Availability target
The percentage and measurement window promised by contract.
Contract guide · checked 17 July 2026
Hosting uptime guarantees compared
An uptime promise is a contract remedy with exclusions, not proof that downtime will not occur.
4 primary sources5 contract checksNo score from marketing copyRecheck before purchase
Plain language
Terms that change the outcome
Exclusion
Maintenance, attacks, customer error or external services the promise omits.
Remedy
Usually service credit or term extension, not compensation for business loss.
Buyer checklist
What the contract must answer
- 01Measurement window
- 02Excluded maintenance and external events
- 03Claim submission deadline
- 04Service credit calculation
- 05Whether the customer must supply evidence
Common traps
What the headline leaves out
- 01A 99.9% label allows roughly 43 minutes per 30-day month before exclusions.
- 02Provider-side measurement may differ from an external monitor.
- 03Credits often require a timely customer claim.
- 04DNS, CDN and third-party failures may be excluded.
Evidence worksheet
Capture the policy before checkout
Save a dated copy or screenshot because the provider can revise public terms.
Record
Commercial terms
- Product
- Exact plan and billing term
- Trigger
- Event that creates eligibility
- Deadline
- Time to request or claim
- Remedy
- Cash, credit, extension or restore
Record
Operational terms
- Exclusions
- Products, events and customer actions omitted
- Procedure
- Required cancellation, ticket or evidence
- Data effect
- What can be overwritten or deleted
- Escalation
- Support and appeal path
Primary evidence
Read the current provider terms
Terms change. The linked provider document governs the purchase.
Official termsNamecheap uptime guarantee
Use this source for the provider-specific rule; do not transfer its terms to another product.
Open source ↗Official termsDreamHost termsUse this source for the provider-specific rule; do not transfer its terms to another product.
Open source ↗Official termsSiteGround termsUse this source for the provider-specific rule; do not transfer its terms to another product.
Open source ↗Official termsCloudways service level agreementUse this source for the provider-specific rule; do not transfer its terms to another product.
Open source ↗Policy questions
How to use this comparison
Does a longer guarantee prove better service?
No. It defines a contractual remedy. Quality requires observed evidence and the remedy still has exclusions.
Can support chat override published terms?
Ask for written confirmation, but assume the governing agreement controls unless the provider formally amends the order.
When should the policy be captured?
Immediately before payment, again before the deadline and whenever the product renews or changes.