Report Web hosting renewal prices compared: 2 to 5.4 times the intro price in 2026

In October 2026 the entry shared hosting plan at seven major hosts renewed at between 2.0 and 5.4 times its intro price. The middle reading on US-dollar pages was 2.9 times, a rise of about 193% once the first term ends.

Key findings

• Every entry plan renews higher. Across 13 readings at seven hosts, the renewal price was between 2.0 and 5.4 times the intro price.

• The steepest rise was 436%. Hostinger's Single plan on its UK page renews at 5.4 times its intro price. SiteGround's StartUp plan renews at 4.5 to 4.7 times after only 12 months.

• The smallest rise was 100%. IONOS renews its entry plan at 2.0 times the intro price in the US and UK, and Namecheap's Stellar plan renews at 2.1 times (108%) on yearly billing.

• India sees smaller gaps on some plans. Bluehost's Starter plan rises 75% on its India page, against 150% in the US and 236% in the UK.

• Renewals are moving up. DreamHost raised its Launch plan's renewal price by 37.5% from 1 January 2026, while trimming the intro price.

Web hosting renewal prices compared, host by host

The table below lists the intro price, the renewal price and the term needed for the intro price, as each host showed them on its own pricing page on 10 October 2026. Prices are per month unless marked. We worked out the multiple and the percentage increase from those two figures.

Hostinger does not list its Single plan on its US page, so the US row uses Premium, the cheapest plan shown there. On the same plan, Premium renews at 3.7 times in the UK and 3.0 times (201%) in India.

Where the gaps are widest and narrowest

The hosts fall into three rough groups. IONOS and Namecheap sit at about two times, so the renewal roughly doubles the bill. Bluehost in the US and HostGator sit between 2.5 and 2.9 times. Hostinger, DreamHost and SiteGround sit between 3.7 and 5.4 times, which means the renewal is more than triple the price that drew you in.

An industry index published in July 2026, using June prices, reached a similar picture. It put mass-market hosts between 3.3 and 4.3 times, SiteGround highest at 5.3 times on its euro pricing and IONOS lowest at 1.7 to 2.0 times. Our SiteGround readings of 4.5 and 4.7 times differ from its figure because they come from different regional pages, in different currencies, four months apart. The estimates differ, but both place SiteGround at the top and IONOS at the bottom.

How long the intro price lasts

The length of the intro term changes what the multiple means in practice. Hostinger's lowest prices need a 48-month term, and its pages say all plans are paid up front. Bluehost and HostGator need 36 months. SiteGround, DreamHost and Namecheap give the intro price for 12 months, and IONOS sells its US entry plan on a one-year term. On its UK page, IONOS gives the Standard plan's intro price for only six months.

A short term with a high multiple is the most expensive mix for anyone who stays. SiteGround's StartUp plan reaches its renewal price after one year, at 4.5 to 4.7 times the intro rate. Hostinger's multiple is similar on its Premium plan, but it does not apply until the fifth year, in return for paying four years at checkout.

US, UK and India: where prices differ

The same plan can carry a very different renewal rise depending on where you buy it. Bluehost's Starter plan rises 150% in the US, 236% in the UK and 75% in India. Hostinger's Single plan rises 436% in the UK and 319% in India, and Premium rises 268% in the US and UK and 201% in India.

Tax is also shown differently. Bluehost's UK and India pages say VAT and GST are not included. SiteGround's UK page lists prices without VAT, and IONOS UK says its prices exclude VAT at 20%. On its US page, IONOS says state and local sales taxes may apply. Hostinger's pages do not say whether tax is included.

What drives the gap

Hosts set a low first-term price to win sign-ups and recover the discount at renewal. Their own wording makes this plain. HostGator says its intro price is valid for the initial term only, not for renewal periods. Namecheap says its advertised discount applies only to annual and two-year purchases and not to renewals.

The direction of travel is upward. From 1 January 2026, DreamHost raised renewal prices on its Launch plan by 37.5%, Growth by 44.5% and Scale by 30%. In the same change, the first-year price of Launch went slightly down and the commitment for its shared plans moved from four years to one. The renewal price we read in October 2026 matches the new January level.

Limits of this data

These are single readings on one day. Hosts change their promotions often, and some show different prices by country, billing cycle or signed-in status. GoDaddy and Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) are missing because we could not read a renewal price on their pages. We did not read a SiteGround page in Indian rupees.

What this means for you

• Compare the renewal price first. A host with a slightly higher intro price and a two-times renewal can cost less over five years than a cheaper intro with a five-times renewal.

• Match the term to your plans. If you will keep the site for years, a long intro term delays the rise. If you are testing an idea, a 12-month term keeps your up-front payment small, but expect the renewal in year two.

• Check your own country's page. The same plan renews at different multiples in the US, UK and India, so read the version you will be billed on.

• Add tax. UK and Indian prices are often shown before VAT or GST.

• Look one plan up. On Hostinger's UK and India pages, the Single plan renews at a higher monthly price than the Unlimited plan's intro price.

• Diary the renewal date. Set a reminder a month before the term ends so you can decide whether to stay, change plan or move.