Developer tools · Ranked by price to features
9 Cheapest Web Hosting Plans of 2026
By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 4, 2026
IONOS has the lowest headline price we found: its Plus plan costs $1 a month for the first year, then $14. Hostinger is the best overall cheap host at $1.99 a month on a 48-month prepay, and InterServer is the cheapest to keep long term: it renews at $7 a month on monthly billing, or $84 a year after a $30 first year.
- Tools ranked
- 9
- With free plan
- 0
- Cheapest paid plan
- IONOS, $1
- per month
By the numbers
- $168 billionWorldwide enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services reached $168 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 55% year over year.Synergy Research Group
- 26%Amazon held 26% of the worldwide cloud infrastructure market in the third quarter of 2026, ahead of Microsoft at 19% and Google at 16%.Synergy Research Group
- $1.3 billionGoDaddy's revenue was $1.3 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 6% year over year.GoDaddy
- $1,285 millionDigitalOcean ended the third quarter of 2026 with $1,285 million of annual run-rate revenue, up 40%.DigitalOcean
- $1 trillionIDC forecasts global public cloud services spending to pass $1 trillion in 2026, growing over 21%, and to double by 2029.IDC
- $15,000The average cost of unplanned downtime reached $15,000 per minute in 2026, according to a Splunk survey of 2,000 executives at Global 2000 companies.Splunk (Cisco)
Comparison table
| Tool | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | 01 | 8.9 | 9.1 | $1.99per month | No |
| IONOS | 02 | 8.5 | 8.9 | $1per month | No |
| Namecheap | 03 | 8.4 | 9.0 | $2.28per month | No |
| ChemiCloud | 04 | 8.3 | 8.6 | $1.49per month | No |
| hosting.com | 05 | 8.2 | 8.4 | $1.49per month | No |
| InterServer | 06 | 8.2 | 9.2 | $2.50per month | No |
| Bluehost | 07 | 8.1 | 7.6 | $3.99per month | No |
| ScalaHosting | 08 | 8.0 | 8.0 | $2.95per month | No |
| GreenGeeks | 09 | 7.8 | 7.4 | $2.95per month | No |
Click a column to sort. Prices are the cheapest paid plan quoted from each vendor's US pricing page; "Check price" means the US price check is pending.
How this ranking works
One method for every tool. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not run hands-on tests. Value carries the most weight.
Full methodThis ranking is for people who want a working website for the least money: bloggers, freelancers, small shops and side projects. Every host here sells shared hosting, and every price is the introductory rate from the host's own pricing page as fetched in US dollars on November 4, 2026. Read the renewal column before you buy, because most of these prices only apply to the first term, and the cheapest monthly figure often requires paying for one to four years up front.
The verdict
Hostinger is the best cheap host for most people: $1.99 a month on its Premium plan buys three websites, a free domain for a year, weekly backups and a CDN, and the renewal rate of $10.99 is published next to the price. IONOS wins on the lowest first-year bill at $1 a month, but jumps to $14 at renewal. If you care more about year two than year one, InterServer's flat $7 monthly renewal is the lowest steady price on this list.
- 01Top value
Hostinger
8.9/10A large budget host whose Premium shared plan bundles three sites, a free domain and an AI site builder.
Price
$1.99per month
Premium from $1.99 per month on a 48-month term ($95.52 up front), renews at $10.99 per month
“Premium Run websites smoothly. Great for creators and small brands. $ 12.99 $ 1.99 /mo Choose plan Today you pay $95.52 for 48 months. Renews at $10.99/mo for the same term.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 9.1
- Features (35%)
- 8.6
- Ease of use (25%)
- 9.0
Best forBeginners who want the lowest total cost for a small site and can prepay for four years.
Hostinger is the safest cheap pick because the low price comes with a reasonable plan. Premium costs $1.99 a month when you prepay 48 months, which is $95.52 at checkout, and renews at $10.99 a month for the same term. For that you get three websites, 20 GB of SSD storage, a free domain for a year, weekly backups, a CDN and two mailboxes per site for the first year. The AI Builder and WordPress tooling make it easy to get a first site online without touching a control panel. The weak spots are the long commitment and the size of the renewal jump: after four years you pay more than five times the intro rate. Backups are weekly on Premium, so busy sites that change daily may want the Unlimited plan at $2.79 a month, which adds daily backups and NVMe storage.
- ✓$1.99 a month is one of the lowest prices from a mainstream host
- ✓Renewal price is printed right under the offer
- ✓30-day money-back guarantee
- ✕The lowest price needs a 48-month prepay of $95.52
- ✕Renews at $10.99 a month, more than five times the intro rate
- ✕Daily backups require the Unlimited plan
- Entry plan:
- Premium
- Intro price:
- $1.99 per month for 48 months
- Renewal:
- $10.99 per month
- Websites:
- 3
- Storage:
- 20 GB SSD
- Refund window:
- 30 days
Bottom line: The best mix of low price and usable limits for a first website. Budget for the $10.99 renewal before you commit.
- 02
IONOS
8.5/10A European hosting company with large storage allowances and very low first-year prices on 12-month terms.
Price
$1per month
Plus from $1 per month for the first year, renews at $14 per month; Essential $4 per month, renews at $8
“Plus Save 94% $16 $ 1 /month with a 1-year term Then only $14 /month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.9
- Features (35%)
- 8.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.8
Best forBuyers who want the cheapest possible first year and plenty of storage, and who will review the bill before renewal.
IONOS has the oddest and cheapest offer here: the third of its four tiers, Plus, costs $1 a month for the first year, less than its own Essential plan at $4. Plus includes 350 GB of NVMe storage, four email addresses, a CDN and five times the baseline server resources, which is a lot for a dollar. The catch is the renewal: Plus goes to $14 a month after twelve months, while Essential renews at $8. If you plan to keep the site for years, the cheaper long-run choice may be Essential, so do the math for your own time horizon. All tiers include unlimited websites, a custom domain and SSL, and a malware scanner, and IONOS offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The pricing structure is the main thing to watch: the cheapest tier in year one is not the cheapest in year two.
- ✓$1 a month for the first year is the lowest headline price on this list
- ✓Large storage allowances on every tier
- ✓Only a 1-year term is needed for the intro price
- ✕Plus renews at $14 a month, a fourteenfold increase
- ✕Essential, the smallest plan, includes only 1 email address
- ✕The cheapest intro plan is not the cheapest to renew, which makes comparison harder
- Cheapest intro plan:
- Plus, $1 per month for 1 year
- Plus renewal:
- $14 per month
- Lowest renewal:
- Essential, $8 per month
- Storage:
- 100 GB to 500 GB NVMe
- Refund window:
- 30 days
Bottom line: The cheapest first year of hosting we found, with generous storage. Set a reminder before renewal, when Plus jumps to $14 a month.
- 03
Namecheap
8.4/10The domain registrar's Stellar shared hosting plans, sold with a 30-day free trial and a US data center option.
Price
$2.28per month
Stellar free for 30 days, then from $2.28 per month
“Stellar Free trial $0.00 for 30 days Then $2.28/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Value (40%)
- 9.0
- Features (35%)
- 7.8
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.2
Best forPeople who already buy domains at Namecheap and want cheap hosting in the same account.
Namecheap Stellar is a cheap, no-frills plan from a company better known for domains. After a 30-day free trial, Stellar costs $2.28 a month, and Namecheap says yearly and bi-yearly billing saves up to 71%. The plan hosts three websites with 20 GB of SSD storage and 30 mailboxes, and all plans include Imunify360 security, free SSL, free website migration, unmetered bandwidth and a 100% uptime guarantee. You can pick a US data center at checkout. The free trial is the real differentiator: no other host on this list lets you run a site for a month before paying, although it is limited to one per account. Backups run twice a week on Stellar, and Namecheap's AutoBackup feature only comes with Stellar Plus and Stellar Business. Check the renewal rate in the plan table before you pick a long term.
- ✓Only host on this list with a 30-day free trial
- ✓Domains, email and hosting in one account
- ✓Unmetered bandwidth on every Stellar plan
- ✕Free trial is limited to 1 per account
- ✕Stellar backs up twice a week, with AutoBackup only on higher tiers
- ✕Discounts depend on yearly or bi-yearly billing
- Entry plan:
- Stellar
- Free trial:
- 30 days, 1 per account
- Websites:
- 3
- Storage:
- 20 GB SSD
- Mailboxes:
- 30
- Uptime promise:
- 100% uptime guarantee
Bottom line: A cheap, simple plan with the only free trial in this ranking. A natural choice if your domains already live at Namecheap.
- 04
ChemiCloud
8.3/10A smaller shared host built on LiteSpeed servers, with daily backups and a 45-day refund window on its entry plan.
Price
$1.49per month
Starter from $1.49 per month on a 36-month plan (regular $11.95); $1 for the first month on monthly billing
“Starts at only $1.49 /mo Triennially Annually Monthly Starter $ 1.49 /mo $ 11.95 Now 88 % Off!” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.6
- Features (35%)
- 8.2
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.0
Best forOwners of a single site who want daily backups and fast LiteSpeed hosting at a low triennial price.
ChemiCloud is a smaller host that competes on quality features at a low entry price. Starter costs $1.49 a month on a triennial plan against a regular price of $11.95, and monthly billers can try the first month for $1. The plan is limited to one website, but it includes 20 GB of NVMe storage, 2 GB of memory, unlimited email accounts and bandwidth, a free domain, free migrations and LiteSpeed servers. The standout for this price is ten daily backups, which Hostinger and Bluehost reserve for pricier tiers. ChemiCloud also gives a 45-day money-back guarantee, two weeks longer than most hosts here. The limits are the one-site cap and the three-year commitment needed for the headline rate. If you run several small sites, Pro at $2.49 a month allows unlimited websites.
- ✓Daily backups on the cheapest plan
- ✓45-day money-back guarantee, longer than most rivals
- ✓Free domain with 36-month plans
- ✕Starter allows only 1 website
- ✕The $1.49 price requires a 36-month term
- ✕Regular price of $11.95 a month is high for a one-site plan
- Entry plan:
- Starter
- Intro price:
- $1.49 per month, 36-month term
- Regular price:
- $11.95 per month
- Websites:
- 1
- Backups:
- 10 daily backups
- Refund window:
- 45 days
Bottom line: Strong backups and refund terms for a very low triennial price. Best for a single site you plan to keep for three years.
- 05
hosting.com
8.2/10The hosting brand that A2 Hosting's site now redirects to, selling shared, cloud and dedicated plans on one platform.
Price
$1.49per month
Web hosting from $1.49 per month on Black Friday 12-month plans
“Web Hosting Fast, managed hosting plans that grow with you $1.49/mo 89% off” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.4
- Features (35%)
- 8.0
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.0
Best forSmall businesses that want cheap shared hosting now and an upgrade path to their own server later.
hosting.com is where a2hosting.com now lands, and it sells shared hosting from $1.49 a month during its Black Friday offer on 12-month plans. The Starter shared plan hosts five websites on 15 GB of NVMe disk, and includes a free domain registration, free SSL, daily backups, malware detection and removal, free managed migration and an AI website builder for WordPress. Every plan also gets Orbi, the company's AI support assistant, and human support is offered by live chat, email and phone. The pitch is continuity: you can move from shared hosting to your own cloud server or dedicated hardware without changing provider. The weaknesses are storage, which is modest at 15 GB, and the lack of a renewal figure next to the headline offer, so check the regular rate at checkout. The 30-day money-back guarantee gives you time to test it.
- ✓Five websites on the entry plan
- ✓Daily backups included
- ✓Same platform runs shared, cloud server and dedicated plans
- ✕The $1.49 price is a Black Friday rate on 12-month plans
- ✕15 GB of storage is small next to IONOS or Hostinger
- ✕Renewal rates are not shown on the main offer
- Entry plan:
- Starter
- Intro price:
- $1.49 per month
- Websites:
- 5
- Storage:
- 15 GB NVMe
- Refund window:
- 30 days
- Customers:
- Over 700,000, per the vendor
Bottom line: A cheap entry point with daily backups and five sites. Confirm the renewal rate at checkout before you pay.
- 06
InterServer
8.2/10A single-plan shared host with a low monthly price and published renewal rates for every term.
Price
$2.50per month
Standard Web Hosting $2.50 for the first month, then $7 per month; 12 months for $30, then $84 a year
“Recommended Standard Web Hosting $ 2.50 first month Monthly plan renews at $7 per month.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 9.2
- Features (35%)
- 7.6
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.3
Best forSite owners who want a low price that stays low after the first term, without a multi-year prepay.
InterServer takes a different approach to cheap hosting: one plan, short terms and renewal prices you can see before you buy. The first month costs $2.50 and the monthly plan then renews at $7, while longer terms cost $15 for six months, $30 for twelve and $60 for twenty-four, each renewing at the same $7 a month rate. That makes the second year far cheaper than at most hosts here, where renewals sit between $10 and $14 a month. The single Standard plan includes unlimited storage, data transfer and email accounts, weekly backups, Cloud Linux, SSD caching, LSCache and a free Cloudflare CDN, plus 461 one-click install scripts and free migration help. The trade-off is polish. The control panel is DirectAdmin, not cPanel, and the sign-up flow feels less guided than Hostinger or Bluehost. For a technically comfortable owner who hates renewal surprises, it is the best long-run value we found.
- ✓Monthly billing available at the intro price, no long prepay
- ✓$7 monthly renewal is the lowest regular rate on this list
- ✓Every term and renewal price is listed on the page
- ✕Uses DirectAdmin rather than the more common cPanel
- ✕Backups are weekly
- ✕The site and dashboard look dated next to newer hosts
- Plan:
- Standard Web Hosting (single plan)
- First month:
- $2.50
- Monthly renewal:
- $7 per month
- Longer terms:
- 6 months $15, 12 months $30, 24 months $60, each renewing at $7 a month
- Control panel:
- DirectAdmin
Bottom line: The lowest steady price on this list, with no multi-year lock-in. Better for owners who are comfortable with a plainer control panel.
- 07
Bluehost
8.1/10A long-running WordPress-focused host whose Starter plan covers ten websites.
Price
$3.99per month
Starter from $3.99 per month on a 36-month term, renews at $9.99 per month
“Starter Perfect for your first website or blog. $3.99/mo Save 60% For 36 month term Renews at $9.99/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 7.6
- Features (35%)
- 8.3
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.6
Best forWordPress users who want several sites on one cheap plan and managed WordPress updates.
Bluehost Starter costs $3.99 a month on a 36-month term and renews at $9.99, which makes it the priciest intro offer here but one of the gentler renewals. The plan is generous on site count: ten websites on 10 GB of NVMe storage, sized by Bluehost for about 40,000 visits a month. It includes a free domain for the first year, a free CDN, free Let's Encrypt SSL, malware scanning, weekly backups, managed WordPress updates and a free site migration tool, under a 99.99% uptime SLA and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Support on Starter is 24/7 chat, and phone support starts on the $6.99 Business plan. Over three years Bluehost costs more up front than Hostinger, but if you need several WordPress sites on one plan and want the updates handled, the extra dollars buy real convenience.
- ✓Ten websites on the entry plan
- ✓$9.99 renewal is lower than several rivals
- ✓Managed WordPress updates included
- ✕Highest intro price on this list at $3.99
- ✕Phone support is not included on Starter
- ✕Backups are weekly
- Entry plan:
- Starter
- Intro price:
- $3.99 per month, 36-month term
- Renewal:
- $9.99 per month
- Websites:
- 10
- Storage:
- 10 GB NVMe SSD
- Refund window:
- 30 days
Bottom line: Ten WordPress sites on one plan and a moderate renewal. Not the cheapest start, but predictable after year three.
- 08
ScalaHosting
8.0/10A shared and cloud host that offers its own SPanel or cPanel, with automated backups on the entry plan.
Price
$2.95per month
Mini from $2.95 per month on the intro offer, renews at $11.95 per month
“$ 2.95 /mo INTRO OFFER - SAVE 75 % Get Started $ 11.95 /mo when you renew” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 8.0
- Features (35%)
- 8.1
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.8
Best forOne-site owners who want a choice of control panel and backups included.
ScalaHosting's Mini plan costs $2.95 a month on its intro offer and renews at $11.95, with terms of 36, 12 or 1 month. It hosts one website on 10 GB of NVMe SSD storage, which is the tightest allowance here, but it includes things other hosts charge for: automated backups, real-time malware protection, free website and email migration, unlimited databases and WP-CLI and SSH access. You can choose ScalaHosting's own SPanel or the familiar cPanel. The company also promises an unconditional money-back guarantee. For a single brochure site or blog, the feature set is solid for the price. The problems are scale and renewal: you outgrow one site and 10 GB quickly, and the Start plan that lifts both limits costs $5.95 a month. Over three years, ScalaHosting costs more than Hostinger or ChemiCloud for a similar single site.
- ✓Choice between SPanel and cPanel
- ✓Automated backups on the cheapest plan
- ✓Renewal price shown next to the offer
- ✕Mini allows only 1 website
- ✕10 GB of storage is the smallest on this list
- ✕Renews at $11.95, four times the intro price
- Entry plan:
- Mini
- Intro price:
- $2.95 per month
- Renewal:
- $11.95 per month
- Websites:
- 1
- Storage:
- 10 GB NVMe SSD
Bottom line: Good extras for a one-site plan, including backups and a cPanel option. Not the cheapest once you add renewal.
- 09
GreenGeeks
7.8/10A shared host that pairs daily backups and a CDN with an environmental pitch.
Price
$2.95per month
Lite from $2.95 per month prepaid for 12 months, renews at $13.95 per month
“Original price: $13.95 $2.95 /month Pre-paid for 12 months. Renews at $13.95/month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 4, 2026.
- Free plan
- No
- Value (40%)
- 7.4
- Features (35%)
- 8.0
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.2
Best forSmall sites that need daily backups and room for up to five websites on a one-year term.
GreenGeeks Lite costs $2.95 a month prepaid for 12 months, then renews at $13.95. Unlike hosts that need three or four years of prepayment to hit their lowest rate, GreenGeeks gives its discount on a single year, so the first bill is about $35. The plan covers five websites, 25 GB of web space, unmetered traffic, free email, free SSL, a free domain for the first year, a free CDN and daily backups, backed by a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee. That is a fair package for a small business. The problem is year two: $13.95 a month is the highest entry-plan renewal in this ranking, so over three years GreenGeeks costs more than most rivals here. It suits people who want a short commitment and daily backups and are willing to pay more later.
- ✓Intro price needs only a 12-month prepay
- ✓Daily backups on the entry plan
- ✓Five websites and 25 GB on Lite
- ✕$13.95 renewal is the highest regular entry price here
- ✕Intro discount lasts only one year
- ✕Unlimited websites require the $4.95 Pro plan
- Entry plan:
- Lite
- Intro price:
- $2.95 per month, 12 months prepaid
- Renewal:
- $13.95 per month
- Websites:
- 5
- Storage:
- 25 GB
- Refund window:
- 30 days
Bottom line: A good first year on a short commitment, with daily backups. The $13.95 renewal makes it poor value over several years.
What to check before you pay
Compare the renewal price, not the sticker price
Almost every cheap host discounts the first term by 60% to 94% and then renews at the regular rate. Hostinger's $1.99 Premium plan renews at $10.99, Bluehost's $3.99 Starter at $9.99 and GreenGeeks' $2.95 Lite at $13.95. Add the first-term cost to two renewal years to see what a site really costs over three years.
Check how long you must prepay
The lowest monthly figures assume long terms. Hostinger's $1.99 needs a 48-month prepay of $95.52, Bluehost's $3.99 a 36-month term and ChemiCloud's $1.49 a triennial plan. IONOS and GreenGeeks quote 12-month terms, and InterServer sells a single month for $2.50.
Count websites, storage and mailboxes
Entry plans differ a lot in limits. ChemiCloud Starter and ScalaHosting Mini host one website, Hostinger Premium three, GreenGeeks Lite five and Bluehost Starter ten. IONOS starts at 100 GB of NVMe storage, while hosting.com Starter includes 15 GB.
Look at backups and the refund window
Daily backups are included on GreenGeeks, ChemiCloud and hosting.com entry plans, while Hostinger Premium and Bluehost Starter back up weekly. Refund windows run from 30 days at most hosts to 45 days at ChemiCloud, so you can test support and speed before the money is gone.
FAQ
What is the cheapest web hosting right now?
IONOS Plus is the lowest headline price we found at $1 a month for the first year, renewing at $14. ChemiCloud and hosting.com follow at $1.49 a month, and Hostinger Premium costs $1.99 a month on a 48-month term.
Which cheap host is cheapest after the first term?
InterServer, which renews at $7 a month on monthly billing or $84 a year on a 12-month term. Most other hosts here renew between $9.99 (Bluehost) and $14 (IONOS Plus) a month.
Do I have to prepay to get these prices?
Usually yes. Hostinger's price needs a 48-month prepay, Bluehost's and ChemiCloud's a 36-month term, and GreenGeeks' and IONOS's a 12-month term. InterServer's $2.50 first month and Namecheap's free trial are the exceptions.
Is free web hosting worth it instead?
None of the hosts here offer a permanent free plan. Namecheap gives a 30-day free trial, and every other host offers a money-back window of 30 to 45 days, which is a safer way to test a paid plan.
How did you rank these hosts?
We compared documented features and published prices from each host's US pricing page, then scored value, features and ease of use. Value carries 40% of the score, so renewal rates and prepay terms weigh heavily.
Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.
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