Last updated: 22 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read
Where to find the amount
Do not look at the provider's advertising, look at your own invoice. Best of all the invoice of the last renewal, because it shows the price without the introductory discount.
- Wix: in your Wix account under Premium subscriptions.
- Jimdo: in your account under Subscription, where you also find the renewal date.
- IONOS: in your account under My Account and Contracts & Subscriptions. Before cancelling, IONOS expressly advises downloading your invoices.
- STRATO: in the customer login under Your contract.
- No access any more: search your bank statement for the provider's name. The payment reference often shows the contract number.
Teaser price and regular price
Many packages cost almost nothing in the first year. After that the regular price applies. That is legal and stated on the pricing page, but easy to overlook.
Two examples from the pricing pages on 22 October 2026, each including VAT:
| Plan | First year | From the second year |
|---|---|---|
| IONOS Homepage-Baukasten Plus | €1 a month, so €12 | €18 a month, so €216 |
| STRATO Homepage-Baukasten, mid-range package | €1 a month, so €12 | €12 a month, so €144 |
What can be inside the price
Two packages at the same price can include very different amounts. Check these items one by one.
- Domain: at Wix, according to the pricing page, 1 year free, then extra. At Jimdo free for the first contract term.
- Email mailbox: at IONOS, according to the pricing page, the Baukasten Plus includes a 12 GB mailbox. At Jimdo only the connection and forwarding.
- Storage: at Wix Light, according to the pricing page, 2 GB; at Jimdo Start, 30 GB.
- SSL certificate: included almost everywhere today, Let's Encrypt issues it for free.
- Extras: for example booking tools, shop or legal texts, often charged separately.
Net or gross
Watch the tax. According to its pricing page, Wix states prices without tax, and the tax depends on your billing address. Jimdo, IONOS and STRATO state prices including VAT. €14 net at Wix is €16.66 gross at 19% VAT.
As a business that can reclaim input VAT, the net amount is what counts for you. As a small business exempt from VAT (Kleinunternehmer), you pay the gross amount.
How to compare fairly
Create a table with three columns: current provider, offer A, offer B. Then enter per row:
- Yearly price after all discounts end, gross or net, but the same for all.
- Domain per year, if not included.
- Mailboxes per year.
- One-off costs such as setup or migration.
- Minimum term and notice period.
- Whether the price may rise.
- How much work you have to do yourself each month.
Worked example
A business uses Jimdo Grow. According to the pricing page, the package costs €20 a month on a 12-month term, so €240 a year including VAT. According to the pricing page, a mailbox is not included, only forwarding. If email runs with another provider, its costs come on top.
A second business has IONOS Baukasten Plus in its second year. According to the pricing page it pays €18 a month, so €216 a year, and has a 12 GB mailbox included. On paper Jimdo is more expensive here and IONOS includes more. For a fair comparison you have to add the external mailbox for Jimdo.
Calculate both cases over three years. Then you see whether switching pays off, and when the cancellation deadline falls.
Before you switch
Do not cancel first. Start by checking whether domain and mailboxes are part of the same contract. According to STRATO, cancelling a package also cancels all domains included. Before cancelling, IONOS recommends listing all mailboxes and forwardings.
At freeehouse, the yearly price is below what you pay today and is never raised. The first invoice only comes when your old contract ends.
Once you have found your current price, you can have freeehouse work out what your hosting would cost with a new website.
If you want your current website rebuilt without paying for the build: freeehouse builds it by hand, and you only pay for hosting with care, cheaper than today. Claim your spot on the waiting list
Frequently asked questions
Which amount is my real hosting price?
The yearly amount on the last renewal invoice, including domain and mailboxes. Introductory discounts do not count.
Why is my invoice higher than the price on the website?
Often the introductory discount has expired, or extras such as domains and mailboxes are charged separately. At Wix, tax comes on top, according to the pricing page.
Is €1 a month a good deal?
For the first year, yes. At IONOS and STRATO the price applies for 12 months according to the pricing pages, after which the package costs €18 or €12 a month respectively.
Do I need a mailbox in the hosting package?
Only if your email runs there. Check this before switching, because a cancelled package can take the mailboxes with it.
How often should I compare hosting prices?
Once a year, about two months before renewal. That leaves enough time for notice periods of one month, as STRATO states.
Sources
- IONOS: Homepage-Baukasten, Tarife, accessed 22 October 2026
- STRATO: Homepage-Baukasten, Tarife, accessed 22 October 2026
- Wix: Premiumpakete und Preise, accessed 22 October 2026
- Jimdo: Preise und Pakete für deine Webseite, accessed 22 October 2026
- IONOS Hilfe: Gesamten IONOS Vertrag kündigen, accessed 22 October 2026
- STRATO FAQ: Gibt es Fristen für die Vertragsbeendigung?, accessed 22 October 2026
- STRATO FAQ: Wie kann ich kündigen?, accessed 22 October 2026
- Let's Encrypt: Über uns, accessed 22 October 2026
Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.
Read more
Ready for a new website?
We're currently testing freeehouse with a first round of businesses. Claim your spot on the waiting list.