United States · Shared hosting
Bluehost vs IONOS: three-year service cost and cash, including renewals
Over three years on each host's cheapest shared hosting plan, the service cost allocated to those 36 months is $144 for Bluehost and $240 for IONOS — a difference of $96.
Cash paid through three years cannot be compared here: at least one of these hosts does not publish the billing term its renewal price applies to, and we do not assume one.
The advertised prices do not tell you that. Bluehost raises its price by 2.5x on renewal against 2.0x for the other.
| Host | Cheapest plan | Advertised | On renewal | 3-year service cost | Cash paid through 3yr | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Starter | $3.99 | $9.99 2.5x | $144 $3.99/month | $144 | Full figures |
| IONOS | Essential | $4.00 | $8.00 2.0x | $240 $6.67/month | renewal term not published | Full figures |
| Neither, yet | — | — | — | — | — | Run your own period first |
Scroll sideways on a phone.
Three conditions that change the answer
- If you only want one year, the prepaid term decides it. IONOS asks for 12 months up front against 36 for the other, and the shorter commitment is worth more than a small price difference if you might leave.
- If you intend to stay past the first term, the renewal price decides it. IONOS increases by 2.0x against 2.5x, and after the introductory term ends, the renewal rate and its billing term become the main cost inputs.
- If neither of these applies cleanly, do not decide from this page. Both hosts change prices without notice, and the figures here are a record of one day.
The same comparison over every period
| Host | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | $48 | $96 | $144 | $383 |
| IONOS | $48 | $144 | $240 | $432 |
| Difference | $0 | $48 | $96 | $49 |
Service cost and cash paid are not the same number. A 48-month offer compared over three years has 36 months of service cost but a four-year invoice already paid. We show both and never call either one the total. No domain renewal, migration or overage charge is added to either. The full method is at Method.
What this comparison does not tell you
Price only. We have not hosted a site on either of these, so nothing here says anything about uptime, speed, support, or how painful a migration is. Two hosts at the same three-year cost are not the same product. Use this to rule options out on cost, then judge the rest somewhere that has actually run sites on them.
Related
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Sources: hosts' own pricing and renewal pages only. Figures last verified 2026-09-06. I have not used these products. Nothing here is a personal test result.
Ranking method and formulas: Method. Listing position on this site is not for sale.
Corrections: contact form.