How much does web hosting cost? 5 Web Hosting Costs + Hosting Business in 2024

Without hosting, it is impossible to start a blog. But when you're new to blogging, figuring out how much budget you should spend on hosting can be really difficult.

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars a year for much more powerful hosting than your blog needs. On the other hand, you should not buy low-end hosting which will cause your site to crash frequently and lose readers and customers. Making the wrong accommodation decision can be a costly mistake.

Worse still, the prices charged by many hosts are confusing. For example, you may see an attractive introductory offer of $2,75 per month, but on closer inspection you'll realize that you have to pay for a full three-year subscription upfront to get that price.

We are going to take a close look at what website hosting costs. We will explain the key factors that determine the price of web hosting, such as its robustness and security. We'll also look at some of the hidden costs of web hosting, like setup and renewal fees.

With this information in hand, you will be able to make an informed decision on the best web hosting for your needs.

Contents :

What is web hosting and why do you have to pay for it?

On average, hosting a website costs anywhere from $2,59/month to several hundred dollars a month or more, depending on the type of hosting plan you need (which we'll explain in this guide).

For most new bloggers, hosting is the biggest non-negotiable expense.

But what is web hosting and why do you have to pay for it?

Without going into complex blogging terms, web hosting is simply a service that allows you to publish your website on the Internet. A host is therefore a company that provides you with the infrastructure (technology) necessary for your website to be viewed on the Internet.

Websites are “stored” on powerful (and very expensive) computers called servers. When a user wants to visit your website, all he has to do is type the address of your site into his browser. Your website may also appear in search results related to what the user is looking for. By clicking on your address, also known as uniform resource locator (URL), the player navigates to the location of your website on the host server.

Besides just hosting your website, the best hosting plans also include other key features that will help you run your blog more efficiently, like:

• Safety
• Vitesse
• Reliability/uptime
• Support

Free vs Paid Hosting: What You Need to Know

there are services that allow you to put a website online without paying anything.

But there is a big problem with these services. No web host will provide their service totally free. Free web hosts have one or more of these disadvantages:

• They serve advertisements on your website and earn revenue from it. You cannot remove advertisements, and you have little or no control over which advertisements appear.
• They provide a very basic free service that pushes you to upgrade to a paid plan.
• You must use their website builder (for example, a free site with WordPress.com must use the wordpress software and a free site with Wix.com must use the Wix software). There is simply no option to build your site using any other software, even if you prefer it.
• They provide poor quality service, which means your site may crash if it receives a lot of visitors at the same time. It may even crash randomly. Also, you may have to wait a long time for technical support.
• You may face many restrictions on what you can do with your site. Some of these restrictions will be technical (for example, the software will not allow you to run an online store unless you pay to upgrade your account). Others will be restrictions based on the company's terms and conditions (for example, you may not be allowed to run ads on your blog).

Another major downside of free hosting is that you normally cannot use your own domain (URL). You'll be stuck with a domain name that also carries the hosting company's name. Instead of being able to use a domain like blogpascher.com, you will instead have something like blogpascher.wordpress.com.

Free hosting, although technically "free", can't get you very far. This might be the right choice if you don't have a budget to spend on blog fees, but you'll be pretty limited in what you can do with your site. The moment you decide to seriously consider blogging as a way to build a real business, you will need to invest in paid web hosting, before you hope. monetize your blog. The advantages of paid web hosting over free hosting are:

• Unlimited ways to monetize your blog without restrictions
• Stronger security features
• Faster and more powerful servers
• Scalability
• More storage
• Website Backups
• Better uptime

The cost of hosting a website to get your site online is definitely a worthwhile investment.

With the right paid hosting, you have a website that is secure, fast and has all the features you need to earn money online. In addition, you should have easy access to technical support in case of questions or difficulties.

What are the factors that influence the cost of hosting a website?

Several different factors go into the cost of web hosting. Let's take a closer look at them:

• Domain name registration cost
• Cost of security
• Support cost
• Cost of Server Reliability
• Setup fees
• Renewal fees

Domain name registration cost: Free for 1 year (with DreamHost ou Bluehost) then $10,00 – $20,00/year

Simply put, a domain name is the name of your blog. It is also the address to which Internet users will go to access your website. A good domain name is easy to remember, it is an extension of your brand and can also help you Promote your blog as a memorable mark, for example:

This is why it is interesting to choose a host who offers you a domain name free (for the first year), because you will need to choose a domain name immediately before you can put your blog online.

Although most of the best hosting plans offer free domain registration for new customers, you'll need to be careful with domain renewal fees, as it can be more expensive than registering one yourself. A good domain name shouldn't cost you more than $10-20 per year.

Security cost (variable)

Some web hosting plans include anti-malware software to protect your site. This can prevent hackers from installing malicious code on your site.

Although all hosts should have secure servers, you'll likely pay more for plans that include additional security. You can also opt for third-party security services, such as Sucuri (from $199 per year per site).

Support cost (varies)

All paid web hosting plans should include some type of technical support. If you're paying for a host's cheapest plan, you can normally expect email and/or live chat support. You normally have to pay more if you want phone support.

For most new bloggers, the basic level of support is sufficient. Remember that your host is not there to answer questions about WordPress, like how to change the font size on your blog. There are plenty of tutorials online to help you understand the technical side of blogging and building a website.

Server Reliability Costs

Server maintenance and reliability is a huge expense for your web hosting company. If you want top-notch hosting that's lightning fast and provides the best possible uptime for your website, you'll probably have to pay for it.

Some hosts, such as Bluehost, are well rated by experts and customers for their excellent levels of uptime.

Most web hosts claim 99,9% uptime. For unbiased details, you can view uptime and speed tests here.

Installation fees (rare)

Most web hosts do not charge a separate setup fee. However, it costs them to accept you as a customer. These fees are simply built into your monthly or annual price.

This is one of the reasons why it is always more expensive to pay for web hosting by the month rather than by the year. Committing for a full year means the host can charge less, overall, over 12 months.

Renewal fees (Attention!)

Renewal fees can be an unpleasant surprise for many bloggers. You sign up for a very cheap plan for a year, and it's only much later that you realize you'll have to pay a lot more after renewal.

Hosts know that most bloggers won't want to switch hosts, so they often offer much better deals for signing up than renewing.

When deciding which web host to choose, make sure you know the renewal fees. They are often two or three times higher than the initial costs. For example, you might pay $36 the first year ($3 per month), but your hosting costs might rise to $96 per year ($8 per month) thereafter.

Five types of accommodation

There are five main types of web hosting:

• Shared Hosting (you share server resources with many other sites) – average cost around $2,50-$4 per month.
• Dedicated hosting (your site is the only one on a server) – average cost around $100 per month.
• Cloud Hosting (using multiple servers to host a website): the average cost varies a lot depending on the rest of the package.
• VPS Hosting (a cross between shared and dedicated servers) – average cost around $20+ per month.
• Managed WordPress Hosting (additional WordPress support and additional features, like premium themes) – average cost around $25 per month.

Shared Hosting ( What is Shared Web Hosting? )

Shared hosting is the most popular type of hosting plan for new bloggers, hobbyists, small entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

Shared hosting is a type of web hosting in which many websites are hosted on a single server (thus technically sharing the same server resources). Since everyone shares the same resources, the cost of shared hosting is lower, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to set up and run your website.

Benefits of Shared Hosting

Apart from being budget-friendly, shared hosting also has other benefits, including:

• Low maintenance
• Ease of self-management of your hosting plan
• Scalable as your blog grows

Disadvantages of Shared Hosting

As good as it sounds for your wallet, shared hosting has its downsides — primarily, the shared server:

• More vulnerable to malicious attacks
• Gives you limited access to resources
• Websites can slow down when server resources are strained.

If you don't have much experience with blogging or building a website yet, shared hosting is definitely your best option. It's affordable and comes with out-of-the-box settings already pre-configured so you can get right into writing blog posts of your new site.

The Best Shared Hosting Plans and Their Costs

1. Dreamhost Shared Web Hosting: $2,59/mo+

When looking to find out how much web hosting costs, one of the first hosting companies you will find is Dreamhost. Indeed, Dreamhost has been around since 1996 and has proven to be one of the most reliable and affordable web hosting solutions out there.

As a testament to its reliability, Dreamhost boasts of hosting over 1,5 million websites and blogs. It is also important to note that they are also one of only three web hosting providers recommended by WordPress.

So what will you pay for your web hosting plan if you choose Dreamhost?

Dreamhost's shared hosting plans come in two flavors: Shared Starter et Shared Unlimited.

You can't go wrong with either of Dreamhost's shared web hosting plans. Starting at just $2,59/month and including a free domain and free SSL certificate, it's the absolute best value you can get on a budget hosting plan. The Dreamhost control panel is also easy to work with.

2. Bluehost Shared Hosting: $2,95/mo

Bluehost is another veteran you've probably discovered when researching hosting options. Also founded in 1996, the company certainly knows what it's doing when it comes to offering the best web hosting services. It even says so on their homepage:

One of Bluehost's biggest advantages over other hosting services, especially when it comes to shared hosting, is the wider selection of plans it offers:

Dedicated Hosting ( What is Dedicated Web Hosting? )

As the name suggests, dedicated hosting means that your website is the only website hosted on a particular server. This means having full and unrestricted access to server resources.

Benefits of Dedicated Hosting

Other benefits of this type of hosting service include:

• Improved performance and security
• Flexibility (you can easily customize server settings to meet your specific needs)
• Single IP address
• Ability to handle large volumes of traffic without risk of failure
• No impact on your website from other people's websites

disadvantages of dedicated hosting

Before you decide, here are some disadvantages you should know.

• Higher set-up and maintenance costs, as you will have to bear all the expenses on your own.
• Technical knowledge is required to install software and perform other day-to-day tasks necessary to keep your website running smoothly.

Dedicated hosting probably isn't a good option if you're a brand new blogger. This type of web hosting plan is more suitable for established businesses with budgets that can handle the cost, as well as those with very high volumes of traffic to their blogs.

The Best Dedicated Hosting Plans and Their Costs

1. GreenGeeks Dedicated Hosting: $169,00/month.

When it comes to dedicated web hosting costs, GreenGeeks a selection between four very powerful plans.

The only caveat is that they are definitely more expensive than their competitors. However, if you have the budget to match their plans, GreenGeek's web hosting plans rank among the best in terms of feature offerings — and are a worthwhile investment, especially if you're committed to a low-cost lifestyle. low environmental impact.

2. Bluehost Dedicated Hosting: $79,99/mo+

As for the dedicated packages, Bluehost  3 ready-to-use packages for you to choose from.

Although the number of dedicated plans is relatively rare, most small business websites can easily fit into one of these plans without taxing their server resources.

3. Dreamhost Dedicated Web Hosting: $149,00/month

Here is an overview of the dedicated offer of Dreamhost (reservation of your own high performance server):

These are just three of Dreamhost's most popular dedicated web hosting services, but they offer a lot more in between.

Virtual Private Server: VPS Hosting (What is VPS Web Hosting?)

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is another popular type of web hosting service you can consider to power your site. Thanks to the virtualization technology, VPS hosting creates an environment that mimics dedicated servers, but in a shared hosting setup.

Essentially, VPS hosting is a hybrid between shared hosting and dedicated hosting.

Benefits of VPS Hosting

Being a hybrid hosting solution, VPS hosting has several advantages, some of which include:

• Faster and more reliable
• Better privacy than with shared hosting
• Dedicated resources
• customizable
• Ease of adaptation to the growth of your traffic

Disadvantages of VPS Hosting

It's really hard to fault VPS hosting because it brings together the best of both worlds. However, nothing is perfect. Here are some shortcomings you'll have to live with if you go with VPS hosting:

• More expensive than shared hosting
• Requires more technical knowledge to manage
• Performance can be impacted if your site (or another website on the server) exceeds resource allocations

VPS hosting is perfect for websites that have exceeded the traffic limits of shared hosting plans, but still don't need all the resources and costs of a dedicated server. It's also ideal for small businesses and websites that need higher levels of security and better stability from the get-go.

The Best VPS Hosting Plans and Their Costs

1. Dreamhost VPS Web Hosting: $10,00/month

As for VPS hosting, Dreamhost offers several different packages you can choose from:

Not only do these VPS hosting plans offer easy scalability as your website grows, but include features like unlimited traffic and free SSL certificates to make the deal even sweeter.

Another advantage of Dreamhost is that it is one of the few web hosting companies that offers a true monthly payment plan (and the lowest prices on the market for a high quality service), which puts it at the top of the VPS hosts and shared hosts on our list. You can head there and learn more about Dreamhost's plans by clicking here.

2. Bluehost VPS Hosting: $18,99/month

How much does web hosting cost when you get a VPS plan from Bluehost ? Here we are :

Again, Bluehost saves you from having to choose from multiple hosting plan options and simply bundles its VPS hosting into three simple packages. However, these three packs offer a lot more than what you would normally get from other providers. Look at the specifications and you will see that Bluehost's VPS plans are in no way limited in terms of performance or features.

In existence since 2003, Bluehost is one of the most established web hosting companies, has developed exceptional solutions (and customer support) and is one of the most affordable. It is no coincidence that it hosts more than 2 million websites so far.

3. GreenGeeks VPS Hosting: $39,95/month

Privacy is a bit more expensive than other GreenGeeks VPS web hosting services. However, the generous performance and resources are worth it, especially if you use your website to generate income (be sure to check out my guide to blogger income). Plus, with managed VPS hosting, you won't have to worry about maintenance and troubleshooting issues. That peace of mind alone is worth a higher price tag.

GreenGeeks does not offer specific plans for cloud hosting also called cloud hosting at the moment, but the hosting plans it offers make it one of the best web hosting providers in today's market. You can check out all of their plans and options to see if they're best suited for you, same here.

4. Hostgator VPS Hosting: $19,95/month.

Need more hosting power to keep your website running smoothly and give your customers a great experience? VPS hosting from Hostgator might just be what you are looking for:

With three very affordable VPS hosting plans, you can easily get the performance, features, security, and privacy of VPS hosting. If, however, you expect your blog to grow rapidly, the somewhat limited resources may hamper your growth.

Cloud Hosting ( What is Cloud Web Hosting? )

Cloud hosting is a relatively new type of web hosting that uses multiple servers to host a website. These servers act like a cloud and help balance the load across the servers, helping to maximize the uptime of the hosting platform.

Benefits of Cloud Hosting

Because cloud hosting gives your website access to multiple servers, it has a number of advantages. Some notables include:

• Flexible (and affordable) pricing
• Increased uptime and reliability
• Easy to scale resources
• Higher speeds and better performance

Disadvantages of Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting does not have many disadvantages, however:

• It's a bit more expensive than shared hosting
• As this is a newer form of hosting, there aren't as many different cloud hosting options to choose from.

The Best Cloud Hosting Plans and Their Costs

1. Hostgator cloud hosting cost: $4,95/month.

Cloud Hosting PlansHostgator are quite attractive. Especially since you benefit from a more scalable and more efficient hosting solution for the price of a cup of coffee:

If you're looking for an affordable web hosting solution, Hostgator is definitely one of the best options to consider, especially since it has plenty of leeway to grow with you as you go. as your site matures. All Hostgator plans also include a free domain and SSL certificate. For smaller websites on a tight budget, you probably won't find much more affordable hosting than theirs.

2. SiteGround cloud hosting cost: $80,00/month.

SiteGround recently discontinued its dedicated hosting plan (which used to cost $229/month) and replaced it with its cloud web hosting service. So how much does web hosting cost if you opt for SiteGround Cloud Hosting ?

If you need a bespoke solution for your cloud hosting needs, SiteGround also lets you set up your own custom plan. It's a good thing.

In an effort to streamline its offerings, SiteGround also recently removed its VPS hosting plans – in favor of recommending its cloud hosting options instead. Nothing wrong with keeping things simple.

SiteGround offers other hosting plans for students and businesses, making it one of the most versatile web hosting platforms. You can check out all of their hosting plans and options here.

Managed WordPress Hosting (What is Managed WordPress Web Hosting?)

Managed WordPress hosting is a special type of hosting designed just for WordPress users. If you want extra support for your blog, this can be a great option.

With managed WordPress web hosting, the technical aspect of WordPress is taken care of by your host. For example, it will keep your WordPress installation up to date and perform regular backups for you. Plus, you'll get premium support from WordPress experts so you can fix any issues quickly.

Benefits of Managed WordPress Hosting

This type of hosting has many advantages, including:

• High site speeds, as the servers are configured for WordPress.
• enhanced security
• daily backups
• Mises à jour automatiques
• Useful development tools, such as test sites

Disadvantages of Managed WordPress Hosting

There aren't many downsides to running a WordPress web hosting because it's built specifically for bloggers like you. However, it is good to keep in mind a few disadvantages:

• Quite expensive (but you'll probably save on other costs)
• Can only run WordPress websites

A managed WordPress hosting service is a great option if you find the technical aspect of blogging frustrating or daunting. Although the price may seem high, you could save a lot on premium themes (which are often included in the hosting package) and things like security services.

The Best Managed WordPress Hosting Plans and Their Costs

1. Web Hosting Kinsta : $30,00 / month

If you're looking for an absolutely outstanding managed WordPress hosting solution, one of the best brands you need to check out is Kinsta.

I always recommend Kinsta to anyone looking for quality managed WordPress web hosting because their plans are so simple and the support team is so incredibly helpful. I've been using Kinsta for several years now (since crossing the 100 readers/month threshold) and I'm very glad I chose them, even considering the cost of hosting with them.

Kinsta's web hosting plans are unique in that they don't fall into any of the traditional hosting categories like many other brands do. Instead, each site (including yours if you decide to host multiple sites on Kinsta) on the platform runs in an isolated software container. This container houses all the software resources needed to run your site, and due to the technical nature of the setup, all plans are managed.

So how much does your web hosting service cost with Kinsta?

Kinsta hosting plans range from $30/mo to $1/mo and even more if you have a massive website that gets millions of visitors. A 500-day money-back guarantee gives you peace of mind and gives Kinsta a try today.

2. Web Hosting WP Engine : $22 / month

WP Engine is famous for being one of the very first companies to offer managed WordPress hosting. Being a veteran in this field and being well funded by venture capital gives them an edge that allows them to offer more services without having to tighten their belts.

Here's an overview of what you can expect to spend on WP Engine's managed web hosting plans:

Depending on your specific needs, you can expect to spend between $22/month and $217/month for a standard hosting package with WP Engine.

However, if you need a custom hosting plan (which is easy to set up), just contact the sales team for a quote. Of course, you're likely to spend more than on a standard plan, so keep that in mind. Luckily, all WP Engine hosting plans come with a 60-day risk-free trial.

Choosing the right hosting plan for your blog

So which hosting plan is right for you, and how much should you pay for it? Choose the right formula for create a website can be a difficult decision. We hope the above information helps you get an idea of ​​what factors to look out for when choosing a hosting plan.

Things to consider when choosing a web hosting plan

When choosing a hosting plan, keep in mind these key factors that will determine the website hosting cost:

Your budget. There's no point paying for a top-notch hosting plan if you can't afford it after a few months. Most bloggers start out with a fairly reasonable plan and then upgrade when they start making money from their site. Of course, if you were able to raise venture capital for your new venture, you may need to invest in high-quality hosting from the get-go.

Your level of comfort with technology. Some web hosts offer better support than others, and if you think you might need a lot of help, you should choose a host with a reputation for top-notch support. Likewise, if you are intimidated by the technical aspects of WordPress, you can opt for managed WordPress hosting.

Renewal fees. Make sure your web hosting will still be affordable a year from now as many hosts offer a cheap initial plan which then increases steeply in terms of renewal. Find out now what you can expect to pay each year in the future.

The reliability and speed of the web host. You want to choose a host which has excellent uptime (99,9%) and also helps your site load quickly. Fast websites are prioritized in Google search results, and they are better for your readers.

What limits (if) the web host has on storage and bandwidth. Storage is the amount of space your website takes up on the web host's servers. If you want to have a huge website with thousands of pages and images, you will need more space than a small website with only a few pages and images.

Bandwidth is the amount of usage your website gets over a period of time (usually it's measured by month). Make sure you know what the storage and bandwidth limits are and what will happen if your site exceeds them — some web hosts will automatically upgrade you to a more expensive hosting plan.

The potential for future growth. Almost all good web hosts will allow you to easily upgrade to a more powerful hosting plan in the future with no downtime. But it's worth checking the options for that before.

What should you pay for your web hosting?

Here is the approximate website hosting cost for different hosting tiers you might consider:

Low cost accommodation

If you are on a very tight budget, you can get shared hosting starting at $2,59 per month. To get these lowest possible hosting costs, you will need to prepay for 3 years. However, you can still get great deals by paying annually or even monthly.

Top Recommendation:

Dreamhost's Shared Starter Plan is great value even if you want to pay month-to-month. It costs:

• $2,59/month (prepayment for 3 years)
• $3,95/month (prepayment for 1 year)
• $4,95/month (pay monthly)

If you opt for the 3-year or 10-year plan, you also get a free domain name (which would normally cost at least $XNUMX).

Better alternative:

Bluehost's Basic shared hosting plan is also great value, although it doesn't have a monthly option. It costs from $2,95/month, paid upfront for 3 years.

Top Tier Paid Hosting

If you have a little more money, you can opt for VPS hosting. This gives your site plenty of room to grow, and gives you a great balance between the economical cost of shared hosting and the powerful resources of dedicated hosting.

Top Recommendation:

Dreamhost's VPS hosting costs from just $10/month. It includes unlimited bandwidth and traffic as well as 30 GB of storage space, which should be enough for your blog to grow.

Better alternative:

Bluehost's VPS hosting costs $18,99/month for the standard plan. It has 30GB of storage space and is limited to 1TB of bandwidth, but that's probably a lot more than you'll need.

Paid mid-level accommodation

If you have a bit more to spend, managed WordPress hosting is a great mid-tier option. It gives you peace of mind and can save you a lot of time (and money) on maintaining your website. This type of accommodation will cost from 22 to 30 dollars and more.

Top Recommendation:

Kinsta's managed WordPress hosting plans start from $30/month, which covers you for one WordPress site and up to 20 monthly visits. They also offer a money back guarantee for the first 000 days.

Better alternative:

Managed WordPress hosting from WPEngine starts at just $22/month (prepaid for one year). Note that the renewal cost is a bit higher. This price covers one WordPress site and up to 25 monthly visits.

Other recommended resources:

• 15 Best Blog Examples to Inspire You to Start a Money-Making Blog
• What is WordPress? The quick guide
• 15 best blogging quotes of all time to inspire you today
• 10 popular types of blogs that make money
• Why the first 6 months of blogging are the hardest
• How to write a compelling blog description?
• Top 21 Best Blog Submission Sites in 2024 with +25 Domain Authority (DA)
• 18 Strategies to Promote Your Blog Posts: Increase Your Traffic
• 20 Best Free Blogging Resources
• Top 10 Blogging Skills Needed to Become a Professional Blogger
• 5 Best Laptops for Writers and Bloggers
• Buying Backlinks: Everything You Need to Know About Paid Links
• What is Personal Branding: Examples of Personal Brand
• How to quickly boost your website's search traffic
• 11 Powerful Secrets to Boost Your Website Traffic in Less Than 60 Days
• How to use Google Trends to make money

Good web hosting is essential

If you want create a website or a blog, you need web hosting. If you want your website or blog to be successful, you need good quality web hosting.

All of the web hosting providers mentioned in this guide are great options and it's very unlikely that you'll have any issues with any of them.

Once you've figured out your budget and the features you want to prioritize, choose a hosting plan that's right for you and your business.

If you find it difficult to choose a web hosting plan, go with Dreamhost. This is my best recommendation because their hosting costs are very reasonable, they have great web hosting packages, and they also have a good support team. For most new bloggers, their shared hosting or VPS will be perfect.