49 a month to more than $700.
Many web hosts offer a limited-time money-back guarantee if you opt for a higher-priced plan or choose for many years at a lower price. These usually last 30 to 90 days. That way, you can try the service, and if you don't like it, walk away without losing your investment.
To recap, here are the five types of web hosting we looked at, along with their price ranges:
The cost of hosting a website:
- Shared host: $2.49 - $13.95 per month
- VPS host: $7.71 - $90 per month
- Dedicated host: $80 - $506 per month
- Cloud hosting: $4.50 - $240 per month
- WordPress hosting: $2.95 - $228 per month
The important thing to remember about web hosting is that the type of website you run will often determine the type of web hosting you need.
Almost all categories of beginner sites should be used with shared hosts. VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting are suitable for more active sites, the latter being more important for sites that cannot afford any downtime. At the same time, WordPress hosting is specifically for WordPress-based sites that need to host the professional support and features provided by WordPress hosting services.
After choosing a hosting plan, don't forget to consider the extras we discussed. You'll have an active and well-maintained website up and running immediately.