Confused about which web hosting plan to choose? Is an Annual plan more economical than a monthly plan? While each of them have their advantages and limitations, this article explains why you would choose each of them and how you should go about making your decision.
Web hosting is usually charged on an annual basis. With more competition in the market, hosting providers have started charging on a monthly basis as well. While this is more of a marketing gimmick it may be beneficial to the customer after all. It allows the customer to switch the hosting provider quickly and without being too dependent on a single company. Usually, it takes a couple of months to settle in to a hosting service and encounter the different problems and experience the support responsiveness of a host. The option of paying only for a couple of months rather than a full year, enables the customer to test out the services without being too dependent on their service provider.
Remembering to pay
Paying monthly may not be a practical or feasible option and may require you to be on your toes as far as the payment is concerned. Sometimes, paying for the annual plan maybe the most appropriate option and should be weighed accordingly. A major factor why people take a yearly plan is because they dont want to micromanage the billing on a monthly basis and would prefer to get over with the headache of remembering to pay so often. If you dont pay on time every month, your account may get suspended or even terminated automatically. Even if you have saved your credit card information with the hosting provider, for auto debit, Incase your credit card is lost or blocked or expires, you will again have to run around trying to prevent your account from being suspended by making a manual payment.
Savings
Many web hosts offer a discounted price on purchasing an annual or biennial plan. The higher the duration of the plan, the more discount you get. This may not be a good option if you are trying out a new web host or are not very confident about the hosting services. Many hosts offer upto a 45 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the service This may draw you in to taking a longer duration plan, but it may not always be feasible to test your website within 45 days. If you are planning a long term relationship with your hosting provider and happy with their support too, you should definitely choose the longer plans with more discount.
Freebies
You may also get freebies and a discounted price on purchasing an annual or biennial plan. Some providers also give a free domain name with every yearly plan. Others may also provide a domain name free for the life-time of renewal of an annual plan. Website template packages, Free DNS, Free toll-free numbers and Free Premium support are some of the other freebies that hosts often provide with a longer duration plan. Some of these options maybe a gimmick which you may never need or use.
Beware of the 15 year plans
Due to increasing competition, some notorious web hosting services are offering hosting plans for a duration of 15 years. You pay a dirt cheap amount for 15 years all at once. While it appears to be a cheaper option, the quality of service is as good as zero. This is just a gimmick to get your money and then let you suffer. You are bound to shift out within a couple of months due to the terrible service. When you do transfer out, you will notice that you actually ended up paying much more for a service which was not at all worth it.
If you can manage the payment schedules, then initially it is best to start with a monthly plan. If you are keen on a long relationship with your web host the yearly or biennial plans are the best option. Taking anything more, may not be a very good option, as your needs may also grow over time and your business may progress more rapidly than the capability of your web host.
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