Your website can be the key to your business’s success. These days it is easy to create a small business website following a few simple steps, but one of the first critical decisions you will need to make is what type of hosting plan is right for you. In this guide, we will break down website hosting cost for several different types of plans, so you can decide which is right for you

## Cost by Type of Web Hosting Plans
Shared hosting is a beginner-level hosting plan. The highly competitive shared hosting industry means consumers benefit from a low monthly price. Pricing generally ranges from $2.51 per month for entry-level to $4.62 for a midtier option. With shared hosting users share their web server with other websites. The number of other websites could range from a few hundred to thousands

The advantage of shared hosting is the affordable pricing. The disadvantages are spotty service, no guarantee of uptime, possible security risks and limited resources making it difficult for websites to scale. This option is best for websites with low traffic, static pages and new websites

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is the next level of hosting. On average, the cost of VPS plans is in between the cost of shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Users can expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $100 per month. With VPS, users still share server space with other websites. However, there are fewer websites sharing the same space. This allows websites to manage higher volumes of traffic and increases the level of site security

Users will also have more control over their hosting environment, which is better for privacy than shared hosting. This should be the lowest level of hosting for e-commerce websites. Disadvantages of VPS is an increase in costs and the possibility of an occasional slow uptime

Dedicated hosting dedicates an entire server to the user. This gives users complete control over their server’s environment allowing them to customize the operating system, software and general configurations. Dedicated hosting prices generally start around $100 per month. Websites with their own dedicated servers run faster, can manage a high traffic volume and experience less downtime because of the large bandwidth, storage space and RAM. Dedicated servers are also more secure making them imperative for larger businesses with sensitive data


Cloud hosting is a cluster of servers working together instead of relying on a single server like traditional hosting services. Its main advantage is the extreme infrequency in which the servers go down. Cloud hosting does a great job of balancing traffic to maintain website performance even when traffic is high. Instead of a flat rate monthly fee like traditional hosting, cloud hosting users generally use a pay-as-you-go model and only pay for what they use

## Other Costs Involved With Hosting a Website
When building and maintaining a website, there are more costs involved than just web hosting. For example, additional costs often include a domain name (around $15 per year), an SSL certificate, premium themes or templates, premium plugins and additional third-party integrations and tools

Here’s a brief overview of the other costs related to website hosting:
Domain name: A domain name is a web address, such as forbes.com. While many of the top web hosting plans include a free domain name, you can buy a domain name separately from a domain name registrar, such as Namecheap or Domain.com for around $12 to 15 per year. Secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate: The SSL certificate is a security feature that helps prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing sensitive data. As with domain names, many hosting plans include it for free while others provide it for an additional cost anywhere from $10 to $200 per year. Premium theme and/or template: Themes and templates allow users to customize their websites. While most hosting plans do provide at least a handful of free customizable templates, some users end up purchasing more advanced templates for even more customization in website design. Premium WordPress themes for example can cost anywhere between $20 to $200-plus. Premium plugins: Plugins add features or extend the functions of an existing application to further customize your website. Basic plugins are generally free while premium plugins generally cost between $5 to $50 or more depending on the plugin. Marketing tools and integrations: Like plugins, marketing tools and integration can further customize your website to help expand your website’s reach and convert visitors into customers. Marketing tools vary greatly in price and can be a one-time purchase or a monthly subscription

## Website Hosting Cost Fine Print
To entice new customers to sign up for their services many web hosting companies offer very attractive introductory prices. Renewal pricing more than doubles once the initial contract is over. To get the most out of the low introductory pricing it is recommended to sign as long of a contract as possible. Usually, web hosting companies have one- to two-year plans, but some companies even let new customers lock into a three-year contract

## How the Top Website Hosting Providers Stack Up
|A2 Hosting||InMotion||SiteGround||DreamHost||Web.com|
|

|Starting Price (Shared Hosting) |$2.99 per month2.99 per month2.99 per month2.59 per month4.95 per month|
|
|Renewal Price |$10.99 per month7.99 per month14.99 per month6.99 per month9.99 per month|
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|WordPress Hosting |Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|
|Dedicated Hosting |Yes||Yes||No||Yes||No|
|
|Free Domain |No||Some plans||No||Yes||Yes|
|
|Free SSL Certificate |Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|
|Free Business Email |Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
|
|Money-back Guarantee |30 days||Most plans have 90-day guarantee||30 days||97 days||No|
|
|Uptime Guarantee |99.9No||No||10099.9%|
|
|24/7 Customer Support |Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes|
With the exception of Web.com, the hosting companies we examined all start their introductory rate around $2.99 a month. Once that introductory rate expires, however, prices jump up from DreamHost’s $6.99 per month to SiteGround’s $14.99 per month. All the plans include 24/7 customer service, WordPress hosting and free business email. Beyond that, you will need to examine what hosting service provides the features you want and stays within your budget

For a complete breakdown of the leading web hosts and associated costs, check out our article on the best web hosting services

## Bottom Line
Unless you plan on having high volumes of web traffic right out of the gate, Shared Hosting is usually suitable for new websites. Established websites with high volumes of traffic, that store highly sensitive data or require a consistent uptime should host their website with dedicated hosting. Websites can choose between VPS and cloud hosting depending on their specific needs and budgetary constrictions

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
 What is the cheapest way to build a website?
In the long run, the cheapest–and easiest–way to create a website is to use a website builder. Website builders are affordable, easy to use and customizable. Plans start around $12 per month and include everything you need to not only build but maintain your website on your own

 Are free web hosting plans worth it?
Free web hosting plans are not the best option for ecommerce stores or any websites that store sensitive information. If you are willing to spend a little bit of money, here is a list of the 10 best web hosting services on the market today

 How do I choose the best web hosting services?

When choosing the best web hosting services for your business, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors. The most important include your website’s size, traffic and goals. You’ll also want to consider the type of hosting you need—shared, VPS or dedicated hosting. And finally, factors such as which come with the extras you need, such as a domain name or business email address, and support in your preferred contact method, such as live chat, phone or email, should influence your decision.