The five factors
Where we publish a factor breakdown on a provider's page, it comes from five weighted components, each scored on a 5-point scale:
- Speed — server response and page-load behaviour reported for the provider's entry-tier plan.
- Support — the number and quality of support channels offered (live chat, ticketing, phone, knowledge base) and typical response expectations.
- Value — what you get at the advertised entry price relative to comparable plans elsewhere in the directory.
- Features — breadth of what's included at entry tier: free domain, SSL, backups, staging, caching and similar.
- Reliability — published uptime commitments and track record, where the provider discloses one.
The overall rating
The single rating shown on a provider's card and profile is a weighted composite of the factors above, combined with our own editorial read of the provider's plans, policies and public reputation. It is not a live, automated benchmark — we do not run continuous uptime monitors or synthetic load tests against every provider. Treat it as a structured editorial judgment, not a lab measurement.
Where the numbers come from
Entry price is the lowest advertised price we found on the provider's own pricing page at time of review, before any first-term-only discount unless stated otherwise. Uptime is the figure the provider publishes or guarantees in its SLA, not a measurement we take ourselves. Founding year and country come from the provider's own "about" material or public company records.
Review cadence
We revisit provider profiles periodically and whenever we're notified of a material change — a price change, a new plan tier, or a policy update. Between reviews, figures can drift out of date; always check the provider's own site before buying.
Independence
We are not paid by providers to rank them higher, and a provider cannot buy a better score. See our About page for more on how HostingInfo operates.
Something looks wrong?
If a score, price or feature looks out of date, tell us on the contact page — corrections are the fastest way we keep this accurate.