The Home Depot vs Lowe’s vs Ace Hardware: Ratings, Delivery & Returns Compared
The full report
Overview | |||
| Score / 100Our composite score from Google’s public storepage signals: returns, shipping, pricing, website quality, wallets and badge. | 98 | 95 | 92 |
| Top Quality StoreWhether Google has awarded the store its Top Quality Store badge. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customer ReputationGoogle store reviews | |||
| RatingThe store’s Google seller rating out of 5. | 4.6/ 5 | 4.5/ 5 | 4.6/ 5 |
| ReviewsHow many Google customer reviews the store has. | 1,428 | 398 | 3,655 |
| Review activityReviews received per month over the last 12 months. Taller bars mean busier months. | |||
| Freshness (3 mo)The share of all reviews posted in the last 90 days. Higher means more recent activity. | 54% | 29% | 39% |
| SentimentThe positive / neutral / negative split of recent written reviews. | 50% positive | 62.5% positive | 75% positive |
| Top praiseWhat happy customers mention most in recent reviews, e.g. fast delivery. | Customer ServiceShipping & Delivery | Shipping & DeliveryCustomer Service | Customer ServiceShipping & Delivery |
| Top complaintWhat unhappy customers mention most in recent reviews, e.g. slow refunds. | Shipping & DeliveryCustomer Service | Customer ServiceShipping & Delivery | Shipping & DeliveryCustomer Service |
Store QualityGoogle storepage grades | |||
| ShippingGoogle’s grade for delivery speed and cost, with the typical delivery time underneath. | Exceptional1-7 day | Great | Exceptional0-5 days |
| ReturnsGoogle’s grade for the returns experience, with the return window underneath. | Exceptional90-day | Exceptional30-day | Exceptional365-day |
| PricingGoogle’s grade for how competitive the store’s prices are. | Exceptional | Exceptional | Good |
| Website qualityGoogle’s grade for the overall shopping experience on the site. | Exceptional | Exceptional | Exceptional |
| WalletsExpress payment options at checkout, like PayPal or Apple Pay. | PayPalApple Pay | PayPalApple Pay | PayPalGoogle Pay |
Website ExperienceReal Chrome users · 28 days | |||
| Core Web VitalsGoogle's real-user page experience verdict from Chrome data (28-day rolling). | Fail | Fail | Pass |
| LCPHow quickly the main content becomes visible to real Chrome users. | 2.6sNeeds work | 3.6sNeeds work | 1.9sGood |
| INPHow quickly the site responds when customers interact with it. | 301msNeeds work | 514msPoor | 146msGood |
| CLSHow visually stable the page is while loading. | 0.13Needs work | 0.16Needs work | 0.06Good |
Technical QualityLighthouse lab test | |||
| PerformanceLighthouse lab score for loading speed on a simulated mobile device. | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| AccessibilityHow usable the homepage is for customers with disabilities. | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Best practicesGeneral web development health checks. | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| SEOBasic search-engine friendliness of the homepage. | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Google EntityKnowledge Graph | |||
| Google EntityWhether Google's Knowledge Graph recognises this store as a known organisation. | |||
Technical TrustDNS & HTTPS checks | |||
| HTTPSServed over an encrypted connection. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HTTPS redirectPlain http:// visitors are sent to the secure version. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HSTSBrowsers are told to always use the secure connection. | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| Email configuredThe domain is set up to receive email (MX records). | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SPFHelps prevent scammers sending fake email from this domain. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DMARCTells inboxes what to do with suspicious email from this domain. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DNSSECProtects the domain’s address lookup from tampering. | No | No | No |
The verdict
Lowe’s comes out on top with a StoreRatings score of 98/100, ahead of Ace Hardware on 95/100. The score weighs Google's storepage grades for returns, shipping, pricing and website quality, plus payment options and the Top Quality Store badge. Scores refresh weekly, so close comparisons can swap leaders.
Run this comparison live →Frequently asked questions
Which is the best store: The Home Depot, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware?
Based on today's Google data, Lowe’s leads with a StoreRatings score of 98/100. See the comparison table above for where each store wins and loses.
Is The Home Depot legit and safe to buy from?
The Home Depot (homedepot.com) is an established retailer holding Google's Top Quality Store badge, rated 4.6/5 by Google shoppers across 3,655 reviews. As with any store, check the delivery and returns terms for your order before buying.
Is Lowe’s legit and safe to buy from?
Lowe’s (lowes.com) is an established retailer holding Google's Top Quality Store badge, rated 4.6/5 by Google shoppers across 1,428 reviews. As with any store, check the delivery and returns terms for your order before buying.
Is Ace Hardware legit and safe to buy from?
Ace Hardware (acehardware.com) is an established retailer holding Google's Top Quality Store badge, rated 4.5/5 by Google shoppers across 398 reviews. As with any store, check the delivery and returns terms for your order before buying.
Who has better delivery: The Home Depot, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware?
According to Google's storepage grades, The Home Depot is graded "Exceptional" with typical delivery in 0-5 days; Lowe’s is graded "Exceptional" with typical delivery in 1-7 day; Ace Hardware is graded "Great".
Which has the better returns policy?
Google grades them as follows: The Home Depot is graded "Exceptional" with a 365-day return window; Lowe’s is graded "Exceptional" with a 90-day return window; Ace Hardware is graded "Exceptional" with a 30-day return window. Return windows and exclusions vary by product, so always confirm at checkout.
Where does this data come from?
All signals are collected from public Google sources: Google store ratings and storepage grades, the Chrome UX Report for real-user Core Web Vitals, the Google Knowledge Graph for entity verification, plus standard DNS and HTTPS checks. The page re-collects data about once a week, and you can refresh it live any time with the button above the report.