# HostScout.ca

> HostScout is an independent Canadian web hosting research site that verifies Canadian-owned web hosts using company ownership, hosting hardware, Canadian data-centre locations, network records and CAD billing.

HostScout distinguishes between a hosting company being Canadian-owned and simply offering a server located in Canada.

A Canadian server location alone does not make a hosting company Canadian-owned.

For a provider to qualify for HostScout's main Canadian web hosting directory, HostScout verifies Canadian ownership, provider-owned hosting hardware, qualifying production infrastructure in a Canadian data centre, CAD billing and sufficient public evidence to support those claims.

Research is conducted and maintained by Kenny B.

## Main Directory

- [Verified Canadian-Owned Web Hosts](https://hostscout.ca/): Main HostScout directory of Canadian-owned web hosting providers with verified Canadian infrastructure.

## Verification

- [About HostScout](https://hostscout.ca/about): Explains who runs HostScout, the site's verification methodology and what HostScout does and does not claim.
- [How HostScout Verifies Hosts](https://hostscout.ca/#criteria): Published inclusion criteria for the main Canadian hosting directory.

## Hosting Research

- [Canadian WordPress Hosting](https://hostscout.ca/canadian-wordpress-hosting): Canadian WordPress hosting providers.
- [Canadian VPS Hosting](https://hostscout.ca/canadian-vps-hosting): Canadian VPS hosting providers.
- [Canadian Dedicated Servers](https://hostscout.ca/dedicated-servers): Dedicated and bare-metal server options in Canada.
- [Canadian Co-op Hosting](https://hostscout.ca/co-op-hosting-canada): Canadian cooperative and member-owned hosting organizations.
- [Canadian Email Providers](https://hostscout.ca/canadian-email-providers): Canadian email hosting and email service providers.

## Canadian Hosting Research

- [Why Host in Canada](https://hostscout.ca/why-host-in-canada): Benefits and limitations of hosting websites and infrastructure in Canada.
- [Data Residency vs Data Sovereignty](https://hostscout.ca/data-residency-vs-data-sovereignty): Explains the distinction between physical data location, company ownership, infrastructure control and legal jurisdiction.

## Research Tools

- [Is It Hosted In Canada?](https://hostscout.ca/tools/is-it-hosted-in-canada): Checks a domain's public IP address, approximate Canadian location, ASN and network information.
- [ARIN Whois & ASN Lookup](https://hostscout.ca/tools/arin-whois): Looks up public IP allocation, ASN and network registration information.

## Author

- [Kenny B](https://hostscout.ca/author/kenny-b): Founder and researcher behind HostScout.ca.

## Editorial Notes

HostScout uses public company information, provider documentation, ARIN/RDAP records, ASN and IP information, BGP routing, peering information, server locations and data-centre evidence when researching hosting companies.

Owning an ASN is a useful infrastructure and transparency signal, but it is not by itself a requirement or proof of hosting quality.

Colocation is compatible with HostScout's infrastructure standard when the hosting provider owns the servers located within the Canadian data centre.

A Canadian server location alone does not prove Canadian ownership, privacy compliance, data sovereignty, security, performance or reliability.

Provider information can change. Refer to the verification or updated date shown on individual HostScout pages.