How We Test: The Methodology Behind Every Recommendation
Most hosting review sites never buy a single plan. We buy every account with our own money, test for 6+ months, and publish raw benchmark data. Here's exactly how every test, score, and ranking on ThatMy.com is produced.
We Buy Real Hosting Plans
Every host reviewed on ThatMy.com is purchased with our own credit card at retail pricing. We don't use vendor-provided "press accounts" or free review accounts that could have boosted performance. The plan we test is the exact same plan you'd buy.
TTFB & Speed Testing
Time To First Byte (TTFB) is the most important hosting speed metric. It measures how quickly the server responds — before any caching or CDN can mask a slow backend. We test with no CDN, no caching plugins, no page builders to get the true server speed.
Load Testing (50–250 Concurrent Users)
A host can look fast with 1 visitor. The real test is what happens under load. We use Loader.io to simulate 50, 100, and 250 concurrent users hitting the site simultaneously, then measure how much TTFB degrades. Shared hosting plans often crash or degrade 200%+ under load.
CPU PassMark Verification
Hosting companies love to say "powerful servers" without telling you what CPU you're actually getting. We identify the exact CPU model on every server and cross-reference it with PassMark's database of 1,190 server CPUs. This reveals which hosts use modern hardware and which are running 10-year-old processors.
12-Month Uptime Monitoring
We monitor every host continuously for 12 months minimum using third-party uptime monitoring. Every outage is logged with exact duration. The 99.9% SLA most hosts promise means they can be down for 8 hours per year and still technically be "in compliance."
Renewal Price & TOS Analysis
The intro price is marketing. The renewal price is what you actually pay. We read every host's Terms of Service to find: renewal pricing, CPU throttling limits, hidden fees, mandatory upsells, and cancellation policies. Some hosts charge 300%+ more after the first term.
See the Data in Action
Now that you know how we test, explore the results: