Hosting comparison
Web hosting comparison
Shopping for website hosting means comparing plans, renewal prices, and support, not just the cheapest first month. This guide compares mainstream hosts used by Australian small businesses, in plain English.
- 5/5 from owners I've worked with
- 10+
- Years working on websites
- ~24h
- Typical first response
What working together looks like
- Tell me what's going on. A short reply, no forms or sales calls.
- Honest scope and a clear quote, usually within 24 hours.
- Work done by Charlie. One person from start to finish.
Hosting comparison: what to compare
A web hosting services comparison should look at more than the headline monthly price. Check renewal cost (intro deals often jump after year one), whether SSL is included, how support works in Australian time zones, and whether the plan fits a simple brochure site or WordPress.
Domain registration is usually separate. If you are comparing domain and hosting together, see our domain pricing guide for registrar costs, then add hosting on top.
SiteSubs hosting is $20/month, powered by SiteGround and managed by me. Same underlying platform as DIY SiteGround, with setup and support handled for you. It is the first column in the table below.
Provider comparison
Web hosting providers comparison (Australia)
SiteSubs is managed hosting powered by SiteGround. DIY shared hosting prices below are approximate; confirm renewal in the cart before you buy.
| Compare | RecommendedSiteSubs | SiteGround | VentraIP | GoDaddy AU | Hostinger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical starting price | $20/mo | ~$25–35/mo | ~$10–20/mo | ~$8–15/mo* | ~$5–10/mo* |
| Renewal pricing | Flat $20/mo | Often higher | Check cart | Intro deals jump | Intro deals jump |
| Powered by | SiteGround | SiteGround | Own infra | Own infra | Own infra |
| Setup & SSL | Handled for you | You manage | You manage | You manage | You manage |
| WordPress sites | Strong fit | Strong fit | Good fit | Works | Works |
| Brochure / business sites | Good fit | Good fit | Good fit | Good fit | Good fit |
| SSL (HTTPS) | Included | Usually included | Usually included | Usually included | Usually included |
| Support when stuck | Direct with Charlie | Ticket/chat | Local support | Mixed reviews | Ticket/chat |
| Best for | Managed hosting | DIY WordPress | AU DIY owners | Domain + hosting bundle | Lowest headline price |
SiteSubs
- Typical starting price
- $20/mo
- Renewal pricing
- Flat $20/mo
- Powered by
- SiteGround
- Setup & SSL
- Handled for you
- WordPress sites
- Strong fit
- Brochure / business sites
- Good fit
- SSL (HTTPS)
- Included
- Support when stuck
- Direct with Charlie
- Best for
- Managed hosting
SiteGround
- Typical starting price
- ~$25–35/mo
- Renewal pricing
- Often higher
- Powered by
- SiteGround
- Setup & SSL
- You manage
- WordPress sites
- Strong fit
- Brochure / business sites
- Good fit
- SSL (HTTPS)
- Usually included
- Support when stuck
- Ticket/chat
- Best for
- DIY WordPress
VentraIP
- Typical starting price
- ~$10–20/mo
- Renewal pricing
- Check cart
- Powered by
- Own infra
- Setup & SSL
- You manage
- WordPress sites
- Good fit
- Brochure / business sites
- Good fit
- SSL (HTTPS)
- Usually included
- Support when stuck
- Local support
- Best for
- AU DIY owners
GoDaddy AU
- Typical starting price
- ~$8–15/mo*
- Renewal pricing
- Intro deals jump
- Powered by
- Own infra
- Setup & SSL
- You manage
- WordPress sites
- Works
- Brochure / business sites
- Good fit
- SSL (HTTPS)
- Usually included
- Support when stuck
- Mixed reviews
- Best for
- Domain + hosting bundle
Hostinger
- Typical starting price
- ~$5–10/mo*
- Renewal pricing
- Intro deals jump
- Powered by
- Own infra
- Setup & SSL
- You manage
- WordPress sites
- Works
- Brochure / business sites
- Good fit
- SSL (HTTPS)
- Usually included
- Support when stuck
- Ticket/chat
- Best for
- Lowest headline price
How it works
Web hosting plans comparison: what the tiers mean
Hosting plans comparison pages often list three or four tiers. For a local business site, the entry or middle plan is usually enough.
- 01
Shared hosting (most common)
Your site shares a server with others. Shared hosting comparison usually comes down to renewal price and support, not raw power. Fine for brochure sites and small WordPress sites.
- 02
Managed hosting
Someone handles hosting setup, SSL, and keeps the hosting environment running. SiteSubs offers this at $20/month on SiteGround if you do not want a control panel at all.
- 03
What to ignore
VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud hosting comparisons are for developers or high-traffic apps. If you run a tradie, clinic, or service business site, shared or managed hosting is the realistic choice.
- 04
Domain + hosting price comparison
Domain hosting price comparison often mixes registrar fees with hosting. Budget domain renewal ($15 to $25/year for .com.au) plus hosting ($10 to $35/month depending on host and plan). Confirm both before checkout.
Compare web hosting Australia: quick take
For a web hosting Australia comparison, SiteSubs ($20/month on SiteGround, managed by me) suits owners who want the platform without DIY setup. For DIY, SiteGround is a common pick for WordPress quality. VentraIP suits owners who want an Australian company and local support. GoDaddy is convenient if you already bought your domain there. Hostinger often wins on headline price; read renewal carefully.
No host is perfect for everyone. Cheap intro pricing, upsells at checkout, and ticket-only support are industry-wide annoyances. Pick based on what you will actually need help with after launch.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Ready when you are
Rather not compare hosts yourself?
I offer managed web hosting on SiteGround or cloud for custom builds, with DNS and setup handled. One contact, no control panel wrestling.
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