The renewal trap, explained
Of the 82 plans we track across 27 providers, 42 renew at a higher price than they advertise, on average +203%. 32 of them at least double. The largest gap on record is IONOS, which advertises $1/month and renews at $14/month, an increase of 1300%.
What the renewal trap is
Most web services advertise a price that applies only to your first term. When that term ends, the subscription renews automatically at a different, higher price, the "regular" rate. The practice is legal and usually disclosed somewhere on the page, often in small print beneath the headline figure. It is not a scam. It is, however, the reason the number you remember paying is rarely the number you keep paying.
We built this site to measure the size of that gap, provider by provider, and to keep measuring it so nobody can quietly move the number.
The biggest gaps we currently measure
| provider / plan | advertised | renews at | increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS Plan 3 | $1 | $14 | +1300% |
| GreenGeeks Lite | $2.95 | $13.95 | +373% |
| SiteGround StartUp | $3.99 | $17.99 | +351% |
| SiteGround GrowBig | $6.69 | $29.99 | +348% |
| Hostinger Business | $3.99 | $16.99 | +326% |
| SiteGround GoGeek | $10.69 | $44.99 | +321% |
| Norton Norton 360 Deluxe | $2.50 | $10.42 | +317% |
| NordVPN Complete | $4.49 | $18.29 | +307% |
| GreenGeeks Pro | $4.95 | $18.95 | +283% |
| Norton Norton 360 Standard | $2.08 | $7.92 | +281% |
| DreamHost Launch | $2.89 | $10.99 | +280% |
| Hostinger Premium | $2.99 | $10.99 | +268% |
Web hosting is the worst category
Across the hosting plans we track, the average renewal increase is +253%. Long prepaid terms make this harder to notice: a 36- or 48-month plan can delay the jump for years, so the higher price arrives long after you've forgotten what you signed up for. A handful of providers, Surfshark, don't publish a renewal price on their pricing page at all. We score that non-disclosure as a failure, because a price you can't check is a price you can't plan for.
The providers that don't do it
Not everyone plays this game. These providers charge the same at renewal as they advertise, as of our most recent check:
| provider | price | at renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Semrush | $139 | same at renewal |
| Dropbox | $9.99 | same at renewal |
| CyberGhost | $6.99 | same at renewal |
| GetResponse | $13.30 | same at renewal |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | $66 | same at renewal |
| Private Internet Access | $3.99 | same at renewal |
| Windscribe | $9 | same at renewal |
| Mullvad | $5 | same at renewal |
| Shopify | $19 | same at renewal |
| Squarespace | $12 | same at renewal |
| Ahrefs | $29 | same at renewal |
| Mangools | $18.85 | same at renewal |
What you can actually do about it
1. Look up the real number before you buy. Every provider page on this site shows the
advertised price, the renewal price and the gap between them.
2. Do the multi-year maths. The cheapest advertised plan is frequently the most expensive
plan over three years.
3. Set a calendar reminder for your renewal date. Retention offers exist, but only for
people who ask before the charge lands.
4. Consider a provider that doesn't do it. The table above is a starting point.
Questions
What is a hosting renewal trap?
It's when a provider advertises a low introductory price that applies only to your first term, then renews the subscription automatically at a substantially higher regular rate. Across the 82 plans we track, the average increase is +203%.
Which provider has the biggest renewal increase?
IONOS, at +1300%, $1/month advertised, $14/month at renewal.
Do all hosting companies raise prices at renewal?
No. 12 providers we track charge the same price at renewal as they advertise.