Spot teaser prices at website builders and hosts

Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read

What kinds of teaser prices are there?

• Limited-time monthly price. For example €1 a month for 12 months, then the regular price.
• Free month. The first month costs nothing, then a minimum term of one year applies.
• Free domain. The domain is included in the first year or the first term, after that it costs extra.
• Prepayment discount. The monthly price is low if you pay 12 or 24 months in advance.
• Net price. The price is quoted without tax, so the invoice is higher.

All of these forms are legal if they are stated on the pricing page. But they make comparing hard.

What does this look like in practice?

Examples from the pricing pages, retrieved on 22 October 2026, including VAT:

At Wix, according to the pricing page, the price is shown without tax: €14 net for the Light package is €16.66 gross at 19% VAT. At Jimdo and Squarespace there are lower monthly prices with longer prepayment.

How do I calculate correctly?

1. 1

   Take the price that applies after all promotions.

2. 2

   Convert everything to one year, and use gross or net consistently.

3. 3

   Add the domain, mailboxes and extra modules you need.

4. 4

   Calculate over three years, because the first-year price tells you nothing with promotions.

5. 5

   Note the minimum term and notice period next to it.

A worked example is in the guide Website costs over three years.

Why is the price after the promotion so important?

Because most businesses keep a website for many years. In October 2026 one business worked out for us that its website builder had become about half as much again in four years. If you choose a provider for the first year, you pay the real price in the years after, and switching with a website builder always means a rebuild.

How do I recognise a fair offer?

• The price from the second year is clearly stated.
• There is no minimum term, or a short one.
• The contract says whether and how the price may rise.
• Domain, certificate and mailbox are either clearly included or clearly itemised.
• You can take the site with you when you leave.

At freeehouse there is no teaser price: you get a fixed yearly price for hosting with care that is below what you pay today, and it is never raised. No minimum term, no setup fee. Our promises

How do I read a pricing page properly?

Look at the small print right below the price: for how many months it applies, what price comes after, whether a minimum term applies and whether tax is included. If there is an asterisk, read the footnote. It is best to take a dated screenshot of the pricing page, so you know later which conditions applied when you signed up.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• IONOS: Homepage-Baukasten, Tarife, accessed 23 October 2026
• STRATO: Homepage-Baukasten, Tarife, accessed 23 October 2026
• Wix: Premiumpakete und Preise, accessed 23 October 2026
• Jimdo: Preise und Pakete, accessed 23 October 2026

Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.

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