True Cost Engine | Calculating real costs for 4 products
True Cost of Web Hosting Over 3 Years
The cheapest web hosting over 3 years is Interserver at $90.00 total (monthly billing, 1 user). With annual billing, that drops to $90.00. We analyzed 4 products, factoring in intro pricing, renewal increases, and billing cycle savings.
Showing costs for 1 user with monthly billing
#1
C Transparency
Standard plan · Fixed price
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $2.50/mo $2.50/mo
Year 1 $30.00
Year 2 $30.00
Year 3 $30.00
3-Year Total $90.00
Transparency Score: 60/100 (C)
- All plans show public pricing (+30)
- Stable pricing — no renewal increase (+20)
- No free plan or trial (+0)
- Predictable pricing model: flat (+10)
#2
D Transparency
Starter plan · Fixed price
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $2.99/mo $9.99/mo +234%
Year 1 $35.88
Year 2 $119.88
Year 3 $119.88
3-Year Total $275.64
Transparency Score: 50/100 (D)
- All plans show public pricing (+30)
- Renewal prices disclosed (different from intro) (+20)
- No free plan or trial (+0)
- Predictable pricing model: flat (+10)
- Severe renewal increase (>100%) on 3 plan(s) (-10)
#3
D Transparency
Premium plan · Fixed price
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $1.99/mo $10.99/mo +452%
Year 1 $23.88
Year 2 $131.88
Year 3 $131.88
3-Year Total $287.64
Transparency Score: 50/100 (D)
- All plans show public pricing (+30)
- Renewal prices disclosed (different from intro) (+20)
- No free plan or trial (+0)
- Predictable pricing model: flat (+10)
- Severe renewal increase (>100%) on 3 plan(s) (-10)
#4
D Transparency
StartUp plan · Fixed price
Intro Renewal
Monthly price $2.99/mo $17.99/mo +502%
Year 1 $35.88
Year 2 $215.88
Year 3 $215.88
3-Year Total $467.64
Transparency Score: 50/100 (D)
- All plans show public pricing (+30)
- Renewal prices disclosed (different from intro) (+20)
- No free plan or trial (+0)
- Predictable pricing model: flat (+10)
- Severe renewal increase (>100%) on 3 plan(s) (-10)
How We Calculate True Cost
1 Year 1 uses the intro/promotional price that vendors advertise.
2 Years 2-3 use the renewal price, which is often 2-6x higher than the intro price.
3 Team size multiplies per-user costs. For flat-rate products, the cost stays the same regardless of team size.
4 Annual billing typically saves 10-40% vs monthly. We show both so you can compare.
Building Your Business Stack?
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the true cost of Web Hosting over 3 years?
- The cheapest web hosting over 3 years is Interserver at $90 (monthly billing) or $90 (annual billing) for 1 user. This includes intro pricing in Year 1 and renewal pricing in Years 2-3.
- Do web hosting prices increase after the first year?
- Yes. 3 of 4 web hosting products have higher renewal prices. The biggest jump is SiteGround at +502%. Our True Cost Calculator factors this in automatically.
- How much can I save with annual billing on web hosting?
- Annual billing savings vary by product. Use our calculator to see the exact savings for each product.
- What is a Price Transparency Score?
- Our Price Transparency Score rates vendors on a 0-100 scale based on how openly they share pricing information. We evaluate whether prices are shown publicly, renewal costs are disclosed, free trials or plans exist, the pricing model is predictable, and if any plans require contacting sales.