How We Research
Every comparison on this site follows the same process. No step can be bought, and no step is skipped.
1. Official sources first
Pricing and feature claims are checked against the vendor's own official pricing and feature pages — not third-party review sites, not affiliate directories, not vendor marketing emails. When two official pages disagree, we say so instead of picking the friendlier number.
Baseline check: September 26, 2026. Every post on this site carries the date its pricing was last verified.
2. Free trials where possible
For tools that offer a free trial or free tier, we sign up and use the product before writing about it. Screenshot slots in our posts are filled with real trial screenshots — never stock images, never vendor marketing renders. Where a trial wasn't available, we say so explicitly.
3. Trade-specific testing lens
Our trade comparisons (roofers, plumbers, electricians, dentists, HVAC) evaluate each tool against the workflow of that trade: quoting and estimating, dispatch and scheduling, customer follow-up, and review generation. A tool that is excellent in general can still be a poor fit for a specific trade, and we say which.
4. Quarterly re-verification
Pricing is re-checked against official pages every quarter (January, April, July, October). The "pricing checked" date on each post is updated whenever we re-verify. If a vendor changes pricing between checks, the post is updated or the stale claim is removed.
5. No pay-for-placement — ever
- Vendors cannot pay to be included in a comparison.
- Vendors cannot pay for a higher rank or a more favorable review.
- Affiliate commission rates do not influence rankings. A tool paying a higher commission does not get a better position.
- We do not accept sponsored placements, "featured partner" slots, or paid advertorials.
6. What we cut
If a price, feature, or claim can't be verified, it doesn't appear on the page. A comparison with a gap is more honest than a comparison filled with guesses. Where verification was partial, the post says exactly what was verified and what wasn't.
7. Affiliate relationship
This site is funded by affiliate commissions (see the full affiliate disclosure). Affiliate links are how the site stays free to read. The research process above is designed so that the funding model can't buy its way into the content.