How We Review & Rate Software
At GetASearch, every review is the result of real, hands-on testing. We don't rely on marketing materials or second-hand information. This page explains exactly how we evaluate the 500+ tools on our platform — so you can trust the scores and recommendations you see.
Our Review Process
- Sign up & set up — We create a real account on every platform we review. For financial products, this means depositing real funds, executing trades, and testing withdrawals.
- Hands-on testing — We spend 5-15 hours using each product across its core workflows, testing features, edge cases, and customer support responsiveness.
- Score & write — Based on our testing, we score the product across 6 dimensions (see below) and write a detailed review with pros, cons, and our verdict.
- Peer review — Every review is reviewed by a second editor for accuracy, fairness, and completeness before publication.
- Quarterly re-evaluation — We re-test and update reviews every 90 days, or sooner if a product makes significant changes to pricing, features, or policies.
Our 6-Dimension Scoring System
Each product is rated on a scale of 1–10 across six weighted dimensions. The overall score is a weighted average:
| Dimension | Weight | What We Evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 25% | Breadth and depth of functionality, unique capabilities, feature completeness |
| Value for Money | 20% | Pricing relative to features and competitors, free tier availability, hidden costs |
| Performance | 20% | Speed, reliability, uptime, mobile experience |
| Ease of Use | 15% | Onboarding experience, UI design, learning curve, documentation |
| Customer Support | 10% | Response time, helpfulness, availability (live chat, email, phone) |
| Integrations | 10% | Ecosystem compatibility, API access, third-party connections |
Category-Specific Criteria
Beyond our standard scoring, each category has specialized evaluation criteria:
Crypto Exchanges
- Trading fees (maker/taker) and spread costs
- Security measures (cold storage, 2FA, insurance fund)
- Coin/token selection and trading pairs
- Fiat on-ramp/off-ramp options
- Regulatory compliance and licensing
- Withdrawal speed and limits
VPN Services
- Connection speed and consistency
- Encryption protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2)
- Privacy policy and no-logs claims
- Server network size and geographic coverage
- Streaming and torrenting support
- Kill switch and DNS leak protection
SEO Tools
- Keyword research depth and accuracy
- Rank tracking frequency and precision
- Backlink database size and freshness
- Site audit comprehensiveness
- Reporting and export capabilities
- API access and integration options
Trading Platforms
- Commission structure and fee transparency
- Asset class coverage (stocks, ETFs, options, crypto)
- Charting and analysis tools
- Mobile app quality and feature parity
- Regulatory status (SEC, FINRA, FCA)
- Account minimums and margin rates
CRM Software
- Contact management and pipeline visualization
- Automation capabilities and workflow builders
- Email integration and tracking
- Reporting and analytics depth
- Third-party integrations (Zapier, Slack, email)
- Scalability from small team to enterprise
What Our Scores Mean
- 9.0–10.0 (Exceptional) — Best-in-class. Sets the standard for the category.
- 8.0–8.9 (Excellent) — Highly recommended with minor drawbacks.
- 7.0–7.9 (Very Good) — Strong option for most users, some areas for improvement.
- 6.0–6.9 (Good) — Solid product with notable limitations.
- 5.0–5.9 (Average) — Meets basic needs but falls short of competitors.
- Below 5.0 (Below Average) — Not recommended; better alternatives exist.
Editorial Independence
GetASearch earns revenue through affiliate partnerships — when you click a link on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences our scores or recommendations.
Products that pay higher commissions don't receive higher ratings. We've given low scores to products with lucrative affiliate programs and high scores to products with no affiliate program at all. Our editorial team operates independently from our business team.
Read more in our Editorial Guidelines.
How We Keep Reviews Current
Software changes fast. We re-evaluate every review at least quarterly (every 90 days). When a product makes significant changes — new pricing, major feature releases, security incidents, or policy updates — we update the review within two weeks. Every review displays a "Last Tested" date so you always know how current our information is.