When signing up for hosting, you’ll notice a choice: monthly or yearly billing. Both have their perks — and a few downsides too.

Monthly plans offer flexibility. You can cancel anytime and try different hosts. Great for testing or short-term projects. But they usually cost more per month.

Yearly plans lock you in but come with big discounts. You might pay $2.99/month instead of $9.99 — saving a lot over time. Some also include free domains or SSL.

The catch? You pay upfront. And if the host isn’t great, you're stuck — unless they offer a money-back guarantee (which many do).

To see which hosts offer the best deals and trial periods, check out the side-by-side price comparisons at high-availability hosting.