Our method
How we review
Plainly Reviewed runs two kinds of review, and every page tells you which one you are reading. Most are research-led, built from six public sources with no hands-on use, and they say so. A few cover tools the author genuinely runs his own business on, and those carry a different badge. We never blur the two.
Most review sites imply a testing lab they do not have. We would rather tell you what we actually do, page by page, so you can weigh each verdict properly.
The two badges
Every review opens with one of two labels, directly under the headline.
Research-led review means the author has not used the product. It is built entirely from the six public sources below. On these pages you will never see "we tested this", "I tried it for a month", or "in our experience", because none of that would be true. If you ever see language like that on a research-led page, it is a mistake and we want to know about it.
Written from real use means the author runs the product in his own business, and the badge says since when. These pages still carry all six sources of research, but they add something research cannot reach: what the thing is like to live with. We only ever apply this badge to tools genuinely in daily use.
The distinction is enforced in the code, not just in editing. A page cannot use first-hand language unless it has declared itself a real-use review, and the build fails if it tries. The badge and the writing cannot drift apart.
How we report performance
On either kind of page, we are careful with numbers we did not produce. When a maker claims six hours of battery life, we write that the maker claims six hours, and then we tell you what owners report. Those are different facts and we keep them separate.
What we do instead
We do the reading that most buyers do not have time for, in the same order every time, and we publish what we find.
- 01The maker's own siteSpecs, plans, exact pricing, trial terms. We take the facts and figures and write them up ourselves. We never reuse their marketing copy.
- 02Pricing and refund pagesRenewal price, annual lock-in, per-seat creep, and how hard it is to cancel. This is where most of the money actually goes, and almost nobody covers it.
- 03Changelog and roadmapWhether the product is actively built or quietly abandoned. A changelog that stopped eighteen months ago tells you more than any feature list.
- 04Support forum and documentationThe most-asked support question usually names the real weakness faster than any feature comparison would.
- 05Public review platformsG2, Trustpilot, Reddit and app store listings. We read the low-star reviews specifically, count the complaints that repeat, and publish the count.
- 06The closest alternativesEvery product is scored against its nearest rivals on the same rubric, in the same units, in the same table.
How we score
Every product is scored on the same five criteria, in the same units, so the comparison tables mean something across an entire category.
| Criterion | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Value at renewal | Not the intro price. What you pay in year two, and what the annual commitment locks you into. |
| Fit | Who this genuinely suits, and who is better served by something cheaper or simpler. |
| Support load | What the documentation and support forum reveal about what breaks and how often. |
| Owner sentiment | Counted complaints across a fixed sample of recent public reviews, not a cherry-picked quote. |
| Momentum | Whether the changelog shows a product being actively built, or one quietly parked. |
How we get paid
Some links on this site earn us a commission. We are never paid for a positive verdict, no maker sees a review before it publishes, and we regularly recommend against products we could earn from. The full terms are on our disclosure page.
When we get it wrong
Prices move, plans get restructured, and products change hands. Every review carries the date it was last checked. If something here is out of date or plainly wrong, email corrections@plainlyreviewed.com and we will fix it and note the change.
Common questions
Do you test the products you review?
Most of the time, no. Most reviews here are research-led and carry a badge saying so. A few cover tools the author runs his own business on, and those carry a different badge naming the product and how long he has used it. We never blur the two.
Why should I trust a research-led review from someone who has not used the product?
Because we tell you exactly where every claim comes from, and we cover the things buyers actually get caught by: renewal pricing, cancellation terms, and the complaints that repeat across public reviews. Judge the reasoning rather than a claim of experience.
How do I know which kind of review I am reading?
The badge sits directly under the headline on every page, before the first paragraph. It is also enforced in the site build: a page cannot use first-hand language unless it has declared itself a real-use review, so the badge and the writing cannot drift apart.
Do makers pay you for good reviews?
No. We earn affiliate commission on some links, which is disclosed above the first link on every page. Commission never depends on the verdict, and we publish negative verdicts on products we could earn from.
How current are the prices you quote?
Every page shows the date it was last checked. Pricing changes often, so verify on the maker’s own site before you buy.
How do I report something wrong?
Email corrections@plainlyreviewed.com. We correct the page and note what changed.
Last reviewed September 2, 2026