HOSTING BUYING GUIDE

Choose web hosting without getting trapped by the intro price.

The cheapest advertised plan is not always the cheapest over a full year. Compare the terms that matter after checkout.

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Compare these five things

Renewal price and contract length
Storage, bandwidth and technical limits
Performance and uptime expectations
Backups, security and SSL coverage
Migration, support and cancellation

Before checkout

Check what happens after the introductory period. Confirm whether important backups, security features or support are included or sold as add-ons.

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Common hosting categories

Shared hosting

Providers like Hostinger or Bluehost. Cheapest entry point, best for small sites with modest traffic.

Managed WordPress

Providers like Kinsta or WP Engine. Higher price, but handles updates, caching and security automatically.

Cloud / VPS

Providers like DigitalOcean or Linode. More control and scalability, but requires more technical setup.

Frequently asked

Why did my hosting bill increase after year one?

Most hosts advertise a discounted first-term price. Renewal pricing is often listed separately—check it before signing up.

Do I need managed hosting?

If you don't want to handle server maintenance yourself, managed hosting is worth the premium. For simple static sites, shared hosting is usually enough.

What should I check before migrating providers?

Confirm the new host supports a full backup import, and keep the old host active until DNS has fully propagated.