How we
actually
cover things.
Every review, comparison, and roundup on this site runs through the same pipeline. No exceptions for sponsors. No softening for affiliate partners. Most articles are source-researched from official product evidence and genuine user accounts; hands-on testing is claimed only when we actually performed it.
Verify the product record
We start with the vendor's current pricing, product pages, release notes, and support documentation. If pricing is hidden behind a demo, we say so. Load-bearing claims link to the exact source whenever one is publicly available.
Read the available user evidence
We check relevant sources such as G2, Capterra, app stores, and trade forums. Some products have thousands of ratings; others have almost none. We report the sample honestly and never invent a score or imply that one complaint is a pattern.
Check contractor discussions
Relevant Reddit communities and trade forums can expose workflow problems that do not appear in polished directories. We link the discussion, identify thin or conflicted samples, and separate firsthand experience from vendor, consultant, or competitor commentary.
Name the wrong buyer
Every product has a contractor it's the wrong tool for. If we can't identify them, the research isn't complete. We call that out explicitly - "not for" is as important as "right for" in our coverage.
Verdict leads the piece
Every review opens with a verdict - Top Pick, Recommended, Conditional, or Skip - plus a one-line summary. The body explains why. Scroll away if you want; the summary's already paid off.
Refresh on a tracked queue
Pricing shifts and features ship. Timestamped freshness appears only when the article is attached to the quarterly review queue; the visible date and structured-data date come from the same field.
A source-researched review is an editorial buying analysis built from official documentation, current public pricing, support material, and attributable user evidence. It is not a claim that CSH purchased, installed, or operated the software.
When we complete hands-on testing, the article says what we tested, for how long, on which devices, and where the test stopped. Vendor or app-store screenshots are labeled as official product media; they are context, not proof of hands-on use.
- We don't rank tools by how much they pay in affiliate commissions.
- We don't inflate grades to keep vendors happy.
- We don't publish a "review" after a 15-minute demo.
- We don't imply hands-on testing when the article is source-researched.
- We don't recommend software you don't need yet.
- We don't lift copy from vendor pages.
If you spot coverage that feels like it violates any of the above, email us. We'll look, we'll fix, and we'll credit the correction.