Plans and Pricing
What hosting plans cost, why renewal prices jump, and where extra fees hide.
web hosting comparison
Web hosting comparison without the sales pitch
See what hosting really costs after promos expire, which plan type fits your site, and how to switch providers without losing data or search traffic.
- Compare shared, VPS, cloud and managed plans by criteria
- Estimate the real first-year and renewal cost
- Follow a migration checklist before you move
Explore by topic
Alternatives and Switching
Compare hosting types, pick a fit for your stage, and move providers safely.
Features and How-To
Plain-English explanations of hosting features and a practical first-month setup plan.
Start here
Features and How-To
Website Backups, Security and SSL - The Protections Every Host Plan Needs
How to check hosting backups, use HTTPS certificates, secure logins and patch software so a small business site can recover from mistakes and attacks.
Features and How-To
Web Hosting Features Explained for Beginners - What Matters and What Is Marketing
A plain-English glossary of hosting features such as SSD, PHP workers, staging, CDN, cPanel and inodes, with notes on which ones you actually need.
Alternatives and Switching
How to Migrate a Website to a New Host Without Losing Data or Traffic
A step-by-step website migration plan covering backups, DNS, email, testing and cutover, with a timeline and what to do if something breaks.
Plans and Pricing
Web Hosting Comparison - Plan-by-Plan Pricing Breakdown for 2026
How web hosting plans are priced by tier, what each tier usually includes, and how to compare real costs instead of headline monthly prices.
Alternatives and Switching
Types of Web Hosting Compared Side by Side - Which Fits Your Business?
Compare shared, managed WordPress, VPS, cloud, dedicated, builder and static hosting by control, effort, scaling and risk to choose the right type.
Alternatives and Switching
When to Switch Web Hosting Providers - A Decision Framework With Numbers
Signs it is time to change hosts, how to weigh switching costs against benefits, and when staying and renegotiating is the smarter move.
Tools
Hosting Cost Estimator
Estimate a multi-month hosting budget range from plan type, number of months and fixed extras.
Hosting Migration Payback Calculator
Find out how long it takes for a hosting switch to pay for itself through lower costs or better results.
Website Migration Checklist
Step-by-step checklist for moving a website to a new host without losing data, email or search traffic.
Hosting Types Compared by Criteria
| Hosting type | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | Many sites share one server and its resources, managed by the provider. | Small brochure sites, blogs and low-traffic sites with a tight budget. | Resource limits, noisy neighbors and steep renewal prices. |
| Managed WordPress | Server tuned for WordPress with updates, caching and backups handled for you. | Business owners who want WordPress without server chores. | Visit-based pricing, plugin restrictions and limited server access. |
| VPS (virtual private server) | A virtual machine with guaranteed resources that you or a managed plan administers. | Growing sites, custom software and teams with some technical skill. | Unmanaged plans put security patches and backups on you. |
| Cloud hosting | Resources are drawn from a pool of servers and can scale up or down. | Variable traffic, apps and sites that need flexible capacity. | Usage-based bills can surprise you without budget alerts. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest type of web hosting?
Shared hosting is normally the lowest-cost option for a small site, and static site hosting can be very cheap or free for simple sites. The cheapest plan is not always the lowest total cost once renewal prices, backups and email are added. Compare the cost over three years, not the first month.
Why does my hosting renew at a higher price?
Many providers discount the first term to win new customers and charge a higher standard rate at renewal. The renewal rate is usually disclosed on the pricing or checkout page or in the terms. Check it before you buy and set a calendar reminder before the renewal date.
Can I move my website to a new host myself?
Yes, many small business owners do, especially for a simple site. You copy the files and database, test on the new host, and then change DNS. If your site is an online store or relies on custom code, consider paying for professional help or a provider's migration service.
How much uptime should I expect?
Many providers advertise 99.9 percent uptime, which allows roughly 43 minutes of downtime in a 30-day month. Read the service level agreement to see how downtime is measured and what remedy, usually account credit, you get when it is missed.
Do I need a VPS for a small business website?
Most small business sites do not need one. A good shared or managed plan covers a typical brochure site or small store. A VPS makes sense when you outgrow resource limits, run custom software or need more control, and you are prepared to handle updates or pay for management.
Is free hosting good enough for a business?
Free hosting is fine for learning, testing or a temporary page. For a business, limits on resources, branding, support and email, along with weaker reliability guarantees, usually make a paid plan the safer choice.
Does changing hosts affect my search rankings?
A clean migration that keeps URLs, redirects and content the same should not harm rankings, though short-term fluctuations can occur. Problems usually come from downtime, broken redirects or a slower new server, which is why testing and monitoring matter.
Who owns my domain name if my host registered it?
The registrant listed in the domain's registration record is the owner, but the account holder at the registrar controls changes. Make sure your own name or business is the registrant and that you can log in, so you can transfer the domain if you leave.
How this site is made
Origin Desk is an independent information project. Guides are drafted with the help of AI writing tools and checked against official and primary sources before publication; see our Editorial Policy. We are not affiliated with any provider mentioned on the site and do not sell products or services.