How we evaluate software
The same written criteria on every comparison, weighted towards what matters to a small UK trade business.
We compare software against fixed criteria chosen before we look at any product. That keeps comparisons consistent, and it stops a high-commission product from quietly rising up the page.
Our criteria and weightings
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Suitability for UK trades | 25% | Does it handle the way UK trade and service businesses actually work — call-outs, recurring visits, quotes, VAT, CIS where relevant? |
| Ease of use | 20% | Can a busy owner set it up and use it day to day, including on a phone, without technical help? |
| True cost | 20% | The real yearly cost for a small business, including renewal prices, add-ons, transaction and SMS fees. |
| Relevant features | 15% | Features that help win enquiries and run jobs — not the longest feature list. |
| Free trial or free plan | 5% | Whether you can try it properly before paying, and how easy it is to cancel. |
| Main limitations | 15% | The biggest drawback for a trade business, stated plainly. Every product has one. |
How a score is worked out
Where we publish a score, each criterion is rated from 1 to 5 against written descriptions, multiplied by its weight, and converted to a score out of 10. We show the individual ratings alongside the total so you can re-weight them for your own priorities. We only score products in published comparisons where the research is complete.
Hands-on testing vs desk research
Every article says how it was researched. “Hands-on” means we used the product ourselves for the task described. “Desk research” means we relied on the provider’s documentation, pricing pages and published terms. We never describe desk research as testing.
Prices and verification dates
Prices are taken from the provider’s UK website and shown with the date we checked them. Where a provider only lists prices in another currency, we say so. Introductory prices often rise at renewal — we show both where we can.
What we don’t do
- We don’t accept payment to include or rank a product.
- We don’t invent user reviews, star ratings or testimonials.
- We don’t add review star markup to our pages to look better in search results.
See also our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.