Are you searching for how much web hosting costs? Here is a perfect budget plan for you.
Before starting an online business, getting detailed information on how much web hosting costs are super important. In this way, you have an idea of how to select the hosting plan which will benefit you.
Websites only start running live when you have web hosting. Knowing costs will help you prevent the double or triple cost of web hosting.
And the most important thing that must be considered is that choosing cheaper is only sometimes a good choice. Because when the web hosting quality is cheaper, your website will have a low-quality performance and slow loading times, leading to a high bounce rate and few conversions.
Knowledge is necessary because mostly short-sighted users sign up for the contract because of its low cost without reading or understanding the terms and conditions. As a result, they regret it and end up breaking the contract.
If you want to run a successful business, there should be no compromise in saving a few dollars. But find affordable and high quality, which means a visible balance between quality and affordability.
As a beginner in web hosting, I am hoping you could choose web hosting that is not only cost-effective but also has high quality and a high-performing server that helps grow your online business. And, of course, you also want this, and that’s why you are on this page.
So I would tell you the web hosting costs and other factors that will help you in choosing the best web hosting plan.
What Is Web Hosting, And Why Is It Costly?
What is web hosting? Let’s understand this with an example: you want to run an online e-commerce business where you will display your products.
Now you want traffic on your website, and for this, you need a region or location where you can store your website content like your products’ details that are readily available worldwide.
Advanced computers that run websites are called servers. Here comes the web hosting service that gives you a server on rent and is also responsible for the server’s proper functioning and security.
Usually, web hosting costs depend on storage size. There are also extra charges for additional features and security measures against malware and hacking.
How Much Does Web Hosting Cost? A Detailed Guide:
There is no exact answer to how much web hosting costs because web hosting costs start from a few hundred dollars per year to a few hundred dollars per month.
There are different types of hosting plans, and each one has different positive and negative aspects, but it all depends on your goal, like your website’s purpose.
So without further ado, let’s understand it.
Many factors predict the cost of web hosting services. Like,
- Web Hosting Provider: There are numerous hosting providers but choose a well-known and reputable which means that has good reviews.
- Plan Duration: Monthly prices also depend on the duration of the web hosting. Some web hosting providers give discounts for long-period subscriptions.
- Type Of Web Hosting: There are four main types of hosting, each with a different purpose. The more complex the business is, the more expensive web hosting you need to buy.
- Web Hosting Feature: Hosting providers offer different plans depending on the services and features given to their users. The more features and services in the hosting plan, the more expensive it will be.
Like, if they are providing high storage capacity, then it will be more expensive.
So knowing your business purpose is important before knowing how much web hosting costs.
Types Of Web Hosting And Its Costs:
There are four different hosting types, each with different prices. The bigger the website, the higher will be the price of the type of web posting.
There are four main types of web hosting
1. Shared Web Hosting:
Users share their server with other website owners in a shared web hosting service. The number of shared websites is up to thousands.
Most people who start their small online business journey use shared hosting. It is a beginner-level hosting plan.
Pricing:
It is the cheapest service as compared to the other web hosting types. It mostly ranges from $2.51 per month for beginner-level websites to $4.62 per month for intermediate level.
Pros:
- It is quite affordable for beginner users
- Excellent for beginners who have basic or no technical knowledge
- Provide great back-end support.
Cons:
- Security risks
- There is no guarantee that your website will be available to incoming visitors without hindrance.
- The server may get frequent interruptions
- Limited resources
Perfect For:
- This plan is ideal for those who want to run a small new website like an online portfolio or blog, static pages, or whose purpose is small traffic.
- Perfect for beginners.
2. VPS Web Hosting:
In VPS, users share their website server space with other website users. With VPS hosting, you can fully control and install your own software and operating system.
But in this web hosting plan, the number of users on a single server account is low.
Cost:
The cost of VPS lies in between shared hosting and a dedicated hosting plan. Most charges vary and depend on CPU, RAM, and SSD storage. Generally, this web hosting plan charges $20- $100 per month.
Pros:
- A high volume of traffic can be managed easily
- No security issues
- Offers better privacy, as your data will be secure from other users of the same server
- Control over the hosting environment
Cons:
- Costly As compared to the shared hosting
- A server may get an occasional interruption
- Offers a basic level of hosting for e-commerce website
- require some technical know-how
- Vulnerable to security threats
Perfect For:
VPS web hosting is perfect for web professionals and large-scale websites like gaming websites, but they have to buy an upgraded plan of VPS web hosting to run a website smoothly.
If you have technical knowledge, you can choose VPS hosting, as you have complete control over the server.
3. Dedicated Web Hosting:
In dedicated hosting, the user owns the entire server, which is way better than shared hosting. Users can customize the operating system and other configurations. In short, you have entire control over your server.
If you are running a large e-Commerce business or multimedia website, then it is the perfect choice for you.
Types of Dedicated Servers:
- Managed server: In this type, you will get back-end professional support readily available in case of any issue.
- Unmanaged Server: In an unmanaged dedicated server, you will maintain a server yourself. For this, you must have advanced technical knowledge and skills, as you will not get any customer support in an unmanaged server.
Pricing:
Prices start from $80 per month.
Its high pricing is due to its bulky storage space, RAM, and bandwidth that supports heavy or large-scale businesses or projects.
Pros:
- Dedicated by hosting has very high speed
- Easily manage a high-traffic volume
- High storage space, and they rarely experience interruption.
- A dedicated server is more secure for a business that manages sensitive data.
- Full control over the server
Cons:
- Most expensive
- Because of the entire dedicated server, a website needs proper maintenance and management.
- Require advanced technical skills to maintain and manage the website.
Perfect for:
- E-commerce websites, online gaming websites, or businesses that manage sensitive data and require strict security.
- A website that gets a high-traffic volume
4. Cloud Web Hosting:
It uses a network of interconnected servers called clouds that work together and handle the website requirement effortlessly.
This type of hosting is different from traditional hosting by posting applications and websites on multiple virtual servers. A network of virtual cloud servers hosts the website, which increases the flexibility and scalability of the website. Cloud web hosting offers unlimited bandwidth.
Perfect for:
Cloud web hosting is perfect for websites that work on seasonal demand, like on holidays or on different events, when the traffic on the website increases drastically.
During this busy period, traffic increases which can be handled with the help of adding more servers.
Additional servers become removed when the traffic volumes go down. It does not affect the website’s performance; if one server goes down, another server will support that and help keep the website running.
Pricing:
The general price range in cloud hosting starts from $10 to $200 monthly.
Pros:
- It is highly reliable and keeps a website running when the traffic is drastically super high
- maintenance website performance
- the website doesn’t go down; if one server fails, other servers support the website
Cons:
- There needs to be more control over their hosting environment as compared to dedicated web hosting.
- expensive as compared to the Shared and VPS hosting
- security risks
| No. | Hosting Type | Cost | Storage Capacity | Pricing | Perfect For |
| 1 | Shared Hosting | Cheapest | Lowest server capacity | $2.51- $4.63 per month | Beginners |
| 2 | VPS Hosting | Nor cheaper or expensive | In between server capacity | $13.41 to $24.89 per month | Professional websites |
| 3 | Dedicated Hosting | Most expensive | Most powerful | $79.99 – $411.75 per month | E-commerce websites
Websites that manage sensitive data
|
| 4 | Cloud Hosting | Less expensive than dedicated hosting | Powerful server capacity | $10 to $200 monthly | Seasonal websites |
How Much Does WordPress Web Hosting Cost?
Websites that are built on WordPress content management systems, if they buy WordPress web hosting, will improve the performance and website security.
If your website is built on WordPress, buying WordPress hosting makes it more simple and easier for you to make a website.
WordPress hosting offers specific features that distinguish it from other web hosting providers, like security tools and a one-click installer.
Pricing:
WordPress is more costly as compared to shared hosting. Generally, rates go up to $70 per month to $200 per month.
Several hosting providers also offer access to the WordPress support team and also offer managed WordPress hosting.
If you want to focus wholly on content creation and management without getting involved in server administration or technical details, then purchase a hosting plan that offers managed WordPress hosting.
Pros:
- WordPress web hosting offers features and tools that improve the performance of the website.
- Get access to the dedicated support team, which is readily available to help related to WordPress issues.
- Automatic updates of WordPress software
Cons:
- You cannot use WordPress hosting other than the WordPress platform.
- WordPress already installed plugins and themes might not be appropriate for your website.
Perfect for:
If your website uses a WordPress content management system(CMS), then WordPress hosting is great, but if you use other CMS content management systems or website-building platforms, then you need more than WordPress hosting.
Things To Consider Other Than Cost Of Web Hosting:
Nowadays, considering only web hosting costs isn’t a wise choice. Before choosing a web hosting provider, you have to consider other elements.
Although your website’s needs indicate a suitable hosting plan, there are key factors that you must consider before buying a hosting plan.
Here are the 8 key elements that must be considered other than web hosting;
1. Reliable Server And Uptime Score:
If your server connection is a weak or unstable network connection, then it will push your website offline, which brings a negative impact on ranking on the search engine results page.
So choose a hosting plant with an uptime score of more than 99.5%.
Avoid web hosting providers that have an annual uptime score of less than 99%.
2. 24/7 Customer Service:
Choose a hosting service that offers 24-hour customer service especially look for those who offer chat support. Also, prioritize those web hosting providers with in-house customer support departments.
Choose a hosting service that offers;
- 24/7 customer service
- Offer chat support so you can directly contact them via the instant messaging system.
- should have a strong presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
- Choose a hosting provider with an In-house customer support department which means they have their own team that handles clients’ inquiries.
Do not choose the out-source customer support as they are hired by the hosting provider that does not have the high familiarity with the hosting service as In-house customer support has.
3. Regular Backup:
In the era of Cyber security threats, even average websites are no longer safe. So choose a hosting server that offers a regular web data backup.
So if you experience server break up or local hard disk failure, you have no worries as you have data backup from your website.
4. Charges:
Initially, web hosting providers offer attractive discounts and deals that make it more appealing for beginners, but After ending the initial subscription, when you renew your subscription, the renewal charges are much more expensive as compared to the initial subscription rate.
This means you have to pay much higher than the initial sign-up rates.
Now there are two solutions to these problems to prevent these higher bills.
- Changing the hosting provider after ending the initial subscription plan, is time-consuming and troublesome.
- Before signing up, check the renewal charges to know the cost of web hosting when renewing your service in the future.
Moreover, do not consider a current plan only; also check the potential cost of the Upgrade level of the hosting service. If, in the future, your website grows, then you can easily upgrade your hosting plan.
Good hosting providers offer different upgrade plans. When the requirement of a website increases, users can easily upgrade to other hosting plans.
5. Additional Domain:
Consider hosting providers that offer to run multiple websites on a single hosting account. Also, check out the cost of domains and multiple websites.
Considering multiple websites and domain packages is important because you may want to add multiple websites and subdomains. So take time to choose a web hosting provider that permits you to add multiple domains if you want to.
6. Professional Email Address:
Also, look for a hosting provider that offers an Email address associated with your domain name, as it looks more professional and trustworthy as compared to the general email address on Gmail or Yahoo.
Your domain name in your email address makes your business more reliable to the customers and audience.
Factors That Influence Web Hosting Cost:
When you start running a website, your work does not end with buying web hosting. You have to consider other elements along with web hosting like domain name, SSL certificate, premium plugins, themes, etc.
The following are the other elements you must consider before purchasing a hosting plan.
1. Domain Name:
The address of the website is called a domain name. For example, webhosting.com is the domain name. This is usually present on business cards, shopping bags, other marketing sources, etc.
If you don’t have our domain name, users must enter your website IP address to land on your website. So having a unique domain name is necessary for running a website successfully.
Some hosting providers offer domain names. It is the most convenient if you choose a hosting plan that offers a free domain name. And you do not need to buy a domain name separately.
Different elements affect the price even if you consider buying a separate domain name.
Like if you want to buy a domain name that ends on .com, .net, or .org, these domains are top-level domains TLD and generally more expensive than other domain endings.
Most web hosting plans offer free domain names, but you can also buy a separate domain name.
Domain names also make an impact on prices, domain names that have high branding potential are much more expensive. Domain privacy protection is the other factor that some hosting providers charge extra while some offer it completely free.
Price:
The domain name costs mostly from $12 to $15 per year.
2. SSL Certificate:
SSL, also known as Secure Socket Layer Certificate security, it secures sensitive data and does not permit unauthorized individuals to access your website’s sensitive data.
Having an SSL certificate for your website is important to make your website rank higher on search engines, as Google favors those websites that use SSL certificates.
Many web hosting providers offer free SSL certificates. If the hosting provider you chose does not offer it, purchase from a reliable certificate authority.
In shared hosting, you need to buy an SSL certificate.
The SSL cost depends on several factors, like the number of domains and subdomains under one SSL certificate.
If there is only one domain, then the SSL certificate price would be $7-$860 per year.
Generally, the cost of an SSL certificate starts from $20 to $200+ per year.
3. Themes:
Themes make a website visually appealing and engaging. There are many basic pre-made themes present on WordPress, but if you want to build a more customer-friendly website, then you need to buy premium templates or themes as they come with regular updates as well as customer support.
Most hosting plans provide a free customizable template where you can also buy advanced templates to make your website more appealing.
Because premium themes generally start from $20 to more than $200 per month.
4. Premium Plugins:
Plugins are pieces of ready-made code and software that enhance the website’s functionality. After adding plugins to your website, your website does not need extensive coding to make your website more functional.
Many plugins on WordPress are free and work well for small to medium-sized websites, but to enhance the functionality of a heavy website, you need to buy premium plugins.
The cost of the premium plugins mostly starts from $5 to $50 per month. Mostly the cost depends on the type and quality of the plugin.
5. Third-Party Tools:
Other tools like marketing tools help To make a website successful, like expanding your reach, growing your audience, or turning a potential audience into loyal customers.
Various marketing attempts like social media advertising, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), or email campaigns require marketing tools.
The cost of third-party tools varies mostly depending on the type and Function of the tools. The price of marketing tools generally starts from $10-$150 per month.
Final Thoughts:
Running a website smoothly is the main key to the success of a digital business. Building a website is time-consuming, but running a website successfully is more daunting. In this journey, the main decision is choosing the best web hosting plan that is perfect for your online business.
I hope you get an idea of how much web hosting costs. Now the decision is up to you. Keeping in mind the purpose and goals of your website, choose the right hosting plan.
Only choose the free website hosting plan if you are testing your website; otherwise, you will regret your decision in the future.
Shared hosting is perfect if you are running a new website or testing a website. But if your goal is to get a high volume of traffic on your website, then dedicated hosting is perfect for you.
Although shared hosting can also manage More than 10,000 traffic volume, other problems will make it unsuitable for heavy websites.
I hope this article will help you in choosing the best web hosting providers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Can Websites Be Hosted For Free?
Yes, you can host a website totally free. WordPress.com offers a hosting plan, but it comes with Limited storage bandwidth and customization options. For advanced features on your website, you have to buy a paid hosting Service.
What Elements Must Consider Before Purchasing A Web Hosting Plan?
Features that should be considered before purchasing our hosting plan are included.
- Sufficient storage and bandwidth
- Free Registered domain name
- Free email accounts
- SSL certificate
- Regular backups
- Back-end customer support
Which Plan Is Best For Purchasing Web Hosting, Monthly Or Annually?
A generally annual plan is after more discount and is less costly as compared to the monthly plan. However, if you want to avoid committing to a long-term, then monthly payment is a better option.
In short, it mainly depends on your purpose and preferences.
How Much Does Web Hosting Cost On A Monthly Basis?
Web hosting cost depends on the type of web hosting and the subscription duration. Shared hosting cost starts from $5 to $20 per month. VPS hosting cost per month starts from $20 to $40 per month, and cloud hosting cost starts from $50 per month.
The cost of these web hosting types also increases depending on your Preferences and needs.
How Much Does Switching A Website To Another Web Hosting Provider Cost?
If you want to switch web hosting provided, you can do it yourself without any cost. If you don’t want to do it yourself, then you can pay your new hosting provider, as they can do it for you.
Transferring your website from one website server to another server costs $50 to $400. It mostly depends on the host number of files or data on your website.
