Insight Judge a host on its web hosting renewal price, not the intro deal
The web hosting renewal price is what you pay for most of your site's life, and in October 2026 it ran from two to more than five times the intro price at major hosts. Compare it, and how long the intro price lasts, before anything else.
By Vidyadhar. Published . 4 minute read.
The short version
Entry shared plans at major hosts renewed at between two and 5.4 times their intro price in October 2026, so the renewal is the price that decides your long-term cost.
The length of the first term matters as much as the gap, because a 12-month deal brings the renewal price in year two while a 48-month deal must be paid up front.
Gaps and tax rules differ by country, with smaller rises on some Indian pages and UK and Indian prices often shown before VAT or GST.
The intro price on a hosting plan pays for the first term and nothing after it. From then on you pay the renewal price for as long as your site stays put, so the renewal price is the one to compare.
If a renewal invoice has just arrived at several times what you paid at sign-up, that is how most hosts price their plans. The gap is printed on the pricing page, and you can plan for it before you buy.
How far the web hosting renewal price sits above the intro price
We read the entry shared plan on each host's own pricing page on 10 October 2026. Every one of them renews at a higher price than it starts at. The smallest gap was at IONOS, where the renewal is two times the intro price (a 100% rise) on both its US and UK pages. The largest was Hostinger's Single plan on its UK page, which renews at 5.4 times the intro price, a 436% rise.
Most hosts sit between those two. Bluehost's Starter plan renews at 2.5 times its intro price in the US (a 150% rise). HostGator's Hatchling plan renews at 2.9 times (193%). DreamHost's Launch plan renews at 3.8 times (280%). SiteGround's StartUp plan renews at 4.5 times on its international page and 4.7 times on its UK page.
A June 2026 industry index found the same pattern, with mass-market hosts clustered between 3.3 and 4.3 times. It put SiteGround highest at 5.3 times on its euro pricing and IONOS lowest at 1.7 to 2.0 times. Its SiteGround figure differs from ours because it read a different regional page at a different time, which shows how quickly these numbers move.
| Entry plan | US page | UK page | India page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Single | Not offered | 5.4x (+436%) | 4.2x (+319%) |
| Hostinger Premium | 3.7x (+268%) | 3.7x (+268%) | 3.0x (+201%) |
| Bluehost Starter | 2.5x (+150%) | 3.4x (+236%) | 1.8x (+75%) |
| SiteGround StartUp | 4.5x (+351%, international page) | 4.7x (+368%) | Not read |
| IONOS entry plan | 2.0x (+100%) | 2.0x (+100%) | Not read |
Renewals are climbing while intro prices hold
The gap is getting wider, not narrower. From 1 January 2026, DreamHost raised the renewal price of its Launch plan by 37.5% and its Growth plan by 44.5%, while the first-year price of Launch went slightly down. The advert got cheaper and the bill that follows got dearer.
The first term decides when the real price starts
The second number to check is how long the intro price lasts. Hostinger's lowest prices need a 48-month term, paid up front. Bluehost and HostGator need 36 months. SiteGround, DreamHost and Namecheap give the intro price for 12 months, and IONOS UK gives its entry plan's intro price for only six. A 12-month deal means you meet the renewal price in year two. A 48-month deal delays it, but you hand over four years of fees on day one.
How the US, UK and India differ
Readers in India see smaller gaps on some plans. Bluehost's Starter plan rises 75% at renewal on its India page, against 150% in the US and 236% in the UK. Hostinger's Single plan rises 319% in India and 436% in the UK. Tax is shown differently too. Bluehost's India page says GST is not included, Bluehost's and SiteGround's UK pages show prices without VAT, and IONOS UK says its prices exclude VAT at 20%. In the US, IONOS notes that state and local sales taxes may apply.
The fair objection: you can just switch hosts
Some readers plan to move at renewal and take a new intro deal elsewhere. That can work, and it is a fair choice for a small site. Several hosts include a free migration tool or service, and the intro discount is real money in the first term.
The catch is that hosts write the rules for new customers only. HostGator says its intro price is valid for the initial term only, and Namecheap says its advertised discount does not apply to renewals. Each move means shifting files, email and DNS, and the new host's renewal price is waiting too. If you plan to switch, set the date now and judge each host on what the first term costs. If you plan to stay, the renewal price is the price.
What to check before you pay
Find the "renews at" line. Divide the renewal price by the intro price. If the result is above three, treat the renewal as the real cost of the host.
Note the term. Check how many months the intro price needs and whether you pay the whole term at checkout.
Compare renewals across hosts at the plan size you will need in two years, not the one you need today.
Look at the bigger plan. On Hostinger's UK and India pages, the Single plan renews at a higher monthly price than the Unlimited plan's intro price.
Add tax for your country. VAT in the UK and GST in India are often left out of the headline figure.
Set a reminder a month before the term ends, so a renewal never arrives as a surprise.
Our pick for Personal and small business sites on a tight budget
Hostinger
A low-cost host with UK and India servers, held back by steep renewals and long terms for the best price
Where these numbers come from
We calculated the multiples and percentages ourselves from the intro and renewal prices listed on each host's own pricing page, read on 10 October 2026. The index range comes from a June 2026 industry report and the DreamHost changes from a pricing-change log for January 2026. Prices change often.
Questions people ask
Why is the web hosting renewal price so much higher than the first payment?
Hosts use a low intro price to win new customers and recover the discount at renewal. The renewal price is listed next to the intro price on most pricing pages, usually as a "renews at" line. At the hosts we checked in October 2026, it ran from two to 5.4 times the intro price.
Can I keep the intro price when my hosting renews?
Usually not. HostGator says its intro price applies to the initial term only, and Namecheap says its discount does not apply to renewals. Your best lever is choosing the term length before you buy.
Is it worth paying for 48 months of hosting up front?
It locks the intro price for four years, which delays the renewal rise. The cost is paying every month of that term at checkout. It only makes sense if you are confident the site and the host will suit you for that long.
Which hosts have the smallest renewal increase?
Of the entry plans we read in October 2026, IONOS had the smallest gap, with renewals at two times the intro price in the US and UK. Namecheap's Stellar plan renewed at 2.1 times on yearly billing. A small gap matters less than the renewal price itself, so compare both.
Do hosting prices include VAT or GST?
Often not. Bluehost's UK and India pages say VAT and GST are not included, SiteGround's UK page shows prices without VAT, and IONOS UK says its prices exclude VAT at 20%. Add your local tax before comparing.