HostedSiteDemoThe bandwidth formula
Monthly transfer = page size × page views × (1 + margin)
The average page size is the total weight of a typical page: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, fonts and images. Returning visitors download less because their browser caches files, so the formula slightly overestimates, which is the safe direction. The margin covers traffic spikes, search engine crawlers and file downloads. This calculator uses 1 GB = 1,000 MB, as most hosts do.
Typical monthly transfer
| Site | Page size | Page views | Transfer (+50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small business site | 2 MB | 5,000 | 15 GB |
| Busy blog | 2.5 MB | 100,000 | 375 GB |
| Online shop | 3 MB | 250,000 | 1.1 TB |
| News or media site | 4 MB | 1,000,000 | 6 TB |
Shrinking pages is the cheapest way to cut bandwidth: compressed modern images (WebP or AVIF) and fewer scripts often halve page weight. See how much bandwidth a website needs for more.
Frequently asked questions
How much bandwidth does a small website need?
Less than most plans offer. A brochure site with 2 MB pages and 5,000 page views a month transfers about 10 GB, or 15 GB with a 50% safety margin. Even a busy blog with 100,000 page views of 2.5 MB pages needs about 375 GB a month with the same margin.
What is the difference between bandwidth and data transfer?
Strictly, bandwidth is the speed of the connection (megabits per second) and data transfer is the amount of data sent in a month (gigabytes). Hosting companies often say "bandwidth" when they mean monthly data transfer. This calculator gives both.
Does a CDN reduce my hosting bandwidth?
Yes. A CDN serves cached images, scripts and pages from its own servers, so most of the transfer never reaches your host. With good caching, a CDN can absorb 60 to 90% of the traffic.
What is "unmetered" or "unlimited" bandwidth?
It usually means you are not billed per gigabyte, but fair-use rules still apply. If your site uses far more than typical customers, the host may throttle it or ask you to upgrade. Read the acceptable use policy.