Why we built RevealTheme
RevealTheme started as an internal tool. We were running a small agency, and we spent a lot of time inspecting client sites and competitor sites to figure out what technology was powering them. The existing tools either required a Chrome extension, broke on modern caching setups, or returned vague results like "WordPress 5.x" without naming the actual theme.
We built a better detector, and one day someone asked if they could use it. Then 50 people. Then 500. So we put it on a public URL, added detectors for the other major CMS platforms, and started writing honest reviews of the hosts, themes, and plugins we were using on real sites.
That's the whole story. We're not a venture-backed marketing operation. We're a small editorial team that ships tools we'd want to use ourselves.
What we believe
- Independent data beats marketing claims. Every recommendation on this site is backed by real-world testing — uptime monitoring, page-load benchmarks, customer feedback aggregation. We publish the numbers.
- Transparency about money. Some links on this site are affiliate links. We disclose this at the top of every relevant page. Our rankings are not influenced by commission rates — we've moved hosts down in our rankings even when it cost us money.
- The web doesn't end at WordPress. WordPress is what we know best, but we also support Shopify, Magento, Joomla, Drupal, Moodle, and PrestaShop detection. The principles are the same.
- Honest negative reviews matter. Search our blog for "stopped using" or "switched away from" — we tell readers when something we previously recommended is no longer worth using.
What we publish
How we test (the short version)
For the full version, see our dedicated methodology page. Short version:
- Hosting: 12 months of UptimeRobot monitoring from 5 global locations, weekly GTmetrix/Pingdom/PageSpeed Insights tests, quarterly support-quality submissions, transparent intro-vs-renewal pricing
- Themes: Identical demo content on identical hosting, Lighthouse benchmarks both out-of-the-box and after 30 minutes of configuration, accessibility audits via WAVE, three-site real-world shakeout
- Plugins: 30-day minimum production install before recommending, measurement of performance overhead, security check against the WPScan vulnerability database
For detail on how the detection tools work specifically, see how it works.
How we make money
RevealTheme is reader-supported via affiliate commissions. When you click an affiliate link on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We disclose this at the top of every relevant page and explain it in plain English on our affiliate disclosure page.
We've turned down sponsorship offers from at least six major hosting companies. We've never accepted payment for placement in our top-10 lists. We've moved providers down in rankings even when they paid us more than the alternatives. This isn't a flex — it's the only sustainable way to run a recommendations site without burning trust over time.
What we don't do
- We don't recommend products we haven't personally used
- We don't accept paid placements or sponsored "best of" mentions
- We don't store the URLs you submit to our detectors
- We don't run black-hat SEO or content scraping
- We don't promise to outrank decades-old sites (anyone who does is selling fiction)
The team
RevealTheme is run by a small editorial team that's been building and reviewing WordPress sites since 2017. We publish under The RevealTheme Team byline because what matters is the methodology, not the individual writer — every article is reviewed by at least one other team member before publication.
Get in touch
Press, partnerships, bug reports, methodology questions, or a friendly hello: hello@revealtheme.com. We read every message and respond to most within 48 hours.
See something on the site that looks wrong? Tell us. If your test data contradicts our published numbers, send it over and we'll re-test. If it's better than ours, we'll update the page and credit you in the changelog.