Specific hosting prices go stale within months — a number quoted here would likely be wrong by the time you read it. What stays true for years is the shape of the cost: roughly how each tier compares to the ones next to it, and what you actually get for the jump.
| Tier | Roughly, compared to shared hosting | What the jump buys |
|---|---|---|
| Static hosting | Often free, sometimes cheaper than shared | Simplicity — no server to manage at all |
| Shared hosting | The baseline | A real server-side runtime (PHP, a database) at the lowest realistic cost |
| Managed WordPress | A few times shared hosting | WordPress-specific performance, automatic updates, specialised support |
| VPS (unmanaged) | Several times shared hosting | Full control, dedicated (not shared) resources |
| VPS (managed) | More than unmanaged VPS | Same control, with maintenance handled for you |
| Dedicated server | Many times shared hosting | An entire physical machine, maximum resources and control |
| Cloud / usage-based platforms | Highly variable — often free at small scale | Pay roughly for what you actually use, which can be very cheap or surprisingly expensive depending on traffic |
Inside any single tier, price mainly moves with resources — how much storage, memory, and bandwidth are included — and with extras bundled in, like a free domain for the first year, automated backups, or a security certificate included at no extra charge. Two shared hosting plans from different companies can differ meaningfully even though both are, structurally, "shared hosting."
The same pattern flagged in the domain-registration lesson shows up across almost every hosting tier: an attractive introductory price for the first term, followed by a higher renewal rate. This is close to an industry-wide norm rather than one company being unusually aggressive — checking the renewal price before buying is worth doing at every tier, not just for domains.
Usage-based pricing can surprise you
Usage-based cloud platforms deserve a specific warning: unlike a fixed monthly plan, cost there can genuinely spike if traffic spikes — a project that goes viral or gets hit by unusual traffic can produce a bill far larger than expected. Most platforms offer spending caps or alerts; setting one is a genuinely sensible habit before relying on this kind of hosting for anything real.
For a first student project, budget for the cheapest tier that genuinely fits the project — often free, per the next lesson's free-hosting rundown. Only move up a tier when there is a specific, concrete reason: real traffic outgrowing shared hosting's limits, a need for Node.js, or a client project with requirements shared hosting genuinely can't meet. Paying for more than the project needs is the single most common hosting mistake among beginners.