Free Tool
Blog Hosting Cost Comparator
Hosting plans advertise the first year and charge the renewal. This comparator totals three plans over one, two and three years, so the cheap intro price stops hiding the expensive renewal.
Planning estimate, not financial advice. All figures on this page are estimates or scenarios for planning purposes only, built from the numbers you enter. They are not financial, tax or legal advice, and no earnings are promised. Read the full financial disclaimer.
What this tool does
Enter three plans: the intro monthly price, the renewal monthly price, the term the intro price lasts, and the extras (domain, SSL, backups) as a yearly figure. The comparator totals each plan at 12, 24 and 36 months and ranks them — because a plan that costs 3 a month for a year and then 12 a month is not a 3-a-month plan.
The trap this tool exposes is the term. An intro price that lasts three months is a different deal from one that lasts a year, and the total is the only honest comparison. A plan that looks dearest in month one is often cheapest by month twenty-four.
Try it
Waiting. Enter at least two plans and press Calculate.
How it works
Each plan’s total for a period is the intro months paid at the intro price, plus the remaining months at the renewal price, plus the yearly extras pro-rated to the period. A 12-month intro term on a 36-month total means 12 months at the intro price and 24 at the renewal price; a 3-month intro term means 3 and 33.
The ranking is by total cost at each horizon, cheapest first, with the effective monthly figure beside it. Comparing at three horizons at once is the point: it shows where the ranking flips, and the flip is usually where the renewal price takes over.
Assumptions and limitations
Prices are the ones you enter from the host’s own pricing page — this tool quotes no host.
- Intro prices, renewal prices and extras must all be entered from the host’s own page. Roundup prices go stale fast, and the renewal price is the one that moves.
- Extras are yearly figures: domain registration, SSL, backups, malware scanning. Enter 0 if the plan includes them, and the real figure if it charges for them.
- Migration cost is not modelled. Moving a live blog has a time cost and a risk cost that no price table captures.
- The calculator compares price only. Speed, support quality, uptime and backup policy are separate decisions — a cheap plan that loses your posts is not cheap.
Worked example
Example (illustrative inputs, not real hosts). Host Alpha: 3 a month for 12 months, then 10, plus 15 a year of extras. Host Beta: 5 then 7, no extras:
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Host Alpha — 12 months | 51.00 total (4.25 a month) |
| Host Beta — 12 months | 60.00 total (5.00 a month) |
| Host Alpha — 36 months | 321.00 total (8.92 a month) |
| Host Beta — 36 months | 228.00 total (6.33 a month) |
| Cheapest over 3 years | Host Beta — the renewal price wins |
Frequently asked questions
Why compare over 36 months and not just the first year?
Because the first year is the advertisement. The renewal price decides years two and three, and a plan that wins year one often loses by year three. Three horizons show exactly where the ranking flips.
What counts as an extra?
Anything the plan charges on top of the monthly price: domain registration or renewal, SSL certificates, daily backups, malware scanning, a dedicated IP. Enter the yearly figure — 0 if the plan genuinely includes it.
Should I pay for three years upfront to lock the intro price?
Only if you are sure the host suits you and the term really locks that price — read the terms. A long prepayment to a host you have not tested is a refund argument waiting to happen.
Does this tool recommend a host?
No. It compares prices you enter. Speed, uptime, support and backup policy are separate checks, and the cheapest plan on price alone is not always the right one.