The questions that decide your host
The same checklist we run before recommending anyone. Print it, take it to any host's pricing page, and you won't get surprised by the real bill.
As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are affiliate links; if you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our ranking. Here's how we choose.
Most hosting regret comes from questions nobody asked before paying. Run these twelve before you commit, and pair them with our true-cost estimator to see which host actually fits your usage.
Performance
- What's the underlying stack? Look for NVMe storage, server-level or edge caching, a CDN, and a current PHP version.
- Where are the datacenters, and can you pick one near your audience?
- Is a CDN included, or a paid add-on?
Support
- Is 24/7 support on the entry plan, or gated to higher tiers?
- Do actual WordPress experts answer, and by chat, phone, or ticket?
Scale
- How is usage metered: per-visit caps, or server-based with no cap?
- What happens when you exceed the limit, overage fees or a forced tier jump?
- How much storage and bandwidth on the entry plan, and what's the path up?
Value (where the real cost hides)
- What's the renewal rate after the intro term? That's usually the real number.
- Is the price per-site or per-account, and how many sites on the entry plan?
- What's NOT bundled: email, premium backups, staging, CDN, SSL?
- Is there a migration fee, or is migration free and assisted?
The five price traps
- Intro vs renewal: check the renewal rate, not the headline price.
- Visit overages: what does each extra 1,000 visits cost?
- Unbundled extras: email, CDN, and premium backups are often separate.
- Lock-in: is the advertised price only on a multi-year term?
- Money-back window: how long, and what's excluded?
Score any two hosts in one page
Give each host a 1–5 on the four axes we use, then write down the renewal price and what isn't bundled. The highest total that still fits your budget wins. No spreadsheet needed.
- Performance, Support, Scale, Value — 1 to 5 each.
- Renewal price (not the intro price).
- What you'll pay extra for (email, CDN, backups).
Want it done for you? Our comparison and 60-second chooser apply this exact scoring to the four hosts we recommend.
Get the printable checklist
One email with the checklist as a printable one-pager, plus a note whenever a host materially changes its plans or pricing.
- The 12 questions that decide your host, before you pay
- The intro-vs-renewal price traps to check on every quote
- A one-page scorecard to compare any two hosts fairly
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