The Angry Dev

Matt here — I used to rank online tools by commission for years. ExpressVPN paid ≈$95/sale, #1 VPN. Bluehost paid ≈$100/sale, best host. Screw that. Now I rank by quality. Mullvad, Hetzner, and the best providers are #1 even though they pay me $0. Still biased. Still a hypocrite. Just honest about it now. Read the full story →

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77 rants in the last year
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Policy 📢

Honest about being dishonest.

I take affiliate money. I still rank by value, disclose rates and reject higher‑paying offers.

  • Accepted: ProtonVPN (≈ $25/sale), Scala Hosting, ChemiCloud (≈ $100/sale).
  • Rejected: ExpressVPN (up to $95), CyberGhost (up to $135), GoDaddy.
  • Non‑affiliates ranked #1: Mullvad, Hetzner.
  • Formula: opinion + documented sources + verify yourself.
  • Updated: Oct 2025
  • Refusals: 12
  • Non‑affiliate #1s: 2

Top Picks 🏅

Winners this month (raw data linked).

Top choices by value, not commission. Verify everything with the raw data.

  • VPN: Mullvad — no affiliate program. Runner‑up: ProtonVPN ≈ $25/sale disclosed.
  • Hosting: Hetzner — transparent pricing. Runner‑up: ChemiCloud — honest support (≈ $100/sale).
  • Cloud storage sync/backup: No winner, mostly losers. Dropbox — hacked 3×; Degoo "100GB free" — bait‑and‑switch.
  • Audited: Oct 2025
  • Sources: 8+
  • Price hikes tracked

Avoid ☠️

The dirty patterns you're supposed to ignore.

Common industry patterns we document with receipts.

  • Fake competition: Bluehost + HostGator share the same owner (Newfold/EIG).
  • (Alleged) ex‑adware/malware legacy: Kape (ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA).
  • "Unlimited" hosting with inode caps, throttling, and ToS fine print.
  • 300–400% renewal hikes and dark‑pattern checkouts.
  • Evidence linked
  • Renewal traps
  • Ownership mapped

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