Every provider is scored across 8 weighted factors using public, verifiable data. No paid placement. No first-person lab tests. Here's exactly how it works.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 25% | TTFB, Core Web Vitals, server response, CDN availability |
| Uptime / Reliability | 20% | SLA guarantees, historical uptime, redundancy |
| Price / Value | 20% | Entry price vs renewal price, included features |
| Support | 15% | 24/7 availability, channels, response-time reputation |
| Security | 10% | Free SSL, backups, DDoS protection, WAF, malware removal |
| Ease of Use | 5% | Control panel, one-click installs, onboarding |
| Scalability | 3% | Upgrade paths, resource limits, vertical scaling |
| Developer Features | 2% | SSH, staging environments, git, WP-CLI, API |
The weighted score is simply each factor's 0–100 score multiplied by its weight, summed, and rounded. A provider scoring 90 on Performance contributes 22.5 points (90 × 0.25) to its total.
The single most important number we show that almost nobody else does. Introductory prices are discounts to win new customers — the renewal rate is what you actually pay long-term, often 3–8× higher.
Example: Hostinger looks cheaper than SiteGround at the headline ($2.99 vs $3.99). But over three years: Hostinger $276 vs SiteGround $408 — the gap is real, and now you can see it before you buy.
| Scenario | How we score it |
|---|---|
| No published SLA | Score 70 (baseline), noted as "SLA not published" |
| No renewal price shown | Value scored lower, noted as "renewal price unclear" |
| No staging / dev-tool info | Developer Features scored lower |
| Conflicting data | Most recent or most authoritative source wins |
Every score links to its source via the ⓘ icons in the comparison views. We draw on provider documentation, published SLA terms, independent benchmark reports, and public pricing pages. Data was last verified 12 June 2026.