Our methodology.
Every score comes from the same rubric, applied the same way, to every tool - then turned into one number by a formula you can check yourself. No black boxes.
How we research every tool.
The same six steps, every time - no skipping, and never a review written from the brochure.
We evaluate the full product
We map onboarding, pricing and core workflows from official docs, feature pages, changelog history and hundreds of verified user reviews. Never from the marketing page alone.
We score on 6 axes
Each tool is graded 0–5 on six weighted criteria - same rubric, same questions, every time. Findings are documented during research, so every score is traceable, not recalled.
We cross-check user data
Our score is validated against aggregated reviews from G2, Capterra and Trustpilot. Where we diverge from user consensus, we investigate and note why.
We name a winner
Every comparison ends with one named pick for a specific use case. If two tools genuinely can't be separated, we say so - we don't hide behind "it depends."
We re-verify pricing quarterly
Prices change. We re-check every pricing page each quarter and update scores when value-for-money shifts. Each review shows its last verification date.
We publish corrections
When a tool changes, a reader flags an error, or a new entrant shifts the verdict - we update and log it in the open.
The six scoring criteria.
Each axis is scored 0–5. The weights are fixed and public - and they're exactly what the final number is built from.
Day-to-Day UX
25%The heaviest-weighted axis. A tool you hate using on Tuesday is abandoned by Thursday. We judge the core daily workflows the product is built for.
- Navigation clarity and information density
- Mobile app quality, not just "mobile-friendly"
- Speed of the most common actions
- Consistency and polish across the interface
Setup & Onboarding
20%How fast a new user gets from signup to first meaningful output - invoice sent, project created, report run. Friction and complexity are penalised.
- Time from signup to first useful action
- Data import tools (CSV, from competitors)
- Quality of onboarding guidance
- Complexity of initial configuration
Feature Depth
20%Does it do what it claims - completely? We judge edge cases and documented limits, not just the happy path. Integrations and API quality count here.
- Core completeness vs. category standards
- Integration ecosystem (native, API, Zapier)
- Reporting and analytics depth
- Handling of edge cases and complex workflows
Customer Support
15%Channels, documented response times, tiers, help-centre quality and community. "24/7 support" claims are checked against plan docs, not taken at face value.
- Available channels (chat, phone, email, community)
- Documented first-response time by tier
- Quality of help documentation
- Support availability by plan tier
Price-to-Value
12%Not "is it cheap" but "is what you get worth what you pay" - scored against the category average. A $200/mo tool can beat a $20/mo one if value scales with it.
- Features per dollar vs. category median
- Free tier or trial generosity
- Pricing transparency (no hidden fees)
- Scaling cost as the team grows
Data Portability
8%Can you leave? Lock-in is a real cost. We judge export options, format completeness and migration paths. A tool that traps your data loses points regardless.
- Export completeness (all data, not summaries)
- Standard formats (CSV, JSON, industry)
- Migration path to common competitors
- Account and data deletion process
How the final number is calculated.
It's a weighted average at heart - multiply each axis (0–5) by its weight, sum them, and double for a 0–10 scale. The published score also reflects our editorial assessment of the tool's real-world fit, so it may not be a direct mathematical result of the axis averages; when it differs, the review says so. This is consistent with how major review publications handle holistic scoring.
How the rubric scores FreshBooks
| Axis | Score | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day-to-Day UX | 4.8/5 | 25% | 1.20 |
| Setup & Onboarding | 4.5/5 | 20% | 0.90 |
| Feature Depth | 3.9/5 | 20% | 0.78 |
| Customer Support | 4.2/5 | 15% | 0.63 |
| Price-to-Value | 4.0/5 | 12% | 0.48 |
| Data Portability | 4.5/5 | 8% | 0.36 |
These are FreshBooks' real axis scores. The rubric puts it at 8.7 - but its published score is 9.1. We've picked an example where the two differ on purpose: the published number carries a small editorial uplift for real-world fit, and the review itself explains why.
Read the FreshBooks reviewWhat we will and won't do.
Affiliate relationships fund the site. Here's exactly where the line is - and a way to check it.
- Earn commission when readers sign up through some of our links
- Disclose affiliate relationships on every page where they exist
- Apply the identical rubric to all tools, affiliate or not
- Rank by score - affiliate tools rank lower if they score lower
- Update scores when tools improve or slip, regardless of relationship
- Accept vendor corrections when they include verifiable facts
- Accept payment to improve a score or ranking position
- Score a tool higher because it pays a higher commission
- Let vendors see or influence scores before publication
- Sell "Editor's Choice" or similar labels
- Remove negative findings at a vendor's request
- Recommend a tool we believe is worse for the reader's use case
How we keep data fresh.
A review written once and never updated is a liability, not an asset. As a small team we're honest about which of these are firm commitments and which we aim for.
Price re-checks
Every pricing page is re-verified each quarter. Changed prices update the score right away.
Date stamps
Every review shows the exact date its prices and features were last verified - always visible.
Full re-reviews
We aim to fully re-evaluate each tool at least yearly, and sooner whenever a major release lands.
Error corrections
We aim to fix verified factual errors within a few days of a reader or vendor flagging them.
Methodology FAQ.
QDo vendors pay to be listed?
QDoes editorial judgment ever override the formula?
QWhat if a vendor disagrees with our score?
QHow do you handle tools with no affiliate programme?
QWhy are your scores sometimes different from G2 or Capterra?
QCan I submit a tool for review?
See the rubric in action.
You've seen how the scoring works - now watch it decide a real head-to-head, or browse the tools it's ranked.