Real Deployments
We sign up for each hosting provider with our own credit card. We deploy a standardized WordPress site, a Node.js app, and a static site to benchmark across common use cases.
90-Day Uptime Monitoring
We run continuous uptime checks from 7 global monitoring locations at 1-minute intervals. We track every outage, degradation, and recovery period.
Speed Benchmarks
We measure TTFB (Time to First Byte), full page load, and Core Web Vitals from the US, EU, and Asia Pacific. All tests use identical page payloads for fair comparison.
Support Testing
We submit real support tickets and test live chat across different times of day. We measure first response time, resolution time, and answer quality.
Scoring Methodology
Each provider is scored across five weighted dimensions:
| Dimension | Weight | What We Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 30% | Uptime, TTFB, page load speed, Core Web Vitals |
| Value | 25% | Pricing vs. specs, renewal rates, included features |
| Features | 20% | Storage, bandwidth, SSL, backups, staging, CDN |
| Support | 15% | Response time, resolution quality, availability |
| Ease of Use | 10% | Dashboard UX, one-click installs, documentation |
How We Stay Current
Hosting providers change pricing, infrastructure, and features frequently. We re-benchmark all reviewed providers every quarter, update pricing within 48 hours of changes, and revise recommendations when significant outages or infrastructure shifts occur.
Affiliate Transparency
Some links on our site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them. This never influences our testing data, scoring algorithm, or rankings. Affiliate relationships are always disclosed at the top of each review. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
Corrections Policy
If we make an error, we correct it promptly and transparently. Factual corrections are noted at the top of the article with the date of correction. If you spot an error, contact us at [email protected].