How we research and compare

What a listing must include

We check four things before publication:

1. Useful detail. What it is, what it does, key features, pricing and real use cases.
2. Sourced facts. Pricing and capability claims link to the evidence we used, including the vendor's own documentation where relevant.
3. Relevance. Every tool must fit the scope of this directory.
4. Freshness. Listings carry a last-verified date and are re-checked over time; the index you're reading was last updated Oct 3, 2026.

Why we don't score tools

We do not give tools a rating. No stars, no 0-10, no grade.

Our listings are based on research, not lab testing or verified user ratings. A single score would hide the differences that matter to your decision.

Instead, use the details behind each assessment:

1. The sources, itemised. Every page lists the sources it is built from, each one labelled by what it is and by which claims on the page it supports, so you can open them and check us.
2. The date we last checked. Every page carries a re-verified date, and a changelog of what moved when we checked.
3. Who it is for, and who it is not. A specific "best for" and an explicit "not for", each one a judgement we can defend in a sentence.
4. Practical limitations. We include weaknesses and trade-offs, not just the reasons to choose a product.

Inclusion and assessment are independent of payment. Paid placement can change where a tool appears, never what we write about it or whether it earned a page. Advertisements are labelled; the ordering rule and its limits are set out below.

How listings are ordered, and what money can buy

Paid listing placements appear in a distinct advertising section, not mixed through the organic results. Each carries the visible label Advertisement. Payment buys this exposure, not a recommendation or a better assessment.

1. Within the advertising section: Premium placements precede Featured placements. Publication date, newest first, then name break ties within each group.
2. Organic browse results: publication date, newest first, then name. Browse the latest additions first. This is a publication order, not a quality score.
3. Your selected search order and filters: these narrow and order the matching results. A paid placement does not make a non-matching listing meet your requirements.

Curated collections retain their stated selection method. A research report's matching records use the exact datasheet criterion and answer states stated beside the finding; those records are alphabetical, not paid recommendations. Home-page selections may show a limited set rather than every listing; the search page is the route to the full index.

Clear labels. Paid placements carry the wordAdvertisement beside the listing name. The label is always visible and cannot be removed or changed by an advertiser.

Independent research. Payment cannot buy inclusion, a favourable assessment, different facts or the removal of a limitation. Every listing must meet the same research standards. No purchase changes a competitor's listing or position in organic results.

Display advertising is a separate purchase. We also sell display units in four fixed places — the home page, category pages, the search page and the best-of pages — and a slot in the email digest. Those units sit outside the list of tools altogether and carry the same Advertisement label; buying one is not a listing placement and moves nothing in the order above. What each placement costs.

Links and funding. Links in paid placements, display ads, affiliate offers and report sponsorships carry rel="sponsored nofollow". An owner who buys Boost gets a followed website link on their own listing and a followed link in one sponsored article about their product; the paid relationship is disclosed beside each link. See the terms for the link attributes and conditions. Editorial citations cannot be bought or exchanged for backlinks. Funded reports name the funder under the byline; we choose the question and findings independently.

Corrections & submissions

Anyone can submit a tool for review. We research it and check the sources before deciding whether to publish. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll re-verify.