Quick verdict
A VPS pricing page is trying to win the click, not describe year two. Three providers you can actually open make the pattern obvious.
If the server will run for a year and you want 4 GB RAM plus a panel, Hostinger’s intro rate around $4.99/month is the cheap path — check renewal before you lock 12 months. If you might delete the box next month, Vultr or DigitalOcean hourly is cheaper even when the sticker looks higher. Do not compare a 1 GB $6 plan with a 4 GB $4.99 plan as if they were the same product.
See Hostinger’s current intro rate
KVM 1 is 4 GB RAM. Confirm the cycle and the renewal before you pay. This is a sponsored link.
Two pricing models, not one cheap list
| Hostinger | Vultr | DigitalOcean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the homepage sells | Intro monthly rate on a long cycle | Hourly, always-on equivalent | Hourly / per-second Droplets |
| Entry RAM on the cheap sticker | 4 GB on KVM 1 (~$4.99/mo intro) | 1 GB on the ~$6/mo plan | 1 GB on the ~$6/mo plan |
| 4 GB RAM, apples to apples | KVM 1, ~$4.99/mo intro | About $24/mo | About $24/mo |
| When it is actually cheap | You keep the server 12+ months | You test, resize, or kill it | Same as Vultr, plus managed extras later |
| Hidden line | Renewal is higher than intro | 1 GB is too small for WordPress | Same 1 GB trap |
Those 4 GB figures are the ones already published in the Hostinger review. Intro rates assume a longer Hostinger cycle. Vultr and DigitalOcean do not need a 12-month lock to get the list price.
Read the cycle, not the badge
Hostinger: the $4.99 number is a first-cycle price. Month-to-month is higher. After renewal, the rate goes up. If you cannot commit 12 months, do not use the intro figure in a spreadsheet.
Vultr and DigitalOcean: there is no intro theater on the compute line. You pay for hours. A weekend test costs hours, not a year. A box that runs 24/7 for 12 months costs about 12 times the monthly equivalent.
SiteGround-style shared hosting also uses intro vs renewal. That is a different product. This page is VPS. Managed WordPress pricing lives on the 2026 WordPress comparison.
Credits are not the price
Vultr new-account credit ($300 in 30 days, as published on this site) and DigitalOcean credit ($200 in 60 days) change the first invoice, not the catalog. Use them to spin a 4 GB node, run WordPress or a stack test, then decide. After the credit window you are on hourly list price.
Open hourly and test a node
If the project might die in 30 days, do not buy a 12-month Hostinger cycle. These are sponsored links.
Add-ons that change the invoice
- Backups and snapshots: budget providers rarely include a trustworthy backup. Price the add-on or your own off-box copy.
- Bandwidth overage: cheap plans cap transfer. A spike is a line item, not a surprise feature.
- Control panel vs terminal: hPanel is in the Hostinger rate. On Vultr or DigitalOcean you are paying with time if you are not comfortable in the console.
- Managed databases: DigitalOcean starts to win when PostgreSQL or Redis as a service is the next buy, not when you only needed 4 GB of RAM.
A 12-month view, with one honest gap
Do not build a fake exact renewal table. Hostinger does not publish one number that stays true for every plan and promo. Do this instead:
- Write down RAM, not the marketing name of the plan.
- Write down whether you can kill the server without a leftover year.
- For Hostinger, take intro × months in the prepaid cycle, then look at the renewal quoted in the cart.
- For Vultr or DigitalOcean, take monthly equivalent × 12 if it will stay up, or hours × rate if it will not.
On RAM-per-dollar, Hostinger KVM 1 still beats a ~$24 4 GB Droplet in year one if you actually keep it. On flexibility, hourly wins. That is the whole comparison.
Pick a plan, then a region
Pricing pages love to lead with Singapore or Tokyo as if the city were the product. Open the account first. Singapore, Tokyo, or a US/EU node is a filter after checkout. Hetzner is the Europe filter when the audience is actually in Europe.
Final pick
Always-on WordPress or a small site: read Hostinger’s cycle and renewal, then open KVM 1 if 4 GB is enough. Uncertain timeline or multi-region tests: open Vultr or DigitalOcean and buy 4 GB, not the $6 1 GB sticker. Next: the Hostinger review, cheap VPS guide, or Vultr vs DigitalOcean.
FAQs
Is the Hostinger $4.99 VPS price real?
The intro rate is real on a longer billing cycle. Renewal is higher. Compare the prepaid first cycle and the renewal in the cart, not only the badge.
Is hourly billing cheaper than an annual VPS?
Yes if you might delete the server in weeks. No if the box will run all year and you can accept Hostinger’s renewal jump.
Why does a $6 VPS have less RAM than $4.99?
The cheap Vultr and DigitalOcean stickers are usually 1 GB RAM. Hostinger KVM 1 at about $4.99 intro is 4 GB. Price per gigabyte is the comparison that matters.
Do Vultr and DigitalOcean credits change the price?
They cut the first weeks. After that you pay hourly list price. Use the credit to test a 4 GB node, then decide.
Should I choose the region before I look at price?
No. Open a provider you can sign up for, then pick Singapore, Tokyo, or US/EU. Region is not a discount code.
Does this apply to SiteGround or Kinsta intro pricing?
The intro-vs-renewal trap is the same idea, but those are managed WordPress plans, not VPS. Compare them on the WordPress hosting comparison.