How We Test Software

Every product we recommend has been set up and used by us, in our own account, on the kind of work a small or mid-sized team actually does. This page explains how that works and where its limits are.

1. We sign up like a customer

We open a free plan or a free trial in our own name, without special access from the vendor. When a vendor only sells through a sales demo and offers no trial, we say so on the page and do not call it a hands-on review: those pages are labeled Product overview and are based on official documentation, demo videos and verified user reviews.

2. Every tool in a category runs the same scenario

Each category has a fixed test scenario. For appointment scheduling, for example, we create a 45-minute service with a buffer and a deposit, add an intake form and reminders, book, reschedule and cancel as a client on a phone, add a second staff member and connect Google Calendar and Outlook. Running the same steps in every product is what makes our comparisons fair.

3. We show our own screenshots

Screenshots on our pages come from our test accounts, not from vendor marketing material (logos excepted). If we could not test a feature, we write “not tested” instead of guessing.

4. We price the plan you would really need

Prices are taken from each vendor’s official pricing page and every pricing table shows the date we checked it. We include required add-ons and per-user costs, not just the cheapest headline price.

5. Scores

When we give a score, it comes from the test: ease of use, features, value for money and support, each out of 10. Products we have not tested hands-on never get a score.

6. We re-check

Guides are re-checked at least every quarter and whenever a product changes its plans or features. The “Updated” date at the top of each page shows the last review.

7. How we use AI tools

We use AI tools to help with research, outlines and first drafts. Every page is then checked against our own test notes and the vendors’ official pages before it is published, and an editor is responsible for what we publish.

Questions about a review or a correction? See our editorial policy.

Last updated Oct 27, 2026