Worked costs from official pages (Oct 29, 2026)
These are arithmetic on listed prices, not quotes. SiteGround's own page shows conflicting GoGeek renewal figures ($44.99 and $29.99), which is a reminder to confirm renewal at checkout. WP Engine displayed euro pricing from our location and states product renewal pricing is subject to change.
| Plan | Year 1 cash | Ongoing yearly at listed renewal/monthly rate | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround StartUp (1 site, 10GB, ~10,000 visits) | $35.88 ($2.99 x 12, prepaid) | $215.88 ($17.99 x 12) | Taxes; StartUp is shared hosting |
| Kinsta Single 35k (annual billing) | $350 | $350 at the listed annual rate | Your plugin licenses |
| Kinsta Single 35k (monthly billing) | $420 (12 x $35) before any first-month promotion | $420 | Your plugin licenses |
| DigitalOcean $12 Droplet + daily backups | $187.20 ($15.60 x 12) | $187.20 | Control panel, server administration labor |
| KnownHost Basic managed VPS + JetBackup | $626.40 (($43.25 + $8.95) x 12) | $626.40 if prices hold | Control panel license terms; confirm billing term |
The lines quotes leave out
Liquid Web's VPS cost guide lists what can raise a VPS bill: control panel licenses (cPanel, Plesk, InterWorx), automated and off-server backups, monitoring and malware scanning, premium support, provider-assisted migration, setup fees, bandwidth overages, extra IPs and renewal price changes. Use it as a checklist against any quote, managed WordPress included.
| Cost line | When you pay it | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| New hosting | At purchase, then at renewal | Full invoice for the billing term, and the renewal rate |
| Old hosting overlap | Until you cancel | Can you cancel mid-term, and is any refund prorated? |
| Backups | Monthly add-on or included | Retention, frequency, and restore cost |
| Control panel license | Monthly on many VPS plans | Included or extra? |
| Migration help | One-off or included | What is verified after the move? |
| Your time | During the move and testing | Hours x your own rate |
Worked example: is moving worth it?
Illustrative: you pay $25/month on a current host. Moving to a $12 Droplet with daily backups ($15.60) saves $9.40/month, or $112.80/year. Two months of overlap costs $50, and 8 hours of migration and testing at $50/hour is $400. Payback takes about four years, before counting ongoing server maintenance. The same arithmetic for a move to a more expensive managed plan only works if it replaces paid labor or lost sales you can name.
Approval checklist
- Year-1 cash and year-2 renewal written side by side.
- Backups, panel license and migration help priced or confirmed included.
- Overlap budget covers your full test plan, typically one billing cycle.
- Labor estimated in hours, kept separate from invoices.
- A no-move option priced for comparison.
- A maximum upfront amount and a monthly ceiling, both met. We have not verified that any migration saves money or increases sales.
Questions before you decide
Should I compare hosting by the advertised monthly price?
No. Many headline prices require prepaying 12 months and renew higher. SiteGround StartUp's $2.99 becomes $17.99 at renewal; compare year-two cost.
Does managed hosting automatically save money?
No. It costs more in cash. It saves money only if it replaces administration work you would otherwise pay for or lose time to.
Is annual billing worth it?
On Kinsta's listed Single 35k pricing, annual is $350 versus $420 on monthly billing. Prepay only after the site has run on the new host long enough to be sure you are staying.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Liquid Web: VPS cost components Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: shared hosting plans and renewal prices Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: WordPress hosting plans and pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: Droplet pricing and backup pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: managed VPS plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WP Engine: plans and pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.