Two hosting offers with the same headline price can cost very different amounts by the second year. Before comparing hosts, read each price for these six things.
1. The renewal price
Many hosts quote a discounted first term, often tied to paying two to four years upfront, and renew at a higher list price. Look for the words "renews at" in the small print and compare those figures, not the first ones.
2. The billing term
A monthly figure may only be available when you pay for several years at once. Check what you are charged today and how long that payment covers.
3. The currency
A price set in US dollars changes in your own currency every time the exchange rate moves, renewals included. A price set in your own currency does not.
4. The tax
Some prices are shown before VAT and some after. In Egypt the standard VAT rate is 14%, so a price shown without it is 14% short of what you pay.
5. What is included
- SSL certificates, and whether they renew on their own.
- Backups: how often they run and how long they are kept.
- Email accounts, and how many.
- Traffic or page-view limits, and what happens when you reach them.
- Moving your site from the current host.
6. Where the server is, and what the terms say
The distance to the server sets the first delay on every page, and the cancellation and refund terms decide what happens if the plan does not suit you. Read both before you pay, not after.
