Introduction to Kinsta’s New Billing Policy
Kinsta, a WordPress managed web hosting company, has announced a significant change in its billing policy. The company will no longer charge its customers for bandwidth related to unwanted bot and scraper traffic. This decision comes as a response to the increasing amount of bot traffic on the internet, which can account for a substantial portion of a website’s bandwidth costs.
The Rise of Bot Traffic
According to Daniel Pataki, CTO at Kinsta, the past 12 months have seen a significant rise in bot traffic due to the growing use of AI. These bots can be difficult to filter out, which affects the typical visits-to-bandwidth ratio. Kinsta is working to improve bot filtering, both internally and with Cloudflare, but the company’s top priority remains the success of its customers. By reducing bot-related costs, Kinsta aims to have the greatest impact on its customers’ bottom line.
The Problem of Bot and Scraper Traffic
Anyone who has monitored their website’s live traffic statistics can attest that scraper and hacker bots make up a significant amount of traffic. In some cases, these bots can account for as much as half of a website’s bandwidth costs. This can be a significant problem, especially for websites with limited resources. Kinsta’s decision to no longer charge for bandwidth related to unwanted bot and scraper traffic is a welcome relief for many website owners.
Kinsta’s New Pricing Options
Kinsta is introducing bandwidth-based options that do not charge for wasted bandwidth. The company is also providing options such as caching and CDNs to help mitigate the impact of bad bot visits. This new pricing model gives customers more choice, transparency, and control over how they pay for hosting. Customers can choose to pay by visits or bandwidth, and they are not locked into a single pricing model.
Benefits of the New Pricing Model
The new pricing option is available to every visitor-based tier, and it enables customers to switch between visits and bandwidth-based pricing. With improved usage notifications and no charges for scrapers and bad bots, the risk of unexpectedly running out of bandwidth is lower. This new pricing model sets a standard for hosting companies, giving customers the freedom to choose how they pay, in a way that reflects how the modern web actually works.
Conclusion
Kinsta’s decision to no longer charge for bandwidth related to unwanted bot and scraper traffic is a significant step forward for website owners. The company’s new pricing options provide more choice, transparency, and control over how customers pay for hosting. By reducing bot-related costs and providing options to mitigate the impact of bad bot visits, Kinsta is demonstrating its commitment to its customers’ success. With this new pricing model, Kinsta is setting a standard for the hosting industry, and it will be interesting to see how other companies respond to this change.