How we review software
The sources we use, how each review is labelled, and how scores are calculated.
Every review says how it was made
Expert Researched
Built from vendor documentation, independent audits and lab results, and pricing pages, with every source linked. Most of our reviews currently carry this label.
Lab Tested
Used only when we have run the product ourselves. The review then says what we ran, on what, and when. Someone else's benchmark never earns this label.
We do not accept payment for placement. Some links earn a commission, but commissions are not an input to any score, and we publish negative findings about products we earn from. See our editorial principles.
Our process
- 1
Primary sources
We start from what the vendor publishes and commits to: product documentation, pricing and renewal terms, release notes, privacy policies, and terms of service.
- 2
Independent evidence
We then look for evidence the vendor does not control: third-party audits, results from independent test labs, published security incidents, and regulatory findings. Vendor claims we cannot corroborate are reported as claims.
- 3
Scoring
Each product is scored against the same weighted criteria, listed below, so products in a category can be compared like for like.
- 4
Dates and links
Every price shows when it was last checked, and every factual claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.
- 5
Monitoring and corrections
We watch reviewed products for price, feature, and policy changes. Material changes are recorded in each product’s change log, and errors are corrected publicly.
Scoring weights
| Criterion | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Features & Capability | 30% | Depth and usefulness of the feature set compared to competitors. |
| Ease of Use | 20% | How quickly a new user can become productive. |
| Performance & Reliability | 20% | Speed, stability, and accuracy, from independent results or our own runs where labelled. |
| Value | 15% | Pricing relative to features and competitor offerings, including renewal terms. |
| Support & Updates | 10% | Customer support quality and update frequency. |
| Security & Privacy | 5% | Data handling, encryption, and trust factors. |
Full detail, including category-specific weights, is in the scoring methodology.
When reviews are updated
Each review shows when it was last updated and when its prices were last checked. We revisit a review when any of these happens:
- A major new version or a material feature change
- A price or renewal change of 20% or more
- A security incident or a change to privacy terms
- A reader report that checks out against the sources
How errors are handled: corrections policy.
Who writes the reviews
Every review names its author. Author pages list each person's background and the categories they cover.
Meet the authors