Shared hosting provider Hostopia topped the list of the most reliable Web host sites this month, followed by Verio and iPowerWeb, according to Web analytics firm Netcraft.

This marks Hostopia’s first appearance among Netcraft’s reliability rankings. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Web host specializes in the wholesale hosting market, offering private-label Web and application hosting plans for resellers.

This month’s results illustrate the reliability of the shared hosting sector, which traditionally offers the most affordable hosting plans. Three of the top 10 Web hosting providers – iPowerWeb, Interland and MyHosting — all offer hosting plans for less than $10 a month, while another five have basic plans priced below $20.

Netcraft measures and publishes the response times of fifty leading hosting providers’ sites. The performance measurements are made at fifteen minute intervals from six separate points around the Internet, and averages are calculated over the immediately preceding 24 hour period.