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Web hosting is an integral part of your online presence as it sets the base for your website. Hosting is the online space on which your website content is housed. In simple words, it is the storehouse of all your website data. Your website’s performance depends mainly on the quality of services rendered by your web host provider. This, in turn, will impact its success. Therefore, it is essential to choose your hosting service provider carefully.
Monthly subscription vs. Annual subscription
When selecting your web hosting subscription, you have two options to choose from:
- Monthly subscription: This option allows you to pay a monthly rental for the online space you acquire for your website.
- An annual subscription allows you to pay a lump sum yearly rental for your website’s space.
Both monthly and annual plans have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, choosing one of them depends on your needs. With time, you might even shift from one plan to another, depending on your changing needs. In the following part of this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of these plans so that you can better decide your hosting requirements.
Pros of Monthly subscription plans
Requires no commitment
With a monthly hosting plan, you don’t have to make a long-term commitment to a web host. This allows you to transfer your website to another host if you don’t like the hosting services.
Helpful in case of financial constraints
You might find investing a large sum in your new website complex when you are just starting. A monthly subscription plan allows you to pay as your business grows. Later, as your website’s income increases, you can shift to an annual plan.
Offers flexibility
A monthly subscription plan provides flexibility for your website hosting. You can upgrade your web hosting plan after a month or so, as per your requirements. You can also change your web host if you find a better deal elsewhere.
Suitable for testing
If you are creating a website for testing purposes, there is no logic in paying for an annual hosting plan. You can choose the monthly subscription option for your test website and close it once you are done testing.
Cons of Monthly subscription plans
Costlier
Monthly web hosting plans usually are costlier than annual subscription plans. When you calculate the yearly cost of a monthly subscription plan, you will find it a bit more expensive than the annual plan offered by the same web host. This makes long-term hosting plans more lucrative.
No freebies
Many hosting service providers offer freebies like a free domain name with annual subscriptions. You miss out on such freebies when you opt for a monthly subscription.
Pros of Annual subscription plans
Cost-effective
Annual subscription plans are a cost-effective solution for your website if you plan to stay in business for a long time. When you calculate the monthly value of an annual hosting plan, you will find it cheaper than the monthly subscription plan offered by the same web host.
Freebies
Almost all the web hosts offer some freebies with their annual subscription plans. This can be in the form of a free domain name, enhanced security, etc. Monthly subscription plans do not come with such added benefits.
One-time payment
An annual plan calls for a single payment for the entire year, relieving you of your financial obligations for the whole year. You don’t have to worry about your next monthly installment for a year.
Cons of Annual Subscription Plans
Fixed commitment
An annual subscription for your website hosting requires a long-term commitment. Even if you are dissatisfied with the hosting services later, you cannot stay with your current web host. In such a case, you will have to wait for the expiration of your website’s annual subscription before you shift to a new host.
Lump-sum amount
An annual hosting plan demands a lump-sum amount that might not be affordable for a new website owner. A monthly plan is the best in case of financial constraints.
Best monthly hosting plans
Many hosting service providers offer an annual plan as their smallest hosting option. This removes your chance of trying out the hosting services you are committing to. Therefore, we list the five best web hosts providing monthly subscription options for all your hosting requirements. The distinctive features of all these hosts are also included in helping you make an informed decision.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is known for its excellent speed, which comes from its globally diversified data centers. It is an independently owned company that focuses on boosting your website’s performance with a personal touch. Their hosting plans are suitable for both newbies and professionals.
Features
Free site migration
The host offers free transfer of your website to its platform, making moving your website to a new host affordable.
High-speed servers
A2 Hosting houses a Turbo server that allows you to increase your website’s speed by 20 times. This significantly improves your site’s performance, reduces the bounce rate, and positively impacts the conversion rate.
99.9% uptime guarantee
A2 Hosting is highly reliable. It offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee for all websites, so you can depend on the host to keep your website up and running.
24/7 customer support
The customer support team is knowledgeable and friendly to help you solve all your issues. It is available 24/7/365 for rendering support services.
Anytime money-back guarantee
A2 Hosting offers a risk-free trial of its services and a money-back guarantee at any time. This offer is available even on its monthly plans. So, if you don’t like its services after a week, you won’t be at a loss.
Free SSL certificate
You will also receive a free SSL certificate for your website.
Perpetual Security
The host also offers HackScan protection for your website, which prevents hackers from accessing it. Various security features, like a dual firewall and brute force defense, are also available.
HostGator
Founded in 2002, HostGator has accumulated extensive experience serving website owners’ hosting needs. In addition to hosting services, HostGator is one of the largest domain registrars in the market. The host’s experience ensures secure and reliable website hosting.
Features
Easy migration
Hostgator has a dedicated team that helps you migrate your website content to its platform. You can even choose to transfer your domain registration to manage your entire website from a single platform.
Excellent support
Hostgator offers 24/7/365 support services to help you with all your hosting-related queries. You can connect with the customer support team via telephone or live chat.
99.9% uptime guarantee
Like A2 Hosting, Hostgator offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee for your website, so you can rely on the company to keep it online.
Money-back guarantee
Hostgator offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to request a complete refund if you are unsatisfied with the hosting services.
Easy set-up
Hostgator makes it easy to set up your website with a one-click WordPress installation and a drag-and-drop Website Builder. The built-in themes and pre-built sections will save you much time setting up and publishing your website.
Unlimited email addresses
Many web hosts charge an additional amount for email addresses. However, Hostgator offers unlimited email addresses for free in a few of its hosting plans. You must take advantage of this special deal.
Dreamhost
Dreamhost is one of the oldest web hosts with over 20 years of experience. With its long reputation and excellent services, it gained a position among the top three web hosts endorsed by WordPress. The built-in website-building tools and amazing user interface make it a great choice for new website owners. In contrast, the advanced tools offered by the company make it suitable for experienced website owners.
Features
100% uptime guarantee
Dreamhost offers a 100% uptime guarantee to keep your website running 24/7. Thus, you can be sure of being online without any downtime.
Free SSL certificate
Encrypting your website’s connection is an important security aspect. Dreamhost offers a free SSL certificate for your website’s authentication and security.
97-day money-back guarantee
Dreamhost is confident it will render high-quality hosting services and offers a 97-day money-back guarantee. If you are unhappy with the company’s hosting services, you can always take advantage of this offer.
Customer support
The web host allows you to contact them via email or live chat to receive technical or non-technical support for your website.
Transparent and affordable plans
Dreamhost displays all the pricing options on its website and doesn’t charge hidden costs. The hosting plans are competitively priced and offer excellent value for your money.
Free SSD storage
Storing your website files on a server near your visitors results in faster page loading. Dreamhost offers free SSD storage for your website content to improve its performance.
Quick start
The web host provides you a website with pre-installed WordPress to save your time. This allows you to set up and publish your website quickly.
Bluehost
Founded in 2003, Bluehost is among the biggest hosting companies in the world. It offers the best VPS hosting services in the industry. With Bluehost, you can upgrade your hosting plan immediately because its efficient servers are spread worldwide.
Features
Reliable and efficient
WordPress recommends Bluehost for its excellent hosting services and for being one of the top hosting service providers. This makes the web host a reliable option for your WordPress website.
One-click installation
You can quickly build and publish your WordPress site with a single click of WordPress installation. Also, it is straightforward to change the looks of your website with a drag-and-drop Website Builder.
Customer support
Bluehost offers 24/7 support for all your technical and non-technical queries. The company has a team of trained customer care executives to serve your needs robustly. Additionally, it provides online guides and video tutorials for self-analyzing website-building issues.
Money-back guarantee
A money-back guarantee helps you try out hosting services without a loss. Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to try out its services. If you are unsatisfied with the web host, you can avail of this offer.
Promotional tools
Bluehost ensures your website’s success by offering various marketing tools, add-on services, and paid ad credits. You can utilize these services to increase your website’s reach.
99.99% uptime guarantee
The web host guarantees an uptime of 99.99% for all its websites.
InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting offers an array of hosting services to meet the needs of all website owners. Whether you want shared hosting, dedicated hosting, or VPS hosting services, InMotion Hosting has it all
Features
99.999% uptime guarantee
Because of its premium bandwidth providers, InMotion Hosting offers your website a 99.999% uptime guarantee. It also has Smart Routing technology and advanced DDoS protection.
Improved website performance
InMotion Hosting reduces your website’s loading time using PHP 8, solid-state drives, and custom server caching.
Enhanced security
You can ensure your website’s security with Free SSL, DDoS protection, hack protection, and a custom firewall.
Free site migration
The web host offers free migration services to help you quickly set up your website on their platform. Its free drag-and-drop Website Builder and single-click app installer speed up the website building process.
Compatibility with open-source programs
InMotion Hosting offers hosting tools for several open-source programs, including WordPress, PrestaShop, Joomla, and b2evolution.
Conclusion
Various reasons can stop you from committing long-term to a web host. Opting for a monthly hosting plan is the best alternative in such cases. It allows you to test the hosting services and pay as your website grows. We sincerely hope our guide to the monthly subscription plans for web hosting will be helpful for your website. If unsure, you can always choose a company offering a money-back guarantee. Don’t forget to share your experience with us once you make a decision.