What your websitereally costs

How the calculator works

Web hosting is often sold with an introductory price for the first term. After that, it renews at a higher regular price. This calculator adds the renewal to everything else a small business site needs, so you can compare the full cost over the years you'll actually keep it.

• Hosting: the intro price per month, the intro period (12 months by default) and the renewal price per month.
• Domain: the yearly price of your domain name.
• Email: the number of accounts and the price per account per month, if email isn't included.
• Extras (per year): backups, premium themes or plugins, security tools.
• Years to compare: 1 to 5 (3 by default).

The formula

Hosting = intro price × intro months (never more than the period you're comparing) + renewal price × the months that remain. Total = hosting + domain × years + email accounts × price per account × 12 × years + extras × years. You get the total, the average per month and how much of the total comes from renewal pricing.

A worked example

With example numbers (not real prices), over 3 years: hosting at $4 a month for 12 months, then $12 a month; a $20 domain; 2 email accounts at $6 each per month; and $50 a year in extras.

• Hosting: $4 × 12 + $12 × 24 = $48 + $288 = $336.
• Domain: $20 × 3 = $60.
• Email: 2 × $6 × 12 × 3 = $432.
• Extras: $50 × 3 = $150.

Total: $978, or about $27 a month. Renewal months make up $288 of it, six times the intro year. And in this example, email costs more than hosting, a line that's easy to forget.

How to use the result

• Compare hosts over the same period. A cheap first year can lose to a steadier price over three years.
• Read the renewal terms. Some intro prices require paying the whole term upfront, and the renewal price can depend on the length of term you choose.
• Count only what's truly included. Enter 0 for anything included for the whole period, but check whether a free domain or email is only free for the first year.
• Ask where your data is stored. If your site collects personal information through forms, bookings or orders, ask where the host keeps it. Québec's privacy law, commonly called Law 25, requires businesses to assess the privacy risks before personal information is communicated outside Québec.

Results are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices change and taxes are not included. Our small business hosting guide covers what else to look for, and our web hosting page explains the main plan types.