How we test

Where we are: hands-on testing has not started yet, so every product on the site is currently labelled researched. Per-category test plans and a rating method will be published here before any product is labelled tested or given a rating.

Evidence labels

Every product carries one of these labels, so you always know what a recommendation rests on:

• Researched, not yet tested — Assessed from the provider’s own documentation and independent sources. We have not tested it ourselves yet.
• Tested — We have used it against our published criteria.
• Hands-on tested — Used over a sustained period on our own devices.
• Recommended — Tested, and meets our recommendation criteria.

Today every product on the site is labelled Researched, not yet tested.

What we assess

• Does it do the job? Against the specific problem a reader has — not a feature count.
• Trustworthiness. Who runs it, where, what they collect, and whether claims such as “no logs” have been independently audited.
• Ease of use. Setting it up on an ordinary phone, without technical knowledge.
• Price and renewal. The introductory price and what it renews at, dated when we checked.
• Is a free option enough? Built-in tools often are, and we say so.

Ratings

We don’t publish scores or star ratings yet. When we do, the method behind them will be published here first.

See our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.