Web Hosting Renewal Prices: Why They Rise and by How Much
On the median hosting plan in our sample renewed at 190.3% above its first-term monthly price (based on 20 plans with both prices published on the same date; observed range 33.4% – 1300%). 47 hosting and VPS plans are tracked daily; prices as shown in the United States. Methodology · All hosting price records.
Two prices on one pricing page
Shared and managed hosting is usually sold with an introductory price that applies only to the first term. The page shows a monthly figure, but it requires committing to a term (usually prepaid in full at purchase, sometimes billed monthly with a minimum term). After that term, the plan renews at a different monthly rate. We record these as two separate measurements for each plan: the first-term monthly price together with the term it requires, and the monthly renewal price where the page states it. How the first term is billed (at once, or monthly) is taken from the same page; where the page does not say, we show no amount due at purchase. Both prices are read from the same page on the same day.
A plan without a promotion, which is the usual case for VPS, has one ongoing monthly price and is not part of this comparison. VPS prices are covered in a separate guide.
What the renewal premium measures
The Caliper Press Hosting Renewal Premium Watch is calculated from these two prices for each plan, read on the same day. 190.3% (based on 20, observed range 33.4% – 1300%; ). Median of (renewal / first-term price - 1) × 100 for shared/managed hosting plans with both prices published on the same date, in the page currency.
The premium is expressed in the currency shown on the page. We do not convert currencies for this series, and we do not add taxes, domain fees or setup fees: they differ by country and plan, and tax is shown as each page states it.
In the latest data, 26 plans had both prices measured on the same date. 26 of them renew at a higher monthly price than the first term. The largest gap in the current data: IONOS Web Hosting Plus: $1.00/month for the first term, $14.00/month at renewal (1300% higher). The smallest: DreamHost DreamPress 1 Managed WordPress: $14.99/month for the first term, $19.99/month at renewal. The table lists every plan with both prices measured on the same date (26); the index counts 20 of them; its definition above says which ones it includes.
First-term prices depend on the term. The terms required by the plans in the table below: 1 month (1 plan), 3 months (1 plan), 12 months (10 plans), 24 months (1 plan), 36 months (6 plans), 48 months (5 plans). A monthly price quoted for a 48-month prepayment and one quoted for a 12-month term are not the same offer, even on the same provider's page, and a term billed monthly is not paid in full at purchase.
Plans with both prices measured
The table is sorted by the calculated gap between the two measured prices. Last column: renewal ÷ first-term price − 1. Each row links to the plan's page with the source quote and its history.
| Plan | First term required | Paid at purchase | First term | Renewal | Renewal vs first term (calculated) | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS Web Hosting Plus | 12 months | $1.00 at purchase, then $1.00 a month to month 12 (12-month minimum term) | $1.00/month | $14.00/month | 1300% | |
| GreenGeeks Shared Hosting Lite | 12 months | $35.40 | $2.95/month | $13.95/month | 372.9% | |
| Hostinger Unlimited Web Hosting | 48 months | $191.52 | $3.99/month | $16.99/month | 325.8% | |
| ScalaHosting Web Hosting Mini | 36 months | $106.20 | $2.95/month | $11.95/month | 305.1% | |
| GreenGeeks Shared Hosting Pro | 12 months | $59.40 | $4.95/month | $18.95/month | 282.8% | |
| DreamHost Shared Web Hosting Launch | 12 months | Not stated¹ | $2.89/month | $10.99/month | 280.3% | |
| Hostinger Premium Web Hosting | 48 months | $143.52 | $2.99/month | $10.99/month | 267.6% | |
| GreenGeeks Shared Hosting Premium | 12 months | $107.40 | $8.95/month | $30.95/month | 245.8% | |
| Hostinger Cloud Startup | 48 months | $383.52 | $7.99/month | $25.99/month | 225.3% | |
| InMotion Hosting Shared Power | 36 months | $215.64 | $5.99/month | $17.99/month | 200.3% | |
| InMotion Hosting Shared Launch | 36 months | $179.64 | $4.99/month | $13.99/month | 180.4% | |
| InterServer Standard Web Hosting (last confirmed Oct 17, 2026) | 1 month | $2.50 at purchase, then $2.50 a month to month 1 | $2.50/month | $7.00/month | 180% | |
| DreamHost WordPress Hosting Growth | 48 months | $167.52 | $3.49/month | $8.99/month | 157.6% | |
| ScalaHosting Web Hosting Start | 36 months | $214.20 | $5.95/month | $14.95/month | 151.3% | |
| DreamHost WordPress Hosting Scale | 48 months | $383.52 | $7.99/month | $19.99/month | 150.2% | |
| InMotion Hosting Shared Pro | 36 months | $395.64 | $10.99/month | $24.99/month | 127.4% | |
| ScalaHosting Web Hosting Advanced | 36 months | $358.20 | $9.95/month | $19.95/month | 100.5% | |
| IONOS Web Hosting Essential | 12 months | $4.00 at purchase, then $4.00 a month to month 12 (12-month minimum term) | $4.00/month | $8.00/month | 100% | |
| InMotion Hosting VPS 4 vCPU | 24 months | $335.76 | $13.99/month | $26.99/month | 92.9% | |
| Hostinger KVM 1 VPS | — | — | $6.49/month | $11.99/month | 84.7% | |
| ScalaHosting Managed Cloud VPS Build #1 | 12 months | $359.40 | $29.95/month | $54.95/month | 83.5% | |
| IONOS Web Hosting Ultimate | 12 months | $10.00 at purchase, then $10.00 a month to month 12 (12-month minimum term) | $10.00/month | $18.00/month | 80% | |
| DreamHost VPS Stack 4 | 3 months | $8.99 at purchase, then $8.99 a month to month 3 | $8.99/month | $15.99/month | 77.9% | |
| Hostinger KVM 2 VPS | — | — | $8.99/month | $14.99/month | 66.7% | |
| IONOS Web Hosting Starter | 12 months | $6.00 at purchase, then $6.00 a month to month 12 (12-month minimum term) | $6.00/month | $10.00/month | 66.7% | |
| DreamHost DreamPress 1 Managed WordPress | 12 months | Not stated¹ | $14.99/month | $19.99/month | 33.4% |
¹ Billing not stated on the page.
When the renewal price is not published
For 2 plans the first-term price was measured, but the renewal price is not stated on the public page. Typical wording is "renews at the regular rate" without a number. We record these as unknown with the quote as the reason. We do not substitute a struck-through "regular" price unless the page labels it as the renewal rate, and these plans are excluded from the index.
2 plans with no renewal price recorded
| Plan | First term |
|---|---|
| ChemiCloud Web Hosting Starter | $1.95/month |
| Contabo Cloud VPS 4 (last confirmed Oct 17, 2026) | €5.50/month |
How to read a hosting price with this in mind
The quantity that matters for a multi-year budget is the sum of the first-term price over its term plus the renewal price over the following years. Every plan record shows both measured inputs, so that sum can be computed for any horizon. Three limits apply. First, the page a provider serves depends on country, language and A/B tests; we record what is shown in the United States. Second, renewal prices are the ones published today; a provider may change them before the first term ends, and our history will show when a published value changes. Third, these are the 47 plans we track: common plans from the providers we cover.
The history currently spans 5 observation dates, from Oct 14, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026. Changes in a published first-term or renewal price appear in the plan's history and in the section's weekly change list.