How We Test and Check Prices
Start Site Now compares hosting, website tools, email marketing and course platforms for people building their first site. This page explains where our numbers come from, what our dates mean, and what we do when something changes.
Where the prices come from
Every price on the site comes from the vendor’s own US pricing page. We record two numbers for each plan: the introductory price you pay for the first term, and the regular price the plan renews at when that term ends. The renewal price is the one most comparison sites leave out, and over a few years it decides what you actually pay.
How often we check
Prices are collected automatically every day where the vendor publishes them in the page itself. Some vendors build their pricing table in the browser, so no automated reader can see it; those prices are checked by hand.
What “Verified” means
A date marked Verified means a person opened the vendor’s pricing page and confirmed that exact price on that day. If the automated check later sees a different price, the Verified date disappears from that row until someone checks it again by hand. A missing date is not an error: it tells you the price moved and has not been re-confirmed yet.
What “Updated” means
The Updated date at the top of a page is the last time we changed the page’s content. It is separate from the price-check dates, which are shown next to the prices themselves.
How we review products
We have used the tools we write about. A review combines our own use of the product with the vendor’s published plans, limits and terms, checked on the date shown. Where we have not measured something ourselves, we say so rather than present a vendor’s claim as our result.
How we rank
Rankings reflect what a first-time site owner needs: total cost over several years, what each plan includes, ease of use and support. Affiliate commissions and sponsorships do not change the order — see our Editorial policy.
Corrections
If you spot a wrong price or an outdated fact, email info@startsitenow.com. We check it against the vendor’s page, fix it, and update the page’s date.