Methodology
How we evaluate hosting
This page explains what our comparisons are — and what they are not — so you can weigh them appropriately. Evaluation is based on publicly available provider information and editorial criteria.
Three layers we keep separate
1. Provider factsPublicly stated prices, plan limits, and feature lists from the merchant (subject to change; always re-check at purchase time). We add a reader-visible “Pricing checked” date when we refresh those snapshots.
2. Editorial analysisOur interpretation of trade-offs (for example, low intro price vs higher renewal) and audience fit — expressed qualitatively, not as a made-up 1–5 score.
3. Affiliate relationshipsWhether a link may earn West Hosted a commission. See the affiliate disclosure.
What we currently do
- Compare intro vs renewal pricing side by side when both are published.
- Highlight common constraints (sites allowed, storage, support channels, backups, money-back).
- Describe relative fit with best-for / consider-if / less-suitable-if notes.
- Omit or qualify fields we cannot verify from authoritative provider sources.
What we do not claim
- Arbitrary numerical “editorial scores” without a clear, reproducible rubric using information we actually possess.
- Independent lab speed or uptime benchmarks run by West Hosted.
- Hands-on long-term production usage of every plan we list.
- That affiliate commissions never create selection bias — we disclose the relationship instead.
Treat pages as editorial analysis of published information unless this methodology is updated with a testing protocol and scoring rubric.
How to use this site
Shortlist 2–3 hosts from our tables and cards, then confirm pricing and terms on the provider site. For WordPress projects, also review the host's own WordPress documentation and backup policy.