We rank vendors based on rigorous testing and research, but also take into account your feedback and our commercial agreements with providers. This page contains affiliate links. Advertising Disclosure
SiteGround’s attractive intro discounts make it seem budget-friendly, but renewal rates are higher than many top hosts. Still, it delivers performance, resources, support, and tools that budget hosts often can’t match.
Its entry-level shared hosting plan includes features that can comfortably host a small blog, database, or e-commerce store. For businesses with more demanding needs, the mid- and upper-tier plans unlock site staging tools, priority support, faster page load speeds, and more storage designed for resource-heavy projects.
SiteGround also offers fully managed and scalable cloud hosting plans, backed by guaranteed resources. Meanwhile, its reseller plans allow agencies and freelancers to offer hosting to clients with the same level of premium infrastructure and support. Note that each plan is subject to local VAT or sales tax, depending on your country or state.
We evaluated all SiteGround’s plans to determine whether they’re truly worth it and listed some more affordable alternatives below.
SiteGround Is Affordable Initially but Gets Pretty Expensive on Renewal
SiteGround’s entry-level shared hosting plan starts at a heavily discounted rate of $2.99/month for the first year. While promotional offers like this are common practice in the hosting market, this rate instantly feels very competitive. But once it’s time for renewal, it climbs steeply to $17.99/month for the same StartUp plan.
Meanwhile, comparable entry-level shared hosting plans cost between $6/month on IONOS and $11.95/month on HostArmada upon renewal. Thus, SiteGround positions its shared hosting plans as a “middle-of-the-road” option for new customers, but they become higher than most alternatives when renewals kick in.
You can pay for your subscription using a credit/debit card. Although PayPal is an option for existing customers, I think it’s a bit tricky. You have to log in to your Client Area, then contact customer support to enable payment via PayPal. You’ll also have to make this PayPal payment request each time you want to pay. It may be worth the hassle if that’s more convenient for you.
The cloud hosting plans don’t come with any initial discounts, so although the prices are also very high, they stay the same on renewal. Lastly, SiteGround offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting and 14 days for cloud hosting. It offers free domain names for the first year, daily backups, and SSL certificates across all hosting plans. But one can argue that this is common with other top-tier hosts.
The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and 4 in the US
Support
24/7 live chat, tickets, phone support, and an extensive knowledge base
While SiteGround claims to offer three types of shared hosting – basic web hosting, WordPress, and WooCommerce, they’re all actually the same service with different labels. A closer look at all its web hosting plans reveals the same available resources in each tier. That means you can build an online shop using the WooCommerce plugin even if you purchase one of SiteGround’s entry-level shared hosting plans.
All SiteGround shared hosting plans utilize the highly secure Google Cloud infrastructure, providing fast page load speeds that are ideal for e-commerce and WordPress hosting. The uptime was close to perfect, but the average loading time was often within 1 to 2 seconds. Nothing tragic, but it was a bit surprising considering the host’s in-house SuperCacher caching service.
All web hosting plans include free Let’s Encrypt standard and Wildcard SSL certificates. The latter comes in handy if you create a subdomain-based website network.
All SiteGround plans include free SSL, daily backups, and other features to protect your site
SiteGround’s entry-level StartUp plan costs $2.99/month. It allows one website, and it includes 10 GB of storage, 10,000 monthly visits, and unmetered traffic. If you want a WordPress website, for instance, this plan might suit you.
The StartUp plan’s resources are decent, but if you want more for a similar investment, Hostinger’s WordPress hosting Premium plan gives you 2.5 times more storage, free site migration, a one-year free domain, and more sites at $2.99/month. But you have to lock this rate for four years.
StartUp’s intro price applies if you opt for the annual billing cycle. You should also be aware that the renewal price for SiteGround’s entry-level plan is $17.99/month, which is 6 times higher. That doesn’t make it the best choice in the long run if you’re on a budget. However, this plan also includes a free domain name for the first year, the SuperCacher technology to ensure fast page load speeds, and WordPress optimizer plugins to boost site performance.
With GrowBig, SiteGround allows you to use its UltraFast PHP server setup
Opting for SiteGround’s GrowBig plan means you can host unlimited websites and have access to 20 GB of storage, unmetered traffic, and 100,000 monthly visits for $4.99/month. I think it offers better value for money than the entry-level plan because you’ll get twice as much storage with 10 times more capacity to handle visitors and SiteGround’s Ultrafast PHP for faster page load speed.
While most of the GrowBig plan’s features are still similar to the entry-level plan, it also comes with on-demand backup copies and site staging. Plus, you’re no longer limited to a single website. In all fairness, you can create a staging environment via a free plugin, but SiteGround makes it easier with a one-click solution built into its hosting platform.
You can download, deploy, and edit apps using Git via SiteGround’s Site Tools
With unlimited websites, 40 GB of storage space, unlimited traffic, and 400,000 monthly visits, SiteGround’s GoGeek plan is suitable for small-to-medium businesses and costs $7.99/month. You even have enough resources to run websites for multiple clients. This plan also includes white-label hosting.
While the renewal price for the GoGeek plan stands at $44.99/month, it includes free priority support, private DNS, access to the highest tier of resources, and staging with Git integrations, making it suitable for developers.
Is Shared Web Hosting Right for You?
SiteGround’s shared hosting plans cater to anything from personal websites to most small business websites. While they’re affordable at first, I think they get a bit too expensive on renewal. However, if your budget allows, you can get decent value from GrowBig and GoGeek plans.
SiteGround’s GrowBig is a good choice if you want to create several WordPress websites. It has the necessary resources, plus a staging environment and enhanced performance.
The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and 4 in the US
Support
Priority support, including 24/7 live chat, tickets, phone support, and an extensive knowledge base
SiteGround has four cloud hosting plans, all of which are fully managed, but the prices are higher than the competition’s. In comparison, Hostinger offers managed cloud hosting starting at one-twelfth of SiteGround’s price. However, SiteGround offers a dedicated IP for improved security, and with features like its Site Tools hosting panel, you can manage your cloud hosting using advanced file managers, backup tools, and many more.
What’s good about SiteGround is that you can customize your own cloud, adding as many resources as you need. It also has an auto-scale option, which instantly adds resources in case your website experiences traffic surges – something few hosting providers offer. SSL certificates are included and automatically issued to every domain on your cloud plan.
SiteGround’s cloud hosting can make it easy for you to handle multiple client accounts with its intuitive management system. You can decide how many resources each account gets. Depending on which plan you choose, your clients can have access to certain site management tools, according to your specifications. In addition to these, all plans include a standard 5 TB allowance for smooth data transfer.
You can easily customize SiteGround’s Jump Start cloud plan to get more storage, RAM, and CPU
SiteGround’s entry-level cloud hosting plan costs $100/month, and if you have the budget for it, it’s an ideal choice if you want to make the jump from shared hosting. With 4 CPU cores, 8 GB of RAM, 40 GB of SSD storage, and 5 TB of data transfer, you can grow your website and audience without having to worry about resources.
While there are enough resources to go around, SiteGround’s entry-level cloud hosting plan is pricey compared to the competition. For example, HostArmada offers shared cloud hosting, with its Speed Reaper plan costing $21.95/month and including 40 GB NVMe storage, 6 CPU cores, and 6 GB RAM. Meanwhile, Hostinger’s Cloud Enterprise plan offers 6 CPU cores, 12 GB RAM, and 300 GB NVMe storage for $64.99/month.
However, if you find the storage space insufficient, SiteGround allows you to add as much storage as you need. You can add units of 20 GB, and the price per unit is $10.
The Business plan is ideal for medium-sized businesses with higher traffic and resource demands
SiteGround’s Business plan is double the price of the entry-level plan at $200/month. Its resources double as well, except for the memory, which is increased to 12 GB. It’s a good choice with plenty of resources for high-traffic websites, such as a large online store.
Purchasing this plan doesn’t give you access to any additional features than the other cloud plans – the price increase is based on the provision of additional resources.
SiteGround’s Business Plus plan is suited for hosting different web development projects
With SiteGround’s Business Plus plan, you can run multiple large websites either for yourself or your clients. It has 12 vCPU cores, 16 GB of memory, 120 GB of SSD space, and 5 TB of data transfer. All these resources cost $300/month.
Same as with the previous plan, you don’t get any extra features, but this plan has everything you need to host websites for a range of web development clients.
The Super Power plan is perfect for enterprises needing maximum performance and scalability
SiteGround’s top-tier cloud hosting plan, Super Power, costs $400/month. It includes 16 vCPU cores, 20 GB of memory, 160 GB of SSD storage, and 5 TB of data transfer. Once again, there are no additional features, but with so many resources at hand, this plan is ideal for someone running a web development agency.
If you’re looking for something more affordable than Super Power, and with plenty of resources, you can check out HostArmada’s High Orbit Dedicated CPU plan or Hostinger’s Cloud Enterprise plan. These offer similar hosting power and resources for lower rates than SiteGround.
Is Cloud Hosting Right for You?
SiteGround’s cloud hosting is suitable for users who need a lot of resources. The services are fully managed, so you don’t have to take care of security, updates, and backups, making it easy for you to focus on your projects alone. Plus, you get speedy priority support for any technical-related issue.
The cloud hosting plans allow you to add other users (Clients) to your account with custom access privileges, and you can transfer a website to another SiteGround user.
The Jump Start plan is a good choice if you need more resources and control than shared hosting offers. It has sufficient processing power, and if you need more resources (RAM, CPU, and storage), you can easily get more without having to upgrade your entire plan. Similarly, you can downgrade your resources at any time.
The Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and 4 in the US
Support
24/7 priority live chat, tickets, phone support, and extensive knowledge base
SiteGround’s reseller hosting plans serve developers, designers, and anyone involved in website creation or management for clients. But just like the shared and cloud plans, they’re also more expensive than most providers’ reseller plans in the industry. These reseller plans are essentially repackaged variants of SiteGround’s shared and cloud hosting plans.
It merged the GrowBig and GoGeek plans from its web hosting offerings with all of its cloud hosting plans to craft the reseller hosting plans. Thus, the best choice for you ultimately depends on your resource requirements.
With GrowBig, you can manage unlimited websites using SiteGround’s WordPress optimizers
SiteGround’s GrowBig reseller plan is suitable for a small developer or designer with a handful of clients. It costs $4.99/month for the first year and renews at $29.99/month. You get 20 GB of space, unmetered bandwidth, free SSL, and unlimited websites and email accounts.
There are a few collaboration-friendly features as well. Each collaborator you add gets access to their own SiteGround Client area and Site Tools control panel for managing the sites.
SiteGround white-label hosting also offers premium server caching for improved speeds
SiteGround’s GoGeek reseller plan starts at $7.99/month and renews for $44.99/month. You can host unlimited websites within the 40 GB of SSD storage and get unlimited bandwidth. It also includes white-label hosting, which can make you look more professional to your clients. Free SSL and email accounts are included as well.
Apart from white-label hosting, GoGeek also gives you access to free private DNS, which further helps you establish your brand by allowing you to choose a custom domain name for your nameservers. Lastly, you have access to advanced priority support, meaning you’ll be put at the top of the queue if you contact support via live chat or email.
SiteGround allows you to customize its Cloud Reseller plan according to your portfolio
Since SiteGround has retired its standalone reseller plans, choosing a reseller-hosted environment now redirects you to its cloud hosting page. In effect, any cloud plan – from the base bundle to fully custom configurations – can be used to resell hosting services. The entry-level Cloud Reseller package starts at $100.00/month and renews at the same price.
The Cloud Reseller plans offer unlimited websites and up to 1 TB of SSD storage (configurable). It also includes all core reseller tools, such as white-label Site Tools, collaborator access, granular client permissions, custom hosting packages, and priority support.
This setup gives agencies and freelancers the flexibility to assign different resource levels and dashboard permissions per site. This also comes with white-label branding and the performance benefits of SiteGround’s fully managed Cloud platform.
Is Reseller Hosting Right for You?
If you only have a couple of clients, you can start with GrowBig, but keep in mind that it doesn’t include white-label hosting. However, if you have a large portfolio that requires variable resources, Cloud hosting might suit you better. If cost is still a concern, I recommend trying HostArmada’s Web Giant and Site Nova cloud reseller plans, as they also feature sufficient resources for heavy projects and cost slightly less.
SiteGround is one of the best web hosts out there, but it can become expensive when it’s time to renew. As such, I’ve put together a short list of SiteGround alternatives that are more budget-friendly and offer different features.
Hostinger’s shared hosting plans are among the most affordable on the market without compromising resources and performance. In fact, Hostinger is one of the best-performing shared hosting providers we have ever tested. To get the best prices, you have to commit for four years, but even if you don’t, it’s still more affordable than SiteGround.
Hostinger includes more resources and freebies in its plans. For instance, you get a free domain name for a year if you purchase an annual subscription, and all its plans come with more storage space. Its cloud hosting plans don’t include as many CPUs or as much RAM as SiteGround’s, but even Hostinger’s most expensive cloud plan is cheaper than SiteGround’s entry-level counterpart.
IONOS
IONOS also offers low introductory pricing, making it a budget-friendly alternative to SiteGround. Its Plus shared hosting plan starts as low as $1.00/month, and even the higher-tier Ultimate plan remains below SiteGround’s renewal rates. All shared hosting packages include essentials like free domains, free SSL, daily backups, and 24/7 support.
IONOS also stands out for its unlimited storage on mid-to-top tier plans, offering features such as scalable RAM on web hosting plans and SSD NVMe storage on its VPS plans – features that are less common in SiteGround’s ecosystem.
HostArmada
HostArmada offers cloud-based shared hosting plans that blend affordability with performance. Its Speed Reaper web hosting plan, for example, starts at just $4.94/month and includes 40 GB NVMe storage, 6 CPU cores, and 6 GB RAM. These resources are comparable to the more expensive GoGeek shared hosting and JumpStart Cloud plans on SiteGround.
Even its entry-level Start Dock plan delivers solid value, with features like 15 GB NVMe storage, 2 CPU cores, free SSL, daily backups, malware protection, and a 45-day money-back guarantee. HostArmada offers a more global footprint with multiple data centers and includes standard perks like free website migrations and responsive 24/7 support.
SiteGround Has a Lot to Offer, but Watch Out for the Renewal Prices
SiteGround is a trustworthy host that provides high-quality hosting. Its packages are satisfactory, user-friendly, and our tests have shown impressive performance outcomes. Although the costs increase after renewal, the initial term offers solid value for your money.
For a start, the StartUp shared hosting plan will give you more than enough for a simple WordPress website. After the first year, you may find it’s worth paying a higher price to stick around. If you require more resources for heavy projects, its cloud hosting, for example, provides more than enough for mid to large online storefronts, databases, and gaming platforms. Otherwise, you can always cancel and try another budget host like Hostinger.
FAQ
How much does SiteGround cost?
It depends on what you need. If you’re looking for shared hosting, the prices start at $2.99. However, if you have a large-scale project in mind that is expected to generate a lot of traffic, you might need cloud hosting, in which case you’ll spend at least $100.00/month.
Why is SiteGround so expensive?
SiteGround’s higher renewal rates reflect its premium features, including fast performance, daily backups, staging tools, and 24/7 priority support, which many cheaper hosts don’t include. However, there are other web hosts out there that offer more for less money. Hostinger is a good example, and so are IONOS and HostArmada.
What is better than SiteGround?
SiteGround is a top host, but Hostinger’s shared hosting is more affordable and delivers better performance results. SiteGround’s cloud hosting, while potent, is one of the most expensive on the market.
Is SiteGround good for WordPress?
Yes, SiteGround is suitable for WordPress-based sites. It offers an easy-to-use WordPress Starter tool that automatically installs WordPress and some of the most popular plugins. SiteGround’s WordPress plans include free SSL certificates, daily backups, a staging tool, a Dev Toolkit (SSH access, PHP version control, Git integration), collaboration tools, and more.
A .com domain is around $17.99/year and renews at $19.99/year, while extensions like .org or .net are slightly higher. Some popular extensions (like .info or .shop) cost even more. Note that SiteGround now bundles a free one-year domain for .com, .net, .org, and .us extensions. You can check out more free domains for your site.
Elijah Ugoh is a former writer and reviewer at Website Planet with expertise in web hosting and builders, cybersecurity, and B2B digital marketing. He has authored 300+ articles, including reviews, guides, and e-books. Previously, he specialized in tech app reviews, with work featured on BigScoots, The Mission, and grobot. Outside of writing, Elijah enjoys reading classic novels, watching epic films, and writing poetry.
Danielle is an editor at Website Planet, with expertise in editing product reviews, comparisons, and roundups. She ensures that published content is up to date and easy to read. With over a decade of content marketing experience, Danielle is familiar with digital marketing tools, and she enjoys learning about technical SEO and experimenting with website builders. Outside work, she’s a novice vegetable gardener and a regular concertgoer.
Thank you, - your reply was submitted successfully!your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all user comments within 48 hours to make sure they are from real people like you. We're glad you found this article useful - we would appreciate it if you let more people know about it.
Share this blog post with friends and co-workers right now:
Thank you, , your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all comments within 48 hours to make sure they're from real users like you. In the meantime, you can share your comment with others to let more people know what you think.
Thank you for signing up!
Once a month you will receive interesting, insightful tips, tricks, and advice to improve your website performance and reach your digital marketing goals!
