Free Template · Comparison · 30 criteria

Website Care Plan Comparison Worksheet

A structured worksheet to compare website care plan providers side-by-side. 30 evaluation criteria across 6 categories: basics, backups, updates, security, support, and cancellation. Make an informed decision instead of guessing.

30 criteria ~30 min per provider Updated 2026-07-08

How to use this worksheet: Write each provider name across the top of a spreadsheet or sheet of paper. Work through each criterion below and note the provider's answer. Score each category 1-5 (1 = poor, 5 = excellent). The provider with the highest total is your best fit — but read the cancellation terms before signing anything.

Basics

  • Provider name The company or individual offering the care plan.
  • Monthly price The recurring monthly cost. Note if there is a discount for annual payment.
  • Contract length Month-to-month, annual, or multi-year? Month-to-month is best — you should be able to leave without penalty.
  • Setup fee Is there a one-time onboarding or setup fee? Some providers waive this; others charge $100-$500.
  • What CMS/platforms are supported? WordPress only? Shopify? Custom? Make sure they support your platform.

Backups

  • Backup frequency Daily, weekly, or real-time? Daily is the minimum for an active business site. Weekly means you could lose 6 days of work.
  • Backup retention How many days of backups are kept? 7, 14, 30, or 90? You need at least 30 days to recover from an undetected hack.
  • Off-site storage Are backups stored on a different server than your website? If not, a server failure takes out both your site and your backups.
  • Restore testing Does the provider test restore backups regularly? Untested backups are a hope, not a guarantee. Ask how often they test.
  • One-click restore Can you trigger a restore yourself, or do you have to contact support? Self-service restore saves hours in an emergency.

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FAQ

How many providers should I compare?

Compare 3-5 providers. Fewer than 3 and you may miss a better option. More than 5 and the comparison becomes unwieldy. Start with the providers listed in Seth Brand Tech Care's best website care plans guide.

What matters most in a care plan?

For most small businesses, the three most important factors are: (1) backup frequency and reliability, (2) update frequency, and (3) support response time. A cheap plan with weekly backups and no real support will cost more in the long run than a slightly pricier plan with daily backups and responsive support.

Should I choose the cheapest plan?

Not necessarily. The cheapest plan often excludes the work you actually need — security scanning, plugin updates, or any fix time. Compare what is included, not just the price. A $99/mo plan that includes 2 hours of fix time may be cheaper overall than a $49/mo plan that charges $150/hour for every fix.

Is this worksheet really free?

Yes. Enter your email to unlock the full worksheet. No payment, no credit card, no sales call. Your email is used to send you the worksheet and occasional Seth Brand Tech Care updates. Unsubscribe anytime.

Already compared? Let Seth review your top pick.

The $99 Tech Care Audit includes a review of your current or proposed care plan. Seth tells you if you are overpaying, under-covered, or locked into a bad contract. No calls — everything by email.

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