The discount is not the deal

Cheapest three over 36 months

What ranking by discount would have told you

On the left, these hosts ordered the way every other deals page orders them: biggest discount first. On the right, where each one actually lands once you add up 36 months. Every line that plunges is a deal that reads well and bills badly.

SiteGround is the clearest case: #2 if you rank by discount, #14 once you count what 36 months costs. Its intro rate is genuinely $2.99 — and it renews at $17.99.

Where the money actually goes

Every reviewed host over 36 months, cheapest first. Each bar is split into what you pay at the intro rate and what you pay once it ends — which is why two hosts advertising the same $2.99 can sit at opposite ends of this list.

1. 1 MW MilesWeb $0.72 for all 36 (locked 48), $2.28 only after that ×3.2 $25.92 at the intro rate $25.92, all of it at the intro rate $25.92 36 months 30-day refund · read 28 Jul
2. 2 DH DreamHost $2.89 for all 36, $10.99 only after that ×3.8 $104 at the intro rate $104, all of it at the intro rate $104 36 months 97-day refund · read 28 Jul
3. 3 BH Bluehost $2.95 for all 36, $8.99 only after that ×3.0 $106 at the intro rate $106, all of it at the intro rate $106 36 months 30-day refund · read 27 Jul
4. 4 HC Hosting.com $2.99 for all 36, $10.99 only after that ×3.7 $108 at the intro rate $108, all of it at the intro rate $108 36 months 30-day refund · read 27 Jul
5. 5 H Hostinger $2.99 for all 36 (locked 48), $8.99 only after that ×3.0 $108 at the intro rate $108, all of it at the intro rate $108 36 months 30-day refund · read 27 Jul
6. 6 NC Namecheap Hosting $2.28 for 12 months, then $3.88 ×1.7 $27.36 at the intro rate $93.12 at the renewal rate $27.36 intro $93.12 over the remaining 24 $120 36 months 30-day refund · read 27 Jul
7. 7 HG HostGator $3.75 for all 36, $10.99 only after that ×2.9 $135 at the intro rate $135, all of it at the intro rate $135 36 months 45-day refund · read 27 Jul
8. 8 IO IONOS $1 for 12 months, then $8 ×8.0 $12 at the intro rate $192 at the renewal rate $12 intro $192 over the remaining 24 $204 36 months 30-day refund · read 28 Jul
9. 9 BR BigRock $1.73 for 12 months, then $9.29 ×5.4 $20.76 at the intro rate $223 at the renewal rate $20.76 intro $223 over the remaining 24 $244 36 months 30-day refund · read 27 Jul
10. 10 FC FastComet $2.95 for 12 months, then $8.95 ×3.0 $35.40 at the intro rate $215 at the renewal rate $35.40 intro $215 over the remaining 24 $250 36 months 45-day refund · read 27 Jul
11. 11 CC ChemiCloud $2.49 for 12 months, then $11.95 ×4.8 $29.88 at the intro rate $287 at the renewal rate $29.88 intro $287 over the remaining 24 $317 36 months 45-day refund · read 28 Jul
12. 12 GG GreenGeeks $2.95 for 12 months, then $13.95 ×4.7 $35.40 at the intro rate $335 at the renewal rate $35.40 intro $335 over the remaining 24 $370 36 months 30-day refund · read 28 Jul
13. 13 CW Cloudways $11 for 1 month, and it never rises $396 at one unchanging rate $396 at one rate that never changes $396 36 months no refund window · read 27 Jul
14. 14 SG SiteGround $2.99 for 12 months, then $17.99 ×6.0 $35.88 at the intro rate $432 at the renewal rate $35.88 intro $432 over the remaining 24 $468 36 months 30-day refund · read 28 Jul
15. 15 WPE WP Engine $25 for 12 months*, then $30 ×1.2 $300 at the intro rate $720 at the renewal rate $300 intro $720 over the remaining 24 $1,020 36 months 60-day refund · read 27 Jul
16. 16 K Kinsta $35 for 12 months*, and it never rises $1,260 at one unchanging rate $1,260 at one rate that never changes $1,260 36 months 30-day refund · read 28 Jul

paid at the intro rate paid after it ends * term not published by the host; 12 months assumed. Every other row uses the host's own stated term.

The hosts with no cliff

2 of the 16 hosts we have reviewed charge in year two what they charge in month one. They rarely look like deals — there is no discount to advertise — but on a site you intend to keep, this is the offer with no catch in it.

Price changes we have recorded