Direct answer: ScalaHosting's scored row is the Mini shared plan: editorial score 80, entry $2.95/mo, renewal $11.95/mo, True 3-Year Cost $322. Rank #20 of 23. It sits with other shared hosts near Bluehost, not with the top of the table.
Affiliate link — we earn a commission if you buy. Scores and rankings are editorial and unchanged by this relationship. Ethics
Prices and plan limits are from the ScalaHosting web hosting page checked on 16 October 2026. Mini is listed at $2.95/mo, renewing at $11.95/mo, with shared CPU and RAM, 10GB fixed NVMe, one website, and no bandwidth cap. Free domain is listed on the Start plan, not on Mini. The same page lists free SSL, CDN integration, WP-CLI, SSH, real-time malware protection, unlimited databases, and automated backups on Mini.
The general questions article states a 99.9% monthly uptime guarantee with a refund for that month if uptime is lower, daily backups on shared plans, 24/7 email and live chat, servers in Dallas, New York, and Sofia, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The web hosting FAQ also says an anytime guarantee for unused time. The structured field uses the KB's direct 30-day answer. The plan page lists SPanel as Mini's default control panel and cPanel as a paid $1/mo option. The getting-started article still says shared plans use cPanel. This row follows the plan page, not that older article. The getting-started article does describe live chat and a ticket queue with a 15-minute average response. Phone support is not listed. Official homepage in the dataset: https://www.scalahosting.com.
Scores follow the published methodology. Paid placement is not accepted. The Visit button on this page is an affiliate link.
| Field | Value in hosting-comparison-2026.json |
|---|---|
| Editorial score | 80 |
| Rank in dataset | 20 of 23 |
| Entry price | $2.95/mo |
| Renewal price | $11.95/mo |
| True 3-Year Cost | $322 |
| Uptime SLA | 99.9% |
| Control panel | SPanel (cPanel $1/mo) |
| Money-back | 30 days |
| 24/7 support | Yes |
| Free SSL / free domain | SSL yes / domain no |
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| performance | 76 |
| uptime | 88 |
| price | 74 |
| support | 82 |
| security | 84 |
| ease of use | 84 |
| scalability | 72 |
| dev features | 78 |
Same weights as the methodology. No independent speed test was available, so performance stays an editorial estimate from the published Mini specs (shared CPU, NVMe) and does not approach Hostinger or SiteGround.
| Factor | Score | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 76 | 0.25 | 19.00 |
| Uptime | 88 | 0.20 | 17.60 |
| Price / value | 74 | 0.20 | 14.80 |
| Support | 82 | 0.15 | 12.30 |
| Security | 84 | 0.10 | 8.40 |
| Ease of use | 84 | 0.05 | 4.20 |
| Scalability | 72 | 0.03 | 2.16 |
| Developer features | 78 | 0.02 | 1.56 |
| Weighted total | 80.02, rounded | 80 | |
Peer shared scores in this file: Hostinger 88, SiteGround 88, DreamHost 83, InMotion 82, Bluehost 80. Mini's three-year total ($322) is close to Bluehost ($323) with a tighter plan: one site, 10GB, no free domain. Price/value stays 74, under Bluehost's 80. Security 84 matches A2 and GreenGeeks and stays under Hostinger's 88. Developer features 78 match SiteGround.
Affiliate link — we earn a commission if you buy. Scores and rankings are editorial and unchanged by this relationship. Ethics
Budget context: cheapest hosting and renewal price comparison. Neighbor profiles: Hostinger review, Bluehost review.
$322, from (2.95 × 12) + (11.95 × 24) on the Mini plan in hosting-comparison-2026.json.
Performance 76 × 0.25, uptime 88 × 0.20, price 74 × 0.20, support 82 × 0.15, security 84 × 0.10, ease 84 × 0.05, scalability 72 × 0.03, and dev features 78 × 0.02 sum to 80.02, which rounds to 80. Security and developer features moved after SShield and git were credited. The total still matches the Bluehost band and stays below Hostinger and SiteGround.
Not on the plan page checked 16 October 2026. Free domain is listed under the Start plan, which is not the scored row.
The knowledge base lists Dallas, New York, and Sofia for ScalaHosting servers. Managed VPS on SPanel can also use partner AWS locations; those cities are not scored here.