Hostinger
Sponsored link. Scores are independent of commissions. Pricing verified June 2026.
Cheap hosting and a site builder with a free first-year domain. The headline rate needs a multi-year commitment to lock in.
This is a researched profile of Hostinger, built from its own pages and docs, not yet hands-on.
Built for, and not
Built for
- Solo service-business owners who want a presentable website for under $5 a month and are fine prepaying for years
- Owners who want AI to generate a simple site in under an hour without hiring a designer
- Anyone on the Business plan who wants built-in appointment booking without a separate scheduling tool
Skip this if
- Owners who want predictable long-term costs. The renewal rate is roughly three to four times the promo
- Businesses that need a client portal, memberships, or heavy automation. There is no app store to extend it
- Anyone unwilling to prepay a multi-year term up front for the headline price
How we scored Hostinger
Editorial score, weighted by the criteria below. Full methodology →
What it really costs
Full pricing breakdownPaid plans start at $2.99/mo (Premium).
Premium
$2.99/mo
100 sites; 48-mo term. Renews ~$10.99/mo
Annual billing usually lowers the effective rate. Confirm current numbers on the vendor page before buying.
Real-cost reality
The $2.99 a month Premium rate is a 48-month prepay, billed as roughly $144 up front. When the term ends it renews near $10.99 a month, about three to four times the promo. The free domain and email mailboxes are first-year only. Budget for the renewal, not the sticker.
Watch out for
- The headline rate requires a 48-month term paid up front; there is no cheap monthly option
- Renewal is roughly three to four times the promo (Premium about $10.99, Business about $16.99)
- The free domain and the included email mailboxes are first-year only
- Online booking and e-commerce need the Business plan, not Premium
Pricing verified June 2026
Pros and cons
What works
- Genuinely cheap entry point for a basic business website
- AI site builder gets you online fast, with SSL and a free first-year domain
- Built-in appointment booking on the Business plan, with no Hostinger transaction fee
Watch before buying
- Renewal pricing jumps to roughly three to four times the promo
- Requires a multi-year prepay for the headline rate
- No app store, no client portal, limited extensibility
01
What Hostinger is
Hostinger is budget web hosting and a website builder, framed here for a service-business owner who wants a cheap, presentable site. The AI builder can generate a basic site in minutes, and the Business plan adds built-in appointment booking.
02
The pricing reality
The cheap headline rate is real but conditional: it requires a multi-year term paid up front, and the renewal lands at roughly three to four times the promo. The free domain and email are first-year perks. It is genuinely inexpensive for the first term and merely average after.
03
Where it falls short
Extensibility is thin. There is no app store, no membership or client-portal feature, and template switching is destructive. It suits a simple brochure-plus-booking site, not a system you will grow complex workflows on.
Our verdict
A solid budget pick for a simple service-business website, as long as you go in clear-eyed about the renewal. For a five-page site with a contact form and a booking widget, the first-term value is hard to match. Need a client portal or real automation and you have outgrown it. Our score reflects researched sources and verified user reviews, not hands-on testing.
Integrations
Google CalendarNativeBooking sync on the Business plan
StripeNativeBuilder store checkoutSupport and mobile
Support
Around-the-clock live chat and a deep knowledge base, but no phone support. Trustpilot sits around 4.7 across tens of thousands of reviews, with fast chat response the common praise and billing or refund friction the common complaint.
Mobile
There is no dedicated builder app. You edit from a phone browser, which works for quick changes but is not a real field tool. Management happens in the hPanel dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Hostinger.
What does Hostinger really cost after the promo?
The $2.99 Premium plan is a 48-month prepay, about $144 up front. After the term it renews near $10.99 a month, roughly three to four times the headline. The Business plan renews near $16.99.
Do I really get a free domain?
Yes, one domain free for the first year on annual or longer plans. After year one it renews at the standard rate. Cancel hosting within 30 days for a refund and the domain cost is deducted.
Is Hostinger good for a service business website?
It is fine for a simple site: a few pages, a contact form, SSL, email, and on the Business plan a booking widget. It is not the tool for client portals, memberships, or heavy automation.
Can Hostinger handle online booking?
Yes, on the Business website builder plan. Its scheduler supports paid or free appointments, Google Calendar sync, availability rules, and many payment methods with no Hostinger transaction fee. The cheaper Premium plan does not include it.