Choosing a cheap WordPress host can be tricky. At first glance, the low prices look great, but then the renewal rates kick in, or you realize you have to pay extra for things like email, backups, or even a domain name. Suddenly, your “cheap” hosting isn’t so cheap anymore.
I’ve been through this myself. Over the years, I’ve used five different hosts for my own sites and tested more than 20 others through my work. I’ve run speed tests, kept test sites active for months to see how they hold up, and gathered feedback from thousands of WordPress users (through WPShout’s annual surveys). Let’s just say, I’ve learned a lot about what makes a hosting plan worth it – and what doesn’t.
Some hosts genuinely deliver great value for their price. Others? They’ll leave you frustrated with slow speeds, poor support, or surprise charges. It’s not always easy to tell the difference until it’s too late, which is why I want to share what I’ve found.
This guide is for you if you’re looking for a WordPress host that’s affordable, reliable, and straightforward. I set out to list 10 solid options, but after digging into the details, only eight made the cut. Because let’s be honest: if a host isn’t really cheap in the long run, it doesn’t belong on this list. 👍
MASTER COMPARISON TABLES OF CHEAP WORDPRESS HOSTS
A comparison of monthly prices based on the contract length you select as a new customer
You can sort this table by clicking on the header row.
Host | 1-year plan | 2-year plan | 3-year plan | 4-year plan | Single month | Regular price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Namecheap | $1.48 | $6.88 | $6.88 | |||
Bluehost | $1.99 | $4.95 | $15.99 | $11.99 | ||
DreamHost | $2.95 | $2.59 | $4.95 | $7.99 | ||
IONOS | $1.00 | $6.00 | ||||
Hostinger | $2.69 | $2.69 | $2.24 | $12.19 | $10.99 | |
Cloudways | $11.00 | $11.00 | ||||
A2 Hosting | $4.99 | $5.99 | $2.99 | $11.99 | $12.99 | |
InMotion | $2.59 | $2.49 | $13.49 | $11.49 |
A comparison of full long-term costs of hosting
Hover your mouse over one of the boxes to see more details.
The numbers you see in this post have been compiled based on our own testing setups and websites. We have active accounts with all of the hosts we’re comparing, we check their prices and we measure their performance metrics every month. Each of these websites was built to mimic a standard WordPress site with a fair volume of content and graphics. Learn more about our methodology and how we do our tests here. Also, see our live hosting status page here if you want to view real-time performance data.
Want to get into hosting investigations a bit more? There are some traps that you should be aware of when hunting for the best deal. Many hosts will not include necessary things like domain, email accounts, and more. Learn what the common practices are here.
THE BEST CHEAP WORDPRESS HOSTS COMPARED (IN FULL)
Here are the cheapest hosts offering good packages for WordPress. Each one comes with all the details worth knowing plus calculations of long-term costs of hosting your website.
1. Namecheap
- 💸 cheapest long-term host
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: ~50,000 visits monthly
- Disk space: 10 GB
- Free domain: ❌

Namecheap is one of the most affordable options for WordPress hosting, period. Especially for those looking for a long-term solution. But even on the shorter term it’s still a great deal. The starting price is $1.48 per month on a one-year plan, costing just $17.76 for the first year in total.
What sets Namecheap apart, though, is its unbeatable pricing for extended terms – it’s the cheapest host for both 5-year (~$210) and 10-year (~$460) periods, making it ideal for users planning to keep their sites running for the long haul.
Although it’s cheap, Namecheap still delivers solid performance. The basic plan allows you to host one website, handle around 50,000 visits per month, and gives you 10 GB of disk space. However, unlike some competitors, Namecheap doesn’t include a free domain in its entry-level plan, so you’ll need to budget for that separately.
Despite its low cost, Namecheap performs well, especially in the U.S., with strong uptime and competitive load times. It’s also well-rated by users, earning an impressive 8.03 in our survey, showing that many customers are satisfied with both the price and performance.
One more thing you might want to know is that if you’re moving your site from another host, Namecheap’s team will handle the migration process at no extra charge. More so, if the migration isn’t completed within 24 hours, Namecheap provides a year of hosting service for free.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 99.96% | 99.99% |
See the live status page and historical data for Namecheap.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 0.80s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.49s ⭐ |
Central USA: 0.78s ⭐ | London, UK: 1.23s |
Paris, France: 1.37s | Mumbai, India: 2.07s |
2. Bluehost
- 🧮 best for multiple sites
- Sites allowed: 10
- Traffic/bandwidth: ~40,000 visits monthly
- Disk space: 10 GB
- Free domain: ✅ (first year)

Bluehost is one of the few hosting providers officially recommended by WordPress.org, making it a solid option for WordPress users on a budget. Starting at just $1.99 per month for a one-year contract, Bluehost gives you a good balance of price vs value, plus it’s actually the best option if you want to host up to 10 sites. For $23.88 upfront, you get valuable features like a free domain for the first year, one-click WordPress installation, and easy-to-use site builders.
Despite being a budget option, Bluehost offers reliable performance with great uptime and fast load times, especially in the U.S. and Europe. It also earned a user rating of 7.10 in our survey, which is a solid score considering the number of users that Bluehost worldwide.
Be careful if you’re planning to keep using Bluehost over the long term, though. It’s going to get real expensive after the first year. Both the 5-year and 10-year costs are rather on the expensive end of the spectrum.
The basic plan allows for up to 10 websites, 10 GB of storage, and can handle around 40,000 visits per month – plenty for small sites and or new projects. Just keep in mind that after the first year, the regular price jumps to $11.99 per month.
Bluehost also offers a drag-and-drop website builder based on WordPress that should help you further simplify the process of creating a new site. You can pick the type of site you’re building – be it a restaurant website, or a tech site, etc., and then Bluehost will suggest some designs and optimizations.
The company also emphasizes environmental sustainability, taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint through investments in renewable energy. This effort aligns with an increasing focus on eco-friendly practices within the hosting industry.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Bluehost.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 0.34s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.37s ⭐ |
Central USA: 0.39s ⭐ | London, UK: 0.71s ⭐ |
Paris, France: 0.43s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 0.53s ⭐ |
3. DreamHost
- ⬇️ 2nd cheapest for 3 and 10 years
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unlimited
- Disk space: 50 GB
- Free domain: ❌

DreamHost is a well-established name in the web hosting space. With plans starting at $2.59 per month on a three-year contract, DreamHost is a solid mid-range option for those looking for affordable hosting. A one-year plan comes in at $2.95 per month, totaling $35.40, making it competitive for short-term hosting as well.
Over the long term, it’s where DreamHost offers a much better deal, sitting comfortably as the 2nd cheapest for hosting over 5 and 10 years. It’s also worth pointing out that DreamHost offers the lowest price if you only want to sign up for one month.
DreamHost also offers solid features, including unlimited traffic, 50 GB of disk space, and hosting for one website. While it doesn’t include a free domain, you get reliable service with a user-friendly control panel and easy one-click WordPress installation, which makes setup hassle-free.
DreamHost also provides 24/7 support via online tickets, with live chat available during business hours. Though its load times are average compared to competitors, DreamHost boasts good uptime and remains a dependable option for WordPress users who want reliable hosting without a hefty price tag.
Something you might not know about DreamHost is their long-standing commitment to renewable energy. Since 2007, the company has powered its operations with renewable sources such as wind energy. If you’re the kind of user who prioritizes sustainability then this approach might resonate with you.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for DreamHost.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 2.97s | West Coast USA: 0.81s ⭐ |
Central USA: 2.60s | London, UK: 1.60s |
Paris, France: 2.72s | Mumbai, India: 2.76s |
4. IONOS
- 💵 cheapest on a 1-year contract
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unmetered
- Disk space: 25 GB
- Free domain: ✅ (first year)

IONOS is one of the most experienced players in the web hosting industry, having been around since 1988. With its lowest plan starting at just $1.00 per month for the first year, IONOS is the cheapest option for those seeking short-term hosting, with a total cost of only $12 for the first year.
Note: The $1.00 plan isn’t the entry level – it’s a higher tier plan but it’s the one that’s the cheapest for a year. If you want to host your site for longer than that, you will have to downgrade to a lower plan to save money. For those longer commitments, IONOS ranks as the third cheapest option for 10 years of hosting, costing $660 in total.
The $1.00 plan offers excellent value for the first year, though, including the ability to host one website, 25 GB of SSD storage, 9 GB of RAM, and even AI tools for website creation and chatbots. Additionally, IONOS includes a free domain for the first year, and one email address – all crucial for getting your website started on a budget.
IONOS combines decades of industry experience with affordable pricing and solid features, making it a good option for users who need a cheap but capable hosting solution, particularly if you’re focused on keeping your initial costs low.
Another detail about IONOS that’s worth mentioning is that they support PHP 8.3 and feature Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. This technology improves the execution speed of PHP scripts, helping to make websites faster and more responsive.
IONOS also integrates automatically with Cloudflare’s CDN. This ensures that website content is efficiently cached and delivered from multiple data centers worldwide, reducing load times for users across different regions. Note that this is not a feature available exclusively with IONOS.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 99.98% | 100.00% ⭐ |
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 2.44s | West Coast USA: 1.61s |
Central USA: 1.45s | London, UK: 1.55s |
Paris, France: 1.80s | Mumbai, India: 2.64s |
5. Hostinger
- 💵 2nd cheapest for 5 years
- Sites allowed: 100
- Traffic/bandwidth: ~25,000 visits monthly
- Disk space: 100 GB
- Free domain: ✅ (first year)

Hostinger is a strong contender in the WordPress hosting space, known for its solid feature set and a plethora of different types of hosting. Starting at just $2.69 per month on a one-year plan, it’s a budget-friendly option with a total cost of $32.28 for the first year.
For those looking to commit longer, Hostinger offers even better value – it’s the second cheapest option for 5-year hosting at $239.40.
Hostinger doesn’t skimp on features despite the low price. You get a free domain for the first year, SSL, and one-click WordPress installation to simplify setup. With 100 GB of disk space and support for up to 100 websites, it can handle around 25,000 visits per month, making it suitable for small to medium-sized sites.
Hostinger’s performance is also good, with excellent uptime and reliable speeds. It earned a user rating of 8.11 in our last survey, reflecting its solid reputation among customers.
One more thing you might want to know is that Hostinger offers a feature that allows users to change their server location through hPanel. You can select a data center closer to your target audience. This can improve website loading times and provide a better experience for your actual visitors.
Another notable tool within Hostinger’s hosting platform is a collaborative feedback feature when building sites for clients. This tool enables clients to leave visual comments and suggestions directly on the website.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Hostinger.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 1.20s | West Coast USA: 1.80s |
Central USA: 1.65s | London, UK: 0.46s ⭐ |
Paris, France: 0.43s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 1.66s |
6. Cloudways
- ☁️ cheapest cloud hosting for WordPress
- Sites allowed: not limited
- Traffic/bandwidth: 1 TB
- Disk space: 25 GB
- Free domain: ❌

Albeit a tad bit more expensive than the other solutions on this list, Cloudways is actually the cheapest cloud hosting option available for WordPress, with plans starting at $11.00 per month. This translates into $132 for the first year. If you choose longer terms, the cost scales to $660 for five years, and $1,320 for ten years. These prices still make it a cost-effective solution for anyone seeking reliable cloud-based hosting for their WordPress site.
What’s cool about Cloudways is that it allows you to use platforms like DigitalOcean, AWS, Vultr, Linode, or Google Cloud underneath, but then lets you install managed WordPress on top.
The service provides a management panel designed specifically for WordPress, so you don’t have to deal with complicated server setups or command lines.
Features like free SSL certificates, automated backups, and Cloudflare CDN integration are also included, helping you work on your website with less effort. To get started, all you need to do is enter your WordPress details, and Cloudways handles the setup. (While WordPress is the primary focus, Cloudways also supports other applications like Magento, OpenCart, Drupal, and Joomla.)
Additionally, Cloudways stands out by offering a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, unlike many hosts that require long-term commitments or surprise you with high renewal rates. With Cloudways, you only pay for the resources you use, such as RAM, CPU, and storage, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious users.
Another key benefit is seamless vertical scaling. This feature allows you to adjust your resources easily to handle sudden traffic spikes or long-term growth without worrying about downtime. Basically, you can start with an affordable plan and scale up when needed, avoiding forced migrations to a new host.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Cloudways.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 0.78s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 1.18s |
Central USA: 1.02s | London, UK: 0.21s ⭐ |
Paris, France: 0.24s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 1.20s |
7. A2 Hosting
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unmetered
- Disk space: 10 GB
- Free domain: ❌

A2 Hosting offers competitive pricing with a range of flexible options for WordPress users, especially those looking for mid-term affordability.
Starting at just $2.99 per month on a 3-year plan, A2 Hosting offers an attractive three-year hosting option, with a total cost of ~$107.
For short-term hosting, a one-year plan costs $4.99 per month, totaling $59.88, and they also allow month-to-month payments, though at a higher rate of $11.99 per month.
While the entry-level plan doesn’t include a free domain, it provides solid value with 10 GB of disk space, unmetered bandwidth, and support for one website. A2 Hosting is known for its reliable performance, featuring good uptime and fast load times, making it a solid choice even at its low price point.
What’s also worth mentioning is that A2 Hosting offers optional upgrades that deliver impressive performance enhancements, including 40% faster CPU speeds, 3X faster NVMe storage, and LiteSpeed Turbo Caching for quicker page loading times.
Security is another strong point with A2 Hosting. It includes DDoS protection, two-factor authentication (2FA), built-in virus scanning, a firewall, and more. These features provide good protection for WordPress sites, eliminating the need for additional paid security plugins.
A2 Hosting is a great overall fit for users looking to test out a new project over the period of three years – which is a good timespan, I think. You can minimize upfront costs while still getting reliable performance for your WordPress site.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
99.87% | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for A2.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 0.74s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.90s ⭐ |
Central USA: 0.88s ⭐ | London, UK: 1.24s |
Paris, France: 1.51s | Mumbai, India: 2.85s |
8. InMotion Hosting
- 💵 cheapest on a 3-year contract
- Sites allowed: 2
- Traffic/bandwidth: unlimited
- Disk space: 100 GB
- Free domain: ✅ (first year)

InMotion is an affordable and reliable option for WordPress users, offering competitive pricing and solid features. Starting at $2.49 per month on a three-year contract – it’s the cheapest option for that duration, with a total cost of just $89.64.
For those looking for a shorter commitment, the one-year plan is priced at $2.59 per month, totaling $31.08. With InMotion’s 5-year and 10-year costs sitting in the middle of the pack, it remains a strong choice for users prioritizing value for money.
The basic plan allows you to host two websites, with 100 GB of disk space and unlimited bandwidth. You also get a free domain for the first year, which adds extra value for beginners or those launching new projects.
InMotion Hosting delivers solid load times and has earned a user rating of 8.00 in our survey, reflecting its strong performance and customer satisfaction.
Additionally, every tier includes good security features like hack and malware protection, DDoS defenses, and Monarx Security – a premium tool valued at $19.99/month, provided at no extra cost. Optional automatic backups further strengthen its security offerings. Combined with performance enhancements like NVMe SSDs and customizable WP Performance levels, InMotion Hosting ensures speed, scalability, and peace of mind for WordPress users.
Uptime last three months
November 2024 | December 2024 | January 2025 |
---|---|---|
100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for InMotion.
Performance this month
East Coast USA: 0.27s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.56s ⭐ |
Central USA: 0.50s ⭐ | London, UK: 0.71s ⭐ |
Paris, France: 0.97s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 2.17s |
Final recommendations
After reviewing all these options, here are my top recommendations, based on what I think each host is best suited for:
Namecheap – my recommendation for long-term hosting (5-10 years)
For anyone planning to keep their website running for several years, Namecheap is hands down the best choice. It’s the absolute cheapest option for long-term hosting, with the 5-year cost of ~$210 and the 10-year cost of ~$460.
Despite the low cost, you still get solid features like 10 GB of storage and support for up to 50,000 visits per month. I’ve found that Namecheap offers reliable performance, and if you’re focused on keeping costs low over the long haul, it’s hard to beat.
Bluehost – my pick for a 1-year test run
If you’re looking to test the waters with a new website for a year, Bluehost is my go-to choice. At $1.99 per month, it’s a very good price both for those who want to launch one website as well as up to even ten of them. Keep in mind, though, that it gets more expensive over the long term due to renewal prices.
On the plus side, you’ll get a free domain for the first year, along with easy WordPress installation and solid performance. From my experience and feedback from users, Bluehost has a good reputation for uptime and speed, making it perfect for those wanting to try out WordPress hosting without a long-term commitment.
Common sins of cheap hosts
This might sound a bit harsh, but these “sins” aren’t necessarily due to bad intentions. They’re just the reality of the hosting market, driven by the constant demand for cheaper and cheaper options. Hosts are more than willing to offer what seems like a great deal upfront, but as the saying goes: if something looks too good to be true, there’s usually a catch.
Here are some of the most common caveats you’ll run into with cheap WordPress hosting:
1. The entry price is a marketing myth
The low entry price you see advertised is often little more than a hook. Once that initial term ends, you’re looking at a price increase anywhere from 2x to 8x what you originally paid. For example, you might sign up for $3 a month, but when it’s time to renew, you could be paying $10, $20 (I’m looking at you, SiteGround), or more. Always be aware of what the long-term costs will be, not just the first-year promotional price.
Here’s one insightful table I can share with you about the price thing that comes from our annual hosting survey. This is what these hosts advertise their entry price is vs what the average user actually pays (I’ve included only hosts with more than 15 votes in the survey):
Host | Entry price / mo | Median price / mo |
---|---|---|
Hostinger | $2.24 | $7.25 |
GoDaddy | $6.14 | $16.50 |
Bluehost | $1.99 | $20.00 |
SiteGround | $2.99 | $32.00 |
Namecheap | $1.48 | $7.00 |
Some of these prices are not even close to where they were advertised to be, right?
2. No email hosting included
A professional email address that matches your domain (like you@yourwebsite.com
) is key for any business or project. While some hosts will include this as part of the package, many cheap hosts will not. That means you’ll either need to pay extra for email hosting or set up a separate service for your domain email – an added hassle and cost you might not expect.
For example, all high-end managed hosts for WordPress – such as Kinsta or WP Engine – are known for not offering email. It’s hard to blame them, don’t get me wrong, but there are still users surprised that they pay this much for hosting and still don’t get email.
Even some budget hosts will give you email only “partially”…kind of. This is what Bluehost says for example:

3. Domain name not included
I should have probably led with that. Well, you can’t have a website without a domain, and while many users already have a domain of their own when they search for hosting, many don’t.
Having your host throw in a free domain (for the first year) is a nice perk, and especially if the project you’re working on is only a test and you’re not sure if it’s going to pick up or not.
Don’t get me wrong, though, a host not offering free domains is not a dealbreaker at all, but still an important additional cost to factor in – roughly $15 a year.
4. “Optional” extras are heavily pushed
When you sign up for a cheap plan, expect to be bombarded with add-ons and upsells for things like premium SSL certificates, automated hourly or on-demand backups, enhanced security scanning, and more. While some of these are nice (like SSL for securing your site), they’re often offered at an additional cost when you thought you were getting everything in the base package. These “extras” can add up quickly, turning that cheap hosting plan into something far more expensive.

5. Low price means key features are missing
The reason these hosts can offer such low prices is because they strip out key features or services that you’d typically expect to be included. For example, customer support might only be available via email (and response times can be slow), or advanced features like a web application firewall (WAF) or malware protection could be locked behind a paywall. In some cases, you might even need to pay extra for things like daily backups or a CDN, which are crucial for keeping your site safe and fast.
Let’s zoom back out 🔭
Our methodology
Choosing the right hosting provider can be challenging, so we’ve developed a thorough methodology to test and review web hosting companies. Since 2009, we’ve reviewed over 20 providers using a combination of expert analysis, real user feedback, and performance monitoring. Our team of experienced reviewers offers honest opinions, while our annual hosting survey provides additional insights from real users. We continuously update our reviews to ensure they reflect the latest information.
Our review process starts by signing up for hosting plans and setting up test websites with demo data. We then conduct performance tests, measuring load times from various global locations and tracking uptime over time. Each host is rated based on pricing, performance, features, and user reviews. Pricing is carefully reviewed, accounting for hidden fees and discounts, while performance is evaluated based on real-time testing of uptime and load times. We also assess features like storage, bandwidth, and tools available for building or managing websites.
WPShout’s annual WordPress hosting surveys
Our WordPress hosting surveys started as a way to gather real-world feedback from users about their hosting experiences. While many publications review hosting services, we wanted to go beyond our own testing and tap into the collective opinions of our readers. By doing so, we could get a broader perspective on what hosting providers truly perform well in different scenarios.
Initially, our surveys focused on experienced WordPress users, but the sample size was too small to draw solid conclusions. To improve the quality of the data, we now open the surveys to a wider audience, including beginners. These surveys run discreetly as a pop-up on our site, with no active promotion, allowing us to gather honest, unfiltered feedback without spammy interference. We’ve been doing them since 2016.
The surveys ask key questions like which host users rely on, their satisfaction levels, and plans to switch providers. Depending on the responses, users are guided to relevant follow-up questions, helping us get detailed insights into both positive and negative experiences with various WordPress hosts.
👉 To learn more about the surveys, go here.
Month-to-month load time and uptime tracking
We began our hosting performance tests around 2019, initially just comparing Bluehost and SiteGround. Over time, our testing expanded to 16 different hosting accounts, which we maintain solely to measure and compare performance. Each host is independently purchased, and we never inform the companies of our testing. We set up WordPress on all test sites with the same theme, content, and plugins to mimic real-world conditions as much as possible. This helps us evaluate the true performance of each host in a more authentic scenario.
For load time measurements, we focus on the total time it takes for a page to fully load, rather than just initial response times. We use WebPageTest to conduct tests from six global locations and perform multiple runs to average out the results. This method allows us to simulate a real user’s experience across different locations and connection types and handle over 480 monthly tests.
For uptime tracking, we use UptimeRobot, which monitors each site 24/7 and logs any downtime. While uptime isn’t directly related to site speed, it’s another critical factor in a host’s reliability.
👉 To learn more about how we track host performance, read this.
Okay, that is it! I hope this guide will help you pick your ideal cheap host – depending on how long you need the host for and what your requirements are when it comes to features. In case you’d like to clarify anything about the hosts above, don’t hesitate to speak up in the comments.