How it works
How the numbers are worked out
Every figure on a Hosting Facts label comes from the rules on this page and the numbers you type. Nothing is looked up, and no host's figures are used. These are estimates for comparing plans, not measurements.
Monthly transfer
page views = visits × pages per visit
transfer (GB) = page views × page weight (MB) × (1 − browser-cache saving) ÷ 1024 + downloads × download size (MB) ÷ 1024
Page weight is everything one page downloads: HTML, images, scripts, fonts. A browser's developer tools show it on the Network tab. Repeat views take part of that from the browser's cache, which is the saving you set.
PHP workers at once
views a day = page views ÷ 30.44
busiest-minute views per second = views a day × busiest-hour share ÷ 3600 × burst
views that run code per second = that × share that runs server code
workers = round up (views that run code per second × server time in seconds × 1.5), at least 1 when any view runs code
This is Little's law: the number of jobs in progress equals the rate they arrive times how long each takes. A page served from a page cache, or a plain file, does not hold a PHP process, so only the share that runs code counts. The 1.5× headroom covers requests arriving in clumps. Hosts call these limits "PHP workers", "entry processes" or "concurrent processes". They are close but not identical: an entry process can also be a request that is waiting.
Memory
memory (MB) = workers × memory per worker + database memory
database memory = 25% of the database size, at least 128 MB when there is a database
The database share is HostNowOnline's own rule of thumb for keeping the busy part of a database in memory. On shared hosting the database server is usually shared and not counted against your plan; on a VPS it is yours to fit.
Disk space
disk (GB) = site files + media added + database + email + backups kept
email = mailboxes × average mailbox size + mail growth × months
backups kept = copies × (site files + media added + database)
Backups are counted at full size because that is the worst case; compressed archives are often smaller. Many hosts keep their own backups outside your quota: ask (Plan Fit lists the question).
Files (inodes)
files = site files + media added × 1024 ÷ 0.5 MB + email × 1024 × 1024 ÷ 100 KB + backup copies
Many hosts cap the number of files (inodes) as well as the space. Each email message is usually one file, so a busy mailbox can use more inodes than the website. The average sizes (0.5 MB a media file, 100 KB a message) are rough, which is why this line says "rough".
Growth and the months ahead
traffic in month m = today × (1 + monthly growth)m
media, database and mail grow by the fixed amounts a month you set
Month 0 is today. The free sizer looks 12 months ahead; Sizing Pass looks up to 36.
Load band
A short summary of the size of the job in the last month shown. These limits are HostNowOnline's own rule of thumb, not any host's tiers:
| Band | Workers | Memory | Transfer | Disk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | ≤ 2 | ≤ 512 MB | ≤ 100 GB | ≤ 20 GB |
| Medium | ≤ 6 | ≤ 2,048 MB | ≤ 1,000 GB | ≤ 100 GB |
| Large | ≤ 16 | ≤ 8,192 MB | ≤ 5,000 GB | ≤ 500 GB |
| Very large | anything above Large | |||
Plan Fit
For each limit you type, Plan Fit divides the need by the limit, today and in the last month shown, and walks every month in between:
- Headroom: never above 70% of the limit.
- Near ceiling: above 70% but never over.
- Past limit: the need passes the limit; the first month it does is shown as "runs out".
- Not stated or says unlimited: no number to check, so it becomes a question to ask. "Unlimited" plans still have fair-use rules.
Each plan gets one verdict, the worst that applies: Too small today, Outgrown in month N, Near the ceiling, Headroom on what is stated, or Has headroom.
Starting values by kind of site
| Kind | Runs code | Server time | Memory / worker | Site files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Static pages | 0% | 50 ms | 64 MB | 0.2 GB, 300 files |
| CMS | 30% | 400 ms | 96 MB | 1 GB, 15,000 files |
| Web app | 100% | 250 ms | 128 MB | 0.5 GB, 8,000 files |
| Online shop | 60% | 600 ms | 128 MB | 2 GB, 25,000 files |
These are starting points chosen by HostNowOnline, not measurements of any product. Your own numbers are better: server time per page shows in many hosts' dashboards and in tools such as a browser's Network tab ("waiting for server response").