Almost every provider lures you in with a low first-year price. The catch is the renewal price, which tends to be significantly higher — and that's what you'll be paying for most of your site's life. Let's look at how not to fall for the marketing and how to calculate the real cost, not just the price highlighted on the landing page.
How the introductory-price trick works
The introductory price typically applies only to the first billing period, most often the first year. On renewal, the price returns to the regular rate, which can be up to three times higher. An advertised "€1.50 per month" can easily turn into €6 after a year. There's nothing illegal about it — it counts on most customers staying with the provider because moving a site feels like a hassle.
Where to find the price
Providers don't like to display the renewal price up front. Look for it in the terms and conditions, in the price list under an asterisk, or right in the cart after choosing a longer term. If you can't find it anywhere, that's a warning sign — and feel free to just ask support what you'll pay from the second year.
Watch the domain and "free bonuses" too
The same principle applies to a domain free for the first year or to bonuses that start being charged after a year. A free domain is free only at the start, and from the second year you pay full price, sometimes more than buying it separately. So check who the domain is registered to and what it'll cost on renewal. We cover the topic of total costs in How much does running a website cost per year.
Calculate the real cost
Don't look only at the first-year price, but at the total over three to five years of operation. Only then will you see which hosting is truly cheap. Sometimes a higher introductory price with a low renewal pays off more than the opposite combination. A simple rule: always count "what it'll cost over three years", not "what I pay now".
It helps to do the maths on concrete numbers. A plan at €1.50/month the first year and €6/month on renewal costs you roughly €162 over three years. A competing plan at a flat €4/month that doesn't change costs about €144 over the same period — cheaper, even though at first glance it looks pricier. This very arithmetic is why it pays to look further than the headline price.
Not every discount is the same
Not every introductory price is a trap — it's about how big the gap is between the initial and the renewal rate. A modest first-year discount is a normal, fair incentive. The problem starts when the initial price is a fraction of the renewal and counts on you not noticing the difference. You can tell easily: a fair provider states the renewal price clearly, a problematic one hides it. The transparency of the price list is itself a good clue to what kind of provider you're dealing with.
It pays to review your prices once a year
Introductory prices have one more consequence: often the most loyal customers — those who haven't checked what they pay in years — end up paying the most. So it pays once a year, say before renewal, to check what you actually pay for hosting and the domain and compare it with the current market. You don't have to switch providers right away; sometimes it's enough to tell support you're considering leaving and you'll get a better price. Those few minutes easily pay for themselves in saved money each year.
And if you still want to leave
If the renewal price catches you off guard, you're not trapped — both the site and the domain can be moved elsewhere. How to do it without downtime is described in Website migration step by step and How to transfer a domain to another registrar. The mere ability to leave is also your best bargaining chip — some providers will offer a better price when you go to leave.