Editorial and review methodology

Two review types

Researched overview. We read the vendor's official pricing page and documentation and record what they say. We have not used the tool. These pages say nothing about output quality or ease of use.

Hands-on review. Used only when we have actually tested the tool and can show dated evidence, such as what we did and what happened. A page cannot be labelled hands-on without evidence entries in its data file, and the build fails if that rule is broken.

Tests so far. None. Every entry is a researched overview. We have written the procedures for four small evaluations (product photos, meeting summaries, coding help and presentations) but have not run them, so no page claims a tested result.

Pricing

• Every price comes from an official page and is shown with its verification date and source link.
• We record currency, price period and billing frequency (monthly or annual), per-seat or flat pricing, and usage limits where stated.
• We keep free plans and free trials separate. We only say a tool has one when the vendor says so.
• If a page contradicts itself, we say so and do not repeat the contradictory number.
• Unknowns are shown as “Not verified” or listed under “Not yet verified”. A research gap is never presented as a product limitation: “we have not verified the refund policy” is not the same as “there are no refunds”.
• Currency is recorded only where the vendor names it. A bare "$" is reported as shown, because the page does not say which dollar. Vendors may also show a local currency or regional price, so check your region.

What we do not do

• We do not publish star ratings or numerical scores. We will add a scoring system only when we can publish its method and evidence.
• We do not invent user counts, testimonials, awards or partnerships.
• We do not copy other directories' text. Facts come from the vendors.

How featured tools and picks are chosen

Selected categories have a headline editorial pick that answers a stated need, such as the most free video time on a pricing page, with the reason taken from published plan details. The category pages list further recommendations for other needs. Picks are not ratings, and we do not rank tools by popularity because we have no usage data. We start with categories where readers make real purchasing decisions, then include tools with official documentation; unchecked paid pricing is labelled clearly. A draft or unfinished entry is never featured or recommended as an alternative. Tools with no affiliate program are included on the same terms as tools with one. Affiliate status is stored in a separate file and is not used when we write recommendations.

Keeping pages current

Each tool page shows when pricing was checked and, per source, what each source covered and when. “Recently checked” sorts by the pricing verification date; “Recently added” sorts by listing date. Prices change, so treat dates older than a few months with caution and confirm on the vendor's site.