How we check hosting prices

We check every price in the host's checkout cart, not only on its pricing page. Then we calculate what you pay to stay online for 3 years. Prices leave our tables when they get old.

Where the prices come from

1. We read the host's pricing page and note the intro price, the term and the renewal price.
2. We add the plan to the checkout cart, with a test domain name. We stop before payment. We do not enter personal details and we do not buy anything.
3. When the cart and the pricing page disagree, we use the cart. This happens. For example, one pricing page said a plan renews for the same 4-year term, but the cart said it renews every 12 months.
4. We record the source pages, the cart wording and the date of the check.

A plan goes in the table only after we check its cart. Plans that still need a cart check, or where sources disagree and we cannot tell which is right, stay out.

How we calculate the 3-year total

• We add the first payment and any required fees.
• Then we add whole renewal terms until the plan covers 36 months. We never split a term. If a plan's first term is 4 years, its 3-year total is the full 4-year price.
• Bonus months count toward the 36 months. Free trial days do not.
• Taxes are not included, because they depend on where you live.
• If we do not know the renewal price, the total is "Unknown" and the plan sorts last.

What "intro price" means

The intro price is the first payment divided by the months it covers. For a 4-year term, it is an average over the 4 years. You pay the full amount at the start. The "Paid upfront" column shows that amount.

When a price leaves the table

A price stays in our tables for 10 days after we check it. If a deal ends sooner, the price leaves when the deal ends. Old prices move to a list marked "not ranked" until we check them again. A page that is open for a long time also hides prices that run out while you read.

What decides the order

Price only. Tables sort from the lowest cost to the highest. Hosts cannot pay to change the order. Read ouraffiliate disclosure.

What we compare

Entry-level shared hosting plans, in US dollars, as sold to US buyers. We compare one billing option per row, so one plan can have more than one row (for example, yearly and monthly).

Found a wrong price? Tell us on the about and contact page.