Do Hosts Have New Year Sales?

It’s important to search for savings when you’re looking at hosting accounts – depending on the deal and the account, finding a good hosting sale can literally save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. For small businesses, this can be an especially important action because a deal on hosting can save a large percentage of tech budget without sacrificing service.

So, is there a particular time of year to find the best hosting deals and save money on new accounts?

Unfortunately, hosting isn’t like other consumer goods or services and there isn’t a singular best time to look for deals. However, if you know where to look for them, there are still some times that are better than others.

When to Look for Hosting

The obvious answer is that there is no time like the present to start looking for a good hosting deal. At any given point, dozens, if not hundreds, of relevant hosts are running deals and special offers.

The reason is that, even if there is no holiday in sight, hosts run specials for their anniversaries, for nearly every season and, often times, for no reason at all (Christmas in July specials are common, for example). Also, there are coupon codes and referral codes that can save you money 365 days a year.

So, if you have a new project in mind or need a new hosting account for any reason, there’s no point putting off the search in hopes of finding a better deal. You may succeed, but the amount you save likely won’t be worth the wait.

Still, if you’re desperate to lock in the absolute best deal possible, there are a few things you can look for and a few times of the year that are best to start that hunt.

Hosting For Business Accounts

If you’re looking for an hosting account for a business, whether small or large, you’re probably going to find that they simply aren’t as sale-oriented as you would expect. Most business-to-business hosting providers don’t have large, flashy sales with big discounts.

This is especially true of higher-end VPS and dedicated server accounts. The competition is less fierce and there’s a lower expectation of sales, so these hosts don’t need to run specials as much as their counterparts further down the line.

But don’t despair, you can often find coupon and referral codes to help you save at least a modest percentage and, in extreme cases, you may actually be able to negotiate your way to a better rate.

If you’re determined to find a business hosting sale, your best time is probably summer. With clients’ IT departments on vacation, business at hosting companies slows down and there are often sales to be found as companies look to keep their numbers up and their employees busy.

Another good time is right before the end of the year, often before the holidays, or between Christmas and New Year, as hosting companies look to catch businesses eager to put the expense on the previous year’s taxes.

Don’t expect insane deals at these times, just moderately better ones – but remember they can still save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the course of a few years.

Hosting for Personal Accounts

If you’re looking for a personal hosting account, such as a shared host, a cloud host or even a lower-end VPS, you’ll likely find your best deals at much the same times you would look for deals on other consumer goods.

First off, any holidays are going to be an excuse to put hosting on sale. If it’s a holiday where people are typically off from work, you’ll likely find that many hosts discount their wares around it.

Christmas is also a natural time for hosting discounts, (though not as much as for other products as it isn’t often given as a gift), but you’ll also find a lot of good hosting deals in March and April as hosting companies try to coax buyers into spending their tax refunds on a new hosting account. However, those will likely be more geared toward longer-term hosting accounts, such as those with year-long contracts.

Still, the best time to seriously hunt for deals is either going to be the holidays or, as with business accounts, the summer. Not only does business slow down during those months naturally, but many hosts also target students who are home from school, often times taking up new hosting-related projects.

Bottom Line

All in all, hosting accounts aren’t nearly as seasonal as other products. You can easily find good deals at just about any time of the year if you’re willing to look.

On that front, sites like WhoIsHostingThis can greatly help speed up your search by helping you find not only reviews, but also coupon codes and discounts that can save you a lot of money when buying a new hosting account.

Still, if you absolutely have to have the best hosting deal possible, there are times that are at least slightly better for launching such a hunt and now you should know, roughly, when they are.