Reviews

HostMetro is quite a novel player in the web hosting market. Although the founders of the company had a significant amount of prior experience in this business, HostMetro was launched in 2012 in the US. Not surprisingly, their main office is situated there, in Chicago specifically. Curiously, they specialized in shared hosting solutions only. Their main aim (as they claim) is to provide affordable, easy to create, manage and maintain websites and hosting accounts. Apart from the US, HostMetro has managed to develop a considerable customer base in the UK, India and Taiwan.

Their one-and-only data center is deployed in Elk Grove Village (near Chicago) and, according to them, it offers network connectivity, redundancy in power and day-and-night security monitoring. To provide all of its users with a consistency of high speed, HostMetro’s network infrastructure features 10GB per second connections, which is always good to see. In addition, to further guarantee reliability and speed, their servers are run by dual quad-core Intel processors that possess 96GB of RAM and support RAID-protected storage and SSD drivers on their MySQL database servers.

• Want to try HostMetro? Check out the website here

HostMetro’s main website feels modern, refreshingly original in its visual design and (as you'd expect) user-friendly. All information about the company and their products are presented in a clear manner, and while it doesn’t go into details at times, it does provide a decent amount of information on everything required.

Even though HostMetro lacks an official blog, their social network accounts (Facebook and Twitter) seem to be doing well, creating new content on a day-to-day basis.

• Also check out our roundup of the best shared hosting

HostMetro keeps things simple with just two shared hosting plans (Image credit: HostMetro)Plans and pricing

When HostMetro declared it will provide affordable pricing, it seems they weren’t exaggerating, since their hosting plans start at quite attractive $2.95 per month. Additionally, the prices are fixed from the moment of sign up, so there are no additional (nor hidden) fees nor price hikes upon renewal to shake you up. In addition to the basic shared hosting plan labeled as “Mega Max”, there is an advanced one called “Super Max',' as well as one for those who want to try out email hosting.

All of these plans share a number of common features including: unlimited email hosting and email accounts; a plentiful of disk space and bandwidth; a domain registration and website builder, both of which are charge-free.

The billing cycle is somewhat flexible and users can choose to be charged on an annual, biennial or triennial basis, and they can do it by using all major credit cards or PayPal.

If HostMetro’s services don’t meet your expectations, there is a money-back guarantee which can be granted upon request within 30 days from the original purchase.

Yes

No

Small business hosting

Colocation hosting

Linux hosting

Free hosting

E-commerce hosting

Managed hosting

Shared hosting

Video hosting

WordPress hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting

Email hosting

Dedicated hosting

Website builder

Cloud hosting

Bare metal hosting

Green hosting

Reseller hosting

VPS hosting

Windows hosting

Ease of use

Users moving from another host should know that HostMetro provides charge-free website migration services, but with certain limitations. First, the size of the website mustn’t exceed 3GB, which is needlessly inflexible although it is above the average website size. Second, all site transfers need to be requested within 30 days from creating an account with HostMetro, which is another thing you should bear in mind.

Creating an account with HostMetro is rather refreshingly uncomplicated in terms of one’s user experience. The first decision you’ll have to make is related to your domain: do you want to register a new one (which is free of charge for new users), transfer an old one (given that you have it) or update your nameservers while leaving it with your current manager. After this, you’ll be asked to choose a billing cycle and, if you didn’t intend to commit for a year at least, you might be bummed out by the lack of option for monthly billing. On the bright side, whatever you decide, the price will be locked (due to price lock guarantee), so you won’t have to worry about unpleasant cost-related surprises.

Two additional features you can choose while on this page are Anytime backup (which will cost you $19.95 annually) and an SSL certificate. This might be a letdown if you, like many of us, are used (i.e. being spoiled rotten by other providers) to getting this completely free of charge even with the cheapest plans. With HostMetro it will take $20 for each year, which is good to have in mind in advance. However, ID Protection is cost-free, for a year at least.

To finish creating your account you’ll be required to provide a considerable number of personal information, create a password and select a method of payment, after which you’ll proceed to apply it.

HostMetro allows you to manage your site using the industry standard cPanel (Image credit: cPanel)

Since industry standard cPanel is provided with all (and when we say “all”, we mean “both of”) HostMetro’s shared hosting plans, you won’t have much choice in the matter. Nevertheless, because there is a consensus that cPanel is one of (if not the one) most user-friendly option out there, this is a bright spot. From there, WordPress is one-click away, as well as other helpful applications. Alternatively, HostMetro includes a website builder with all of its plans.

We used GTmetrix to measure the uptime and response time of our HostMetro site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

Although HostMetro doesn’t promise much about the speed, GTmetrix, a test that monitored speed performance of their main website, has presented us with remarkably promising results. What is more, GTmetrix conclusively rated the performance with an A (97%), which is something we seldom see. The time it required to complete load the page, the requests, total blocking time, largest contentful paint and all other core web metrics were all above the average. Hence, the positive results we got were hardly surprising.

As for uptime, HostMetro offers a 99% guarantee (which is not much), and has a policy to grant one free month of hosting to every customer, provided that their annual uptime falls below the guaranteed percentage. However, after observing the uptime of HostMetro’s main website for a month, UptimeRobot failed to record any downtime at all, presenting us with a flawless performance. Fortunately, those with no such luck  can still get a free month as an apology.

Support

Looking for help on HostMetro’s website will introduce a couple of options and, more importantly, cartoonishly cute Mega Man’s long lost brother, which is (we assume) their incomprehensibly underutilized mascot. On the other hand, HostMetro’s support team is available round-the-clock and can be reached in a number of ways: by email, support ticket, live chat and telephone. The latter is, however, open during the working days only and from 8AM to 8PM (CST).

You can find answers to common web hosting problems in HostMetro's knowledgebase (Image credit: HostMetro)

As an alternative, all are invited to visit HostMetro’s knowledgebase, which features more than 200 articles on various subjects divided into 18 different categories (cPanel, database questions, e-commerce, FTP, security and so on). Among these, there is a category entitled “Video Tutorials” and it provides more than a 100 step-by-step video guides covering many important issues related to cPanel and website management, which is quite commendable. Whether you are a complete beginner or a veteran webmaster, we are sure you’ll find HostMetro’s knowledgebase pretty handy.

The competition

Dedication to shared hosting is one of the traits that HostMetro shares with its fellow US-based host known as PowWeb. While HostMetro offers two plans of different sizes, PowWeb puts forward its one-and-only hosting plan. Although PowWeb includes an SSL certificate with the plan, the price hike after the initial phase might catch you off guard. No such problem should occur when dealing with HostMetro, since the prices are locked following the sign up process.

Like many of its competitors dedicated to shared hosting, One.com tries its best to provide everything to meet the needs of its customers. Despite that, when it comes to customer support One.com falls short in comparison to HostMetro. In addition, while One.com aims to be newbie-friendly, they don’t offer free domain registration, while HostMetro does.

In comparison to HostMetro, HostGator has much more to offer, both to individual bloggers and various sized businesses. Both hosts are beginner-friendly and offer several self-help options, but HostGator adds a free SSL certificate even with the cheapest plan and a 45-day money back guarantee to boot.

Bluehost is another US-based host and one that can offer the same and more in comparison with what HostMetro can. Both of them are beginner-friendly and entry-level shared hosting plans with both hosts being uncannily similar together with their available billing cycles. Even so, more ambitious users are more likely to find a permanent home for their websites with Bluehost, since it offers more hosting types and definitely more than two different-sized hosting plans.

Final verdict

HostMetro is among the very few web hosting providers that offer a price-lock guarantee, so their customers wouldn’t have to suffer an unpleasant surprise of facing a price spike after the initial period. Even popular hosts like Bluehost might strike you with the price spike that doubles the amount you originally paid, if you happen to forget about that fact. HostMetro’s hosting solutions are somewhat limited, but they are also feature-packed and can provide everything that is necessary for a simple website or a small business. Those who are trying to find something more ambitious will have to keep searching and (perhaps) take a look at hosts such as HostGator, Bluehost or Dreamhost.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

HostRocket might not be as famous as some of the bigger companies in the industry, but they have been around for more than two decades, which presents a considerable experience in the field. Founded in 1999 and located in an area known as New York’s Tech Valley (Clifton Park) today they provide web hosting services to approximately 50,000 websites from their US-based data centers. On top of that, HostRocket offers services such as dedicated server, reseller, collocation, e-commerce and application hosting to a large number of customers from all parts of the world. 

Being a private company, HostRocket has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings, and all without usage of venture capital, funds from outside investors or bank loans. Right from the start, they put a great emphasis on achieving a perfect balance between quality and affordability of their services. Although it all sounds good, HostRocket’s main website in its current state doesn’t inspire much confidence. Its layout, bleak color palette and overall style, together with a rather rough presentation of their services, feel outdated, uninspiring and not very user-friendly.

• Want to try HostRocket? Check out the website here

HostRocket’s customers are able to choose between four data centers, of which three are in the USA (each in New York, Chicago and San Jose), and the last one is found somewhere in the Netherlands.

The “About” section of the website provides a decent amount of information regarding the company and its data centres. However, HostRocket doesn’t have an official blog at the moment.

Unless you sign up for an annual or biennial plan, there will be extra setup fees included (Image credit: Future)Plans and pricing

In comparison to other international providers, HostRocket’s prices for most of its plans are well above average. Fortunately, pricing of the most basic entry-level plan doesn’t fully fall into this category and will get you a free domain name as well. However, as the website is not intuitive enough nor is the presentation of their services linked to hosting, you might find yourself disoriented more often than not.

The monethly shared hosting plan costs $12.56, but the charge will drop significantly if you choose an semi-annual plan ($9.43 per month) or even more so with an annual one ($8.38 for each month). As if this wasn’t enough, all plans shorter than the annual have additional setup fees, which can considerably drive up the price.

With each of these you will gain unlimited website storage, bandwidth and websites as well as unlimited e-mail accounts, all of which sounds pretty good. 

All of HostRocket’s hosting plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, which will give you plenty of time to make a final decision. 

As for the types of payment, HostRocket accepts credit cards exclusively.

Yes

No

Shared hosting

Website builder

Small business hosting

Free hosting

Colocation hosting

Green hosting

E-commerce hosting

Video hosting

Managed hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting

Email hosting

Linux hosting

Windows hosting

Dedicated hosting

Cloud hosting

VPS hosting

Bare metal hosting

Reseller hosting

Ease of use

After selecting a hosting plan and its billing cycle, you’ll need to register a new domain (which is free for the first year) or to transfer an existing one to HostRocket. After this, you can check out the details regarding your plan and confirm the billing cycle once more, before proceeding to their shopping cart. If you have selected anything below the annual billing, this is where you notice that setup fees can cost one a small fortune, $29.99 at this point. If you’re lucky enough to have a promotional code, you may validate it here and apply it to your order. 

Creating an account with HostRocket is a simple yet needlessly lengthy procedure when taken with the checkout process as a whole. After providing HostRocket with your personal data and coming up with a password, you can go ahead and select a card type with the required information, as it is the only available method of payment. In addition, if you want to receive marketing notifications via SMS, you may choose so by leaving a checkmark.  

Once the entire process is finalized, you’ll have to wait an hour or two before being able to enter your newly-created website. After finally logging in to HostRocket's site, you’ll find yourself in a completely standard account management from where you can see your plans, domains and tickets, among other things.

You can manage your HostRocket site using cPanel and install additional apps using Softaculous (Image credit: cPanel)

Clicking on your hosting account will make a simplified control panel pop up. This panel will allow you to manage e-mail accounts and fire up a dedicated File Manager which is used to upload files for the website you want to create. As an alternative, if you are somewhat accustomed to cPanel, you can log into it and manage all aspects of your website from there. Using Softaculous you can have more than 250 applications installed without a hitch (such as WordPres, PrestaShop, Drupal, Joomla, Magento and more) and get things moving.

We used GTmetrix to measure the uptime and responsiveness of our HostRocket site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

As usual, we monitored the performance speed of HostRocket’s main website with the help of a test made possible by GTmetrix. And, to our satisfaction, it showed rather positive results. To completely load the page, it required merely 3.7 seconds, which looks even better in comparison to the average result of 8.1. Additionally, it took 51 requests, which is, again, pretty good in contrast to the average of 89. In the end, GTmetrix concluded that HostRocket’s website is worthy of a firm B (82%).

HostRocket promises a modest 99.5% of uptime and, according to UptimeRobot, is likely to deliver on its promise. The above mentioned test run for more than a month and recorded just one instance of downtime that lasted for 4 minutes. Thereby, the uptime in general was 99.98%, which is a bit better than promised. As for response time oscillations, there were barely any except for the referenced one, leaving an impression of stability.

Support

When customer support is concerned, HostRocket's landing page features a “Support” menu which can take you to account management, knowledgebase, an option to submit a ticket and a choice to “contact them”, which is essentially the same as submitting a ticket. In addition to this, customers who choose a dedicated, reseller or colocation hosting type may get in touch with the support team via telephone which is available from 9 AM to 9 PM. However, there is a personnel at your disposal day-and-night in case of emergency. Additionally, there is a so-called “FAQ System”, but going for it will merely take you to their knowledgebase.

HostRocket's knowledgebase has loads of tutorials on common web hosting issues (Image credit: HostRocket)

HostRocket’s knowledgebase is well organized into ten relevant categories and all of them are packed with a number of articles. However, if you can’t see what you’re looking for among them, there is an option to browse through the base by using the search box. The articles themselves are written in straight-to-the-point manner and seem to be helpful enough. Five of them are highlighted as the most popular ones and they cover some important topics for newcomers, such as creating an index page using .htaccess files, domain registry, creating e-mail accounts, using control panel and uploading files to one’s website. 

Overall, HostRocket’s customer support seems to be very informative and helpful, so the only thing that is really lacking in that department (apart from the official forum) is the absence of live chat feature.

The competition

TMDHosting is one of HostRocket’s US-based competitors and an ambitious one to boot. Both of them offer free domain registration for first-time users, but each additional domain registration with HostRocket will cost as much as $20 for each year, which is twice the amount than what is found with most providers, TMDHosting included.

Hostgator includes all the essential features with all its plans, such as: SSL certificates, SpamAssassin and automatic backups, which isn’t something HostRocket will provide you with. Another good thing is HostGator’s website builder, which all users are entitled to without any charge. On the other hand, HostRocket does provide virtually unlimited everything (storage, bandwidth, websites and e-mail accounts) with its hosting plans.

While HostRocket tries to target all businesses regardless of their size, HostDime is more geared towards larger businesses and their needs. Although the latter can also supply a small business with everything, too much of a good thing might not be equally good for the budget.

Bluehost is another well-known host which offers a whole array of services, features and options in general. However, it doesn’t provide a monthly billing for its plans (which HostRocket does) although, honestly, these plans tend to be on the expensive side.

Final verdict

Truth be told, having in mind the fact that HostRocket hosts over 50,000 websites at this moment is a testament to their reliability and good performance. Their plans, for the most part, include many unlimited features and offer a decent value for money, yet there are exceptions. Their shared hosting isn’t bad in itself, but customers who go for a monthly or semi-annual billing system, will be taken by surprise with the charge for additional setup fees. 

Although HostRocket represents a pretty fair price-performance ratio, there aren’t many things that make them stand out among competitors like Bluehost, Hostgator or DreamHost. All of them can get you this and better without breaking the bank.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

GL.iNet Slate 7: 30-second review

GL.iNet has a good reputation for router technology, and its mainstream home-office products, like the Flint 3, are widely revered. Alongside the Flint 3, GL.iNet has the Slate 7, a travel router that takes the best aspects of its larger brother and condenses them into an easy-to-carry portable access point.

With two 2.5 GbE LAN ports, you can connect this device to a hotel's wired network and then get up to 2.1 Gbps of wireless bandwidth on the 5 GHz band to connect phones and laptops.

If that seems like a security nightmare, the Slate 7 offers options for WireGuard VPN or OpenVPN, protecting your systems from local intrusions. The firmware on the Slate 7 is OpenWRT 23.05 (customised), which supports up to 5,000 plugins, allowing you to tweak the router for specific purposes.

Where most travel routers aren’t suitable for wider applications, the Slate 7, with its dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, could be a quick fix for a small office that needs WiFi, as it can easily connect to a cable router and the internal network without compromising the speed of either.

The limitations of this design are that it doesn’t support 6GHz bandwidth, which is part of the full WiFi 7 experience, and it can’t work as a MESH router with the Flint 3.

But unless those technologies are part of your network plans, then the Slate 7 is an inexpensive solution that ticks plenty of other useful boxes, making it an obvious candidate for our best Wi-Fi routers collection.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)GL.iNet Slate 7: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $170/£151/€174
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from GL.iNet, and it is also available from Amazon and other online retailers.

Direct from the maker, the GL.iNet Slate 7 costs only $169.99/£150.99/€173.99, and is currently offering a bundle deal if you buy it alongside the Flint 3 router in Europe or the USA. That bundle costs $358.99 in the USA, and €347.98 across Europe.

Alongside the Slate 7, GL.iNet has a travel pouch for the router that’s only £11.99 in the UK, and a SIMPoYo uFi (SP-N150C4) Plug & Play 4G USB Dongle for just €23.52/£21.89, but that’s not offered in the USA.

It can be bought via Amazon.com and other online retailers, and the prices are remarkably close to those of the maker. However, GL.iNet is currently offering the Slate 7 on Amazon.co.uk for only £117.29, which is a fantastic deal.

For those buying in bulk from GL.iNet, some cost reductions can be had. As an example, buy ten of these, and you can get a 6% saving, and smaller discounts are available for 3 and 5 packs.

Considering the cost of some travel routers that only offer Wi-Fi 6, the Slate 7's price seems reasonable, especially since it can operate as a standard AP, a wireless bridge, repeater or a wired bridge.

However, TP-Link has released the remarkably similar TL-WRR3602BE portable travel router, which sells for $99 on Amazon.com. But that router only offers a single 2.5GbE LAN port, and its second port is only 1GbE.

Netgear also offers the Nighthawk M7 Pro Mobile Hotspot, which provides 5G or 4G LTE service, but it costs £900 in the UK and, while cheaper in the USA, doesn’t work with all 5G or 4G carriers.

Overall, there are cheaper options, especially if you reduce expectations by using WiFi 6, but for a Wi-Fi 7 solution, the Slate 7 can justify its asking price.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4/5

GL.iNet Slate 7: Specs

Feature

Specification

Model

GL-BE3600 (Slate 7)

CPU

Qualcomm Quad-core @1.1GHz

RAM

1GB DDR4

Storage

512MB NAND Flash

WiFi Bands

688 Mbps (2.4GHz)

2882 Mbps (5GHz)

WiFi Standard

IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be (Wi-Fi 7)

Ethernet Ports

1x WAN 2.5GbE
1x WAN/LAN 2.5GbE

USB Port

1x USB 3.0

Antennas

2x Foldable External Antennas

Operating System

OpenWRT 23.05 (customised)

VPN Support

WireGuard (490 Mbps) & OpenVPN-DCO (395 Mbps)

Modes

Routing, AP, Wireless Bridge, Wired Bridge

Power Input

5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.5A over USB-C

Power Consumption

Less than 8W (without USB demands)

Dimensions

130 x 91 x 34 mm

Weight

295g

GL.iNet Slate 7: design

• Simple but elegant
• Highly portable
• Lots of useful modes

We’ve seen other Wi-Fi hardware makers go to extremes to make their products stand out in a remarkably competitive market. But the GL.iNet stuck firmly to the practicality proposition with the Slate 7, making it effectively a small 130 x 91 x 34 mm box with a gullwing antenna at either side and all the ports on the rear. The front has a small touchscreen that you can use to navigate a basic menu and view the router's status.

Power comes via USB-C, and it can be powered by a laptop since it draws only about 8W when no USB devices are attached. A small 30W PSU is included in the box, and on the EU model, adapters for four different power outlets are included: USA, UK, Europe, and Australia.

Since this PSU is similar in spec to those most people use for phones, a hardcore traveller could reduce the number of these devices they carry. Even with the PSU, this solution is less than 400g, and can easily fit alongside a laptop in hand luggage.

On the rear of the Slate 7 are two 2.5GbE LAN ports, and these, combined with the wireless capabilities, allow it to be an access point, a bridge, a Wi-Fi repeater, or even a controlled failover between two broadband providers.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There is also a USB 3.0 port, though I never got the full 5Gbps performance I expected when connecting storage to it. What this port is useful for is adding a 5G or 4G dongle, expanding the capability to include distributing a mobile comms connection to multiple devices. When you consider how expensive some dedicated 5G routers are, and how inexpensive a 5G dongle can be, this might be the optimal combination.

From a hardware perspective, the only thing missing here is a battery, as we saw on the Puli AX, also by GL.iNet. But, as the designers chose to power this using USB-C, it can steal power from a laptop, a phone or a small power station easily.

One clever, but almost hidden feature is that when you push the antennas into their upright position, underneath the left one is a ‘Mode’ button, which you can set to toggle VPN services or other network functions quickly. That’s far more convenient than having to open up a phone or computer to switch modes. That’s something that some users will be doing on a regular basis, and the button could become a massive time saver.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4/5

GL.iNet Slate 7: In use

• Easy install
• OpenWRT
• No Mesh

Using the device is purely a matter of plugging in the power and any Ethernet connections you need, if any, and selecting the mode you want from the touchscreen. Once the router is configured, the screen can display QR codes for phones, tablets, and laptops to connect without having to enter complicated passwords. It’s exactly as straightforward as you might expect, and there is a phone app if you want to be taken through the configuration process with some support.

Like the Puli AX and Flint 3, this router is built on a customised version of OpenWRT, a Linux project for embedded devices. This tailored version of OpenWRT 23.05 with support for over 5,000 plug-ins makes it ideal for advanced users who want granular control over routing, VPNs, and network behaviour.

The only blot on this landscape is that you can’t install vanilla OpenWRT on this router, as the firmware has been configured specifically for this hardware platform, making it markedly less Open in the process.

What this firmware does offer is the ability to failover in various ways, enabling the two 2.5GbE ports (one each of WAN and LAN) to support two broadband services to handle the failure of one of them. In addition, although I didn’t test this, I’m confident it can failover to a 4G or 5G service via a USB dongle if the wired connection goes down. Many of these features are normally on desktop routers but rarely on travel hardware.

Internet access is also possible via a Wi-Fi repeater mode with an existing service, or via USB tethering to a phone or laptop with mobile comms capability.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

And, like the Flint 3, this router doesn’t mesh with other GL.iNet routers. This was a complaint I made about the Flint 3, and the Slate 7 has exactly the same problem.

If you don’t think this is a big deal, consider a common scenario: you have a Flint 3 or another router running most of your Wi-Fi, but you use the Slate 7 to create a local hotspot in your office. In an ideal world, the two would Mesh, so that devices would seamlessly move between them as you moved around the building, but that’s not an option.

Then, if you took the Slate 7 on a road trip, it wouldn’t impact the local Wi-Fi network, and it would slot back in when you returned. Why GL.iNet didn’t implement Mesh on these devices is a mystery, and it would be a huge story for those covering Wireless networking if they fixed this.

According to resources, OpenWRT does support mesh via 802.11s or batman-adv, but this isn’t implemented in the GL.iNet interface. This isn’t a new issue, as neither the original Slate AX or Beryl AX had Mesh either, and the Flint 3 also lacks it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• In Use: 3.5/5

GL.iNet Slate 7: Performance

• Lacks 6GHz
• Lacklustre USB 3.0

Performance results are consistent, and present the Slate 7 as a workmanlike travel router that makes the most of the technology stuffed in it.

On 5GHz, real-world wireless speeds reach a limit of about 2.1 Gbps, which is strong for a travel router, given the theoretical bandwidth of 3400 Gbps across all bands.

If you use a VPN, that amount can be significantly reduced, with as little as 100 Mbps on OpenVPN, but WireGuard VPN throughput typically sits just above 500 Mbps, a trade-off that most travellers would live with to be safe on the road.

The performance of WireGuard and OpenVPN channels on routers is heavily determined by the SoC's speed. Many desktop routers built around OpenWRT 23.05, but with a more powerful SoC, can hit 1,000MB/s or better. But, since this router might be battery-powered, the chip in it was chosen for power efficiency and not breakneck WireGuard performance.

This hardware supports Multi-Link Operation (MLO), but since it lacks support for the 6GHz band, using it doesn’t tend to provide much in the way of speed gains, though it does enhance stability somewhat. Those operating this router in a hotel room wouldn’t notice the difference, I’m confident.

There is a good argument that selling the Slate 7 as a Wi-Fi 7 router when it doesn’t support 6GHz is, at best, overselling and, at worst, misleading. I’d temper that position by saying that this platform does support 4K QAM and Multi-Link Operation (MLO) for improved efficiency and speed over older standards, though if this router had a 6GHz band, it would be rated much higher than the BE3600 that it is currently.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

One place it doesn’t perform well is with the USB 3.0 port, which doesn’t deliver the bandwidth it should. File transfers from storage devices stalled at 132MB/s in my tests, even with external SSDs rated for 1,000MB/s or higher.

Since USB 3.0 should be at least 500MB/s, being a 5Gbps technology, but on this hardware, it looks like it's capped at closer to 1Gbps, which is disappointing. It’s worth saying that I’ve reviewed desktop routers with ‘Blue’ USB 3.0 ports and discovered they only support USB 2.0 transfer speeds (40MB/s), so the performance on this router is better than some.

Overall, the Slate 7 performs well with Wi-Fi 5 and 6 clients, but without 6GHz support, it can’t match the performance of a proper Wi-Fi router.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: GL.iNet)GL.iNet Slate 7: Final verdict

I like the Slate 7 more than some other products I could mention, mostly because it focuses on its core functionality and offers the features and flexibility that frequent travellers are looking for.

Being easy to carry and deploy is important for those on the move, and by using WireGuard VPN, you can keep communication secure even if the local hotel network is compromised.

If this design has weaknesses, many of them are the same that I noticed on the Flint 3, and as they share a firmware platform, that’s not a huge surprise. Ironically, if the Flint 3 supported Mesh, so would this router, and that would be a major selling point for both. For whatever reason, GL.iNet didn’t include Mesh, and it makes the Slate 7 slightly less useful for those who want to use one in the office to extend their network. You can still use it as a range extender, but that’s not the same as the smooth handover connections that Mesh can give you.

Of the eight travel routers GL.iNet currently sells, this is the one I’ve been most impressed with so far. However, I’ve yet to see the Mudi 7 (GL-E5800). a 5G NR Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 Travel Router, as it's only due to be released later this year,

There are cheaper options around that work perfectly well, but the thinking and functionality that’s in this one make it worth the extra cost when you are far from the office and need equipment that works.

Should I buy a GL.iNet Slate 7?GL.iNet Slate 7 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Agressively priced for the specification of this small device

4/5

Design

Compact, solid build with handy touchscreen

4/5

In Use

Easy to use and highly flexible but lacks Mesh

3.5/5

Performance

Strong on 5GHz & WireGuard; 'Wi-Fi 7' branding oversells it

3.5/5

Overall

Best-in-class travel router with a few caveats

4/5

Buy it if...

You want Wi-Fi 7
There are better Wi-Fi 7 routers available, most of it costs much more than this, and it isn't portable. However, you might find that those clients who are Wi-Fi 5 or 6, don’t get substantially more performance. And, Wi-Fi 7 clients can’t use 6GHz.

You want dual 2.5GbE in a travel package
No other travel router at this price point offers two 2.5GbE ports with failover, and you need to spend much more than this on a desktop router that offers more than one 2.5GbE port.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have Wi-Fi 7 clients
Without the right hardware on the client end, there is little point in going with a Wi-Fi 7 router. However, if you intend to upgrade at some point, then it might be worth the investment.

You want to use Mesh
The lack of proper Mesh support in this design is a showstopper for many. It can work as a repeater, but that’s not the same in a crowded wireless environment.

For more connectivity solutions, we've reviewed the best business routers

While the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series has the phones world abuzz, it’s the unveiling of the company’s new audio products which is turning earbuds fans’ heads. The flagship new 'Buds' vying to feature in our best earbuds guide are the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, which have just been released alongside their non-Pro counterparts. They are, depending on your persuasion, the follow-up to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, or the latest rival to the AirPods Pro 3.

As early leaks all-but confirmed, these buds have seen a design change, using a new version of what Samsung calls its ‘blade’ design to create a sleek and understated-looking model. I don’t know how much Marvel’s sword-wielding vampire-fighter had to do with the change, but it’s just the most readily-apparent of the several changes and upgrades coming to this new iteration.

At an early event I got to test the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, as well as their non-Pro sibling, and since then I’ve been listening to them non-stop for the past week. That’s not enough time to write a full review (though rest assured one is coming), but below you’ll find my early impressions on this new pair of premium earbuds.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced on February 25, 2026
• Selling for $249 / £219 / AU$399
• Matches AirPods Pro 3 in price — which is likely deliberate

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro were unveiled on February 25, 2026, and they’re due to go on sale at the beginning of March.

To buy the new buds, you’ll have to shell out $249 / £219 / AU$399. That’s certainly a high price for earbuds, marking them as premium options, though it’s worth noting that this is the same launch price as the previous model.

Let’s put that in context: the latest AirPods Pro 3 cost $249 / £219 / AU$429 so it’s a similar price in most places, but Samsung undercuts Apple in Australia. The standard Galaxy Buds 4 go for $197 / £159 / AU$299, so they’re naturally cheaper, but you’re getting an open-style bud for that price.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• New 'blade' look, old 'blade' traits gone
• Feel solid in the ear
• Annoying eartip problem returns

Changes to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are evident from the outset: they come in a clamshell-style charging case which is transparent in its lid, so you can admire the buds at will – it’s much easier to slot the buds into than the 3 Pro’s case was. It feels a little smaller but thicker, from my recollection of the last buds, though I can’t confirm that – either way, it was easy to slot into my trouser pockets.

The buds themselves have seen a redesign, and now have a brushed-metal edge which is lovely and understated. I’m personally a big fan of earbuds that aren’t bedecked in the company’s logo, and could proudly walk around without feeling like a Samsung billboard.

(Image credit: Future)

Some more changes: Blade Light? Gone. Color-coded buds so you know at a glance which side of the case to put them in? Gone. Proprietary eartip-locking system which stops you using third-party tips, and makes them incredibly hard to remove? Sadly not gone, despite this finickity system causing so many problems in the Buds 3 Pro that they were delayed. I needed to switch the tips when I first received the buds, and was fearful of doing so given how easily I could have accidentally broken them. I can't understand why Samsung has left this big problem in place.

I switched out the tip because the buds’ fit didn’t feel solid, and changing to the biggest option didn’t remedy that. However, the only times they've actually fallen out is when I took them on a run; I'd say they're fine for everyday use, then, but aren't runners' buds.

Other than that, they’ve felt pretty reliable, even when I walked around with the buds at weird and irregular angles to test out one of their features (don’t tell my editor, who threatened to write a column calling out all the people who wear earbuds wrong). I was surprised by how much much I liked the on-stem touch controls too: swipe for volume, pinch for play/pause. Nice and convenient, and with a responsive ‘click’ for the latter too, reminding me of the Nothing Ear (a) which have a gold star in this department.

@techradar

♬ Straf (Theme) - Weval Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Solid ANC
• App is chock-full of features
• New live translation and head gestures

I remember being blown away by the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s ANC, and from early tests, it’s just as strong here. I’ve mostly been listening on the standard ANC mode, at full power, but there’s an Adaptive mode that I’m getting ready to try next. If there’s a flaw, it’s that Ambient mode seems weaker than on other buds I’ve tested, in that it lets through too much.

Like any good premium earbuds, there are plenty of app features in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. I spent a good long while playing around with tools like an earbud fit test, a 5-band equalizer with various presets, an Ultra High-Quality mode, 360 audio and setting up neck stretch reminders.

(Image credit: Future)

The app also offers an adaptive sound mode, which offers a hearing test to create a bespoke sound profile – it’s simpler than the alternative offered by many rivals, and didn’t have an audible impact on my music. I must say, I’m not convinced by this one.

New features to the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro include head gestures to answer or reject calls, however I didn’t get to test this, due to no-one calling me in the test week (it’s 2026 – I don’t get many calls full stop). AirPods Pro-style Live Translation is also here, and thanks to an upcoming trip, it’s something I hope to test soon for the full review.

There's also the feature I referred to earlier in the article: adaptive casting, so the buds will recognize how you're wearing them and adapt playback accordingly. In short, if you're wearing the buds wrong, they'll play music slightly differently to atone for it. Perfect for all those people you see on the train who have the stems vertical (or horizontal).

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Driver improvements offer better-defined bass
• Support for high-quality music
• Sounds great, with refined V-shaped audio

There's an audible change afoot in the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro; they have a slightly bigger driver, and according to Samsung this brings bass boosts. In my testing, this doesn’t mean more bass, but better bass.

Lower-frequency instruments don't dominate the other tracks as much as in rivals, but sit better alongside them, with better definition and timbre. It feels more natural, and less like a filter slapped over music.

Beyond that, these sound similar to the previous-gen model: really, really good, with a gentle V-shaped sound. Sharp treble, wide sound stage, high quality of tracks supported. Expect a more detailed and nuanced analysis when the novelty has worn off, but to praise them simply: I used them for hours on my return trip from covering the Bristol Hi-Fi show, and didn’t find them as much of a sad comedown as I expect any other earbuds would be (to clarify, I'd spent the days listening to speakers and hi-fi systems that cost hundreds of thousands, in any currency you like).

I should note, I did much of my listening on a Samsung phone, which allows for the company’s Ultra High Quality Sound feature – it compresses then decodes music up to 24-bit/96kHz. This made music sound distinctly better than it might on another device, as illustrated by the fact I also tested alongside a different Android phone which also sounded great, but not quite as high-quality.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

The big question for expensive earbuds like these, is how well they justify that high price tag. I can't deny that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro sound great, but the earbuds world is a competitive one, and you can get a great pick without paying much.

I think it's the feature department that'll sway me either way: it's what set many buds apart, and if the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro tools prove useful over the coming weeks, it'll help make the price make sense.

How I tested

(Image credit: Future)

So far, I've been listening to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for the best part of a week, mainly using it for music streaming. I tested it for a time on my Realme phone, listening to Spotify as I would any other pair of headphones. I also spent a few days with it paired to a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, listening to high-res music and testing its various features. I will repeat this split for the remainder of the testing process, to see how well the buds work for Samsung and non-Samsung users.

I've tested plenty of other earbuds in the past, including options from Samsung and its companies including the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, original Galaxy Buds and some picks from AKG, Bowers & Wilkin and JBL (yes, all owned by Samsung).

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: February 2026

Commodore 64 Ultimate: One-minute review

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is a modern recreation of the classic home computer from the 1980s. It’s a tremendous achievement, taking me straight back to my childhood with glee, and also making me wonder how on earth seven-year-old me had the patience to truly figure it out. Using it is wondrous and occasionally frustrating and slow, but for fans of that era, it’s hard to resist (assuming money isn’t an issue).

It’s so much more than just an emulated machine like if you’ve Nintendo Classic Mini or the PlayStation Classic. It provides compatibility with most of your old Commodore 64 hardware if, like me, you’ve kept a huge box of cassettes, cartridges, and joysticks, but you can also go online to download some games too.

Capturing that nostalgia has some downsides that are only truly apparent now that we’ve moved forward. Loading times are slow, albeit not as slow as back in the day, while knowing what commands to hit on the keyboard isn’t as intuitive as it once felt. However, a comprehensive manual goes some way to helping you remember how you used to do things, and ensures newcomers aren’t left in the dark.

Think of this as like a project rather than a brief flirtation, and you should be delighted with the Commodore 64 Ultimate. I enjoyed rediscovering how to complete simple routines in BASIC, but also playing old favorites, even if they weren’t exactly games I’d still play for dozens of hours anymore.

It’s a fantastic love letter to the computer that sent me down a lifelong path of loving technology, but it also reminds me how far we’ve come. At times, you’ll find yourself a little frustrated by a system that doesn’t feel as logical as it once did, but if you were here back at the start, you’ll always return for more. Just be ready for a bit of a learning curve.

(Image credit: Future)Commodore 64 Ultimate: Price and availability

• List price: $349.99 (around £260 / AU$524)
• Currently available for preorder for March / April 2026
• Beige and Starlight variants available

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is currently available for pre-order directly from Commodore. At the time of writing, it’s expected to ship in March or April 2026. The standard Beige variant is $349.99 (around £260 / AU$524) while the more futuristic-looking Starlight model is an extra $50, and the Founder’s Edition with 24K gold-plated badges is $549.99.

I went with the Beige version as it looks nearly identical to the one from my childhood (more on that in a moment), but even that model is pretty expensive compared to other retro games consoles and machines.

Of course, it’s far more than just an emulator, given it works with your original hardware, but this isn’t impulse buy territory. I’d think carefully about whether this is a novelty product for you or something that you truly plan on using for a long time to come.

Fortunately, if you’re like me and kept your old collection, you won’t have to worry about buying new games, joysticks, or a cassette deck. If you’re starting from scratch, there’s a USB stick full of games included, and an extra supply of games is available online via the computer’s storefront for free.

Commodore 64 Ultimate: Specs

Commodore 64 Ultimate

Price

$349.99 (around £260 / AU$524)

Weight

5.6lb / 2.56kg

Dimensions

16 x 8 x 3in / 400 x 200 x 70mm

Extras

Integrated Ultimate-II+ functionality with tape emulation and DMA loader, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, 2 x Game Controller Ports

CPU

AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA

RAM

128MB DDR2 RAM

Video

HDMI 1080P at 50Hz PAL or 60Hz NTSC Analog via DIN-8: CVBS, S-Video, or RGB

Compatibility

Commodore 64 cassettes, disks, cartridges, ROMs

Controllers

Serial Port Joystick/DB9 controller

Commodore 64 Ultimate: Design and features

• Matches the original aesthetic well
• Traditional interface paired with more modern menu system
• Works with original accessories and games

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is an instant nostalgia trip if you owned the original. Even the box design is similar. Open it up, and you’re presented with a USB drive disguised as a cassette tape along with a wire-bound User Guide which looks a lot like the one I gazed over in wonder as a kid. The computer itself also looks nearly identical to the original, right down to the power switch on the side and all the ports possible.

Such ports include the modern essentials like USB and HDMI, but also older connectors for adding your original cassette deck, your joysticks, or a disk drive. It also works with C64 cartridges if you have any of those lying around.

It’s all plug and play, which is great if you’ve got an old collection ready to try out again, tapping into a similar model as the Atari 2600+. It also even sounds like the Commodore 64 from what I remember, with a bit of a creak as anything loads coming from the sound chip.

(Image credit: Future)

The Commodore 64 Ultimate’s user interface is just like how you might remember, too, which is both good and bad. Back in the day, there was no drag-and-drop, and everything was done through a keyboard with arrow keys that needed the shift key to switch between directions. That’s replicated here, and it takes a hot minute to remember the old ways.

To offset that aged way of doing things, there are menus to navigate. It’s still a little awkward, but it opens up more functionality, such as being able to go online to download community-made games or access bulletin board forums.

There’s a ton of depth to these menus, so if you like to tweak and adjust settings, you’re in luck. This is a far more feature-rich model than the original it’s taking after. How far you want to go mostly depends on your enthusiasm. It can still be a relatively plug-and-play device if you just want to download games.

(Image credit: Future)Commodore 64 Ultimate: Performance

• Loading times are faster than the OG but still slow
• Overclocking options
• BASIC is just how you remember it

Remember when the Commodore 64 would take 10 minutes or more to load a cassette, then sometimes simply fail? Those days are gone with the Ultimate! That doesn’t mean it’s fast, though. The processing power is there, but presumably, waiting around for a game to load is there to remind you of the simpler times.

That goes for whether you’re loading a tape image from USB or online, so this isn’t an old media issue. In the long term, I plan on adding a Tapuino to make it easier to load my original cassettes, but you don’t actually need anything extra besides what’s in the box.

Going online is as simple as connecting any other device to your network, and in no time, you can search for games or browse bulletin boards. While I never found my new favorite game through these methods, it was fun to take a look.

Curiously, you can dive into a menu and activate turbo boost to improve performance from 1MHz to 64MHz with a RAM expansion unit, increasing RAM to 16MB, which feels mind-boggling for a Commodore 64 machine.

My favorite part about using the Commodore 64 Ultimate actually has nothing to do with gaming performance, though. I loved coding in BASIC again. It was my first time programming anything, and also arguably when my programming knowledge peaked. The wire-bound manual guides you through the early stages of BASIC, and digging out a few old books and magazines with programs was a ton of fun.

Variety is where much of the joy comes from with the Commodore 64 Ultimate. It’s truly a whole home computer rather than a restrictive games emulator. Being able to switch between playing some old games and discovering new ones online, or simply coding something, gives it tremendous depth compared to something like the C64 Mini that came before it.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Commodore 64 Ultimate?Buy it if…

You loved the Commodore 64 the first time around
The nostalgia factor is huge here, but made better. It has everything you’d expect from the original, but with improvements like an HDMI port and internet connectivity for downloading new games.

You want a fun new tech project
The Commodore 64 Ultimate has enough depth that you won’t spend one afternoon with it. You can work on some coding projects, play a huge number of games, and track down old but compatible hardware.

You want to escape the modern world
The Commodore 64 may go online, but there are no notifications, no ads, no distractions. This is still a very purist experience, and it’s rather nice to leave the digital world behind for a time.

Don’t buy it if…

You’ve never used a Commodore 64 before
Without the nostalgia, I’m not convinced this would be a very exciting passion project. It’s hard to go back to the old days if you don’t remember them from before.

You want simplicity
The moment you reach for the escape key and realise there isn’t one is when you remember how much has changed. It’s a little daunting at first, so it won’t be for everyone.

You want a cheap project
This isn’t a cheap piece of hardware, and that shows in the quality of it. Throw in the need for joysticks and other original hardware to get the most out of it, and the Commodore 64 Ultimate could end up pretty expensive.

Also consider...

Not sure if the Commodore 64 Ultimate is the retro hardware for you? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Commodore 64 Ultimate

Atari 2600+

Commodore 64 Mini

Price

$349.99 (around £260 / AU$524)

 $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$269.95

$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.95

Weight

5.6lb / 2.56kg

1.3lb / 0.59kg

0.82lb / 0.38kg

Dimensions

16 x 8 x 3in / 400 x 200 x 70mm

10.6 x 7 x 2.8in / 269 x 178 x 71mm

9.8 x 7.9 x 2in / 250 x 200 x 50mm

Extras

Integrated Ultimate-II+ functionality with tape emulation and DMA loader, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, 2 x Game Controller Ports

CX40+ Joystick with DB9 connector, USB-C, Light-up Atari logo

USB flash drive with disc, cartridge, and casette ROM file compatibility, Dual USB-A ports, THE Joystick (microswitch joystick)

CPU

AMD Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA

Rockchip 3128 SOC

ARM A20 SoC

RAM

128MB DDR2 RAM

256MB DDR3 RAM

64KB

Video

HDMI 1080P at 50Hz PAL or 60Hz NTSC Analog via DIN-8: CVBS, S-Video, or RGB

HDMI (widescreen support)

HDMI (720p 60Hz output; full width/4:3/CRT filter options)

Compatibility

Commodore 64 cassettes, disks, cartridges, ROMs

Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges

Games on board, plus games via USB port

Controllers

Serial Port Joystick/DB9 controller

CX40+ JoystickS

THEJoystick

Atari 2600+
If your childhood was all about the Atari 2600, check out the Atari 2600+ model which is a lot cheaper than the Commodore 64 Ultimate and still allows you to use old cartridges as well as new. The latter can get quite expensive but it’s more plug and play friendly than the C64.

Read our full Atari 2600+ review

C64 Mini
The C64 Mini is a great alternative if you simply want to play some old, curated games in ROM form and maybe dabble in some programming. It’s less complete than the Commodore 64 Ultimate, but it’s more accessible for the less tech-savvy amongst us.

Read our full C64 Mini review

How I tested the Commodore 64 Ultimate

• Tested for about 20 hours
• I used it solely out of the box, and I also added my own original joystick and cassette deck to play games
• I also spent time using it to code simple programs in BASIC

I used the Commodore 64 Ultimate after digging out my old collection of C64 games and hardware. Unfortunately for me, not all the cassettes survived their time untouched, and one joystick was temperamental at best, but it gave me an opportunity to see how well the new and old hardware worked together.

I also went online with the Commodore 64 and browsed through seemingly every menu within the original user interface. I downloaded new games to play to see how well that experience worked, and I spent substantial time typing out BASIC programs and reveling at how easy it was, and feeling some lovely nostalgia to child me who thought they could rule the world because they knew a little BASIC.

The Commodore 64 Ultimate is very different from other retro machine comebacks, so I mostly focused on comparing it to the original machine.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2026

Resident Evil Requiem is quite literally a game of two halves.

Its dual protagonists, newcomer Grace Ashcroft and series veteran Leon S. Kennedy, both represent disparate aspects of the long-running survival horror franchise brought together to appease fans of tense first-person exploration and resource management and bombastic third-person action, respectively.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 / PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: February 27, 2026

An intriguing formula which, on paper, should offer something for all kinds of Resident Evil lover and this is certainly true throughout the game’s strong first half. Navigating wonderfully designed, interconnected environments filled with mysterious puzzles to scrounge for resources while dodging prowling horrors, as Grace is a consistent delight, punctuated by the refreshing moments where you can briefly let loose as Leon and tear through zombie hordes with an almost unlimited supply of guns and ammunition.

Unfortunately, this careful balance is upset by the overwhelming number of sequences in the action camp later on. They’re still a blast to fight through, even as the plot becomes increasingly bizarre, but I still found myself hoping for more of the serious scares experienced early on.

Spencer Mansion memories

(Image credit: Capcom)

It’s clear that Resident Evil Requiem is intended to be a celebration of the series, smartly blending elements from almost every entry thus far. Grace inherits not only the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but also the classic puzzle-solving of the original Resident Evil and its immediate follow-ups. The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, the first section where you play as Grace, is a showstopping example of this formula at its best, with some of the greatest level design in Resident Evil history.

The whole area is an unsettling blend of tight corridors and small rooms, with objectives that require you to carefully scour your surroundings as you match keys with their respective locks, decipher secret codes, or collect other important items. Moving forward is always intuitive, and I never found myself scratching my head, wondering what to do next, in part because there are often multiple possible ways to progress with what you have on hand.

Rooms like the ornate banquet hall and the facility's expansive main foyer also echo the iconic design of the Spencer Mansion, a tasteful throwback for long-time fans, while a barrage of new enemy types keep things feeling fresh and prevent you from ever getting too comfortable. The new viral strain at the heart of this game's outbreak gives us some of the most intelligent zombies yet, repeating phrases that often hint at ways to counter their unique behaviours.

(Image credit: Capcom)

A zombie obsessed with turning off the lights, for example, can be lured out of your path by the flicking of a distant switch in order to preserve valuable ammo. Even if you do choose to go guns blazing, a handful of powerful horrors like the kitchen's huge, mutated chef can only be taken on with ample reserves of equipment. Successfully down them and you're treated to a deluge of goodies, namely collectible coins that can be spent on useful upgrades, appropriately rewarding those players prepared to take the risk.

Saving is restricted to set points where you can access a typewriter in dedicated safe rooms, adding an extra layer of tension even if, in reality, their plentiful nature means you're never really short of opportunities to use them.

Despite this safety blanket, as Grace, you're never really out of harm's way, as you’re perpetually on the run from an invincible foe. A terrifying, long-limbed woman, she appears in both scripted scares and more dynamic moments where she stalks you through the building.

She has a good range of possible behaviors, like suddenly reaching under tables to grab you if you make too much noise, or prowling towards your path after catching a whiff of your scent as you creep by. The creature is easy to outsmart if you make liberal use of distraction items like glass bottles, but the persistent dread that she might appear around any corner is hard to shake.

Your fear is reflected in Grace, who is an incredibly relatable protagonist compared to the emotional brick wall that was 7 and Village’s Ethan Winters.

Her trembling hands and haggard breaths are a brilliant contrast to Leon’s quippy confidence, and she’s endearingly awkward in the many stunningly animated cutscenes, too. Her desire to discover the truth of her mother’s grisly murder eight years ago is also a compelling hook that drives you to push on in spite of the horrors that you face.

Back in '98

(Image credit: Capcom)

It’s a shame, then, that she practically vanishes from the story at the halfway mark as the focus turns almost entirely towards Leon. Returning to the ruins of Raccoon City in some surprisingly hefty semi-open-world sections, it’s an unrelenting bombardment of combat gauntlets, boss fights, and cinematic action sequences.

Some moments, like a rocket launcher motorbike chase that extends up the side of a collapsed building, are certainly reminiscent of the much-derided over-the-top events of Resident Evil 6, while others feel like something you’d watch stone-faced in one of the franchise’s many terrible live action movies.

(Image credit: Capcom)

Throw in heaps of gratuitous fan service and an unsatisfying ending that leaves loads of unanswered questions (presumably for the sake of setting up future sequels or DLC), and it left me yearning for a tighter, more self-contained, and emotionally impactful experience.

That’s not to say that these moments are ever dull, though. To developer Capcom’s credit, while events may veer unapologetically into the camp and ridiculous, I was practically on the edge of my seat, wondering what on Earth could possibly happen next.

It definitely helps that Resident Evil Requiem is never boring to look at. This is a visually stunning game that really pushes the envelope with environmental fidelity, beautiful ray-traced reflections, fluid animation, and even subtle character details like strands of hair or droplets of blood and sweat. Yes, even on Nintendo Switch 2, despite some noticeable cutbacks to resolution and the odd framerate stutter.

I enjoyed my playthroughs thoroughly, but I can’t help but wish that Capcom was a little bolder with the plot. After more than 30 years, surely now is the time to be moving the series forward decisively rather than constantly harking back to the past?

Should I play Resident Evil Requiem?Play it if...

You love classic Resident Evil
If you love the classic trilogy, or even newer entries like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, then the Grace segments of Requiem make it well worth playing. You’re getting a decent chunk of old-fashioned puzzle solving and survival horror exploration here, even if it does skew towards action near the end.

You prefer the more bombastic action
If you loved the action-packed events of Resident Evil 4, the Leon sections here feature some of the best third-person combat in the series so far.

Don't play it if...

You’re not up to date with the story so far
The strong reliance on fan-service and call backs is going to really diminish the experience for those that aren’t long-time Resident Evil fans. If that’s you, my recommendation is to start with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard or the Resident Evil 2 remake and then play through the rest of the series before reaching this one.

Accessibility features

Resident Evil Requiem has multiple difficulty levels, including a Casual mode that’s designed to be more forgiving as well as Standard (Modern) and Standard (Classic). Standard (Classic) restricts your ability to save during Grace sections, requiring a consumable ink ribbon item each time.

The game has a dedicated accessibility menu with a suite of available options geared towards visual, auditory, motion sickness, and physical accessibility. On the visual front, you can customize the HUD and text size, plus subtitle presentation and size.

For auditory needs, you can enable closed captions with optional speaker name display, while motion sickness settings allow you to adjust camera wobble, motion blur, and turn on a dot in the middle of the screen to focus on.

Physical accessibility options include the options to disable repeated inputs in favor of holding a button, turn of vibration, and configure your controller layout.

(Image credit: Capcom)How I reviewed Resident Evil Requiem

I played more than 20 hours of Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2, my primary platform for review, in which time I completed the game and then began a second run. I tested it almost exclusively in handheld mode, relying on the Joy-Con 2 controllers and the system’s built-in speakers.

I then tested the PC version on my system from retailer Scan. It features a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I Gaming Wifi motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Nvidia 5070 Ti manufactured by Asus.

This proved more than capable of running the game on maximum graphics settings with full path tracing enabled at 1080p 60fps. On PC, I relied on my Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro mouse and Cherry XTRFY K5V2 keyboard, plus an Astro A20 X gaming headset for audio.

I’m a long-time Resident Evil fan and have played almost every entry (most on more than one occasion). Yes, I’ve even subjected myself to the likes of Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps.

Throughout my time with Requiem, I compared my experience to the other games (particularly Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the remakes of 2, 3, and 4, Village, and the original three games) plus the wider survival horror and action horror genres.

First reviewed February 2026

The Synology DS725+ is an odd placement. It is a great device for most, don’t get me wrong, but with a seemingly downgraded Network port, the same CPU as a past model, no PCIe expansion port to upgrade to a 10GbE network port, and still an expandable storage option, it makes this a hard device to suggest, even while it’s a great device on it’s own.

As a device, not looking at models from the same company or family, this would probably score a bit higher. But knowing that other models exist at a similar price point from the same reputable company with better features, this score gets knocked a bit.

But with that said, the last thing I will say, with other products in mind, is that the DS723+ may be the better option for you if you need the 10GbE option or want it in the future; however, not everyone will want or ever really need that kind of speed. So, it depends on what you are going to use this NAS for.

Synology DS725+: Price and availability

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The Synology DS725+ without drives sells for $499, giving you an empty case ready for whatever drives you want. You can choose to add just one drive, or fill both bays, and you can also fill the M. 2 NVMe slots. If you want more storage, you can grab an expansion DX525 unit and add 5 more bays, bringing the total to 7.

It's widely available right now direct from Synology and online retailers like Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Synology used to require Synology-branded drives for compatibility, but they have recently opened this up to allow for non-Synology drives, just noting that not all will function the same.

For example, I have 2 Synology M.2 drives in my NVMe slots for caching, and for my main drives, I have 2x 8TB Seagate IronWolf NAS Internal Hard Drives, giving me a total of 16TB of storage, plus the 800GB of caching. This option was cheaper than the Synology-branded drives, and so far, I have had no issues.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Synology DS725+: Unboxing and First Impressions

Synology is one of those companies that has simple packaging, and at this point in my life and professional career, I appreciate that. No need for flashy packaging, just let me get to the product and let the product speak for itself. There are some nice foam inserts to help ensure the enclosure doesn’t get damaged, along with the power brick and cable, some RJ-45 LAN cables, drive bay screws, a key, and the guide.

This enclosure is super minimal, and with the NVMe slots under the device, the overall footprint is pretty small. I was able to add this to a small rack pretty easily, even though this is a desktop model, not a rack-based model. For this current setup, a rack system works well, but for the future, I want the flexibility of putting this on a desktop, making this formfactor perfect for me.

I was able to get things set up pretty quickly, not having to follow any instructions other than confirming the best way to connect to the NAS for the first time. Setup all occurs over at find.synology.com, which I've also used for my other Synology drives, and I was good to go.

For this setup, I have the Synology DS725+ 2.5GbE network port plugged into a Zyxel network switch that also has two media computers connected, and that switch is connected to my LAN. I also have a redundant network line for any potential failover running from the 1GbE port directly into the building.

Once I got that squared away and installed all four drives, I plugged in power and booted it up, then visited find.synology.com to install DSM and set the parameters I wanted. The setup was pretty straightforward, and there were no spots where I felt confused or unsure about what to choose. It probably took about 15-20 minutes from unboxing to using and syncing files.

Synology DS725+: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The physical design of the Synology DS725+ is pretty simple, and I like that. It’s not trying to be flashy. I do wish Synology would adopt more ports on the front for file transfer, as other companies like UGREEN do, but it’s not the end of the world by any means.

For this kind of storage, I understand why they don’t make it the primary focus, as the user base would probably be those who are not in the media space or have other ways of ingesting footage. Though I was able to easily ingest SD cards via an adapter, which was a fun surprise.

This is the kind of NAS you can, of course, tuck away if desired or keep on your desk, and you won’t feel bad about it at all, as it looks clean and sleek with its matte dark grey/black colorway and minimal lighting and badging.

Speaking of the looks, the build quality is great on this; there are no loose pieces or elements that feel cheaply designed. Everything feels quality without feeling so nice that I shouldn’t use it. Sadly, again, there is no expandable PCIe Gen 3 port, but there is an expandable USB-C port on the back for an expansion bay if desired down the road.

One thing that was updated since I received this unit and started testing is that Synology now allows all drive types again. While I do understand the backlash Synology was getting for this move, I see it as a lot like Apple's walled garden.

Yes, there may be part of it that is for trying to make users spend more on their products, but Apple is very particular about what can and will go into their devices, so they can have more control of the outcomes, producing a reliable experience which they could not ensure with products they do not design.

I think Synology was trying to ensure the best performance by only allowing its drives that meet its standards and performance expectations, not just any drive. However, now you can add just about any drive. Synology just notes that it may affect your performance, so make sure you do some research before choosing a non-Synology drive.

Synology DS725+: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I’ve had this drive up and running in my team’s media area for several weeks now. Its primary use is as a media server, hosting RAW video and photo files, communicating with a DaVinci Project Server, and working as a sync between Macs and Google Shared Drives, as well as other media folders scattered about. We rely on the cloud sync functionality to keep everything in check, uploading and downloading as needed.

Synology’s DSM 7 software is so easy to use that I can connect to it and work from my iPhone, my iPad, my Mac, or just interact with the file server through Finder. It is incredibly easy to set up and work on.

Right now, I have one volume containing all 16TB of my storage drives, and then both of my NVMe drives are set to cache that volume, making for one big drive that can work as fast as I need it to. I may add another set of drives through the expansion bay in the future and set up another volume, or I may split this volume over time depending on usage, but what’s great is that Synology makes that super easy.

If media storage is not what you need this for, this is even better as a file server, acting as your source of truth, a RAID server that can backup your critical files, or even work as a hybrid with a cloud service, backing up your cloud files, your computer files in the field, or perhaps taking what you store on a more expensive, but sometimes more convenient cloud service, pulling it down to your cold storage Synology backup, and freeing up your more convenient cloud service storage. Either way, this system is fantastic for all types of storage management.

Synology DS725+: Final verdictCollin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

I’ve only touched on the DS725+'s capabilities, which speaks to just how capable it is. However, circling back, its product placement is a bit odd. So, if you are looking for a great NAS for your business professional use, then you should probably check out the DS725+ as well as some of the other DS systems that Synology offers, but if you find a great deal, and you are ok with a 2.5GbE max port, then you should absolutely consider grabbing the DS725+ for your business or use case.

As most things do, this purchase comes down to the right deal and the right use, but at the end of the day, Synology is still highly respected in this space, and for good reason. They make great gear, even if some of it is oddly positioned against its brothers and sisters.

For more storage solutions, we've tested and reviewed the best NAS devices you can get.

Based in Arizona (USA), StableHost was established in 2009 by a rather small but passionate team that has since grown to some 15 people today. Privately-owned and with more than a decade of experience, StableHost has specialized in providing powerful, reliable and secure web hosting solutions in all shapes and sizes. They can help you create a personal blog or start a small business all the while supporting much larger enterprise-level businesses. StableHost’s products run from domain registration and basic shared hosting to dedicated servers, VPS and reseller hosting. At the moment, they have multiple data centers in the US, Europe and Asia.

Back in 2018, they became a part of Miss Group, one of the fastest growing hosting companies on the market and a driving force behind many providers and hosting-related brands, such as Miss Hosting, 4 UK Host, Professional Hosting and Funio, among others.

• Want to try StableHost? Check out the website here

StableHost’s main website design is quite simple (but not simplistic), user-friendly and predominantly colored green, which makes it easy on the eyes. Apart from English language, users are able to select German, Spanish, Swedish and Vietnamese, and as far as we could see the translation is done fully and in a professional way. The only thing that does not meet this criteria is customer feedback at the bottom of the page, but to be fair, pointing out this as a flaw is basically nit-picking.

The official blog stylistically resembles the rest of StableHost’s website and it seems that its only use over the past few years amounted to advertising the company’s products and offering occasional holiday discounts beyond a few updates about the company itself. It appears the blog has been gathering dust since April 2018, so we hoped to find better results in other aspects of their website.

StableHost has affordable plans and the company also frequently offers discounts (Image credit: Future)Plans and pricing

All of the available hosting options are reasonably priced, meaning they are affordable enough without the need to compromise on quality. This is particularly true for the shared hosting Starter plan, which offers 50% off the price during the first year of use. This plan starts at $6 (regular price is $11.99) and gets you unlimited disk space and bandwidth, plus a website builder.

If this doesn’t suit your needs, there are more ambitious plans and other hosting options. Reseller hosting starts at $10.99 per month and includes 20GB of disk space and the ability to host up to 10 clients. VPS pricing starts at $11.49 and is recommended as a step up from shared hosting.

StableHost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is longer than we usually see. However, this goes for no more than 7 days for a dedicated VPS. 

You can pay for StableHost’s products with credit cards or PayPal.

Ease of use

Creating a new account and purchasing a plan with StableHost consists of four rather straightforward stages. The first thing to do after choosing a plan is to create a new domain (some names are free for the first year) or transfer an old one. If you want, you can add AlphaSSL for a few extra bucks. The second thing you might notice is that there are more than a few data centers to choose from: Chicago and Phoenix (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Valencia (Spain) and two servers in Singapore (Singapore).

ID Protection is listed as an additional free-of-charge service, which you’ll enjoy, they promise, for a lifetime. Additionally, SSH (Secure Shell) access can be yours for additional $2.50 (for life). It should be pointed out that it will come pre-selected, so if you don’t want it, make sure you deselect it before proceeding.

After this, you can select a payment method and continue with providing StableHost with the expected personal information (name, e-mail address, phone number and so forth). The only thing that sticks out is a possibility to choose a preferred currency: USD (US Dollar), EUR (Euro) or KR (Swedish Crown), which is a nice touch.

After making a payment, you’ll enter the fourth (and last) stage of the process, after which your newly-created website should appear (at least in 10 to 20 minutes).

You can manage your website with cPanel and install popular one-click apps using Softaculous (Image credit: cPanel)

All of StableHost’s plans go with the popular Linux-based cPanel, so you’ll be able to manage all aspects of your website at ease, even if you don't have much prior experience with this control panel. Softaculous comes pre-integrated, so many useful applications such as WordPress, PrestaShop and Joomla are just mouse-click away. And if you prefer, you can use a user-friendly Site.Pro website builder with a drag-and-drop interface that will provide you with tons of themes and templates and an ability to change and customize the design as much as you please.

We used GTmetrix to test the uptime and performance of our StableHost site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

Speed test provided by GTmetrix and performed on StableHost’s main website presented us with pretty average results. The time it took to completely load the page was 6.7 seconds, which actually looks a bit better when compared to the average result of 8.1. What's more, it required 75 requests, which surpasses the average of 87. However, the conclusive performance score was C (74%), which is exactly the average result.

Considering that StableHost promises 99.9% uptime, we had no choice but to put it to the test. After monitoring StableHost’s main website for more than a month, all with the help of UptimeRobot, we got a stable result. Not a second of downtime was recorded and although there were a few major oscillations in response time, this is unlikely to escalate into a problem.

StableHost's knowledgebase provides simple and to the point solutions to common web hosting problems (Image credit: StableHost)Support

As far as we can tell, StableHost’s knowledgebase has a decent amount of articles on various topics from technical support to politics. Since technical support is mostly related to the topics of our interest, we inspected further and found an additional division into subcategories covering a broad range of essential topics and potential issues. Most of these articles go directly to the point and offer step-by-step solutions. Some of them offer links to video tutorials as well.

Speaking of these, we should mention that there should be a self-help option on StableHost’s website titled “Video Tutorials”. However, choosing that option will get you nowhere since the link appears to be dead.

When customer service is concerned, StableHost offers all of the expected contact channels: e-mail, ticket, live chat and telephone. The e-mail based support is available around-the-clock for all the users, while the 24/7/365 telephone is reserved for those with high-end plans.

After reading a couple of customer reviews and then trying our own luck with the live chat support, we’ve got an insight into the disreputable reputation it has gained in the recent years. The agent we’ve got in touch was kind in every way, but we didn’t get a straight answer to our question. Instead, we were presented with a link to their article, which we could probably find ourselves. When all is said and done, the live chat support isn’t bad in itself, but it didn’t help us save time.

The competition

StableHost is a smaller company than Hostgator, and yet it manages to offer a whole range of hosting choices, customizations and features. Both present a great value for money, offer good performance and a decent (although far from perfect) customer service and feature a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. However, if you are trying to save a buck, Hostgator might be a better option.

Krystal Hosting is a fellow independent host, yet from the UK. Much like StableHost, they offer a free website builder with all of their plans and Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate, but they go a step further with the refund policy. While StableHost’s money-back guarantee is valid for 45 days, Krystal Hosting allows its customers to change their minds for up to 60 days after the purchase.

Bluehost is the master of ease of use and is a difficult web host to compete with. In all fairness, StableHost does give beginners everything they need for a good start. Still, what Bluehost adds to the mix is its enhanced cPanel with an extremely newbie-friendly interface and this should make a buyer’s choice a bit easier.

Just like StableHost, HostRocket is a US-based host offering a variety of hosting-related services, good performance and industry standard cPanel with access to many popular apps. Despite this, its above-average prices and ridiculously expensive “additional” setup fees might take you by surprise, and not in a pleasant way.

Final verdict

StableHost is more than a capable web hosting provider in its own right but it’s hardly a match for bigger hosting companies like Bluehost, Hostgator or Hostinger, which can offer similar plans at more attractive prices. However, if you want to support an independent, honest and quite likeable host with a decent variety of products, enough data centers to choose from and guaranteed stability, give StableHost a chance.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

HostNoc is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, but has offices in the US, the UK and the UAE as well. It has been serving individual customers and businesses of various sizes all over the world. Being founded in 2016, HostNoc is a rather young company, and yet it managed to become one of the more popular web hosting options out there. Next to basic shared hosting, they offer cloud hosting, VPS and dedicated servers, all packed with numerous features and first-rate cyber security.

HostNoc’s main website features a nice-looking intuitive interface and feels user-friendly at first, but fails to provide more relevant information about the host itself. In addition, information on locations of HostNoc’s data centers are not available at the moment. There are a decent number of languages to choose from, but the translation is only partial, so the users who are not familiar with the basics of English language at least may feel slightly deceived.

• Want to try HostNoc? Check out the website here

On the other hand, HostNoc has an official blog and a pretty good one to boot. You’ll be able to search the blog using the search box, or browse articles sorted by date of publication or by topics. In addition, the archive is also available, in which all the articles are classified by the month of their publication. The oldest one dates back to August of 2018, so we can safely conclude that’s the time the blog was created. These articles appear to be informative enough and the blog seems to be updated on a weekly or biweekly basis at the very least.

When it comes to social networks, HostNoc is present on Facebook and Twitter and both accounts appear to be active.

HostNoc routinely offers steep discounts on its hosting plans (Image credit: Future)Plans and pricing

HostNoc’s pricing system appears to be pleasingly transparent. Users are able to choose between a few pre-made plans (their number depending on a hosting type) or create a custom plan, whichever suits their needs. With shared hosting plans, as an example, the price will vary depending on whether you choose Windows or Linux as an operating system. The Windows Essential shared hosting plan packs more extra features, so it will cost you a bit more.

It is important to note that HostNoc frequently offers hosting at discount prices that go up to 50% of the original price. Even though there is no free trial, the money-back guarantee is valid for 30 days after the purchase, so you’ll have enough time to make a final decision.

As for paying methods, HostNoc accepts credit cards and PayPal.

Yes

No

Shared hosting

Green hosting

Cloud hosting

Colocation hosting

Linux hosting

Free hosting

VPS hosting

Bare metal hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting

Video hosting

WordPress hosting

Email hosting

Dedicated hosting

Website builder

Windows hosting

E-commerce hosting

Small business hosting

Reseller hosting

Managed hosting

Ease of use

The plan you choose will appear in the View Cart section, where you’ll be able to go through all the specifications and details before proceeding to checkout. Before that, if you want a new domain name, you can check its availability and add it to the cart as well. It’s necessary to note that the price for a new domain, although reasonable, will be calculated for the whole year.

Before finalizing the purchase you’ll be required to add your personal information (albeit pretty regular ones), generate a password and select a paying method. In addition, you may leave any further notes related to your purchase and choose if you want to join HostNoc’s mailing list.

If you want to use cPanel to manage your site, you'll have to choose from one of HostNoc's shared Linux hosting plans (Image credit: cPanel)

The shared hosting plan will provide its users with a standardized control panel: Plesk for the Windows users and cPanel for Linux. If you have any prior experience with either of these, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around. Even with unmanaged plans, the script installation is automated, and by using Softaculous, you’ll be able to install software like WordPress, Joomla, Magento, Drupal and Prestashop, among others, with a single click.

Websites you need to host are run on SSD storage which is supposed to offer top-notch performance. Failures and breaches involving data stored on disks should be prevented by the provided RAID configuration. To offer additional safety, the provider will give you around-the-clock infrastructure for monitoring paired with security mechanisms that feature antivirus protection and a shield against DDoS attacks.

We used GTmetrix to measure the performance and uptime of our HostNoc site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

As reported by the speed test run through GTmetrix, HostNoc should offer a reasonably good service, at least judging by their main website. It took 10.2 seconds to fully load the page which doesn’t look too good in comparison to an average of 8.1, but it’s nothing too extreme. Additionally, the loading of the site required mere 39 requests which looks outstanding compared to an average of 89. In conclusion, GTmetrix rated the speed of HostNoc’s official website with an A (93%) which is an excellent result, especially when compared to the average grade, which is C (77%).

As expected, HostNoc offers an uptime guarantee of 99.9%. During our uptime test of their main website which ran for two weeks, we did not manage to record any downtime at all. However, there were a few oscillations in response time, but nothing worth worrying about.

HostNoc has an extensive knowledgebase but you will need to be a registered user to access it (Image credit: HostNoc)Support

If you get stuck somewhere along the way, you can always consult HostNoc’s first-class and well-documented knowledgebase which will provide you with thorough step-by-step guides and solutions for issues you may encounter, pictures included. From there, you are able to search the knowledgebase with the help of the search box, by one of the categories, or by selecting one of the most popular articles (if the issue you have is a common one).

However, to enter HostNoc’s knowledgebase you need to be a registered user, which may be a reasonable decision on their part, but doesn't seem to be a necessary one.

As an alternative, you are able to contact HostNoc’s customer support via telephone, live chat, ticket, e-mail or online contact form. The support is available round-the-clock and is responsive once you are registered on the website.

At the moment, HostNoc doesn’t appear to have a support forum.

The competition

When comparing the two, the first difference you’ll notice is that Tsohost is a UK-based provider while HostNoc’s main office is in Canada. Both offer a whole variety of options and customizations at budget-friendly prices, with plans often offered at a significant discount. However, Tsohost throws a free domain name in the bundle, while HostNoc doesn't.

When it comes to being beginner-friendly, both HostNoc and Hostgator both pass the test without any doubt. They offer good value for a quite affordable price and have enough hosting options for most customers. At the same time, each Hostgator’s plan includes a free website builder which might be decisive for some users.

Similar to HostNoc, Certa Hosting provides relatively cheap hosting options with a wide range of features and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Another similarity they share, and not a good one, is not providing any information regarding the location of their data centers.

Bluehost is another big competitor to HostNoc, offering everything HostNoc does and even more at pretty much the same prices. In addition, Bluehost offers a free SSL certificate with all of its plans to ensure the safety of visitors to your site, which is a good thing to have.

Final verdict

HostNoc claims their goal is to lower the burden on their customers while providing them with maximum service at a budget-friendly cost. Based on what we saw, we can conclude with certainty that they are well on their way to achieving that. Although they offer a good value for money (particularly for small to medium-sized businesses), some aspects of their offer as well as their main website could be improved. If you are not sure if HostNoc is the right choice for you, you can’t go wrong with Hostgator or Bluehost as more than suitable alternatives.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

FiiO KA15: Two-minute review

Is this little teal DAC one of the best headphone DACs around? You bet it is. The FiiO KA15 is the successor to the popular FiiO KA13, and it adds a small color display with a fun audio cassette-style animation during playback. It has high power output in desktop mode that enables it to drive even fairly demanding headphones, and it has both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm headphone outputs. The 3.5mm can also be used as an audio output.

One of the big pluses here is wide compatibility with smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop PCs and handheld games consoles. For some devices such as iPhones you'll need to borrow a computer to configure the 10-band equalizer as FiiO's iPhone app doesn't connect to the KA15, but this is a relatively minor snafu.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed listening to all kinds of music with the KA15. It has a wide soundstage and delivers plenty of detail; it's warm without overly coloring the sound and there are tons of options to sink your teeth (read: ears) into, including switchable amplification modes and digital filtering.

FiiO KA15 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released September 2024
• Priced $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$189.99

The FiiO KA15 was released in September 2024 with a retail price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$189.99. It sits just below the flagship KA17 in FiiO's portable DAC line-up.

This is an exceptionally competitive part of the market: it's where iFi has its also five-star GO Link Max DAC, for example. But the combination of low cost and high power output makes the FiiO KA15 very attractive. (As does the fact that it looks like a tiny cassette Walkman. And I stand by that.)

FiiO KA15 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• DSD256 and 768kHz/32-bit PCM support
• Dual Cirrus CS43198 DACs and SGM8262 op-amps
• Unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs

The KA15 features dual Cirrus CS43198 DACS and dual SG Micro SGM8262 op-amps. It supports decoding of PCM audio up to 768kHz/32bit and DSD256 and has both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs designed for headphones with impedances of up to 150 ohms and 300 ohms respectively.

You can toggle key settings such as EQ presets and amp modes via the display and physical buttons, but EQ is best left to the Android app or web control panel where you can also set a 10-band parametric EQ. I've written more about that in the "ease of use and setup" section.

The USB-C audio is switchable between UAC 1.0 and 2.0 for the widest possible compatibility, enabling the KA15 to work not just with smartphones, tablets and laptops but also handheld games consoles and older hardware.

The KA15 runs in two modes: normal and desktop mode. Desktop mode enables it to deliver considerably more power but, as the KA15 takes all of its power from the device it’s connected to, that mode is best suited to mains-powered devices such as desktop PCs and laptops that aren’t running on battery.

In normal mode the KA15 can deliver 50mW per channel into 32 ohms on the 3.5mm output and 170mW on the balanced output. In desktop mode both increase to 180mW per channel and 560mW respectively.

There are a lot of control options to choose from, including: ten EQ presets (three of which are for FiiO IEMs); Class H / Class A/B switching; channel balance; display brightness; display themes; display rotation; and five filters. The filters are non-OS (non-oversampling), Fast-LL (low latency), Fast-PC (phase compensated), Slow-LL, and Slow-PC. The fast filters are recommended for dynamic music and gaming and the slow ones for more complex listening.

Features score: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Sound quality

iPhone users will need to turn to their computer to create personalized EQs. (Image credit: Future)

• Excellent warmth, detail and clarity, especially in desktop mode
• Customizable amplification and filtering
• You may need a computer to customize the EQ

If you're currently listening to your computer's headphone output or have a simple headphone dongle on your phone or tablet, the FiiO KA15 is a significant audio upgrade – especially if you use it on a computer and have it set to desktop mode, which massively increases the output power.

The FiiO KA15 has a neutral sound signature with clean, punchy but not overly exaggerated bass, and you can adjust both the amplification mode and the audio filter settings to suit your preferences. I liked it best in Class A/B mode with filtering set to Slow-PC and the EQ off, which I felt was warmer and slightly more spacious than Class H, fast filtering and any of the preset EQs. However, the lack of an iPhone app or on-board EQ customization was an irritant on IEMs, where many vocals were too sibilant as I turned the volume level up.

Despite listening across multiple genres and decades of music I didn't feel the need to change the EQ or filters with my closed- or open-back over-ears: whether it was U2's 30th anniversary remaster of Achtung Baby, Stevie Wonder's Superstition, Little Simz' Point and Kill, Talk Talk's New Grass or Robyn's Dopamine I had tremendous fun listening loud, hearing previously buried elements in every mix and only encountering distortion around the low end at unsafe listening levels.

The FiiO delivered excellent clarity and detail across genres. The aforementioned Little Simz track was a great example, a thrilling mix of snaking bassline and beautifully close voices; when the backing vocals came in in the second verse my goosebumps got goosebumps.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Brushed aluminum with small color LCD
• 152 x 25 x 11mm (HxWxD)
• 21g and in case I didn't mention, it looks like a tiny cassette Walkman

The KA15 is slightly smaller than its more powerful sibling, the KA17, and it is a little bit smaller than a standard 9V rectangular battery. Its dimensions are 152mm x 25mm x 11mm and it weighs a titchy 21g, and it comes in a choice of two brushed aluminium finishes: black and a silver/turquoise mix.

Both versions have a large black lozenge on the front with a small 0.96-inch rectangular color LCD display embedded in the centre, and both feature a delightful animation that makes the display mimic a cassette tape complete with moving reels. You can change its colours in the KA15's theme menu. It comes with an extremely short USB-C to USB-C cable designed for use with a phone, and there's an optional MagSafe clip that can snap it to the back of one.

The KA15 looks and feels well-made, and its design is very minimal. There are three tactile buttons on top for navigating the screen and a toggle switch for desktop mode that feels solid. The USB port is on the bottom and the 3.5mm single-ended and balanced 4.4mm outputs are on top. The single-ended output is also switchable to S/PDIF.

Design score: 5 / 5

FiiO KA15 Review: Usability and setup

• Plug it in and you're good to go
• Interface can be a little fiddly
• No iPhone app

The stripped-back design does mean the KA15 is a little fiddly to configure: there are just three buttons taking care of everything. If you hold the KA15 upright, the topmost button is volume up, the middle button is volume down and the lower button is play/pause. Tap that button twice to turn the display on and off, and long-press it to go into the KA15's settings. In that mode the volume buttons move you left and right through menu items and the lower button cycles through each section and confirms your selections.

There is one big problem with the KA15 if you're using it with an iPhone or iPad: you can't customize its 10-band equalizer from the on-board menus, and FiiO's companion iOS app doesn't work with the KA15. That means for iPhone/iPad users you'll need to plug your device into a Mac or PC and use the FiiO Control webpage in a browser such as Opera (Safari on Mac doesn't support the necessary hardware control). This web page enables you to create personal EQs and if you wish, to share your creations with others and vice-versa. It also enables you to download any firmware updates in a process that took me less than one minute.

If you're using a Mac and intend to listen to Hi-Res Audio you'll need to enable higher quality USB output via the Audio MIDI Setup app in your Applications > Utilities folder or your KA15 will be limited to 48kHz audio.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

FiiO KA15 review: Value

• It's cheap and it'll make you cheerful
• A significant audio upgrade for smartphones and computers

If like me you have big audio ambitions and a very small budget, the KA15 is excellent value for money. It's a significant upgrade in sound quality for smartphones and computers, and while it's not as powerful as a desktop headphone amp it has more than enough oomph for a wide range of headphones and IEMs so it's fairly future-proof.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the FiiO KA15?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Lots of customization options and wide compatibility

5/5

Design

Solid and portable with tactile controls

5/5

Sound quality

Warm, detailed and crystal clear. Desktop mode is superb.

5/5

Value

A big upgrade with a relatively small price tag

5/5

Buy it if...

You want to power up your phone
If your main music player is your phone then this is an enormous upgrade over Bluetooth or a USB-to-headphone dongle: it puts out more power to drive your headphones and it sounds much more inviting.

You prize portability
The KA15 is exceptionally small and virtually weightless, so it's not an effort to take it traveling.

You don't need a desktop amp
The KA15 is considerably cheaper than FiiO's K11 entry-level desktop DAC/amp, and comes close to the same power output: 560mW to the K11's 660mW.

Don't buy it if...

You've got heavy-duty headphones
While the KA15 is powerful for such a portable device, very demanding headphones will be better paired with a dedicated desktop amp such as the 2,400mW K13 R2R.

FiiO KA15 review: Also consider

If you don't need a screen or high power output, the iFi GO Link Max is even more compact than the KA15, and it's cheaper too. It puts out up to 241mW of power and features dual Sabre DACs.

FiiO makes plenty of other DACs, and if you need something with a higher spec than the KA15 the next step up is the FiiO KA17. That's roughly 30% more expensive and boasts dual ESS ES9069 DACs, maximum output of 650mW per channel and support for DSD512.

Want something just as small and almost as retro-cute, but wireless? Look to the matchbox-sized iFi Go Blu Air.

How I tested the FiiO KA15

• Hi-Res FLAC and multitrack Logic Pro projects
• Lossless and lossy streaming
• Beyerdynamic and Philips over-ears, Soundmagic IEMS

I tested the iFi KA15 over two weeks with a variety of headphones and IEMs including BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro and Philips Fidelio X2HR open-back headphones, DT770 closed-back headphones, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs.

I tested the DAC with music from multiple audio sources including hi-res FLAC files via the Vox music player on Mac; lossy and lossless streaming on desktop, iPhones and iPad; and my own multitrack Logic Pro X music projects.

• First reviewed: February 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: one-minute review

Having spent the past two years glued to the ThunderX3 Core gaming chair, I can say with confidence that the technology packed into the backrest is not, in fact, a gimmick. Looking at this racer-style gaming chair with its wiggly backrest protruding out, you might think it's undergone some kind of malfunction. But sit down and prepare to be amazed, because the ThunderX3 Core goes above and beyond for the price point, and it does so with impeccable style.

I've always steered away from gaming chairs with a separate lumbar cushion like that of the Corsair TC100 Relaxed; their rigidity does little for me as someone who moves around a lot, and I always feel like there's too much of a gap in the middle of my back. With the majority of racer-style gaming chairs opting for this solution, or some form of adjustable lumbar like the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL's practical but not-so-elegant, built-in side dial, I had thought my only other option was to spend over $1,000 on an office-style gaming chair that would adapt and reform itself to my body in motion. Then I spotted the ThunderX3 Core.

This ergonomic gaming chair features Lumbar 360° technology that sees almost the entire backrest deftly responding to your body as you bend and lean in the sitting position. I've felt consistently supported from the lower back right up to the upper back since the moment I started using it, helping me avoid the usual back pain that arises from all those awkward sitting positions I've been warned off.

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)

The gently-bucketed seat can be tilted forward and locked at a slight angle, and the backrest can tilt and lock in several positions up to around 45 degrees. That does mean you don't get the full recline, but all that adjustability adds up, not to mention the four-dimensional armrests that even some mega premium chairs I've tested have omitted. Granted, the ThunderX3 Core doesn't come with an adjustable headrest like more premium ergonomic designs do, but it does include a gorgeous memory foam headrest with winged sides, as well as a footrest with two zippable sections and a non-slip texture on the bottom. All this while oozing premium design, without the premium price tag.

The major drawback for me has always been the armrests, which have always been a little rattly, but more so after a few years of learning. They've also always felt a little far forward for my liking, and don't move back as you recline, so the gap tends to see me leaning forward to reach them with my little arms. Over the years, the back of the armrest has been dented by my elbows while the rest hasn't, but it's still comfy as anything. I can't feel the plastic under the padding even after two years of everyday use.

Even the best gaming chairs will start to rattle a little after a time, and while it does get picked up by my mic every now and then, these little gripes haven't compromised the overall adjustability and comfort of a well-aged chair. If you're looking for refined aesthetics that combine steady comfort with dynamic and highly-adjustable ergonomics, I can wholeheartedly recommend the ThunderX3 Core. Not least thanks to the money saved compared to premium ergonomic chairs like the X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management.

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: price and availability

• List price: $399.99 / £249.95 / around $595
• Footrest cushion is extra in the US, but totally unavailable in the US
• Affordable end of the spectrum and good value for money

Available in the US and the UK from Amazon and other big retailers, the ThunderX3 Core is easy to get a hold of and well worth the price of admission. It only comes with the footrest cushion in the UK, sadly, meaning US citizens will need to pay extra for the privilege, but with the money saved, you could buy two or three of these babies for the price of other premium gaming chairs like the Herman Miller x Logitech Embody.

For the price, it's rare to spy a chair design with no corners cut. That's exactly what we like to see in a gaming chair: zero compromise and exceptional comfort, two things the ThunderX3 Core has in droves, and all at an exceptionally affordable price point. Plus, a three-year warranty is always much appreciated.

ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: specs

Thunder X3 Core

Price

$399 / £339 / around AU$595

Maximum user weight

331lbs / 150kg

Min seat height

18in / 46cm

Seat width

21.7in / 55cm

Recline angle

125 degrees

Warranty

3 years

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: design and aesthetics

• Lovely refined colorways
• Extra storage in the back
• Racer wing shape is a bit much

With several options when it comes to aesthetics and materials, the ThunderX3 Core doesn't pigeonhole gamers looking to live ergonomically enjoyers of the standard gamer aesthetic. While the Core Racer option caters to that with its high-contrast, almost neon blue strips along the back, the Loft and Modern options lean more toward refined colourways. Their ashy greys, muted red and navy give mature gamers the option to go subtle, or even opt for a suede-trimmed weave fabric chair if Pleather isn't your thing. I appreciate not having to peel myself off a Pleather seat in the summer heat, too.

I will say that cleaning a light grey fabric chair has been a minor challenge, but it's worth it for the gorgeous snowy look and plush feeling. Besides, over the years, it hasn't started to bobble, tear, or discolour.

The overall shape is a little over the top, with wings protruding unnecessarily far from either side of the head, but that's the only thing that gives it away as a racer. With the addition of a multifunction footrest, you're getting an extra boost where ergonomics are concerned, either for propping your feet up or leaning your arms on while gaming with a controller. Plus, the little pocket in the back is great for storing anything from a small laptop to a folder, or even a secret love note if that's how you roll.

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: comfort and adjustability

• Auto-adapting comfort
• Cushioned to perfection
• Armrests could be nicer

The Thunder X3 Core nails overall comfort, with oodles of latex foam padding that doesn't immediately deflate. Like our long-term favorite, the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, the fantastic combination of dynamic ergonomics and versatile adjustability is great for getting awkward sitters like me through long days at my desk without feeling stiff before the week is out.

Since the armrests are a little too far forward for my frame, they have dented slightly due to constant pressure on the back. Still, those with a larger build will be best pleased. The wide, only-mildly-bucketed seat is yet another indicator that this chair caters to larger gamers. It also means I can sit with my legs crossed like an ergonomic heathen, because what's the point of joint hypermobility if you can't exercise it?

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)ThunderX3 Core gaming chair: assembly

• Super short assembly time
• Simple instructions
• Heavy to get it where you need it

It took me under 20 minutes to get this whole chair up and running, though that's discounting the time it took me to lug it up the stairs and get it unpacked. Considering the amount of greebles, I was amazed I hardly needed the instructions aside from figuring out a practical order of events.

Out of the box, the arms are already screwed in place, and with no mechanisms left bare for me to mangle myself in there was no need to have my partner supervise the process either. Sure, it doesn't come fully assembled like the Herman Miller Vantum, but sixteen minutes of time for years of comfort is well worth the effort.

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)Should I buy the ThunderX3 Core gaming chair?Buy it if...

You want dynamic back support
If you shift around in your chair a lot and need constant back support as you move, the Thunder X3 Core has you covered from lumbar to upper back.

You're looking to save a buck
The Thunder X3 Core is one chair that nails that price-to-performance ratio. I've tested chairs with far fewer features and worse comfort being sold at double or triple the price.

Don't buy it if...

You're rocking a smaller skeleton
Smaller gamers might struggle to reach the far-forward armrests. They don't move back enough for children, for example. But larger, heavier frames will have zero trouble fitting into it.

You prefer static ergonomics
If you know what you want and don't tend to shift around much (or prefer not to), then other, more rigid ergonomic designs might be more your speed.

Also consider...

If the ThunderX3 Core isn't quite for you, then consider these two fine alternatives that we think really highly of.

ThunderX3 Core

Secretlab Titan Evo XL

X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management

Price

$399 / £339 / around AU$595

$599 / £514 / AU$869

$879 / around £655 / around AU$1,315

Maximum user weight

331lbs / 150kg

393lb / 180kg

275lb / 125kg

Min seat height

18in / 46cm

18in / 46cm

15.81in / 40.1cm

Seat width

21.7in / 55cm

22.8in / 58cm (inc. sides)

19.5in / 49.5cm

Recline angle

125 degrees

165 degrees

40 degrees

Warranty

3 years

5 years

15 years

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
Still our favorite gaming chair, the XL version of the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is only a little more expensive than the ThunderX3 Core, and comes with a slightly better warranty. Sure, there's no dynamic lumbar, but it ticks all the build quality boxes and offers a much higher weight capacity.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 review

X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management
The X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management has a lot to offer in terms of ergonomics without breaking the bank. While it's not as adaptable in real-time and takes far longer to set up, it's a much more customizable option. It's also super breathable and comes with an incredible 15-year warranty.

For more information, check out our full X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Future/Katie Wickens)How I tested the ThunderX3 Core gaming chair

• Used the chair nearly every day for almost two years
• Tested all the mechanisms
• Compared long-term wear with out-of-the-box condition

I've been using the ThunderX3 Core almost every day for the past 2 years, and having put it together and dragged its bulk up and down the stairs several times, I've had enough hands-on experience with it to give an informed opinion.

I check the ease of use where mechanisms are concerned, the overall comfort then versus now, and have noted the general wear that's happened over the years.

First reviewed between 2023-January 2026

Read more about how we test

AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Price & Availability

The P280 sits in the mid-to-upper tier of portable power stations, competing with other 2kWh-class systems. The base unit from Aferiy is currently (as of February 2026) priced at £799. Other well-known brands with similar capacities include the:

- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max (£1199)

- Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 (£899)

- BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 (£1,199)

- Anker SOLIX F2000 (£899), and.

- FOSSiBOT F2400 (£599)

This places the P280 in a competitive position, undercutting some premium brands while offering a higher inverter output than several similarly sized rivals.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Design & Build

This is not a “throw it in a backpack” power station. With a 2048Wh battery and a high-output inverter, the P280 feels closer to a compact home backup unit than a lightweight travel companion.

Specs & Features - at a glance

Capacity: ~2048Wh

• Battery Chemistry: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO₄)

• Cycle Life: 4,000+ cycles to 80% capacity

• Inverter: 2800W continuous pure sine wave

• UPS: <10ms automatic switchover

• AC Charging: Up to 1800W (0–80% in ~55 minutes)

• Solar Input: Dual MPPT, up to 1200W (2 × 600W)

• Combined Charging: AC + Solar up to ~2000W

• Car Charging: 17–18 hours via 12V

• AC Outputs: 3 × 220–240V (2800W shared max)

• USB-C: 2 × 140W PD, 2 × 20W PD

• USB-A: 2 × QC 3.0

• DC Outputs: 2 × 12V DC, 1 × XT60 (12V), 1 × 12V/10A car socket

• Weight: 21.6kg

• Expandable: Up to 10kWh+ with additional batteries

The design is industrial but clean, with clearly laid-out, front-facing ports, more robust sockets on the sides, integrated carry handles and a large display panel showing battery status, input/output wattage and system alerts. Overall, it feels robust and well assembled, which is reassuring given its intended role in home backup and emergency scenarios.

The P280 also features a small LED light on the front of the unit. It offers steady-on, flashing and SOS modes. While useful in the absence of any other available light source, it does not appear to be as bright as the light found on the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2, making it more of a convenience feature than a serious work light.

However, given its capacity, the P280 is somewhat larger than some rival brands. Take, for example, the Jackery Explorer 2000 v2. While similar in capacity, it has a lower-rated 2200W inverter though still enough to power most household appliances. However the Explorer is roughly 2cm shorter side-to-side, about 2cm shorter in height and approximately 1cm less deep, resulting in a noticeably more compact overall volume. The trade-off, of course, is inverter headroom.

One minor criticism is the power button. It appears to be made from faux-chrome plastic and doesn’t feel as confidence-inspiring as the more rugged, IP-rated buttons found on some of Bluetti’s comparable models.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Battery & Longevity

The use of LiFePO₄ battery chemistry is a major plus. Compared with standard lithium-ion, it is more thermally stable, safer under stress and significantly longer lasting. With 4,000+ cycles to 80% capacity, you could realistically expect a decade or more of regular use before meaningful degradation — a strong selling point for home backup buyers.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Inverter Performance

This is where the P280 truly stands out. A 2800W continuous pure sine wave inverter puts it firmly into serious appliance territory. It can comfortably handle full-size fridge/freezers, microwaves, kettles (depending on rating), power tools and multiple devices simultaneously. For many households, 2800W is enough to cover essential circuits during an outage.

In testing, I was able to power a Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer drawing approximately 2400W with both baskets in use. The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2, mentioned earlier, was unable to sustain this load for an extended period, whereas the P280 handled it without issue. That additional inverter headroom makes a tangible difference in real-world scenarios.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: UPS Capability

The built-in UPS function switches to battery power in under 10ms during a power cut. That is fast enough to keep PCs, routers, network storage and other sensitive electronics running without interruption. For remote workers or home office setups, this adds genuine practical value.

AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Charging Performance

(Image credit: Future)

Fast charging is another highlight. Via AC wall charging, the unit accepts up to 1800W, reaching 0–80% in around 55 minutes — excellent performance for a 2kWh system and a significant reduction in downtime. Solar charging is equally impressive, with dual MPPT controllers allowing up to 1200W of solar input (2 × 600W).

This makes it viable for semi-permanent off-grid or van life setups, especially where panels may be oriented differently. Combined AC and solar charging can reach approximately 2000W, dramatically reducing recharge times when both sources are available. Car charging, however, remains slow at 17–18 hours via a 12V vehicle socket and is best treated as a top-up option rather than a primary charging method.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Ports & Connectivity

The port selection is generous and practical. Three 220–240V AC sockets share the 2800W maximum output. USB provision is strong, with two 140W USB-C PD ports suitable for high-end laptops, two additional 20W USB-C ports and two USB-A QC 3.0 ports. DC options include two 12V DC outputs, one XT60 (12V) and a 12V/10A car socket.

This makes it suitable for everything from MacBook Pros to CPAP machines, routers and portable fridges. It can also be used to charge drone batteries; however, if that is your primary intention, it is worth considering DJI’s Power Stations, which offer dedicated fast-charging outputs tailored specifically for DJI drone batteries.

The P280 can also be controlled via the Bright EMS app. Through the app, you can monitor power flow direction, view input and output wattage and remotely switch AC or DC outputs on and off. However, the app appears to be third-party rather than AFERIY-owned, which may or may not concern some users depending on their expectations around long-term software support and ecosystem integration.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Expandability

The P280 supports expansion batteries, scaling total capacity to over 10kWh depending on configuration. That is a substantial increase and shifts the unit from “portable power station” towards “modular home energy backup” territory. For users thinking long term, this flexibility is a major advantage.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Real-World Use

For short outages, the 2048Wh capacity is sufficient to run a fridge for many hours, keep lights and internet active and power a TV while charging essential devices. With expansion batteries, it becomes viable for multi-day outages.

For campers and van lifers, it may be overpowered unless running induction hobs, coffee machines or power tools, but for more demanding setups the inverter headroom is welcome. LiFePO₄ chemistry combined with UPS capability and fast recharge times also makes it a strong emergency preparedness solution.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: What Could Be Better

At 21.6kg, it is not lightweight and portability is relative. Car charging is slow via 12V. Finally, while competitively priced, it competes with established brands in terms of price, availability and ecosystem, and brand reputation may influence some buyers.

(Image credit: Future)AFERIY P280 Portable Power Station: Verdict

The AFERIY P280 is built for people who genuinely need power — not just for charging phones, but for running real appliances. With a 2800W pure sine inverter, fast 1800W AC charging, 1200W solar input, long-life LiFePO₄ battery chemistry,

UPS functionality and expandable capacity, it is a highly capable and future-proof portable power station. It loses a star due to its bulk and the fact that not everyone requires this level of inverter output. However, if you do, the P280 represents strong value and serious performance.

Buy it if

• You need a powerful 2800W inverter capable of running high-draw household appliances.• You want very fast AC charging with minimal downtime.• You’re buying primarily for home backup with UPS protection.• You value long-life LiFePO₄ battery chemistry for long-term use.• You want the option to expand capacity beyond 2kWh in the future.

Avoid it if

• You prioritize lightweight portability and compact size.• You only need to charge small devices and low-wattage appliances.• You plan to rely mainly on 12V car charging.• You prefer buying into a more established brand ecosystem.

We list the best laptop power banks.

Philips Baristina: one-minute review

With the Philips Baristina, brewing espresso using freshly roasted beans is as easy as using coffee pods. Unlike most of the best bean-to-cup coffee makers, where the entire brewing process takes place within the case, the Baristina uses a portafilter handle much like a manual espresso machine. Push the empty handle into place, select your drink, and the Baristina will grind the right dose of coffee into the filter basket, tamp it down, then move it to the brewing group automatically for the shot to be extracted.

It's a clever design that's unlike any other bean-to-cup machine I've tested, and because the Baristina uses a portafilter, cleaning up is a piece of cake. There's no need to take the side off the machine, empty messy internal bins, remove components, or wipe up stray coffee grounds that have escaped.

It's a good-looking little coffee maker as well. Although its case is plastic, its matt finish and choice of tasteful colors mean it doesn't look cheap or attract fingerprints. The portafilter handle even arrives in a choice of colors and natural wood finishes (the exact options available will depend on where you buy your machine).

(Image credit: Future)

During my tests, coffee was consistently well extracted using my usual freshly roasted beans, with the pressurized filter basket producing a thick layer of crema.

In my opinion, the biggest drawback is that the Philips Baristina doesn't allow you to adjust the grind size, which means you have no control over how quickly your coffee is extracted. You can adjust the volume of your brew, but that's all. If your coffee tastes over- or under-extracted, you'll need to try different beans until you find something that works well with the standard settings.

You should also be aware that the Baristina doesn't have a steam wand or any other means of foaming milk, although it's available bundled with a standalone milk frother if cappuccinos and lattes are your thing.

All in all, it's an excellent beginner-friendly espresso machine that's ideal if you're new to using fresh beans and want to keep things as simple as possible. It's remarkably affordable, too, with a list price of just $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$600).

Unlike most espresso machines, the Philips Baristina doesn't offer a way to adjust the grind size. (Image credit: Future)Philips Baristina: price and availability

• Very cheap for a bean-to-cup coffee maker
• Sold in North America and Europe
• Often available at a discounted price

The Philips Baristina is the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested to date, with a list price of $449.99 / £299.99 ( about AU$650). You can pick up a good-quality manual espresso machine for around the same price — the five-star rated De'Longhi Dedica Duo for $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$600), for example — but if you're after an automatic coffee maker, I haven't seen another model that delivers better in terms of value for money.

It's often available at a discount at major retailers, making it even better value. You'll find all today's best deals below.

The Baristina is available in North America and throughout Europe, but isn't currently sold in Australia unless you import it.

• Value score: 5/5

Philips Baristina: specifications

Name

Philips Baristina

Type

Bean-to-cup

Dimensions (W x H x D)

7 x 13.6 x 15 inches / 18 x 34.5 x 38cm

Weight

11lbs / 5kg

Water reservoir capacity

47oz / 1.2 liters

Milk frother

No

Bars of pressure

16

User profiles

None

Philips Baristina: design

• Sleek design with matt finish
• Clever "one swipe" portafilter design
• No steam wand (although separate milk frother is available)

The Philips Baristina is a compact coffee maker with a smart, minimalist design. It comes in two colors, black and white, with matching portafilter handles as standard. Some retailers also offer a selection of contrasting portafilter shades (including red, green, and yellow), plus light and dark wood options so you can pick something that suits your kitchen décor. Whichever color you choose, the portafilter is fitted with a non-removeable pressurized basket.

All in all, it's a good-looking machine, and although its case is made from plastic, its matt finish means it doesn't appear cheap or attract fingerprints like some more expensive coffee makers I've tested.

The Baristina uses what Philips calls a "one-swipe" system. Push in the portafilter, slide it to the right, and the machine does the rest (Image credit: Future)

The Baristina is controlled using a simple set of three buttons: one for a single shot of espresso; one for a lungo (a longer drink with the same amount of coffee and twice as much water); and one to boost the intensity by increasing the dose of ground coffee.

The bean hopper is quite small, but that isn't a problem unless you're preparing coffee for a crowd; it's best to keep your coffee in a dark, cool, airtight place until you're ready to grind it and refill your coffee machine little and often.

The Baristina's water tank slides onto the back of the machine, and although I'd have liked to see a handle, its ridged surface makes it easy to grip when filling and replacing. It has a robust lid that fits firmly in place to avoid accidental spills, but do note that there's no water filter provided, so if you live in a hard water area then you might want to use a separate water filtration pitcher.

The water tank has no handle, but its ridged surface provides grip (Image credit: Future)

There's a removable plastic drip tray for your espresso cup, which slots into place below the groupset. It's nicely made — but, unfortunately, it isn't designed to accommodate a larger cup if you want to use your espresso as the foundation for a long drink.

The Baristina doesn't have a steam wand or automatic milk-frothing system. However, if you want to make milky drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, it's available bundled with a standalone milk frother.

The standard Philips Baristina (which I tested here) has a single hopper, but there's also a model called the Baristina Variety, which has a larger dual hopper so you can choose between two different beans or roasts on-the-fly.

• Design score: 5/5

Philips Baristina: performance

• Super easy to use, with no need to weigh or measure
• Produced well-extracted espresso in tests
• Easier to keep clean than a typical bean-to-cup machine
• Grind size can't be changed

The Philips Baristina is a beginner-friendly espresso machine that combines the convenience of a bean-to-cup coffee maker with the easy cleanup of a manual one. To use it, just fill the water tank and bean hopper, gently push the empty portafilter handle into place, and slide it to the right under the coffee grinder. Choose your drink (espresso or lungo), hit the extra intensity button if you like, and the machine will get to work.

The appropriate dosage of coffee will be ground and dispensed directly into the filter basket, then tamped down evenly. Once it's ready, the machine will slide the handle to the left so it sits under the brew group, and extract your drink into your waiting espresso cup. You never touch the coffee grounds yourself, and there's no need to weigh or measure anything.

The Baristina's pressurized filter basket produces plenty of crema (Image credit: Future)

When the Baristina is done and your coffee is ready, the handle will be unlocked so you can pull it out, knock the puck of used coffee grounds into your food waste bin, and clean the basket. It's a lot easier than cleaning up a conventional bean-to-cup coffee maker, which involves pulling out the drip tray to clean out used coffee grounds, removing a side panel to take out and rinse the brew group, wiping up any stray coffee grounds inside the machine's casing, and leaving the whole thing open to dry so it doesn't grow mold.

The biggest drawback of the Baristina is that there's no way to change the grind size, so if your drink tastes under- or over-extracted (sour or bitter), you'll need to experiment with different types of coffee until you find something that works with the machine's default setup.

During my tests, the used coffee grounds always formed a dry, solid puck, showing that the coffee was properly extracted (Image credit: Future)

It's also worth noting that while manual coffee makers give you a choice of single and double filter baskets, with double (pressurized) and single walls, the Baristina's basket is integrated into the handle and can't be removed. Again, this limits customization, but it's unlikely to be a concern for those looking for their first espresso machine, or upgrading from a capsule coffee maker.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Philips Baristina? Philips Baristina score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

The most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested – and one that doesn't skimp on quality.

5/5

Design

Simple, compact and stylish, without the tricky clean-up associated with most automatic coffee makers – although it lacks a steam wand.

4.5/5

Performance

Quick and easy to use, even for beginners, and produces great results with the right beans. Grind size can't be adjusted, but at this price it's tough to complain.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You're on a budget

This is the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested, and Philips hasn't cut corners to achieve its affordable price tag.View Deal

You want to upgrade from coffee capsules

The Philips Baristina is just as convenient as a capsule coffee maker, but without the hassle of having to recycle the pods (which can be difficult, depending on the facilities in your area).View Deal

Don't buy it if

You want to experiment with different beans

The Baristina doesn't offer any way to customize the grind size, so you'll have to stick with coffees that work well with its default settings. There's nothing you can do to change the extraction rate.View Deal

Philips Baristina: also consider

If the Philips Baristina doesn't sound like the right coffee maker for you, take a look at these two highly rated alternatives:

De'Longhi Dedica Duo

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous and want more control over your coffee, this is the best entry-level manual espresso machine I've tested in the past couple of years. You'll need a separate coffee grinder, but this setup provides more scope for experimentation.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Duo reviewView Deal

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

This semi-automatic coffee maker doesn't have a spring-fired portafilter so you'll come into contact with loose coffee, but it gives you a lot more brewing options than the Baristina, and is a good way to start developing your home barista skills.

Read our full De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo reviewView Deal

How I tested the Philips Baristina

I used the Philips Baristina for two weeks with my usual regular and decaffeinated coffee beans, freshly bought from a local coffee roaster. I used fresh tap water, and compared the taste of the coffee with that from my usual Gaggia Classic espresso machine. I used both the regular espresso and lungo options, with and without the "intensity boost" feature. I cleaned the portafilter between each drink, and flushed the brewing group with hot water by pressing and holding one of the control buttons.

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The Lenovo ThinkPad Lineups have regularly faired quite well in our reviews. In the real world, outside of testing studios, they also review very well. I’ve had my hands on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 for the last few weeks. In that time, I’ve found myself grabbing it regularly, even among other laptops I am testing right now. I remember the P16 Gen 2 that I tested almost exactly a year ago.

The Gen 3 is somehow even lighter, has a better battery life, doesn’t seem to run as hot and can charge via USB-C. It’s almost as though Lenovo saw the very notes I made about the last one, and said, “understood” and fixed exactly that. The Gen 3 still has the incredible power, with now an even more powerful offering, it still has a great display, it has the beloved Lenovo keyboard, and everything else that we loved from the earlier models.

I will say, one negative is that Lenovo is going to have a hard time topping this in the future. But hey, that’s future Lenovo’s problem. For now, this laptop has climbed its way to a 5-star rating, offering something that really works in the real world for the business professional, those who need a high-performing Windows machine they can rely on to run their business, without having to compromise.

In 2026 we have some phenomenal options for business laptops. Some are more powerful in graphic capabilities, some at single core performance, some at multi core. Some are better for engineering and some for video editing.

But, as we know with Lenovo since we see them in the real world all over the professional business space, there’s something to be said about compatibility in real-world applications. Lenovo thrives here - this is an easy recommendation for our best mobile workstation round-up. So, to have this powerful of a machine, in an industry that already trusts and relies on previous models, is pretty impressive. Hats off to Lenovo.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Price and availability

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The P16 Gen 3 is available from a range of online retailers, as well as direct from the likes of Lenovo US and Lenovo UK.

A base P16 Gen 3 starts at around $2,400, currently priced out using Lenovo’s website. That gives you an Intel Core Ultra 5, Nvidia RTX Pro 1000 Blackwell GPU with 8GB, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, a WUXGA 1920x1200 non touch display at 60Hz, fingerprint reader, and a Wi-Fi 7 chip along with Bluetooth 5.4 as well.

For a base model 16-inch workstation, that’s pretty solid. Now, where it gets really impressive is when you climb up and add features.

My review model, for example, has an Intel Core Ultra 9, Nvidia RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell Generation with 24GB, 32GB RAM, a 3.2K (3200x2000) Tandem OLED with Touch, 1TB SSD, and the same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips. This unit comes out to $6,998.95 and is a fully spec’d model.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Unboxing and First Impressions

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 came in standard Lenovo packaging, a basic brown box with some red badging, some nice packaging for the laptop and then the charger and documentation that I have literally never read more than the cover of, and I think that was even accidental. Nothing too crazy.

Right away, yes, this is a big machine, but it doesn’t feel like I expected it to. It didn’t feel as heavy as I expected, and when I looked into it, yes, it is actually a decent amount lighter than the Gen 2 model. The Gen 2 was 6.5 lbs, and the Gen 3 is 5.6lbs, almost a full pound lighter, while still keeping the 16-inch frame and the powerful internals, plus adding all of the things that I apparently wished into existence.

Of course, there is the matte dark grey frame with the red accents, the touchpoint in the middle of the keyboard I have gotten comfortable using over the years testing these laptops, and a great touchpad/trackpad. Another thing that is expected, but always good to see, is still present: the killer keyboard, the great ports, and the rugged build. That’s not even to mention the fingerprint reader, Windows Hello face recognition, and other features.

A huge thing I noticed right away was actually the ports, as a good tech reviewer does. First up, all of the ports are on the left and the right, as they should be, which is great. No ports on the back, which immediately signals to users “this should stay on a desktop.” For the Gen 3, all ports are on the right and left. Next up, there is no longer a proprietary charger. This version has a USB-C charging port.

Now, let's not get too crazy and think that your little headphone or even smartphone charger will juice this thing up really at all. You’ll need a powerful brick if you aren’t planning on using the one from Lenovo. But regardless, the ability to use my Anker and UGREEN power stations, bricks, and portable chargers on the go has been excellent, greatly improving day-to-day usability.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is a classic Lenovo feel, with some great ports added. Most of the Lenovo laptops I have tested look like they could be brothers and sisters, in that they are very similar in style, materials, and design language.

The P16 Gen 3 is continuing that legacy with fantastic build quality, a strong hinge, and a design that prioritizes getting work done. Some laptops have shifted to focusing on portability, lightweight designs, or other features that are a bit more niche or not focused on the business worker, but the ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 clearly focuses on removing as much friction as possible to getting work done.

This even extends to features like the ThinkShutter, privacy modes, the fingerprint reader, the self-healing BIOS, spectacular port offerings, a comfortable all-day keyboard, and more. All of these things are intentionally thought through by Lenovo to help ensure a smooth workday.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

...as tested...
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 HX
Graphics: Nvidia RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Display: 3.2K OLED, 16-inch

This laptop is impressively powerful. It’s great for all-day work, no matter what I am working on. I’ve grabbed it for a lot over the last bit of time that I’ve had it in for testing. It’s been wonderful to type on, test some other gear, run virtual meetings, project manage, and so on.

I’ve spent six to eight hours a day working on the P16 Gen 3, jumping in and out of my many roles throughout the day. I’ve even been able to do some heavier lifting, like large-scale database management, light engineering, video conversion, NAS management, and even consolidating other drives onto my NAS.

I’ve been able to knock out everything that's come up without any issues or stutters. One of the projects I worked on in the last few weeks was a large camera system upgrade, and with this machine, I was able to stream dozens of 4K camera feeds simultaneously, all without breaking a sweat on the CPU or GPU.

Another project I have been working on is my newest obsession: human-in-the-loop coding with Replit. I’ve been able to run full preview windows of the apps and webpages I am working on across multiple displays while researching and agentic coding, using other agents too, such as Notion, Slack, Chrome, and more.

Even with my heavy workloads across several companies, I can run them all without having to close anything down in-between context switching. Usually, for lighter weight machine that I am testing and put my workflow on, I have to shut down some of the apps or understand that things will get throttled. But, for this one, I can keep everything open and running, helping for me to jump in and out of everything as needed.

Throughout hours of typing and living on the keyboard, my fingers are still just as comfortable. I can stay in the standard typing position, use the touchpoint to move the cursor around the screen, and even click really easily with the built-in buttons.

Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 3 is a laptop for those who need to be able to get real work done. The previous Gen 2 was my top pick in my guide to the best laptops for engineering students - and this upgrade now capably takes that crown.

It’s not for gamers, it’s not for those who want a budget laptop, nor is it for those who need a specific travel laptop or lightweight machine.

But, if you want a machine that can perform at workstation levels, have a good battery life, be portable enough to take with you anywhere, and also be great to use, look at, and type on, then this is worth considering.

The Lenovo P16 Gen 3 is built for those who do, those who get work done every day, and need a tool to help them get there faster.

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For more professional picks, we've tested the best business laptops.

In 2026’s persistent tug-of-war between online convenience and privacy, DeleteMe continues to stand tall as one of the most trusted and comprehensive data removal services. With over a decade of experience in privacy protection, DeleteMe’s mission is simple yet vital: to erase your personal details from the sprawling databases of data brokers who profit from your digital footprint.

Founded in 2011 by privacy-focused company Abine, DeleteMe has evolved alongside the internet’s rapid expansion. Today, it has processed well over 100 million opt-outs, adaptively navigating an ever-shifting regulatory landscape filled with new privacy laws, AI-driven scraping tools, and sophisticated cyber threats. Where many services promise quick digital cleanup, DeleteMe delivers sustained, expert-driven removal efforts that not only protect you from identity theft and spam but also restore a sense of digital calm.

DeleteMe: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: DeleteMe)

DeleteMe’s pricing is straightforward, centered on annual or biennial prepayments rather than short-term monthly options. This structure encourages consistency - keeping your data protected throughout the year instead of risking gaps in coverage.

For individual users, the one-year plan costs $129, which breaks down to about $10.75 per month, while the two-year plan costs $209 (approximately $8.71 per month). The savings for multi-year users are meaningful, especially considering DeleteMe’s ongoing monitoring and repeated scans.

Couples or two-user plans scale economically at $229 annually or $349 for two years (about $14.54 per month), and there’s dedicated family coverage for four users, designed for households that want everyone — parents, teens, even adult children — under one umbrella. Family subscribers appreciate the continuity this offers: when one person’s data pops up again online, the team often finds overlapping exposures and can act on behalf of everyone at once.

Each subscription tier includes:

• Unlimited removals for names, aliases, and emails
• Email alias masking tools
• Up to 40 custom data removal requests per year
• Quarterly progress reports summarizing every removal action
• Access to a dedicated privacy advisor

Enterprise plans are also available, with quotes starting near $180 per person annually - trusted by recognizable names like Google and ProPublica to safeguard high-risk employees from doxxing and organized data exposure. DeleteMe’s enterprise customers use it as a proactive defense tool in an era where C-suite executives and journalists are frequent targets of harassment campaigns.

Pricing transparency is one of DeleteMe’s major appeals. There are no confusing tier upgrades or hidden microtransactions, and every plan - including the most affordable - includes full access to core features. The company’s A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and full satisfaction guarantee reinforce this sense of reliability, though its services remain exclusive to U.S. residents.

DeleteMe: Features

(Image credit: Shutterstock / metamorworks)

What truly sets DeleteMe apart in 2026 is its blend of automation and human oversight. The platform covers over 750 data brokers.

DeleteMe automates removal from the 100–125 most active brokers, including notorious players like Whitepages, Spokeo, and MyLife, while expert privacy specialists manually handle the rest. This hybrid approach ensures that each removal is executed correctly and consistently, rather than relying solely on bots that might inadvertently confirm your data’s accuracy to brokers (a common pitfall of less automated tools).

The range of data types covered is impressively broad: names, birthdates, phone numbers, email addresses, past and current addresses, relatives’ names, and even property records and photos. As new brokers emerge, DeleteMe automatically adds them to its removal list at no additional cost.

Each quarter, users receive detailed reports showing tangible progress. These include screenshots, broker names, and verification timestamps that illustrate where the data was found and when it was removed. Early evaluations suggest that new users typically see an average of 57 site removals in their first round, often revealing listings they didn’t even know existed.

DeleteMe’s dashboard serves as a control center for tracking all this activity. It offers live metrics such as total removals, pending actions, and active exposures, and integrates a Google self-check tool, enabling users to monitor their search visibility in real time. Combined with masking utilities, it provides both transparency and reassurance: you can watch your digital privacy improve, click by click.

Additional tools, such as email alias creation (included at no cost) and phone masking (available for $7 per number), help users reduce their surface exposure. DeleteMe’s own manual also provides DIY guides for removing yourself from specific platforms, such as Reddit or BeenVerified, making it perfect for privacy enthusiasts who want hands-on control.

For organizations, DeleteMe’s business suite extends these protections to executive teams, journalists, and employees handling sensitive data. With targeted anti-doxxing and impersonation countermeasures, it is especially popular among companies that are conscious of online reputation risks.

DeleteMe: Setup and onboarding

DeleteMe’s signup process reflects its emphasis on simplicity. Users register online, create their profile via a welcome email, and fill in identifying information such as names, aliases, email addresses, phone numbers, and past addresses. The system only requests as much as it needs to find your listings, and optional identity verification helps confirm records for precise removals.

Once your profile is set up, DeleteMe’s privacy advisors launch manual searches and begin submitting opt-out requests almost immediately. More often than not, you will receive your first progress email within days.

What’s noticeable during onboarding is how low the learning curve feels. The dashboard is intuitive and clutter-free, with helpful tooltips for new users. You don’t need technical experience or cybersecurity know-how as DeleteMe’s team handles almost everything in the background while keeping you informed through reports and alerts.

DeleteMe: Ease of use

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

DeleteMe strikes a fine balance between professional rigor and user convenience. The centralized dashboard displays everything you need without demanding daily attention. Quarterly PDF reports offer a clear, chronological summary of which brokers were contacted, which entries were deleted, and which may require resubmission.

Submitting custom requests is equally straightforward. If you spot your information on a site not yet on DeleteMe’s list, you can submit a request through the portal. You can file up to 40 custom removals per year, and the privacy team typically responds within 48 hours, making it far faster than competitors that rely solely on automated scheduling.

DeleteMe: Security and privacy

DeleteMe’s architecture is built around privacy-by-design principles. All data deletions are performed by US based privacy experts, not by outsourced bots or offshore contractors, ensuring your personal information never leaves secure domestic servers.

This manual process emphasizes two key benefits. First, it maximizes compliance with brokers’ varying submission requirements, as some demand documentation or nuanced phrasing only a human can adapt effectively. Second, it minimizes risk: automated scraping tools may inadvertently validate a record’s accuracy, re-exposing users rather than protecting them.

DeleteMe’s internal handling of user data is deliberately minimal. Personal details entered during setup are stored securely, used solely to submit removals, and deleted once those removals are confirmed complete. The included email and phone masking features further protect users from re-identification or repeat listings.

While DeleteMe doesn’t directly clear Google’s cache, its approach focuses on root-cause removal by eliminating your records from the original sources so they eventually disappear from search engines as the cache refreshes. Over time, this results in a noticeable reduction in online visibility.

Delete: Customer support

DeleteMe offers email, live chat, and phone support, along with dedicated privacy advisors who review reports and guide each user through custom cases. The company’s Help Center includes articles on two-factor authentication, security best practices, and subscription management, along with downloadable DIY guides for over 100 brokers.

Customers commend DeleteMe’s support staff for their responsiveness, especially during the first few months, when exposure reports are most active. Unlike some competitors that offer only generic responses, DeleteMe’s advisors review your unique data profile before replying to ensure each interaction is specific, accurate, and genuinely helpful.

DeleteMe: The competition

(Image credit: Kanary)

In 2026, the data removal market has matured, and competition is fierce. Services like Incogni, Kanary, PrivacyBee, OneRep, and Mozilla Monitor Plus each approach privacy protection differently.

Each service has its niche. Budget-conscious or international users might prefer Incogni for its simplicity, while privacy enthusiasts who value versatility lean toward PrivacyBee’s ecosystem. However, for users who value human-guided removal, particularly Americans concerned about domestic data brokers, DeleteMe remains the benchmark for reliability, transparency, and verified follow-through.

DeleteMe: The verdict

After fifteen years of refining its craft, DeleteMe continues to set the standard for professional data removal services. Its combination of human expertise, automation, and transparent progress reporting makes it ideal for individuals, families, and businesses wanting continuous, realistic protection.

While other services may promise faster automation or lower prices, few can match DeleteMe’s track record or its deliberate attention to each user’s privacy footprint. Backed by a trusted reputation, a proven removal infrastructure, and a genuine focus on security, DeleteMe is an indispensable ally for anyone seeking to reclaim control of their online identity.

• Sign up to DeleteMe

Protecting personal information online has only become more crucial in 2026. With artificial intelligence tools making data scraping and identity fraud easier, consumers need protection that goes beyond basic antivirus software. Data removal services like Aura aim to give users back control of their information, automatically monitoring, securing, and removing their data from the web’s most persistent collectors: data brokers.

Aura continues to position itself as an all-in-one digital security platform, offering not just data-broker removal but also identity theft protection, credit reports, VPN protection, a password manager, device security, parental controls, and even scam-call filtering. Its 2026 version refines and automates much of this ecosystem, making it one of the most complete packages for personal and family privacy available today.

Aura: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Aura)

Aura offers three main subscription tiers in 2026 — Individual, Couple, and Family — each priced for monthly or annual billing. While the structure hasn’t changed significantly since 2024, the company has updated its value propositions by introducing new automation tools and expanding insurance coverage.

• Individual Plan: Priced at around $12 per month (when billed annually). It includes full identity theft monitoring, VPN access, antivirus, password manager, credit monitoring from all three bureaus, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance.
• Couple Plan: Approximately $22 per month annually. Designed for two adults, each with their own accounts and dashboards. Users also get an alerts dashboard and joint monitoring capabilities.
• Family Plan: Aura’s flagship package, available for about $29 per month with annual billing. It supports up to five adults and unlimited children, with added benefits such as child SSN monitoring, parental controls, and online safety tools, including cyberbullying detection alerts and predator activity monitoring on social media.

Across all tiers, Aura offers a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee, making it relatively low-risk to test. Prices sit slightly above pure data removal competitors like DeleteMe or Kanary, but Aura’s advantage lies in its breadth, as it’s not only about data removal but complete digital defense.

Aura: Features

(Image credit: Future)

At its core, Aura is built around identity monitoring and data removal automation, but the platform’s appeal lies in its suite of interconnected features that reinforce one another.

• Data Broker Removal: Aura routinely scans and requests removals from over 200 data brokers. In 2026, this process has become more proactive: once you enter key identifiers (such as email addresses, aliases, or phone numbers), Aura automatically generates and tracks opt-out requests. It even resubmits them if a data broker re-lists your information later.
• Privacy Assistant AI: New in 2026, Aura’s AI Privacy Assistant analyzes your online exposure and gives customized recommendations. For example, it might flag an old online profile that is still visible on a background-check website or recommend stronger security settings for your social media accounts.
• Credit & Identity Protection: All plans include near-real-time credit alerts from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The system can detect unauthorized account openings, new address registrations, and suspicious transactions.
• Dark Web Monitoring: Aura scans dark web marketplaces and hacker forums for signs of compromised credentials, personally identifiable information, or leaked financial information. It stands out for automatically triggering password changes via its built-in password manager when data leaks are detected.
• Financial Fraud Alerts: In 2026, Aura enhanced transaction tracking with AI models trained to detect financial anomalies. You’ll receive immediate alerts about possible account tampering or fraudulent activity through text or push notifications.
• VPN & Antivirus Integration: Aura operates its own encrypted VPN network and now includes malware protection at the DNS level, stopping threats before they reach your device. This dual system offers more robust coverage than many competitors that still rely on third-party integrations.
• Secure Document Vault: Documents such as ID scans, medical records, and financial statements can be uploaded to Aura’s encrypted cloud storage. Files are protected with AES-256 encryption and accessible only through multi-factor verified logins.
• Lost Wallet Recovery: Still one of Aura’s most convenient tools, this feature helps users cancel and replace credit cards and government IDs quickly using their stored information.
• Parental Controls: Family users benefit from content filtering, screen-time management, and activity summaries, while the system can now detect potential cyberbullying language in messages exchanged through monitored accounts.

All told, Aura’s feature set is about integration—bringing security, privacy, and data removal under one, easy-to-manage ecosystem.

Aura: Setup

Aura’s setup process in 2026 has been streamlined considerably. Once you sign up, you’re guided through an onboarding sequence that sets up data monitoring, installs necessary apps, and helps connect bank accounts, social media profiles, and credit data.

The app (available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows) automatically detects your exposure level. You’ll see an initial Digital Risk Score, a new feature introduced this year that visually charts how exposed your personal data is, along with step-by-step suggestions for improvement.

Setting up the browser extensions - for Secure Browsing and Scam Protection - took minutes. The interface clearly marks whether each area of protection (such as identity, finances, passwords, and devices) is “secured,” “partially secured,” or “unprotected.”

Overall, users can expect to be fully set up within 15 to 20 minutes.

Aura: Ease of Use

Aura’s biggest achievement has been refining its user interface to be accessible without sacrificing complexity. The 2026 dashboard feels modern and uncluttered, offering a unified snapshot of your protection status.

The main screen now consolidates data-broker removal progress, credit alerts, device security, and VPN status in a single view. To help users track the biggest threats, notifications are sorted by severity - Critical, Moderate, or Informational - with suggested actions for each. The app also now offers Face ID login, faster push notifications, and in-app data removal tracking, all previously requiring desktop access.

While Aura remains feature-rich, its controls never feel overwhelming. Compared with 2024’s design, which buried alerts in submenus, the 2026 update puts essential information front and center.

The only minor drawback is that advanced users may want more filter or export options for data removal logs, which remain limited to Aura’s native interface.

Aura: Security and Privacy

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Security is where Aura continues to justify its cost. Every component is built around zero-knowledge architecture and bank-level encryption.

• Encryption: Data stored in Aura’s vault uses AES-256 encryption, and communication between clients and servers is protected by TLS 1.3.
• Authentication: Multi-factor authentication (2FA) is standard. In 2026, Aura introduced support for hardware keys (YubiKey, Titan) to enhance account protection.
• Privacy Policy: Aura remains U.S.-based, which means it’s not protected under GDPR-like rules—but it maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance and claims it doesn’t sell or share user data for third-party advertising.
• Insurance Coverage: Identity theft insurance now provides up to $5 million in total coverage for the Family plan (aggregated across family members), a significant increase from prior years.
• AI Fraud Detection: Aura’s AI monitoring system scans billions of data points for suspicious behavior, catching identity fraud attempts faster than many competitors.

Aura also distinguishes itself by combining privacy and cybersecurity at the infrastructure level—something pure data removal services typically don’t offer.

Aura: Support

Customer support has remained one of Aura’s strongest points. In 2026, users can reach support through:

• 24/7 Live Chat (available across all plans)
• U.S.-based phone support
• Email ticket system
• AI Help Assistant that routes users to relevant help articles or escalates issues automatically

Support responsiveness is fast, typically under two minutes on chat, and representatives are knowledgeable across billing, technical, and cybersecurity issues.

The Digital Security 101 help center remains excellent for learning privacy fundamentals, and Aura’s security alerts blog continues to update users about new scams, breaches, and fraud trends.

Aura: The competition

(Image credit: DeleteMe)

DeleteMe is still best known for data broker removals, manually handling over 700 brokers globally. It’s relatively affordable at about $10 per month but remains limited to removal only — offering no VPNs, threat monitoring, or credit alerts.

Kanary provides a clean interface and aggressive data tracking removal, with automation similar to Aura’s newer system, though it lacks the wide range of bundled security tools.

Privacy Bee combines data broker removal with marketing opt-outs and spam management, making it more affordable but missing Aura’s all-in-one security integrations.

Mozilla Monitor Plus focuses on breach alerts and limited broker removals within a privacy-first platform from a trusted nonprofit, appealing to open-web advocates.

IDX Identity, a long-established provider with government partnerships, delivers strong credit alerts but charges a premium while offering fewer non-financial privacy features.

Where Aura stands out is in its breadth — it consolidates tasks that competitors split across multiple tools, making it ideal for users who want a “set it and forget it” experience. The tradeoff, however, is cost, as Aura can run two to three times more expensive than minimalist removal services.

Aura: Verdict

In 2026, Aura remains a top choice for comprehensive identity and privacy protection. It’s overkill if you only want your data removed from people search sites—but invaluable if you want total online risk mitigation in one ecosystem.

For individuals and families who value privacy, security, and convenience over cost, Aura’s 2026 platform justifies its premium. It’s not just about removing data — it’s about controlling your entire digital presence.

• Sign up to Aura

4 UK Host is an experienced web hosting service, now owned by Miss Group, the company behind StableHost, nameISP, https.se and other hosting-related brands.

The host has four main product ranges: Shared Hosting, Value VPS, SSD VPS and Dedicated Servers. There's a focus on value, although there's real power available here, too. Dedicated servers start at £54.99 ($65.99) a month on the annual plan, for instance, but you can opt for a 2 x Xeon E5, 40 CPU core, 256GB RAM monster for £389.99 ($467.99) a month, if you can use it.

The baseline Shared Hosting 4UK-10 plan looks like great value, with unlimited bandwidth and 12 months for free. A one-year free trial, really? There must be a catch, we thought. And there was.

Drilling down to the details, the plan is relatively basic, with just 1GB disk space, one email account and no MySQL databases. And although it's advertised on the site as £0.00 a month, the comparison table shows it has a £14.99 ($17.99) setup fee. That's equivalent to £1.25 ($1.50) a month.

• Want to try 4 UK Host? Check out the website here

There's better news further up the range. The 4UK-30 plan gives you 15GB disk space, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, 10 databases, unlimited emails and FTP accounts, and support for hosting up to three websites. Prices range from £4.99 ($5.99) billed monthly, to a more competitive £3.54 ($4.25) a month billed three-yearly.

Support is available via live chat, 24/7. There's also telephone support, albeit for limited and slightly odd hours (7am-4pm).

Although the website doesn't make a big deal of any 'money-back guarantee', the small print makes it clear that's exactly what you get. 'If you are not satisfied within your first 30 days we would be happy to provide you with a full refund' (subject to the usual exclusions, like domain name registrations).

While these prices aren't bad, there are better deals around. Hostinger's shared hosting has fewer limits and can be 20% or more cheaper, or you could opt for a VPS and still save money (prices start at $3.95.) But beware, you'll have to subscribe for up to four years to get the headline prices.

Setup

Signing up with 4 UK Host starts by choosing your hosting plan, then entering whatever domain name you'd like to use. The latter can be something you register now, for free with some plans, or a domain you own already.

All plans may be billed monthly, or every one, two or three years. You'll need to pay yearly or longer to get a free domain name, and longer subscriptions get a 10-15% discount.

There aren't a lot of extras, especially for the more basic plans. Our 4UK-20 Shared Hosting plan came with free local backups, for instance, but 4 UK Host offered us remote weekly backups from £3 ($3.60) a month. Backups are important, but that's more than you might be paying for your main hosting account, which isn't going to appeal to bargain hunters.

The 4 UK Host registration form asks for a lot of personal data, including an email address, name, physical address and telephone number.

The form also asked for our 'Organization number / Personal number', but didn't offer any hints to what this was, or why the company needed it. We just entered a memorable number, assuming it would be treated as a second password, and the website accepted it.

Payment options were card or PayPal. We tried PayPal, but ran into a problem: the website hung for minutes, but no PayPal window appeared. Eventually we gave up, restarted the process, and went to pay via card. As we were about to do that, an invoice for the first aborted payment appeared. We gave up on our second payment, without entering any details, but, too late: an email invoice for that payment arrived, too.

Issues like this can happen with anyone, and we're not attaching any blame to 4 UK Host. But it did give us an opportunity to test how the company's systems could cope with unexpected events.

There were no obvious ways to help us solve this problem. The emails and invoices didn't explain what to do if we had problems. The web console displayed our two invoices, but had no way to cancel or delete them. An 'Open Ticket' option pointed us to a near useless web knowledgebase, where searching for 'invoice' gave us only two irrelevant hits: 'Passing Values to Offer URLs' and 'How those the price model work' (not a typo, that's the real title).

While that's bad news, 4 UK Host regained our respect with the quality of its live chat support. We opened a session, explained what had happened and asked for the company to activate our first order, and cancel the second invoice, and gave our two invoice numbers.

We expected to wait for an age, and possibly then be forced to answer an avalanche of questions (what's your name, your order number, your email address, your PayPal transaction ID, and so on). But instead, after two minutes an agent responded; after nine minutes, they told us they were checking; two minutes after that, they told us they'd activated one account and deleted the other invoice.

We didn't have to answer a single further question, the agent just did as we'd asked, and all in under a quarter of an hour. That's great support performance, especially for a very basic shared hosting package.

(Image credit: 4 UK Host)Creating a website

The 4 UK Host account management system is based on the industry standard WHCMS platform. That's generally good news, as it's a capable system, and if you've used it with another host you'll immediately feel at home.

Choose your hosting package, and WHCMS provides various shortcuts to help you get started. A link to the File Manager enables uploading an existing site to your web space, for instance. Experienced users get shortcuts to the MySQL Databases and phpMyAdmin modules, and you can create email accounts for your new domain by filling in a couple of boxes (email account name and password).

One further click takes you to a standard cPanel console, where you'll find the full set of site creation and management tools.

4 UK Host's Site Builder is a simple BaseKit-powered template-based website creator. It doesn't have the power of the high-end competition, and the bundled version is limited to just three pages, but that could be enough for simple tasks. Your three pages can at least have some rich content, with support for image galleries, custom forms, videos and SoundCloud clips, file links (Dropbox, PDF), basic social media integration and more.

4 UK Host shared hosting includes Softaculous, too, for automated installation of WordPress, PrestaShop, Joomla, and hundreds of other popular apps. It's one of the best user-friendly installers around, and not something you'll always get with the most basic shared hosting. (Some providers use simpler installers with fewer features, maybe supporting just a handful of applications.)

Once your site is up and running, you have access to all the usual cPanel site management tools, covering everything from FTP accounts, subdomains and aliases, to email forwarders, autoresponders and in-depth site metrics (Webalizer, AWStats and more).

We did have an issue with the web knowledgebase, which was short on content and poorly organized. Articles are in multiple languages, for instance, and if you search on a technical term which is identical in both ('DNS') then you'll get multi-lingual results.

Knowledgebase issues are much less important when you have decent live chat support, though, and overall, 4 UK Host provides a capable set of features with everything you need to build and run a quality website.

(Image credit: Uptime.com)Performance

It's tricky to measure the performance of any web host. The results you'll see will depend on the type of site you're running, the resources it uses (CPU, storage, database), where your visitors are, when they visit, and other factors besides.

We attempted to get a baseline idea of a server's performance by measuring it over time with Uptime.com. Average response times were fractionally below average, though by so little you're unlikely to notice (50ms). 

4 UK Host response times were relatively consistent, too, with no downtime, and no major spikes which might indicate an overloaded server.

Dotcom-tools website speed test measured the load time of our test site from 16 locations across the US and Europe. This second test broadly matched the results of the first. 4 UK Host achieved mid-range speeds only, but the difference wasn't significant, and our results showed consistent speeds over time.

Put it all together and 4 UK Host delivered the performance we'd expect from decent shared hosting; not outstanding, but good enough, and reliable throughout the duration of our review.

Final verdict

4 UK Host wasn't outstanding at any point during our review, but its products are generally well-specified, live chat support was good and we saw consistent and reliable speeds. Worth a look – check it out and see if the company has a plan which suits your needs.

• Also check out the best web hosting services.

ProfesionalHosting is a popular Spanish provider with over 17 years of experience in web hosting and domain registration.

To be clear, the company has absolutely nothing to do with Professional Hosting at 'professionalhosting.com.' And that matters, because the other provider is very, very different to this one. If you're typing its name somewhere, rather than following our links, be sure to type one 's' in 'profesional', rather than two.

However you arrive at the site, you'll find a huge range of products. You can get regular shared hosting, custom plans for specific web apps (WordPress, Magento, PrestaShop, more), along with a variety of VPS offerings. On top of that there are assorted dedicated servers (Windows, Linux, Elastic Cloud), video and streaming servers, and supporting services such as remote backup, email marketing, SSL certificates and more.

• Want to try ProfesionalHosting? Check out the website here

The company is largely focused on the Spanish-speaking market, claiming on the website that 'in our hosting you will have the best support and service in Spanish.'

There is an English language version of the site, but it's a little more difficult to use than it should be, thanks to some inconsistent and incomplete translations.

As we write, for example, the VPS link on the English language site takes us to a Spanish page. There's a language selector at the top, but choosing English just takes you to a 'Page not found' message – in Spanish! We could still find our way around with the aid of Chrome's Translate feature, but that shouldn't be necessary.

Brush these hassles aside, though, and you'll find an impressive set of products, where even the most basic plans are well-specified and ready for use.

Shared hosting starts at €6.19 ($7.29, £5.31) a month on the annual plan, for instance. Not a big outlay, but it gets you 3GB hard drive space, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain, a Plesk control panel (a powerful alternative to cPanel) antispam, daily backups, and free SSL via Let's Encrypt.

There are four plans in total, but picking just one, Plan WEB + enables hosting up to 10 websites, offers 10GB disk space, and throws in a free year of a professional SSL certificate, all for €15.44 a month ($18.18, £13.48).

You can get hosting for even less, but it often comes with hidden flaws and catches. ProfesionalHosting isn't cutting corners to get a low headline rate, and even its low-end plans should be able to handle some major tasks.

And even if it turns out that the company doesn't live up to its promises, you're protected by a 15-day money-back guarantee.

Setup

Signing up at ProfesionalHosting works much like any other host, at least in principle. But in real life, translation issues make it a little more complicated for English speakers.

You must opt to check out by clicking the 'Contract' button, for instance. The shopping cart icon makes that a relatively easy guess, but when you start the purchase process, even the English language page has a Spanish description of the money-back guarantee.

There's more confusion on the account registration page. Not only does this ask for your name, email address, physical address and phone number, it also demands your 'CIF/DNI' (a national ID number), and further asks '¿Como nos ha conocido?' (which means 'how did you hear about us?').

You can ignore that question, but not the demand for a national ID number. That's bad news if you don't have one, although the website can't validate it, so you can enter whatever you like, and no-one is likely to notice. (You're probably violating a 'be honest about your personal data' clause in the small print, but if you don't have the requested data, there aren't many other options.)

We completed the purchase process, handed over our cash, and three follow-up emails arrived – in Spanish, obviously.

This wasn't quite the hassle you might think. The final welcome email was easy to identify, and even if you don't speak a word of Spanish, it's easy to pick out the Control Panel URL and credentials, FTP login, nameservers, email servers and more.

Logging in took us to the main Plesk control panel, a one-stop platform for configuring and managing your account, domain, website and more. The Plesk interface can use multiple languages, but for some reason, ProfesionalHosting's shared hosting plans are available in Spanish only. You must choose VPS or higher to be able to run your console in English. It's annoying, but once again, Chrome's Translate feature was just about good enough to save the day.

(Image credit: ProfesionalHosting)Creating a website

Plesk's main website management screen includes tools to create and manage your website, email and FTP accounts, databases, subdomains and more, as well as key metrics on your visitors, which pages they're visiting, and a breakdown of your bandwidth use.

An automated installer tool makes it easier to set up WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, PrestaShop, Magento, phpBB and more. Its choice of 21 apps doesn't get close to the 400+ you'll get with Softaculous, a platform commonly provided with cPanel, but if you're happy with WordPress (or one of the others) you're unlikely to mind.

The installer is configured with Spanish speakers in mind, for example offering us no less than nine Spanish language options for our test WordPress setup (Spanish, Spanish from Chile, Spanish from Peru, and so on). But there are plenty of other options, this time, and ours had English selected by default.

Our general shared hosting package didn't include a website designer. As with the missing Softaculous, that's bad news for some, but won't matter to the majority.

There's no shortage of ways to manually set up a website, though. The File Manager uploaded our test site with a quick drag-and-drop, Let's Encrypt support allows even hosting newbies to quickly assign a free SSL certificate – and experts can play around with everything from FTP accounts and databases to PHP settings, DNS, and even Apache and web application firewall (ModSecurity) settings.

It's a capable set of tools, especially for the most basic shared hosting package in the range. It would be even better if ProfesionalHosting allowed shared hosting packages to be set up in English, but Chrome Translate got us through most issues, and overall it's a likeable service.

(Image credit: Uptime.com)Performance

Websites can fail for all kinds of unexpected reasons, and whether you're a total newbie or an old hand, it's vital to choose a web host with top quality support.

ProfesionalHosting offers 24/7 support via telephone, live chat, email and ticket, and for really stubborn problems, can even connect to your system via TeamViewer for a closer look.

This all sounds good to us, and the company handled our test query well. An agent responded within three minutes, didn't waste time with more questions or authentication (what's your username, your email address, your account number, your domain), and just gave us an accurate and helpful answer, immediately.

Language remains an issue for international users, with the opening chat screen displaying its instructions in Spanish. But we got through that in seconds, and there were no problems afterwards: we posted in English and got an English-language reply.

To complete the review, we ran a couple of performance tests.

Uptime.com monitored our site over time. Response times were a little below average, but that could be because ProfesionalHosting's Spanish servers were located further away from our testing locations. The difference was small, anyway, and there was no downtime during our review.

Dotcom-tools website speed test benchmarked the download speed of our test site from 16 servers located around Europe and the US. This is more relevant as a speed test, and here ProfesionalHosting performed a little better, with downloads running around 10% faster than average.

Final verdict

Not the cheapest service around (and using Plesk rather than cPanel won't appeal to everyone), but ProfesionalHosting's products are top-quality and fairly priced for the excellent features you get. But if you don't speak Spanish, the constant translation issues can be a major irritation.

• Also check out the best web hosting services

Razer BlackShark V3 X review: One-minute review

The bells-and-whistles version of Razer’s latest BlackShark V3, the V3 Pro, is one of the best wireless gaming headsets on the market. This model might share the name and the basic chassis design, but it’s available at a very different price, and that means the feature spec sheet looks wildly different too.

Razer’s positioning this as an esports model, based on the low-latency wireless connection its Hyperspeed 2.4GHz wireless dongle offers, and the impressively svelte 9.6oz / 270g weight. In reality, as welcome as those attributes are, they’re probably more relevant to a non-professional gamer who wants to save some cash, stay comfortable while they play, and avoid connection dropouts more than a professional player in a stadium.

One thing that translates very well all the way down the BlackShark range is the comfort and adjustability of the headband and earcup design. There’s a brilliant balance of clamping force and headband weight distribution that makes this headset immediately comfy, and it stays that way into the last moments of your 40-player World of Warcraft raid.

The microphone isn’t especially standout, but it offers decent clarity and noise cancellation, and it’s detachable, which means if you opt to connect the headset to your smartphone via Bluetooth, you can wear these on the train or bus without looking like you’re organizing air traffic.

Your mileage of the 7.1 virtual surround may vary, but to this reviewer’s ears, it sounds thin and artificial, inevitably detracting from the original audio source rather than widening it. These aren’t the same titanium drivers as you’ll find in the standard Razer BlackShark V3, and they’re not quite as precise or authoritative in their sound production, which means there’s less leeway for affecting audio sources with virtual surround.

But if you can live with merely good audio and mic quality, the huge 70-hour battery, lightweight, comfortable feel, and clean look are a pretty considerable upside.

(Image credit: Future)Razer BlackShark V3 X review: Price and availability

• Costs $99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141
• Comparable to Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless headset
• Considerably cheaper than the V3 and V3 Pro, so don’t expect a similar experience

This version of the Blackshark is really all about the price. A lot of the V3 and V3 Pro’s luxury trimmings have been jettisoned in order to meet a sub-$100 price point, but Razer’s decades of experience mean it knows which bits are essential: comfort, reliability, and usability. Those have stayed, of course.

The specs compare favorably to rivals at this price point, like the official Xbox Wireless headset and RIG R5 Spear Pro HS, a wired model that we’ve been digging lately in the sub-$100 pool.

Razer BlackShark V3 X: Specs

Razer BlackShark V3 X

Price

$99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141

Weight

9.5oz / 270g

Battery life

70 hours

Compatibility

PC, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox version), Playstation 4/5, (PlayStation version), iOS/Android

Connectivity

2.4 GHz Wireless / Bluetooth / USB Wired

Microphone

Unidirectional detachable cardioid mic

Razer BlackShark V3 X: Design and features

• Similar design to the flagship BlackShark V3
• Hyperspeed and Bluetooth, but not simultaneously
• Simple control layout

The basic headband, earcup, and hinge design will be familiar to anyone who’s familiar with previous versions of the BlackShark, or indeed the pricier variations of this current V3 generation. The wireframe hinge allows for plenty of adjustability, and there’s a near-perfect balance between the weight carried by the wide, well-cushioned headband and the clamping force generated by the earcups against your temples.

Around those earcups, there’s a generous slice of memory foam to keep that horizontal force from digging in too much and becoming uncomfortable, and there’s a good amount of extension in the wireframe to allow for larger heads.

The control layout is simple and effective. On the left earcup, just above the USB-C cable input, there’s a textured power button, volume scroll wheel, and a mic mute button, while on the right-hand side, you’ll find the holy grail for gaming headsets, particularly more affordable models: a game/chat balance scroll wheel. Having grown accustomed to having this luxury through years of use with Arctis 7 headsets, I always miss it when it doesn’t feature, and I’m seriously grateful to find one on a cheaper headset like this one.

(Image credit: Future)

While one probably wouldn’t expect simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity at this price, it should still be noted that, unlike the V3 and V3 Pro, it isn’t available on this model.

The Hyperspeed wireless connection is very stable in my experience, though, suffering no dropouts over the several years I’ve been connecting wirelessly with Razer devices. It does invite some very infrequent audio artefacting in my experience, but that only manifests as a glitchy half-second of audio here and there when connecting to a PC.

Overall, the combo of comfort and looks of this model makes for a powerful one-two punch. Material choices and finish quality are both fantastic at this price range, and really distinguish this headset from rivals priced similarly.

(Image credit: Future)Razer BlackShark V3 X review: Performance

• Decent sound but lacking that spark
• Capacious battery
• Mic does the job

The drivers within this V3 X’s earcups are a similar design to the V3 and V3 Pro’s drivers, with some important differences. All feature a 50mm size, but while the V3 Pro uses a bio-cellulose construction for its flagship version of the Tri-Force driver and the V3 uses titanium, this cheaper version uses… something else. It’s not stated in Razer’s materials.

That’s all academic until you get into road-testing the sound, and I’m bringing up the materials of various driver variations because those materials allow for faster and more supple articulation, which in turn gives you more sparkly high frequencies and more convincing, visceral lows. It’s in the raw sound quality category where I felt the V3 X’s pricing most obviously, and that certainly doesn’t mean they sound bad.

They’re clearly tuned for a balanced sound reproduction instead of wow factor, and that’s the right call. While at the extreme ends of the frequency response range, they sound a little dull, the overall quality is nice and neutral, and that speaks to the esports positioning of this headset. Pro players would probably use a more expensive model, of course, but if they did use this, they wouldn’t have to contend with vital audio cues being drowned out by over-emphasised bass.

Elsewhere, the battery deserves some serious acclaim. All the BlackShark V3s boast a 70-hour battery life, and while that’s boosted in part by the absence of RGB, it’s still an insane number. And it holds up in reality. I found I was even able to eke out a bit more than 70 hours from one charge, and charging is very quick via USB-C.

More muted praise – if you’ll excuse the excellent pun – for the microphone, which is simply serviceable. The audio reproduction lacks a little body, but it’s certainly crisp enough to cut through the mix and ensure your callouts are heard.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Razer BlackShark V3 X?Buy it if...

You love the BlackShark design
So much of what makes the pricier BlackShark models great carries over to the comfort and lightweight feel of this budget-friendly X option

You care a lot about latency
These are marketed as esports cans due to the low latency Hyperspeed wireless connection, so if you want assurance that you’re getting the comms in time, this is a good option.

You don’t need a broadcast-quality mic
Output quality is functional but not stellar on this model, so it’s a model for people who want clear chat but don’t need crystal-clear mic audio.

Don't buy it if...

You’re an audiophile
It takes a lot of balance and compromise to hit this price point in 2026, which means the drivers are tuned for clarity, not a sonic bath of creamy high fidelity luxuriousness.

You want one headset for multiple consoles
Like many modern headset models, this comes in either PlayStation or Xbox editions, which means you can’t use the same one for both devices.

You want a lot of passive noise cancellation
Despite comfortable pleather earpad cushions, this model’s prone to letting exterior sound bleed in while you’re wearing it.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Razer BlackShark V3 X? Here's how it compares to two similar sets.

Razer BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed

Xbox Wireless Headset

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS

Price

$99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141

$99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149.95

$69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99)

Weight

9.5oz / 270g

11.2oz / 320g

11.9oz / 340g

Battery life

70 hours

20 hours

N/A

Connection type

Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (Hyperspeed dongle), USB wired

Bluetooth, USB wired

Wired 3.5mm

Compatibility

PC, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox version), Playstation 4/5, (PlayStation version), iOS/Android

PC, Xbox X/S

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC

Xbox Wireless headset
A similarly barebones offering from Microsoft for its own gaming consoles. Capable, but lacking battery life and connection options in comparison with Razer’s model.

For more information, check out our full Xbox Wireless Headset review

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS
Okay, it’s a wired headset. But despite that detail – and the fact it clearly has too many component parts, this is a seriously good value offering, and even cheaper than the budget Razer option.

For more information, check out our full RIG R5 Spear Pro HS review

How I tested the Razer BlackShark V3 X

• Weeks of daily use on PC and Xbox Series S
• Both connection types tested
• Compared to the flagship Razer BlackShark V3 Pro

I swam the waters of low-budget gaming headsets for two weeks with the V3 X Hyperspeed, which meant the usual mix of gaming, Discord, and work calls to get a feel for the driver and mic performance alike.

The meditative, ambient soundscapes of Cairn comprised a lot of that time, along with some callout-heavy Counter-Strike 2 sessions, a few co-op Minecraft adventures, and some long drives in Assetto Corsa Evo.

Both compatible devices were tested, and I kept track of each charge’s duration to check Razer’s stated 70 hours checks out in reality.

First reviewed January 2026

Read more about how we test

Kanary remains one of the stronger data removal services going into 2026, particularly for US-based users who want ongoing monitoring and a mix of automated and guided removals rather than pure one‑off scans. It sits toward the upper end of the market in terms of price but compensates with broad broker coverage (300+ sites), clear progress tracking, and solid security practices, making it a credible choice alongside better-known names like DeleteMe and Incogni.

Data brokers, people‑search sites, and marketing databases continue to proliferate in 2026, quietly collecting and trading personal details such as names, home addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth. Services like Kanary aim to claw that information back by scanning hundreds of data brokers, sending opt‑out requests, and monitoring for reappearances over time. Kanary focuses primarily on US‑based exposure and has built its service around a straightforward promise: reach 95–100% removal success after the first few months of active monitoring and cleanup for typical users.

Kanary is best suited to individuals, families, and smaller organizations that want an automated “set‑and‑forget” removal service with periodic rescan and a clear dashboard, and who are willing to pay a bit more for stronger coverage and privacy assurances. It does not bundle identity theft insurance or global coverage, so users looking for those extras may prefer competitors that combine data removal with broader protection suites.

Kanary: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Future)

Kanary continues to offer a free option plus paid tiers, with pricing that puts it on the high side compared to some basic removal‑only tools but still below premium suites that bundle insurance or extensive international coverage. The long‑running 14‑day free trial remains a key hook: new users can test the platform with a handful of removals, and if they don’t upgrade, the account effectively falls back to a limited free tier that still provides some monitoring and DIY guidance.

The Premium individual subscription is still structured around monthly and annual billing: the month‑to‑month plan runs about $16.99, while the annual plan is billed at $179.88 per year (equivalent to $14.99 per month), keeping Kanary in line with other higher‑end data removal tools. The ability to add family members remains an important differentiator: additional users can be attached to an existing subscription for a monthly surcharge, which is slightly cheaper if you commit annually. For organizations, Kanary’s Enterprise (or Teams) offering is priced at around $179.88 per user per year, with volume handled through sales and designed to protect executives and high‑risk staff.

Compared with competitors, Kanary’s annual pricing is more expensive than budget‑oriented tools and some mid‑range services, but cheaper than certain high‑tier offerings like Privacy Bee, which can run close to $197 per year. This means you are paying a premium over bare‑bones removal services in exchange for broader broker coverage, a usable free tier, and better security and transparency than many low‑cost alternatives.

Kanary: Features

(Image credit: Kanary)

Kanary’s core value lies in its broker coverage and continuous monitoring, rather than flashy extras or bundled insurance. The service currently covers roughly 300–325 data brokers and related sites in the United States, spanning people‑search providers, marketing databases, health‑related brokers, and recruitment‑focused platforms. For a majority of these, Kanary can send automated opt‑out requests on your behalf; for the rest, it supplies templates and step‑by‑step guides so you can complete manual removals if desired.

Once your account is live, Kanary performs an initial exposure scan to find where your information is published and then begins batch opt‑outs across its supported broker list. Progress is displayed on a central dashboard that tracks completed removals, pending requests, and sites that require manual action or additional verification, giving you a clear sense of how your digital footprint shrinks over time. Kanary continues to rescan monthly, resurfacing old exposures and new listings so it can either re‑initiate removals or guide you through tougher cases, which is particularly useful as brokers repopulate data or new aggregators come online.

In addition to broker opt‑outs, Kanary’s service extends to major tech platforms and search engines, offering removal requests for exposed personal information in Google Search results and providing guidance on data on sites such as Facebook and other social networks. Users on higher‑end plans also gain access to a custom domain and email support, enabling Kanary to more efficiently authenticate requests and speed up removals when specific domains or addresses are repeatedly scraped.

Kanary: Setup

(Image credit: Kanary)

Kanary is designed to get new users up and running quickly, with an onboarding flow that walks you through entering the personal details it needs to search for your data. For individuals, you typically supply your full name, date of birth, and key identifiers such as current and past addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses; this information is then used to match and verify broker listings. Most people can complete the initial setup in just a few minutes, after which the first scan starts automatically, and early results begin to appear within the first couple of weeks.

Enterprise and Teams customers benefit from a streamlined provisioning process: Kanary advertises that business accounts can be fully set up in roughly five minutes using pre‑provisioned accounts or branded access codes for staff. Within about 48 hours, the system begins removing exposed information tied to employees’ professional and personal contact details, which is valuable for organizations worried about doxxing or targeted harassment. As with personal plans, the business dashboards centralize progress across all covered personnel so security teams can see which brokers are responding and where stubborn listings remain.

Kanary’s published removal timeline continues to emphasize staged milestones: an initial two to 14 day scanning window, an estimated 60% removal success around 30 days, roughly 80% between days 31 and 45, and as much as 95–100% removal by the 90‑day mark for typical profiles. These are estimates rather than guarantees, but they provide a useful mental model of how quickly you might expect to see meaningful reductions in your exposed data.

Kanary: Ease of use

Kanary relies heavily on automation to keep the user experience simple after the initial setup. The main dashboard is designed to be readable even for non‑technical users, clearly separating out successful removals, active requests, and items that need your attention, such as brokers that insist on manual opt‑outs or identity verification. Most ongoing work happens in the background: scans and opt‑outs recur automatically monthly, so many users only need to log in occasionally to review progress or respond to a small number of manual tasks.

Because Kanary focuses on US brokers, the interface and guidance tend to be very direct and specific to US privacy norms, which is a plus for American users but a limitation for those living abroad or dealing with non‑US data brokers. Unlike some all‑in‑one security suites, Kanary doesn’t try to overload the interface with unrelated features like antivirus or VPN controls, so the workflow stays focused on tracking and reducing your online footprint. On the downside, if you expect a companion mobile app or extensive real‑time notifications across platforms, Kanary can feel more minimalist than some consumer‑oriented rivals that emphasize mobile‑first design.

Kanary: Security and privacy

Kanary’s appeal rests heavily on how it handles the sensitive information you provide, and in 2026, its security posture is competitive with other serious privacy services. Data is encrypted at rest with AES‑256 and protected in transit via SSL, and backend password handling follows Django standards, using PBKDF2 and SHA‑256 hashing aligned with NIST recommendations. All accounts can be protected with multi‑factor authentication, and enterprise customers get explicit assurances of 256‑bit encryption and MFA as part of the core service design.

Equally important, Kanary states that it does not sell your data to third parties and is explicit about minimizing data collection to what is required to perform searches and removal requests. Its privacy policy and security philosophy resources go into some depth about retention and deletion, giving privacy‑conscious users clearer visibility than many low‑cost competitors. The trade‑off is that Kanary’s focus is squarely on data removal and monitoring, not on financial remediation: it doesn’t bundle identity theft insurance or reimbursement coverage, leaving that gap for other providers or separate identity protection services to fill.

For businesses, Kanary emphasizes a “secure by design” approach, including SOC‑aligned practices, limited data access, and role‑based controls within team dashboards, all aimed at keeping sensitive executive and staff data from becoming another internal risk. Combined with MFA and strong encryption, this makes Kanary an appropriate fit for security‑minded organizations that want to extend privacy protections beyond their technical infrastructure into their employees’ personal online exposure.

Kanary: Support

Kanary offers a mix of self‑service resources and direct support that should be sufficient for most individuals, though it is not the most multi‑channel setup in the market. The website includes an FAQ that walks through how the service works, what types of data it targets, and what you should expect from removal timelines, plus a public list of supported brokers and sites that Kanary monitors and/or removes from. Its blog adds how‑to content for issues like removing your data from Google, tightening up social media privacy, and handling specific brokers, which is useful if you like to understand and occasionally supplement the automated process with manual work.

For direct help, Kanary primarily relies on email support, with enterprise customers also benefiting from more hands‑on, dedicated assistance as part of their managed service. Response quality is generally well‑regarded in third‑party reviews, though you don’t get phone or live chat support as standard, which some users may miss if they are accustomed to real‑time troubleshooting from larger consumer security brands. On balance, the documentation and asynchronous support model match Kanary’s relatively streamlined feature set and will be adequate for most privacy‑focused users who are comfortable managing their account through the web dashboard.

Kanary: The competition

Kanary operates in a crowded data‑removal market where services differ by price, coverage, and features. DeleteMe remains one of the longest‑running options, blending automated and human removals across fewer sites than Kanary’s 300–325 U.S. brokers, starting around $129 per year. Mozilla Monitor Plus is cheaper (about $8.99 per month) and backed by Mozilla’s trusted name, but it offers less automation and coverage, making it suited to casual users.

Optery competes closely with Kanary, offering 300+ brokers and detailed proof of removals at lower entry costs, though its upper tiers can be overkill for most users. Incogni delivers a broad international reach with 420+ brokers and 1,000+ manual sites at mid‑range pricing, but lacks Kanary’s U.S. focus and free tier. Privacy Bee and OneRep provide wider broker lists or family protection, often priced near or above Kanary’s $179.88 annual plan.

For budget users, Mozilla Monitor Plus or entry‑level Optery and OneRep plans may suffice. But privacy‑focused U.S. users seeking extensive broker coverage, a polished interface, and a free option will find Kanary the most balanced choice.

Kanary: Verdict

Kanary remains a solid choice among the best data removal services in 2026, especially for US‑based individuals and families who want a straightforward, set‑and‑forget way to shrink their online footprint. Its combination of 300+ broker coverage, continuous monitoring, and strong security practices (AES‑256 encryption, MFA, and a transparent privacy stance) justifies its higher‑than‑average pricing for many privacy‑conscious users. The ongoing free tier and 14‑day trial help lower the barrier to entry, making it easy to test how much exposed data Kanary can actually remove before committing to a paid plan.

That said, Kanary is not the perfect fit for everyone: it lacks identity theft insurance, focuses primarily on US brokers, and doesn’t always match the sheer global scale or bundled features of some rivals. If your priority is deep US coverage, strong privacy guarantees, and a clean experience that quietly keeps working in the background, Kanary deserves a place on your shortlist alongside DeleteMe, Optery, and Incogni when choosing a data removal service in 2026.

• Sign up to Kanary