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Hosting Cost Calculator

Estimate your monthly bandwidth and a rough cost range for three common hosting options. Everything runs in your browser.

Unique visitors per month. We assume 2.5 pages per visit.

Total transfer per page, including images and scripts. Check the Network tab in DevTools.

App type
Needs a database?

Your estimate

Monthly bandwidth
36.6 GB
Page views
25,000

Estimated bandwidth 36.6 GB per month. Free tier: $0 per month. Budget VPS: $4–$12 per month. Managed platform: $0–$20 per month.

  • Free tier

    $0/mo

    Works for this setup

    • A good fit for static sites at this traffic level.

  • Budget VPS

    $4–$12/mo

    Works for this setup

    • You manage OS updates, backups and security yourself.
    • Usually overkill for a static site.

  • Managed platform

    $0–$20/mo

    Works for this setup

    • No servers to maintain; deploys from Git.

Estimates only, check provider pricing. Based on 2.5 pages per visit and typical plan prices reviewed in October 2026. Real bills depend on caching, compression, compute usage and each provider's current plans.

If you are choosing a host

One option per tier, with the trade-offs we would want to know about.

  • Example Static Host

    Free tier for static sites with a global CDN and Git-based deploys.

    Pros

    • Generous free tier for static sites
    • Automatic HTTPS and CDN
    • Deploys on every Git push

    Cons

    • No long-running server processes
    • Bandwidth caps on the free tier
    Visit Example Static Host(opens in a new tab)Affiliate link

  • Example Budget VPS

    Low-cost virtual server for Node apps and small databases you manage yourself.

    Pros

    • Lowest cost for always-on Node apps
    • Full root access
    • Predictable flat monthly price

    Cons

    • You handle updates, backups and security
    • Scaling is manual
    Visit Example Budget VPS(opens in a new tab)Affiliate link

  • Example Managed Platform

    Push-to-deploy platform with managed databases, logs and autoscaling.

    Pros

    • No server maintenance
    • Managed databases and backups
    • Easy preview environments

    Cons

    • Costs climb quickly with traffic
    • Less control over the runtime
    Visit Example Managed Platform(opens in a new tab)Affiliate link

How the estimate works

Hosting bills for most small and medium sites come down to two things: how much data you send to visitors (bandwidth) and what kind of server you need to run your code. This calculator estimates both from four inputs and turns them into a monthly price range for three common tiers.

Step 1: bandwidth

We multiply your monthly visitors by an average of 2.5 pages per visit to get page views, then multiply page views by your average page size. Dividing by 1,024 converts megabytes into gigabytes. Page size should be the total transferred per page, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, fonts and images. You can find it at the bottom of the Network tab in your browser's DevTools.

Step 2: app type and database

A static site is just files, so it can be served from a CDN for little or nothing. A Node app needs a process running somewhere, which rules out the cheapest static-only plans and adds a base cost. A database adds either a managed add-on or a larger server to host it yourself.

Step 3: the three tiers

  • Free tier: $0, as long as you stay within roughly 100 GB of bandwidth per month. Server apps may sleep when idle.
  • Budget VPS: about $4–$12 per month for a small server with around 1000 GB of transfer included. The cheapest way to run an always-on app, but you maintain it.
  • Managed platform: a base plan plus a database add-on if needed. Usually around 100 GB of bandwidth is included, and extra traffic is billed per GB, which is why costs on this tier grow fastest with traffic.

What the estimate leaves out

Real bills also depend on CDN caching, compression, CPU and memory usage, storage, build minutes and team seats. Treat the result as a planning range: it tells you which tier makes sense and roughly what to budget, not the exact amount on your invoice. Prices change often, so check the provider's pricing page before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

How much bandwidth does a website use per month?

Multiply monthly visitors by pages per visit and by average page size. With 2.5 pages per visit, 10,000 visitors on 1.5 MB pages use about 37 GB per month. Caching and compression can lower the real number.

Is free hosting enough for a real project?

Often, yes, for static sites. Most free plans include around 100 GB of bandwidth per month, which covers tens of thousands of visitors with lean pages. Server apps on free plans may sleep when idle, which adds a delay to the first request.

When should I choose a VPS over a managed platform?

Pick a VPS when you want the lowest monthly price for an always-on app and you are comfortable handling updates, backups and security. Pick a managed platform when your time is worth more than the extra cost, or when you need easy scaling and managed databases.

How accurate is this hosting cost estimate?

It is a rough range for planning, not a quote. It uses typical plan prices and bandwidth allowances, and it does not include compute-heavy workloads, storage, email or add-ons. Always check the provider's current pricing page before you commit.