Intro rate vs renewal rate
Every advertised hosting price is an introductory rate that applies to your first term only. Once that term ends, the account renews at the standard rate, which is typically two to three times higher.
This is not a trick unique to one host - it is how the entire industry prices. The mistake is comparing intro rates between hosts as if they were the real price.
The only comparison that works
Pick a window - three years is a good one - and compute the total cost across it for each host you are considering.
- Intro rate multiplied by the number of months in the first term.
- Renewal rate multiplied by the remaining months in the window.
- Domain renewal for years two and three, if the first year was free.
- Anything you will genuinely use that is priced separately, such as backups or a dedicated IP.
Why longer terms usually win
The intro discount is locked for the length of the first term. A 36-month term keeps the low rate three times longer than a 12-month term, and the deeper discount usually applies to longer terms too.
The risk of committing is capped by the 30-day money-back guarantee - it covers the hosting fee, though not the domain registration, which is non-refundable once registered.
Practical habits
Turn off auto-renew reminders at your own peril: put the renewal date in a calendar with a two-week warning. That gives you time to either negotiate, downgrade, or migrate before the higher rate lands.
Takeaway: Longer first terms lock the discount for longer, and the 30-day guarantee caps the risk of committing.