Free tool
Hosting checker
Type a store's address and see who hosts it, how quickly the server starts answering, and whether the connection is secure and up to date. Then a plain verdict: does this hosting fit a store? Free, no email, a few seconds.
We keep the address and the answer for a few hours. Nothing about you.
What we look at
First, who hosts it. Some hosting companies put their name in the server's answer. If they don't, we look up who owns the network the store's address belongs to, and we show the name the address points back to and the store's nameservers. If a CDN sits in front of the store (a service like Cloudflare that keeps copies of the store's files closer to shoppers), we name it and tell you the real server behind it is hidden.
Then the server itself. We show which web server software it runs and which version of PHP, the language most store software is written in, when the server shows them. The PHP version gets checked against the official list of versions that still get security fixes.
Then the connection. We check whether the server speaks HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, the newer and faster ways a browser fetches a page, which version of the secure connection it uses, and how long its security certificate is still valid.
Last, how fast it answers. We read the home page three times from our server, time how long the server takes before it starts answering, and show the middle result next to Google's own limits. A slow answer here means every page of the store starts late, before a single photo has loaded.
What the verdict means
- Fit for a store
- Answers quickly, uses a current protocol, has a valid secure connection, and there's no unsupported PHP in sight.
- Holds it back
- It works, but the server is slow to answer (over 0.8 seconds), is still on the older HTTP/1.1, or its PHP runs out of security fixes within a year.
- A problem
- Over 1.8 seconds to answer, PHP without security fixes, no https, or a certificate about to run out.
The verdict comes only from what we measured. We never mark a hosting company good or bad by its name.
Questions people ask
How do you know who hosts a website?
We try three things, in this order. Some hosting companies name themselves in the server's answer. If not, the site's address belongs to a network, and the internet registries record who owns that network. The name the address points back to (the reverse DNS) often says the same. When a service like Cloudflare sits in front of the store, the real server is hidden, and we tell you that instead of guessing.
What is a good server response time?
Google calls 0.8 seconds or less good and more than 1.8 seconds poor. That's the time the server spends before it starts sending the page back (its technical name is time to first byte). We measure it three times and show the middle one. Pages that can't be stored ready-made, like the cart or the checkout, are often slower than the home page.
Why does it say the PHP version is not shown?
PHP is the programming language most store software runs on. Well-run servers usually don't announce which version they have, and that's a good habit. When a server does show it, we check it against the official list of versions that still get security fixes.
What do HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 mean?
They're newer versions of the way a browser fetches a page. With HTTP/2 the browser can fetch all of a page's pictures and files at the same time over one connection, which helps a store with lots of product photos. Every current server supports it. HTTP/3 is newer still and mostly offered by CDNs, services that keep copies of your files close to your shoppers.
Is shared hosting bad for a store?
Not by itself. What matters is how quickly the server answers, whether its software still gets security fixes, and how it copes when lots of shoppers arrive at once. We can judge the first two from outside. The last one only shows up in a load test, or on your busiest day.
Do you keep anything?
The site address and the answer, for a few hours, so a repeat check is instant. Nothing about you. Your network address is only used to limit how many checks one visitor can run in an hour.
Want a second opinion?
A 15-minute call is free. We'll look at the result with you and tell you honestly whether the hosting is worth changing, or whether your time and money are better spent somewhere else.
Other free tools: Free store audit · Store speed test