Methodology
How we test
Every score on this site comes from the same process: pay for it, run real work through it, write down the numbers.
The three rules
- We pay for it. We only review tools we have paid for and used in a real online business. No free "review copies" stand in for that. When one side of a comparison comes from a trial rather than long-term use, the page says so at the top.
- We show the full bill. Every review opens with a Receipt: the plan we're on, how long we've paid for it, the listed price and what we actually pay once add-ons and usage fees land.
- We say who it's not for. Every review includes a "skip it if" line, and some tools get a Wait or Skip it verdict.
How a test runs
- Real work, not demos. Ad tools make ads we actually run. Payment tools take real payments. Community tools host real members.
- Same brief across tools. In comparisons, both tools get the same job (the same script, the same product, the same budget), so the results are comparable.
- Numbers over adjectives. Where we can measure it (cost per lead, click-through rate, fees per £1,000 sold, hours of setup), we publish the number.
- Screenshots from our own accounts. No stock images or vendor marketing shots stand in for the real thing.
The Engine Room score
Each tool is scored out of 10 on five things. The overall score is a weighted average:
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 30% | What it really costs, add-ons and usage included, against what you get for it. |
| Results | 25% | Does it make or save money in a real business? Measured where we can: CPL, conversion rate, hours saved. |
| Ease & setup | 20% | How long until it is working properly, and how much it fights you along the way. |
| Reliability & support | 15% | Uptime, bugs, payout reliability, and whether support actually answers. |
| Room to grow | 10% | Will you outgrow it, and how painful is leaving? |
Verdicts
- Buy it: the right choice for most people it's aimed at.
- Buy it if…: great for a specific situation, which we spell out.
- Wait: promising, but not ready, or the price isn't right yet.
- Skip it: there's a better option for your money.
Keeping it current
Software changes monthly. Every review shows when prices were last checked, and we re-check pricing and features at least every quarter. If a tool changes in a way that affects the verdict, the page changes too.
Money and independence
Some links earn us a commission. That never changes a score, a verdict or the order of a list, and when a tool without an affiliate programme is the better choice, we recommend it. Full disclosure.