Our scoring methodology:
A transparent approach
Navigating the digital landscape requires clear, accurate, and unbiased information, especially when comparing various platforms. At the heart of our comparative analysis lies a structured and transparent scoring methodology, designed to evaluate and reflect the true capabilities of each platform. In this guide, we'll walk you through the core principles of our approach, giving you insight into how we derive our scores.
Category-specific parameters
Each category, like Design Functionalities, Ecommerce,
or Customer Support, has its own set of parameters.
These parameters are chosen based on their relevance
and impact on the overall user experience in that category.
or Customer Support, has its own set of parameters.
These parameters are chosen based on their relevance
and impact on the overall user experience in that category.
Weighted importance
Not all features are created equal. We assign weights
to each parameter within a category to reflect its significance.
For instance,
in Ecommerce, payment options might have a higher
weight compared to scalability, owing to their immediate impact on user experience.
to each parameter within a category to reflect its significance.
For instance,
in Ecommerce, payment options might have a higher
weight compared to scalability, owing to their immediate impact on user experience.
Data collection and analysis
We gather data from various sources, including user feedback,
expert reviews, and direct testing. This multi-faceted approach
ensures a well-rounded view of each feature.
expert reviews, and direct testing. This multi-faceted approach
ensures a well-rounded view of each feature.
Scoring
Each parameter is scored on a scale of 1 to 10. The scores
are reflective of the feature’s performance, ease of use,
and user
feedback. For example, in Website Editors,
customization tools might score higher for a platform
that offers extensive design freedom.
are reflective of the feature’s performance, ease of use,
and user
feedback. For example, in Website Editors,
customization tools might score higher for a platform
that offers extensive design freedom.
Calculating the final score
The final score for each category is a weighted average
of all
parameter scores. This provides a single, comprehensive
score that reflects the overall performance of the platform
in that specific category.
of all
parameter scores. This provides a single, comprehensive
score that reflects the overall performance of the platform
in that specific category.
Continuous updates and review
The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and so are our reviews.
We continuously update our data and reevaluate our scores
to ensure they reflect the most current state of the platforms.
We continuously update our data and reevaluate our scores
to ensure they reflect the most current state of the platforms.
Transparency and reader involvement
We believe in transparency and encourage our readers to share their
experiences. Feedback from our audience is invaluable
and can sometimes lead to reassessment of certain scores.
and can sometimes lead to reassessment of certain scores.
Score parameters
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting provider.
Uptime percentage 30%
Evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time.
Uptime guarantee 20%
Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee
and whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee.
and whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee.
Availability 25%
Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
General performance 25%
Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall it’s stability.
Hosting performance
Evaluates the platforms hosting speed and performance tools.
Hosting speed 30%
This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges, additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching methods, and CPU/RAM options
CDN 20%
Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free
or paid, and the quality of the CDN service.
or paid, and the quality of the CDN service.
Scalability 20%
Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling),
the presence of dedicated servers,
and the costs associated with scaling.
the presence of dedicated servers,
and the costs associated with scaling.
Available data centers 30%
Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations globally.
Hosting security
Reflects the platform’s security measures, data privacy, backups
and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.
Technical security measures 40%
This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security add-ons
(e.g Sitelock security).
(e.g Sitelock security).
Operational security measures 30%
Encompasses data privacy, backups and data redundancy.
Compliance and certifications 20%
Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)
and possession of certifications
(e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2).
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)
and possession of certifications
(e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2).
Business and reliability 10%
Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime guarantees,
and customer support.
and customer support.
Hosting features
Looks at the features offered by hosting platforms.
Domains 20%
Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options,
and pricing.
and pricing.
Email 15%
Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not.
FTP & SFTP accounts 10%
Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and SFTP accounts.
Website builder 15%
Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user-friendliness and overall
the level of customization allowed.
the level of customization allowed.
Staging environment 20%
Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing for testing changes before going live.
Git and SSH access 20%
Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access
is provided.
if SSH access
is provided.
Price
Looks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.
Plan value 40%
What each pricing tier offers.
Transparency and clarity 30%
Clearness of pricing structures.
Flexibility of plans 20%
Range of options to suit different budgets.
Hidden costs 10%
Additional expenses not included in the plan.
Ease of setup
Evaluates the ease of setting up and migrating websites on the hosting platform.
Site migration 25%
Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration, either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee.
Admin panel usability 35%
Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the standard cPanel
or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness
for both technical and
non-technical users.
or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness
for both technical and
non-technical users.
Setup features 20%
Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN configuration.
Help center quality 20%
Measures the quality and accessibility
of the provider’s help center resources, including
articles and tutorials.
of the provider’s help center resources, including
articles and tutorials.
User management
Assesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility.
Role customization 40%
Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions.
permissions.
Ease of management 30%
User interface and tools for managing users.
Access control 20%
Effectiveness of access control measures for different
user levels.
user levels.
Scalability 10%
Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
Customer support
Evaluates the quality, availability, and scope of the customer support offered by the hosting provider.
Support communication channels 30%
Measures the variety of customer support types provided
(live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.)
(live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.)
Availability 20%
Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7 support options.
Enterprise support 20%
Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
for enterprise-level customers.
Technical support quality 30%
Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web server configuration changes.
Our commitment
Our goal is to provide the most accurate, reliable, and
user-friendly comparisons.
This methodology is the backbone
of our commitment
to helping users make informed decisions.
By understanding our process, we hope you can confidently
use our scores as a guide in your selection process.