The honest answer
What you pay for shared hosting in India depends on how many websites you need, how much storage you get and how long you commit for. The catch is that advertised prices usually assume a long upfront term, often 36 months. Pay monthly and the per-month price goes up. Below we use real, published prices instead of guesses, so you can see how those factors play out.
What drives the price
Five things decide what you pay:
- Billing term. Longer terms get the biggest discounts.
- Number of websites. Single-site plans are cheapest. Plans for three or five sites cost more.
- Storage and bandwidth. More NVMe disk space and bandwidth cost more.
- Extras. Email accounts, databases, backups and SSL are sometimes bundled and sometimes sold separately.
- Renewal rate. Many hosts discount the first term heavily and renew at a higher price.
A real example: WhyShared's current pricing
Rather than quote vague industry ranges, here are WhyShared's listed shared hosting prices at the time of writing, for a 36-month term:
| Plan | Price on 36-month term | Regular price | Websites | NVMe storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | ₹49/mo | ₹249/mo | 1 | 4 GB |
| Starter | ₹109/mo | ₹399/mo | 1 | 10 GB |
| Gold | ₹179/mo | ₹599/mo | 3 | 20 GB |
| Platinum | ₹249/mo | ₹799/mo | 5 | 40 GB |
So the Lite plan works out to ₹1,764 billed for 36 months. Shorter terms (24, 12 or 1 month) are also available at different rates. Prices change, so always check the live pricing page before you buy.
Don't forget GST
Web hosting in India attracts GST. Hosting falls under SAC code 998315, which covers hosting and IT infrastructure provisioning, and Domain India's GST guide and Busy's SAC reference both list it at 18%. If you're GST-registered and the hosting is for business use, you can generally claim input tax credit, so ask your CA.
When comparing hosts, check whether the price shown includes GST or adds it at checkout. That alone can change which plan is cheaper.
Other costs to budget for
- Domain name. A .in domain is ₹699/year and a .com is ₹1,068/year on WhyShared's domain search at the time of writing. Other registrars vary.
- Premium themes or plugins, if you use WordPress.
- Business email, if your plan's included accounts aren't enough.
- Paid SSL, only if you need organisation-level validation. Most small sites don't. We explain why in is free SSL enough for a small business.
How to compare plans fairly
Work out the total cost over the term, not the monthly figure. A quick checklist:
- Multiply the monthly rate by the months you're committing to
- Add GST if it isn't included
- Check the renewal price, not just the first-term price
- Confirm SSL, backups and migration are included
- Check how many websites the plan allows if you have more than one
If two plans cost nearly the same, choose the one with daily backups and free migration. You'll be glad of both the day something breaks.
Frequently asked questions
Is ₹49 per month hosting real?
Yes, but it's typically tied to a long prepaid term and a single website with limited storage. Read what the plan includes before you assume it fits your needs.
Do I have to pay for three years upfront?
No. Most hosts, including WhyShared, offer 1, 12, 24 and 36-month billing. Longer terms just cost less per month.
Does shared hosting include a domain?
Not always. Many plans charge for the domain separately, so check before you order.
Is cheap shared hosting good enough for a business site?
For most small business sites, yes, as long as it includes SSL, backups and decent support. Upgrade when traffic or resource needs outgrow it.