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Costs and pricing

Cheap Web Hosting That Stays Cheap After Year One (2026)

Most $2 hosting plans renew at $10 to $18 a month. These hosts stay cheap long term, ranked by what you'll pay over three years, not just the first.

By the HostPull editors · Updated · 2 min read

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Short answer: Namecheap is the cheapest host to keep: its Stellar plan renews at about $4.66 a month. If you want managed WordPress on a budget, Liquid Web renews at $6 a month. Most other "$2 hosting" renews at $10 to $18.

Ranked by what you'll pay over three years

Host Intro Renews at Prepay Three years
HostGator $3.75/mo $10.99/mo 36 months $135
Namecheap $2.28/mo $4.66/mo 12 months $139
Bluehost $3.99/mo $9.99/mo 36 months $144
Liquid Web $5/mo $6/mo 12 months $204
Hostinger $2.49/mo $10.99/mo 48 months $90 (3 of 4 prepaid years)

HostGator and Bluehost look cheapest over three years only because you prepay all three at the intro price. The real test is year four: Namecheap and Liquid Web stay cheap, while HostGator, Bluehost and Hostinger jump to around $10 to $11 a month.

Best cheap hosts to keep long term

Namecheap has the smallest renewal increase of any budget host we track. It includes three sites, 20 GB of storage, a free domain for a year and 30 mailboxes, plus a 30-day free trial. Speed is average, so it's best for hobby and side-project sites. Its renewal prices rose on May 19, 2026, and are still the lowest here.

Liquid Web is managed WordPress, not basic shared hosting, yet renews at only $6 a month. You get unlimited visits, a staging site and 24/7 phone support. The entry plan keeps backups for seven days.

  1. 1

    Namecheap7.3/10

    Hobby sites and side projects, especially if your domain is already at Namecheap

    From $2.28/mo · Renews at $4.66/mo · 30 days money-back

    See Namecheap plansRead review
  2. 2

    Liquid Web8.5/10

    Small businesses and WooCommerce stores that want managed hosting, unlimited visits and phone support on a budget

    From $5/mo · Renews at $6/mo · 30 days money-back

    See Liquid Web plansRead review
  3. 3

    Bluehost7.5/10

    First-time site owners who want a cheap WordPress start with everything in one bundle

    From $3.99/mo · Renews at $9.99/mo · 30 days money-back

    See Bluehost plansRead review

When cheap hosting isn't the cheapest

  • If you'll leave within a year, a short term at a slightly higher intro price beats a long prepay you won't use.
  • If you need daily backups, check before you buy: some cheap plans back up weekly or charge for it.
  • If your site makes money, a slow host costs more in lost sales than you save. See managed vs shared hosting.

Every host's numbers are in the Hosting Renewal Price Index and our ranking of the best cheap web hosting.

Sources

Questions people ask

Which cheap web host doesn't raise prices much?

Namecheap rises the least among budget hosts: its Stellar plan goes from about $2.28 to $4.66 a month. Liquid Web's managed Spark plan goes from $5 to $6.

What is the cheapest web hosting over three years?

Among the entry plans we track, Namecheap costs about $139 over three years, HostGator about $135 and Bluehost about $144, though HostGator and Bluehost require a three-year prepay.

Is cheap hosting good enough?

For a new blog, portfolio or small business site, yes. Upgrade when traffic grows past roughly 10,000 visits a month or you start selling online.