Hosting a website isn’t just about the monthly fee — there are other costs to keep in mind. Knowing what to expect helps avoid surprises later.

Most shared hosting plans start cheap — $2 to $5 per month. But renewals often jump to $8–$15/month after the first year.

Other costs include your domain name (around $10–$20/year), SSL certificates (sometimes free), email hosting (if separate), and optional add-ons like backups or security tools.

If you want to run ads, sell products, or scale your traffic, you may need to upgrade to a VPS or cloud plan — which costs more.

Want a full breakdown of pricing before you commit? best web hosting compares both upfront and long-term costs across the most popular hosting providers.