How We Review Software
BeltStack publishes independent software reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for small businesses, trades, contractors, and service operators. This page explains how we research products, what ratings mean, how we handle affiliate links, and how to send a correction.
How BeltStack researches software
Primary sources first.
We research products using official vendor materials whenever they are available: pricing pages, product documentation, Help Centers, integration directories, and terms or policies that affect billing, contracts, or support. Secondary sources can add context; they do not replace primary documentation when that documentation exists.
We compare products around practical small-business workflows, note where similar tools solve different problems, and flag uncertainty when public information is incomplete. We distinguish documented facts from BeltStack editorial judgment.
We do not assume firsthand use of every product we cover. When firsthand product experience informs an article, we identify it.
For advertised list prices versus the cost of a frozen small-team workflow, see the 2026 advertised vs usable pricing study.
How BeltStack evaluates software
Six dimensions we use to evaluate products.
- Pricing and value — Published pricing, add-ons, and whether cost is predictable for a typical small-business buyer.
- Features and capabilities — What the product actually does for the jobs you need done, not a marketing feature list.
- Ease of adoption and administration — Setup, day-to-day usability, permissions, and whether a small team can run it without a dedicated admin. We score administration reality, not marketing claims about a “simple UI.”
- Support and documentation — Help Center quality, support channels, and whether help is gated by plan.
- Integrations and ecosystem — Connections to accounting, CRM, scheduling, payments, and other tools operators already use.
- Business and workflow fit — How well the product matches the audience on the page—trades, service businesses, SMBs, or a specific scenario.
BeltStack ratings
Editorial scores, not customer averages.
BeltStack ratings are editorial evaluations. They summarize our assessment of a product; they are not averages of G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, or other user-review sites. A rating is related to our recommendations, but it is not the same thing as a ranking.
Standardized ratings use BeltStack Scoring Methodology v1.0: six equally weighted dimensions on a half-point scale (1.0–5.0). The overall score is the mean of those six numbers, rounded to one decimal place. There is no hidden weighting.
Standardized scores are attached as products are substantively re-reviewed against documented evidence—pricing pages, product catalogs, support matrices, and similar primary sources. Until a product is re-reviewed, its published score remains BeltStack’s current editorial rating. Incomplete evidence can delay a standardized score; we do not invent one to fill a gap.
Recommendations and rankings
Fit can outweigh a higher number.
“Best overall,” “best for,” and similar picks are BeltStack editorial selections. The highest numerical rating does not automatically win. A simpler or lower-priced product can be the better recommendation for a specific workflow, team size, or budget. Rankings consider pricing and value, relevant features, ease of adoption, support, integrations, and fit for the audience on the page.
Firsthand experience
Documentation-based research is the default.
Most BeltStack coverage is based on documented product information and editorial evaluation of workflow fit. That is not the same as BeltStack personally using or running a trial of every product. When firsthand use informs a page, we say so. We do not imply hands-on testing otherwise.
Affiliate relationships
Money does not buy a better score.
BeltStack may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our site. Affiliate relationships do not determine our ratings, rankings, or recommendations.
Affiliate relationships do not determine ratings, rankings, best-overall or best-for selections, or comparison conclusions. If BeltStack uses sponsored or promotional placements, those will be labeled and kept separate from editorial recommendations. They will not change editorial scores.
Affiliate disclosure
How we may earn from links.
BeltStack may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our site. Affiliate relationships do not determine our ratings, rankings, or recommendations.
Some outbound product links may be affiliate links. You do not pay extra when you use them.
AI-assisted editorial work
AI can help the process; sources still decide the facts.
AI tools may assist with organizing research, analyzing information, drafting, editing, and maintaining structured content. Factual claims about pricing, product capabilities, contracts, policies, integrations, and material product differences are checked against reliable sources, prioritizing official vendor documentation where it is available.
Editorial recommendations remain BeltStack judgments. AI assistance does not make every sentence error-free, and it is not a substitute for the primary sources we rely on.
Freshness
Dates should match real review work.
Software pricing and features change. BeltStack revisits important pages over time. When a page shows an editorial date such as last reviewed or pricing checked, that date should correspond to actual review of that information—not a calendar rollover. Always confirm time-sensitive pricing and terms on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Corrections
How to report an error or product update.
Readers and vendors can email support@beltstack.com with factual corrections, clarifications, pricing changes, or product updates. Include a supporting source when you can. BeltStack reviews submissions against reliable sources and prefers official vendor documentation. We update pages when a correction is warranted. We do not automatically accept every requested change. See Contact.