How we score Web hosting
Rubric v1, published Sep 26, 2026 · See the ranking
We score each host on its cheapest plan for one website, using only what the company publishes on its own website: the renewal price after the introductory offer, how long you must prepay to get the introductory price, the money-back guarantee, what the plan includes and support hours. Every score is worked out by the formula shown for its criterion, and every fact behind it links to the page it came from, with the date we read it.
A fact the company does not publish counts as absent. We have not measured speed or uptime; when we do, the method will say so and the rubric version will change.
The criteria
| Criterion | Weight | What a 10 and a 0 look like |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal price | 35% | The monthly rate the entry plan renews at after the introductory offer, on the same term. 10 at $5 or less, 0 at $30 or more, straight line between. Not published scores 0. |
| Included | 20% | Which of five the entry plan includes at no extra charge: a free SSL certificate, daily backups, a free domain for the first year, a staging site, email accounts. 2 points each. |
| Introductory jump | 15% | How much the price rises at renewal: 10 if it doesn't rise; 0 if it rises threefold or more; straight line between (renewal / intro price, 1 to 3). |
| Money-back guarantee | 10% | A full refund on hosting for 30 days or more 10; for fewer days 5; none or not published 0. |
| Support | 10% | 24/7 phone and chat 10; 24/7 on one channel 7; business-hours phone and chat 6; chat or email only 3; not published 0. |
| Term needed for the advertised price | 10% | Months you must prepay to get the advertised price: 1 month 10; 12 months 6; 24 months 3; 36 months or more 0. |
The overall score is 10 × the sum of weight × criterion score, from 0 to 100, shown as 0-10 with one decimal.
Version history
- v1, published Sep 26, 2026: Renewal price 35%, Included 20%, Introductory jump 15%, Money-back guarantee 10%, Support 10%, Term needed for the advertised price 10%