Our research process
- Define the search intent and buyer decision.
- Identify the products and relevant alternatives.
- Check official pricing and billing terms.
- Record plan-specific limits.
- Check product pages and help documentation.
- Separate platform fees from payment-processing fees.
- Record when volatile facts were last verified.
- Compare products against buyer scenarios.
- Revisit volatile facts before a major revision.
Source hierarchy
- Official pricing pages
- Official product pages
- Official help and documentation
- Official terms and legal pages
- Reputable third-party evidence only when first-party sources cannot answer the question
Competitor affiliate articles can help identify buyer questions. They are not authoritative sources for current prices, limits or features.
How we handle pricing
We label monthly charges separately from the monthly equivalent of an annual commitment. Currency, region, taxes and plan limits can change the actual bill. We distinguish a platform transaction fee from payment processing and from a fee for using a third-party provider. A single starting price cannot represent every buyer's cost.
How we compare features
Feature presence and feature quality are different questions. “Includes email marketing” does not establish which platform has better email marketing. We identify the plan, limits and documented workflow first; a quality judgment requires additional evidence.
How we use product documentation
For a changeable product fact, we retain its source URL, verification date and plan context. We note regional restrictions when they affect the conclusion. Vendor documentation can describe availability, but it does not independently prove ease of use or performance.
Hands-on testing
Documentation-based research and first-hand testing are distinct. We describe direct testing only when it has occurred and its scope can be explained. Otherwise, we attribute product capabilities to the vendor's published materials.
How recommendations work
A smaller budget, a larger contact list, more products, stronger community needs, affiliate management or automation requirements can each change the fit. We explain the trade-off and avoid a universal winner.
Affiliate relationships
Some commercial links may earn us a commission. We disclose those links and keep them separate from untracked official source citations. Affiliate relationships do not alter factual product data; a product without an affiliate arrangement may still be the better fit. See the affiliate disclosure.
Corrections and updates
Software prices and capabilities change. Readers may report possible errors to the publication. We review material corrections against sources and update verification dates after factual review. We do not promise a fixed update schedule.
What our methodology does not do
- Invent ratings, user counts or first-hand testing.
- Assign subjective numeric scores without a defined method.
- Declare a universal “best” platform.
- Hide affiliate links or mix them with evidence citations.
Read about Funnel Software Guide for the publication’s scope, and browse our creator email research to apply these checks to a shortlist.