Almost every new website starts with low traffic. A new blog, a small business page, a portfolio or a side project might get a few dozen visitors a day for the first months. That is normal.
The problem is that many people pay for hosting as if they already had thousands of visitors. They buy big plans, long contracts and paid extras they do not need yet.
You do not have to do that. A small site runs perfectly well on a small, affordable plan. When your traffic grows, you can move up to a bigger plan or switch to a better host. Many hosts will even move your site for you for free.
This guide lists seven hosts that are a good, affordable starting point for a new or low traffic site. Every price was checked in September 2026, and we show the renewal price next to the starting price, because that is the price you will pay after the first term.
Quick answer
|
What you need |
Best pick |
Starts at |
Renews around |
Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Best overall for a new site |
Hostinger |
$2.99/mo |
$10.99/mo |
Fast servers, easy panel, recommended on WordPress.org |
|
Try hosting for one cent |
InterServer |
$0.01 first month |
$7/mo, flat |
Coupon ISPENNYHOSTING, and the price does not climb |
|
Lowest long term cost |
Spaceship |
About $20 first year |
About $29/year |
Tiny renewal, cPanel, free trial |
|
Cheap and familiar cPanel |
Namecheap |
$2.28/mo |
$5.88/mo |
Standard cPanel, gentle renewal jump |
|
Cheapest first year |
IONOS |
$1/mo |
About $8 to $14/mo |
Very low start, 24/7 phone support |
|
Pay month to month |
DreamHost |
$2.89/mo |
$10.99/mo |
Monthly billing, 97 day refund window |
|
First website with phone help |
Bluehost |
$3.99/mo |
$9.99/mo |
Guided setup, 24/7 phone support |
Short on time? For most new sites, pick Hostinger. If you want to test first without spending money, start with InterServer for $0.01.
What we mean by “cheap”
In this post, cheap means affordable, not low quality.
Every host on this list is a real company with free SSL, one click WordPress install and support you can reach. They are cheap because a small site does not need much server power, so you should not pay for much server power.
What we do not recommend: random hosts selling “unlimited everything” for pennies with no track record. Saving $1 a month is not worth losing your site.
What counts as a low traffic site?
There is no official number, but here is a simple rule of thumb:
- A few hundred to about 10,000 visits a month: any plan on this list will handle it easily.
- About 10,000 to 25,000 visits a month: still fine on shared hosting, especially with a caching plugin.
- Well above that, or a busy online store: time to think about a bigger plan or a different type of hosting.
All seven picks below are shared hosting, which means your site shares one server with other sites. That is exactly why it is cheap, and for a new site it is exactly enough. If you want to understand shared hosting better, see our shared web hosting comparison.
You are not stuck with your first host
This is the most important thing to know before you buy.
You can always upgrade. Every host on this list has bigger plans. When your site grows, you click upgrade and pay more. You do not need to buy the big plan on day one “just in case”.
You can always move. If your host gets slow, expensive or annoying, you can move your site to a different host. Hostinger, InterServer, Namecheap and Bluehost all offer free migration help, so their team copies your site across for you.
So do not overthink the first choice. Pick an affordable host that fits your site today, and change later when you actually need to.
Best cheap web hosts for low traffic sites
1. Hostinger (best overall for a new site)
Best for: most new blogs, portfolios and small business sites.
Price: from about $2.99 a month, renews near $10.99 a month.
Hostinger gives you a lot for a small price. The servers are faster than most budget hosts, and the control panel is easy enough for a first time website owner.
What you get:
- LiteSpeed servers and NVMe storage, which help small sites load fast
- hPanel, Hostinger’s own control panel, which beginners find simple
- Free SSL, free email and a free domain for the first year
- Data centres in many countries, so you can pick one close to your visitors
- Free website migration if you are moving from another host
- A place on the WordPress.org recommended hosting page
Watch out for: the lowest price needs a 48 month sign up, paid upfront. There is no phone support. And the renewal is about the same as most big hosts, so plan for it.
2. InterServer (try it for one cent)
Best for: anyone who wants to test hosting without risk, and anyone who hates renewal surprises.
Price: $2.50 for the first month, or $0.01 with coupon code ISPENNYHOSTING. Then $7 a month, flat.
InterServer is the easiest way to start a new site for almost nothing. Use the coupon, pay one cent, and you get a full month of real hosting. If you like it, you keep going at $7 a month. That price does not jump after the first year.
What you get:
- Unlimited storage, bandwidth, email accounts and websites
- Free SSL, weekly backups and a free Cloudflare CDN
- Free migration help for existing sites
- InterShield, their own malware and attack protection
- A company that has run its own data centres since 1999
Watch out for: the Standard plan uses DirectAdmin, not cPanel. Data centres are in the United States only, and there is no free domain.
One cent checkout tip: pick the 1 month billing cycle, enter ISPENNYHOSTING, and switch off the Domain Transfer option (it is on by default and adds $15). Full step by step guide: InterServer 1 cent coupon code.
3. Spaceship (lowest long term cost)
Best for: small sites that will stay small for a while, and people who want the renewal to stay cheap too.
Price: Essential plan from about $20 for the first year, renews near $29 a year.
Spaceship is a newer brand from the team behind Namecheap. Its entry hosting plan is one of the cheapest you can find, and the big win is the renewal. It stays under $30 a year, which is less than one month on some hosts.
What you get:
- cPanel with a one click app installer
- Up to 5 domains on the entry plan
- Fast NVMe cloud storage and free SSL
- A free trial on shared hosting, so you can test before paying
- Free professional email for the first year
Watch out for: automatic backups cost extra, and you have to move an existing site yourself (their support can guide you). The entry plan is small, which is fine for a new site but not for a busy one.
4. Namecheap (cheap and familiar cPanel)
Best for: people who know cPanel, or want to follow online tutorials that use it.
Price: Stellar plan from about $2.28 a month for the first year, then about $5.88 a month.
Namecheap was on this list back in 2017, and it still earns its spot. The price is low, the renewal only roughly doubles (many hosts triple or more), and you get standard cPanel, so every tutorial you read will match your screen.
What you get:
- Standard cPanel
- Three websites and 20 GB SSD on the Stellar plan
- Free SSL and free website migration
- Domain and hosting in one account, if you want that
Watch out for: shared plans are basic. Speed is fine for small sites and not much more. If you want to compare other registrar and hosting options, see our Namecheap alternatives guide.
5. IONOS (cheapest first year)
Best for: people who want the lowest possible first year price and like having phone support.
Price: from about $1 a month for the first year on a 12 month term. Renewal depends on the plan, roughly $8 to $14 a month.
IONOS (the company formerly called 1&1) has been in hosting for decades. Its $1 a month first year is one of the lowest real prices you will find from a big company, and unlike many budget hosts, it gives you 24/7 phone support.
What you get:
- A very low first year price with a short 12 month contract, not 3 or 4 years
- A free domain for the first year
- Free SSL and one click WordPress install
- 24/7 phone support
Watch out for: the renewal jump is big. Going from $1 to $8 or more a month is a lot in percentage terms. Put a reminder in your calendar before your first year ends, and decide then whether to renew, switch plans or move.
6. DreamHost (best for paying monthly)
Best for: people who do not want to pay a whole year upfront for a site that is still an idea.
Price: from about $2.89 a month on a long term, renews near $10.99 a month. Monthly billing available.
DreamHost lets you pay month to month on shared hosting, which many big hosts do not allow. It also has a 97 day money back guarantee, the longest in the industry by far. That gives you more than three months to decide if your new site is worth keeping.
What you get:
- Real monthly billing on shared hosting
- A 97 day money back guarantee
- Daily backups on the entry plan
- A free domain for the first year on annual plans
Watch out for: no phone support on standard plans, and the control panel is DreamHost’s own, not cPanel. If monthly payment matters most to you, see our full list of hosts that let you pay monthly.
7. Bluehost (best for your very first website)
Best for: complete beginners who want a guided setup and a phone number to call.
Price: Starter plan from about $3.99 a month on a 36 month term, renews near $9.99 a month.
Bluehost was also on our original list, and it is still a good choice for first timers. The setup walks you from nothing to a live WordPress site, and you can call support 24/7 when you get stuck. It is one of the three hosts listed on the WordPress.org hosting page.
What you get:
- Guided WordPress setup for beginners
- 24/7 phone and chat support
- Free domain for the first year and free SSL
- Free WordPress migration help
Watch out for: shared plans must be paid at least a year upfront, with no monthly option. Extras like automatic backups cost more. If any of that bothers you, our Bluehost alternatives guide covers better fits for different needs.
Price comparison
| Host | Starts at | Renews around | Billing | Control panel | Free migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | Up to 48 months | hPanel | Yes |
| InterServer | $0.01 first month | $7/mo, flat | Monthly or yearly | DirectAdmin | Yes |
| Spaceship | About $20/year | About $29/year | Yearly | cPanel | No, do it yourself |
| Namecheap | $2.28/mo | $5.88/mo | Yearly | cPanel | Yes |
| IONOS | $1/mo | About $8 to $14/mo | 12 months | IONOS panel | Check at sign up |
| DreamHost | $2.89/mo | $10.99/mo | Monthly available | DreamHost panel | Plugin for WordPress |
| Bluehost | $3.99/mo | $9.99/mo | 12 months minimum | Bluehost panel | Yes, for WordPress |
Prices checked in September 2026. Hosts change prices often, and the lowest price usually needs the longest term. Always check the renewal price at checkout before you pay.
How to pick the right one in 30 seconds
- Just starting, want one simple answer: Hostinger.
- Want to test first without paying: InterServer for $0.01.
- Want the smallest bill for years: Spaceship.
- Already know cPanel: Namecheap.
- Want the cheapest first year and phone support: IONOS.
- Do not want a yearly contract: DreamHost.
- Nervous beginner who wants to call someone: Bluehost.
Tips to keep your hosting bill low
Buy the smallest plan that fits. A new site with low traffic does not need the “Pro” or “Business” plan. You can upgrade in a few clicks later.
Look at the renewal price, not only the first price. A $1 plan that renews at $14 can cost more over three years than a $2.50 plan that renews at $7.
Skip add ons you do not need yet. Paid backups, SEO tools and “site lock” extras are often added to your cart by default. Remove what you do not need.
Keep your domain separate from your hosting. The “free domain” is only free for one year, and keeping it inside your hosting account makes moving harder later. Register it at a proper registrar instead. See our list of the best domain name registrars.
Use a caching plugin. It makes a small plan feel much faster and helps you stay on the cheap plan longer.
When to upgrade or move
Your cheap host has done its job when you see signs like these:
- Pages load slowly even with caching turned on
- Your host warns you about using too many resources
- Your traffic is steadily above 25,000 or so visits a month
- You start selling online and speed now costs you money
When that happens, first try a bigger plan at the same host. If that is not enough, move to a stronger host. Remember that many hosts move your site for free, so switching is much easier than it sounds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cheap web host for a low traffic site?
Hostinger, for most people. It is affordable, fast, easy to use and recommended on WordPress.org. If you want to try hosting before paying properly, InterServer costs $0.01 for the first month with coupon code ISPENNYHOSTING.
Is cheap hosting good enough for a new website?
Yes. A new site usually gets low traffic, and shared hosting handles that easily. Paying for a big plan before you have visitors wastes money.
Which host is cheapest over the long term?
Spaceship, with an entry plan that renews for under $30 a year. InterServer is also good for long term budgeting because its $7 a month price does not rise after the first year.
Can I upgrade my hosting later?
Yes. Every host on this list has bigger plans, and upgrading usually takes a few clicks. You can also move to a different host at any time.
Do web hosts charge to move my site?
Many do not. Hostinger, InterServer, Namecheap and Bluehost offer free migration help. Some hosts, like Spaceship, expect you to move the site yourself.
Can I pay for hosting monthly?
Yes, with InterServer and DreamHost. Bluehost, Namecheap and Spaceship ask for at least a year upfront on their shared plans.
Is there still a one cent hosting deal?
Yes. HostGator no longer offers its old one cent deal, but InterServer does. Use coupon code ISPENNYHOSTING on the monthly plan to pay $0.01 for your first month.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them. It costs you nothing extra.
Update log
September 2026: Full rewrite. Expanded the list from five hosts to seven and added a quick comparison table, a price table, upgrade and migration guidance, and an FAQ. Added Hostinger, InterServer, Spaceship, IONOS and DreamHost. Kept Namecheap and Bluehost with updated prices. Removed HostGator, which no longer runs its one cent offer. Removed iPage, which is no longer in business. Removed GoDaddy, whose entry hosting renews much higher than the other picks. Replaced broken links and outdated prices throughout.
February 2018: Previous update.
September 2017: First published.
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