Hosting Basics

How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider

The 8 criteria that matter, and the traps to avoid when comparing plans.

By WhichHosting Editorial Team, Hosting analystsUpdated 9 September 2026 8 min read

Start with the job the site does

A brochure site, a busy store and a developer project need different things.

The criteria we score

Pricing, performance, features, ease of use, support, reliability and value. Together they give the overall score you see in our rankings.

Traps to avoid

  • Comparing intro prices instead of renewal prices
  • Ignoring backup costs
  • Assuming unlimited means unlimited

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