The five clauses and why they matter
- Renewal: when the charge happens, for what term, and how much notice cancelling requires. Missing a notice window can commit you to another full term.
- Refunds: the window, whether it applies to your plan type, and what is excluded, such as domains or add-ons.
- Resource enforcement: what is measured, what overages cost, and whether the host throttles or limits access.
- Suspension: what triggers it and whether notice is given first. A suspended course site means students locked out.
- Data after termination: whether you get time to export, and who is responsible for backups.
What each host publishes
| Host | Renewal and notice | Refunds | Resource enforcement and suspension | Data and backups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | Auto-renews 15 days before expiry on 12+ month plans, 5 days on monthly; toggle in Renewal Settings | 30 days on shared, 14 days on Cloud; domain fees, paid support and third-party services excluded; renewals refunded in full if cancelled within 30 days of payment and before the new term starts, otherwise partly, minus the first month | Fair use CPU-second thresholds; access may be limited for extreme or repeated over-usage | Terms of Service text not summarized here; check the data clauses there |
| Kinsta | Renews automatically for the shorter of the previous period or 12 months; schedule termination in MyKinsta | Fees non-refundable except as stated in the agreement | Overage rates in billing docs; access may be limited in extreme overages; suspension after an uncorrected violation following 24 hours' notice, among other grounds | Terms give no deletion timeline for hosted data |
| WP Engine | Renews for the same term unless notice of non-renewal is given at least 30 days before expiry | Fees not refundable except as stated; prorated refund of unused annual fees if WP Engine terminates for convenience | Overages invoiced monthly in arrears; suspension for breach not cured within 10 days of notice, or overdue fees | No access to the User Portal after termination; customer must keep a complete offline copy |
| Liquid Web | Orders renew automatically; written non-renewal notice at least 30 days before term end; early termination charges apply | Services non-cancellable and fees non-refundable; no money-back guarantee in the terms | Outbound bandwidth overages per the order; suspension usually with notice and a chance to cure | Customer responsible for all backups; data on a compromised server may be destroyed during suspension |
| KnownHost | Renewal notice emailed 14 days before; card charged 2 days before; written cancellation at least 7 days before the term ends | 30 days for new customers; excludes dedicated servers, domains, SSL and additional packages; void if bandwidth limit exceeded | Bandwidth overages $20 per TB, or suspension or required upgrade; accounts more than 5 days past due made inactive | Customer ultimately responsible for backups; shared, WordPress and some other plans get one weekly and two recent daily backups, unmanaged plans none |
| DigitalOcean | Recurring billing until you cancel; powered-off Droplets are still billable | Fees non-refundable except as otherwise agreed | Acceptable Use Policy applies; suspension if use poses a security risk | Termination may cause immediate destruction of data; customer solely responsible for backups and for exporting before termination |
Auto-renewal: the clause that costs the most
SiteGround's GrowBig plan is listed at $4.99 a month for the first 12 prepaid months and $29.99 a month at renewal. Over a year that is $59.88 at the introductory price and $359.88 at the renewal price, charged 15 days before the plan expires. If you plan to leave, set a reminder at least three weeks before expiry, not on the expiry date.
Notice periods matter more than the charge date at hosts with contract-style terms. WP Engine and Liquid Web each require notice at least 30 days before the term ends, and KnownHost requires cancellation at least 7 days before the term ends, sent from the primary email address on file and including the plan's main IP and hostname.
Refunds: read the exclusions, not the headline
A money-back period rarely covers everything on the invoice. SiteGround excludes domain fees and says they may still be due on cancellation even if a promotion waived them. KnownHost excludes dedicated servers, domains, SSL certificates and any extra packages, and voids the guarantee if you exceed the bandwidth limit. SiteGround's Cloud window is 14 days rather than 30.
Kinsta, WP Engine, Liquid Web and DigitalOcean terms each describe fees as non-refundable except where stated. If a sales page promises a guarantee, save a dated copy of it with your order, because the terms point back to what is expressly stated.
Data after termination: plan your own exit
None of the terms we read set out a guaranteed window to retrieve site data after an account ends. DigitalOcean says termination may result in immediate forfeiture and destruction of data and that you are responsible for exporting before termination. WP Engine says you lose User Portal access. Liquid Web and KnownHost put backups on the customer.
For a course business that means the export happens before the cancellation request: a full file and database copy, a mail export if mailboxes live on the host, and a copy of DNS records. Our old host cancellation checklist walks through that order.
Pre-purchase checklist
- Save a dated PDF of the terms, acceptable use policy and plan page on the day you buy.
- Write down the renewal date, renewal price and notice deadline in your calendar.
- Confirm whether the refund window covers your plan type and which line items are excluded.
- Find the resource metric that applies to you (visits, bandwidth, CPU seconds) and its overage price.
- Find the suspension clause and whether notice is promised before action.
- Confirm who is responsible for backups and keep an off-host copy regardless.
- On cloud servers, remember that stopping a server does not stop billing; DigitalOcean says to destroy a Droplet to stop charges.
Questions before you decide
Does powering off a DigitalOcean Droplet stop the bill?
No. DigitalOcean's documentation says powered-off Droplets are still billable; to stop charges you destroy the Droplet, after taking any snapshot you need.
How much notice does WP Engine need if I do not want to renew?
Its terms say notice of intent not to renew must be given no later than 30 days before the active term expires.
Is a domain included in SiteGround's money-back guarantee?
No. SiteGround says domain name fees are not refundable and may be due on cancellation even if waived by a promotion.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- SiteGround: What is your refund policy? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: When will I be billed for renewal? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: Fair use of hosting services Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: WordPress hosting plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: Terms of Service Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: WordPress hosting overages Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: Terms of Service Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: Terms of Service Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: Terms of Service Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: Terms of Service Agreement Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: doctl droplet-action power-off Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.