Every review on ToolTriage follows the same process. If we haven't done these steps, we don't publish.

1. We sign up and use it

We create an account (usually the free plan or trial, sometimes paid) and use the tool for real tasks for several days. For an email tool, that means importing a list, building an automation and sending campaigns. For a website builder, it means building actual pages. Screenshots in our reviews come from our own accounts.

2. We check the real price

Pricing pages are designed to look cheap. We calculate what you'll actually pay at realistic sizes (for example 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 email contacts) and note the add-ons, limits and price jumps that catch people out.

3. We read what real users say

We read hundreds of reviews on sites like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot and Reddit, especially the 1 to 3 star ones. Complaints tell you what a tool's marketing won't. If many users hit the same problem, we check it ourselves.

4. We find the honest cons

Every tool has a downside, including the ones we recommend. We list them. We also say who a tool is not for, so you can skip it if it doesn't fit.

5. We keep it updated

Software changes fast. We update our main reviews when prices or features change and show the "last updated" date at the top of each page.

What we look at

Area	What we check
Price	Real cost at different sizes, hidden limits, price increases
Ease of use	How long setup takes and how easy daily use is
Features	Whether the features small businesses actually need work well
Support	How fast and how helpful support is
Switching	How easy it is to move in, and to leave (can you export everything?)

Independence

Companies can't pay for a better verdict. Some links are affiliate links, which is how we fund testing; see our affiliate disclosure. If a company gives us a demo or free access, we say so in the review.