Cheap WordPress hosting sounds great until you’re hit with hidden fees, slow loading times, and (truly) useless support. I’ve been burned by this myself…multiple times. So, I decided to find out if it’s even possible to get reliable WordPress hosting without emptying your wallet in 2025.
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.
Most budget hosts don’t pass long-term tests – especially when hidden fees kick in – but some hosts do stand out!
In this guide, I show you the winning eight – hosts that offer low prices without the usual nonsense. If you’re tired of shady pricing and bad service, you’ll find your next host here. 👍
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 | $1.43 | $6.88 | $4.07 | |||
| 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 | $2.69 | $12.19 | $10.99 | |
| Cloudways | $11.00 | $11.00 | ||||
| A2 Hosting | $4.99 | $5.99 | $2.99 | $11.99 | $12.99 | |
| InMotion | $2.59 | $3.29 | $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.
Since all – all(!) – web hosts try to lure users in with cheap entry prices only to increase them heavily for the second term, finding a truly cheap host is very tricky.
You actually can’t do it if you’re looking for “the cheapest host for all possible scenarios.” Therefore, here’s how this post is going to work:
For each host I list, I’ll break down the pricing in several key ways:
- ✅ First, I focus on the entry-level plan in their lineup, since that’s probably what you’re most interested in.
- ✅ I’ll show you the introductory price * you’ll get as a new customer during the first term.
- ✅ I’ll also provide a longer-term calculation **, showing you what it would cost to stick with that host for five and ten years.
- ✅ Finally, I’ll highlight the “regular price” of the plan ***, which is what you’ll be paying eventually once the discounts end.
Web hosts do a lot to convince new users to sign up. Seeing plans offering as much as 80% off is not uncommon. Keep in mind, though, that you’re getting this low price for your first term only. Meaning, if your initial contract is valid for one year, then after that year, the price will increase. By how much? Keep reading.
Once your first contract is done, you’re going to need to renew at an increased price. I help you calculate what those long-term costs would be if you stay with the host for five and then ten years.
The regular price is the main sticker price of a host without any discounts applied to it. Very often, it’s also the renewal price. In general, over the long term, your hosting cost will gravitate towards that regular price.
With all this information, you’ll be able to pick the host that should be the cheapest for you – based on how long you’re planning to have your site and what your priorities are. For example, some users prefer steady pricing throughout the years. Others want to pay as little as possible now and are okay with paying more later on as their project grows.
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 $1.43 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. One downside is that Namecheap doesn’t include a free domain for the first year, so you’ll need to budget for that separately.
In the end, despite the low cost, Namecheap still performs very well, especially in the U.S. It is also very well-rated by users based on our survey – scoring an overall 8.03 rating.
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
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 99.96% | 99.99% | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Namecheap.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 1.22s | West Coast USA: 2.61s |
| Central USA: 0.60s ⭐ | London, UK: 1.45s |
| Paris, France: 1.46s | Mumbai, India: 2.12s |
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 a first-year total of $23.88, you get a free domain name, one-click WordPress installations, and a very friendly user panel overall. Despite being a budget option, Bluehost also 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. When using it, you get to pick what type of website you’re building (for example, a restaurant website or a portfolio, etc.) and then Bluehost will suggest some designs and optimizations.
Uptime last three months
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Bluehost.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 0.62s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.33s ⭐ |
| Central USA: 0.42s ⭐ | London, UK: 1.39s |
| Paris, France: 0.44s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 0.45s ⭐ |
3. DreamHost
- ⬇️ 2nd cheapest for 3 and 10 years
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unlimited
- Disk space: 50 GB
- Free domain: ❌
DreamHost is a trusted name in web hosting – especially for WordPress. Plans start at $2.59 per month on a three-year contract. A one-year plan costs $2.95 per month ($35.40 total), making it a solid short-term choice.
Long-term deals are even better. DreamHost ranks second-cheapest for five and ten-year hosting plans. And, if you only need hosting for one month, DreamHost offers the lowest price available.
The entry-level hosting plan includes unlimited traffic, 50 GB of storage, and supports one website. There’s no free domain, but you do get reliable hosting, an easy-to-use control panel, and one-click WordPress installs.
Support is available 24/7 through tickets and live chat during business hours. Load speeds fluctuate from month to month – based on the tests I’m running, but uptime is strong. All things considered, DreamHost remains a dependable choice for affordable WordPress hosting.
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
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 99.99% |
See the live status page and historical data for DreamHost.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 1.65s | West Coast USA: 1.40s |
| Central USA: 1.04s | London, UK: 1.86s |
| Paris, France: 1.53s | Mumbai, India: 2.90s |
4. IONOS
- 💵 cheapest on a 1-year contract
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unmetered
- Disk space: 25 GB
- Free domain: ✅ (first year)
IONOS has been hosting websites since 1988, which I’m sure you’ll agree is a long time, making it one of the oldest in the business, actually. Its cheapest plan starts at $1.00 per month for the first year – just $12 total. Truly, an awesome offer if you’re after some cheap WordPress hosting.
ℹ️ Note: The $1.00 deal isn’t their lowest tier, but it’s the cheapest for one year. After that year, you’d need to switch to a cheaper plan to keep costs down. Over 10 years, IONOS ranks third cheapest at $660 total.
The $1.00 plan gives great first-year value. You get hosting for one website, 25 GB SSD storage, 9 GB RAM, and helpful AI tools. A free domain and one email address are also included for your first year.
With low prices and good features, IONOS is a strong choice if you want affordable hosting for your WordPress site without big upfront costs.
IONOS also supports PHP 8.3 with Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. This makes PHP scripts run faster, helping your website load quicker.
Additionally, IONOS integrates automatically with Cloudflare’s CDN. This service caches your site’s content globally, reducing load times for users everywhere. However, this feature isn’t unique to IONOS.
Uptime last three months
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 99.98% | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 1.94s | West Coast USA: 1.81s |
| Central USA: 1.57s | London, UK: 1.54s |
| Paris, France: 1.83s | Mumbai, India: 2.01s |
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 offers affordable hosting for WordPress with solid performance and plenty of choices. Plans start at just $2.69 per month for a one-year plan, totaling $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 $261.
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. You get 100 GB disk space, can host up to 100 websites, and handle around 25,000 visits monthly. Hostinger is a reliable pick if you need to run several sites or manage moderate traffic.
Features include an easy-to-use control panel, one-click WordPress setup, and fast, consistent speeds. Overall, it’s a strong budget choice without compromising quality. Our readers also agree, giving it a 8.11 rating in our last survey.
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
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 99.59% |
See the live status page and historical data for Hostinger.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 1.24s | West Coast USA: 1.96s |
| Central USA: 1.63s | London, UK: 0.37s ⭐ |
| Paris, France: 0.63s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 1.63s |
6. Cloudways
- ☁️ cheapest cloud hosting for WordPress
- Sites allowed: not limited
- Traffic/bandwidth: 1 TB
- Disk space: 25 GB
- Free domain: ❌
Cloudways costs a bit more than other options here, but it’s the cheapest cloud hosting choice for WordPress. Plans start at $11.00 per month, totaling $132 for the first year. Longer terms get pricier – up to $660 for five years.
With Cloudways, you can choose cloud hosting from providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, Vultr, Linode and more, then easily install managed WordPress. Their simple control panel makes managing your site straightforward with no complicated server interfaces or coding solutions needed.
Moreover, you get free SSL certificates, automatic backups, and Cloudflare CDN built-in. This means less hassle and faster website performance.
Additionally, Cloudways offers a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, unlike hosts that force long-term plans. You only pay for the resources you actually use – like RAM, CPU, and storage, which helps keep costs low.
Another benefit is good vertical scaling. You can easily add more resources when traffic spikes or as your site grows. This means no downtime and no need to switch hosts later.
Uptime last three months
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for Cloudways.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 0.76s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 1.21s |
| Central USA: 0.93s ⭐ | London, UK: 0.19s ⭐ |
| Paris, France: 0.22s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 1.27s |
7. A2 Hosting
- Sites allowed: 1
- Traffic/bandwidth: unmetered
- Disk space: 10 GB
- Free domain: ❌
A2 Hosting keeps prices reasonable with flexible plans, especially for those sticking around for a few years.
A three-year plan starts at $2.99 per month, totaling about $108. A one-year plan costs $4.99 monthly, or $59.88 overall. You can also pay month-to-month, but it jumps to $11.99.
An important detail is that the basic plan doesn’t include a free domain but still comes with solid value – 10 GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, and support for one site. A2 Hosting delivers strong uptime and fast load speeds, too, making it a reliable budget pick.
For extra speed, you can upgrade to 40% faster CPU performance, 3X quicker NVMe storage, and LiteSpeed Turbo Caching.
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
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for A2.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 0.71s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 1.42s |
| Central USA: 0.76s ⭐ | London, UK: 1.42s |
| Paris, France: 1.28s | Mumbai, India: 2.38s |
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 $3.29 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
| December 2024 | January 2025 | February 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ | 100.00% ⭐ |
See the live status page and historical data for InMotion.
Performance this month
| East Coast USA: 0.19s ⭐ | West Coast USA: 0.58s ⭐ |
| Central USA: 0.48s ⭐ | London, UK: 0.82s ⭐ |
| Paris, France: 0.83s ⭐ | Mumbai, India: 1.83s |
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 | $2.69 | $7.25 |
| GoDaddy | $6.14 | $16.50 |
| Bluehost | $1.99 | $20.00 |
| SiteGround | $2.99 | $32.00 |
| Namecheap | $1.43 | $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.
