At a glance
For a small website or blog, shared or managed WordPress hosting is enough. The biggest trap is the price: most hosts advertise a low monthly price that only applies if you pay one to four years in advance, and it rises four- to six-fold on renewal. Cloudways, Hetzner and Netcup charge the same price all the time.
The short version: Hostinger for the lowest start price and many locations; DreamHost for the most sites and storage in the entry plan; SiteGround for its support reputation if you accept the renewal price; Cloudways for honest pay-as-you-go cloud hosting; Hetzner or Netcup for European sites at very low fixed prices.
Quick picks
- Hostinger – the lowest start price
- DreamHost – the most sites and storage in the entry plan
- SiteGround – support reputation and Google Cloud infrastructure
- Bluehost – many sites for WordPress beginners
- hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) – generous entry plan with free migrations
- Cloudways – honest pay-as-you-go cloud hosting
- Hetzner Webhosting – very cheap hosting for European sites
- Netcup – lots of storage with a domain included
Comparison table
| Product | Start price | Renewal | Websites | Storage | Free domain | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $2.49/mo (48 months prepaid) | $10.99/mo | 3 | 20 GB SSD | Yes, 1 year | official site |
| DreamHost | $2.89/mo (first year, yearly) | $10.99/mo | 25 | 25 GB NVMe | Yes, 1 year | official site |
| SiteGround | $2.99/mo (12 months) | $17.99/mo | 1 | 10 GB | Yes, 1 year | official site |
| Bluehost | $3.99/mo (36 months) | $9.99/mo | 10 | 10 GB NVMe | Yes, 1 year | official site |
| hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) | check on site | check on site | 5 | 15 GB NVMe | Yes | official site |
| Cloudways | $11/mo (DigitalOcean, hourly) | Same price | Unlimited | 50 GB | No | official site |
| Hetzner Webhosting | €1.60/mo + VAT | Same price | not specified | 10 GB | No (from €4.90/yr) | official site |
| Netcup | €2.69/mo incl. VAT | Same price | not specified | 50 GB SSD | Yes, 1 included | official site |
Hostinger
Best for: the lowest start priceHostinger's Premium plan cost $2.49 per month on the check date, but only when paying 48 months in advance ($119.52). It then renews at $10.99 per month. The plan includes three websites, 20 GB of SSD storage and a free domain for the first year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostinger has data centers in the USA, Europe, the UK, India, Southeast Asia and Brazil and uses its own control panel (hPanel) instead of cPanel.
Pros
- Very low start price
- Many data center locations
- Free domain for the first year
Cons
- Low price needs a 48-month prepayment
- Renewal more than four times higher
- Only 3 websites in the entry plan
DreamHost
Best for: the most sites and storage in the entry planDreamHost's entry plan is now called Web Hosting Launch: $2.89 per month for the first year when paying yearly, renewing at $10.99 per month. It includes 25 websites, 25 GB of NVMe storage and a free domain with privacy protection for the first year. DreamHost advertises an unusually long 97-day money-back guarantee for card payments.
It uses its own control panel instead of cPanel and has fewer data center locations (US West, US East and Amsterdam).
Pros
- 25 websites and 25 GB already in the entry plan
- Long money-back period
- Monthly billing possible
Cons
- Renewal almost four times higher
- Few data center locations
- No cPanel
SiteGround
Best for: support reputation and Google Cloud infrastructureSiteGround's StartUp plan cost $2.99 per month for the first 12 months plus tax, then $17.99 per month, the biggest jump in this comparison. It allows one website with 10 GB of storage and includes a free domain for the first year.
SiteGround runs on Google Cloud, lets you choose between six data center regions and is well known for its support. It suits a single important site where you accept the higher long-term cost.
Pros
- Strong support reputation
- Google Cloud infrastructure, six regions
Cons
- Highest renewal price here
- Only one website and 10 GB
Bluehost
Best for: many sites for WordPress beginnersBluehost's Starter plan cost $3.99 per month on a 36-month term, renewing at $9.99 per month. It already includes ten websites and 10 GB of NVMe storage. The free domain must be claimed within 90 days, and if you cancel, the domain fee is deducted from your refund.
Bluehost focuses on WordPress and has data centers in North and South America, Europe, India and Australia. Watch for add-ons during checkout, such as email trials that renew automatically.
Pros
- 10 websites in the entry plan
- WordPress focus, many locations
Cons
- Low price needs a 36-month term
- Upsells and auto-renewing trials at checkout
hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting)
Best for: generous entry plan with free migrationsA2 Hosting was renamed hosting.com in 2025 after its acquisition. The Starter plan includes five websites, 15 GB of NVMe storage, a free domain and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and free site migrations are offered. Its prices are loaded dynamically and could not be read on our check date; third-party sources mention about $2 to $4 per month at the start and $12 to $14 on renewal, so please check before buying.
Pros
- Five sites and 15 GB in the entry plan
- Many data center locations
- Free migrations
Cons
- Prices not shown transparently
- Brand still little known after the rename
Cloudways
Best for: honest pay-as-you-go cloud hostingCloudways is managed cloud hosting: it sets up and maintains a server at DigitalOcean or other cloud providers for you. The smallest plan cost $11 per month with hourly billing, for 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB of storage and unlimited websites. There is no teaser price and no renewal jump, and you can try it for three days without a card.
It is more expensive at the start and does not include email accounts, so it suits people who want speed and fair pricing and are comfortable with a slightly more technical setup.
Pros
- Same price forever, billed hourly
- Good performance, unlimited sites
Cons
- Higher entry price
- No email accounts included
- Less beginner-friendly
Hetzner Webhosting
Best for: very cheap hosting for European sitesHetzner, a German hosting company, sells Webhosting S from €1.60 per month plus VAT with no setup fee, no minimum term and no price jump. It includes 10 GB of storage and unlimited mailboxes; domains cost extra from €4.90 per year. The servers are in Nuremberg, Germany, which is good for GDPR and European visitors but slower for an audience in the US.
Pros
- Very low, fixed price
- No minimum term
- German data center, GDPR-friendly
Cons
- Only a German location
- Little WordPress convenience
Netcup
Best for: lots of storage with a domain includedNetcup's Webhosting 1000 cost €2.69 per month including VAT on the check date, with 50 GB of SSD storage and one domain included. There is a free test account and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Like Hetzner it is a German company aimed at technically confident users and European visitors.
Pros
- 50 GB storage and a domain included
- Low fixed price
Cons
- German location only
- Interface and support aimed at technical users
Start price vs real price
Look at what you pay over three years, not the first month. For example, Hostinger Premium at $2.49 per month for 48 months is excellent value, but after that $10.99 per month applies. SiteGround StartUp costs $2.99 in the first year and $17.99 per month afterwards, so year two alone costs more than $215. Cloudways, Hetzner and Netcup look more expensive or plainer at first glance but stay at the same price.
What a small website needs
- Storage: 10 GB is plenty for a typical WordPress blog; images are the main factor, so compress them before uploading.
- Location: choose a data center near your visitors. For a German audience Frankfurt or Nuremberg, for the US an American location.
- SSL: free Let's Encrypt certificates are standard everywhere.
- Email: most shared hosts include mailboxes; Cloudways does not.
Prepare your images and icons
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How we compared
We did not run our own lab benchmarks and we do not publish made-up test scores. This comparison is based on the vendors' official pricing and feature pages, their documentation and published independent audits, all read on the date above. Prices change often and can differ by country, tax and promotion: always check the final price on the vendor's site.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest web hosting?
On the check date Hostinger had the lowest start price at $2.49 per month with 48 months prepaid. For a fixed low price without a long prepayment, Hetzner Webhosting S started at €1.60 per month plus VAT.
Why does hosting get more expensive after the first year?
The advertised prices are introductory discounts. On renewal the regular price applies, which is four to six times higher at Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost and DreamHost.
Do I get a free domain?
Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost and DreamHost include a free domain for the first year, Netcup includes one domain. Hetzner and Cloudways do not.
Which hosting is best for WordPress?
All shared hosts here run WordPress. For beginners Bluehost and Hostinger are the simplest; for speed and fair pricing Cloudways is a good choice.
Should I pay several years in advance?
Only if you are sure about the host. The lowest monthly prices need long prepayments, and money-back guarantees usually cover only the first 30 days.
How current are these prices?
We read them on the hosts' own pricing pages on the date shown at the top. Prices change often and the final price is shown in the checkout.