How we work
Editorial standards
These are the rules we hold ourselves to. If you see us falling short of them, please tell us.
Last updated
1. Independence
- We do not use affiliate, referral or tracking links, and we earn nothing from anything we mention.
- We do not accept payment, sponsorship, gifts or free services in exchange for coverage, rankings, reviews or awards.
- Companies do not see, approve or edit our work before publication. We may contact them to check facts, but they have no say in conclusions.
- Writers and editors must disclose any financial interest in a company they cover. Where a conflict exists, that person does not work on the piece.
2. How we compare and test
- Criteria first. Before testing, we decide and publish what we are judging and how much each factor counts.
- Same process for everyone. Every product in a comparison goes through the same tasks and checks.
- Real use. We use products as a customer would. When a company provides access, a trial extension or a demo account, we say so in the article.
- Total cost, not headline price. We include transaction fees, required add-ons, and the cost of leaving, not just the plan price.
- Who it's for. We say which kinds of business a tool suits and which it doesn't, rather than naming one winner for everyone.
3. Sources and verification
- Factual claims link to a source, with the date we checked it.
- We prefer primary sources: official documentation, published price lists, legislation and regulator guidance, and company filings.
- Secondary sources are named as such. Unverified information is either labelled clearly or left out.
- For reports, we publish our methodology and, where we can, the underlying data.
4. Keeping content current
Ecommerce tools and rules change often. Every page shows when it was published and last updated, and comparisons show when testing took place. Material changes are recorded in a public change log at the bottom of the page. If a page is out of date and we cannot yet update it, we say so at the top.
5. Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it and add a dated note to the page explaining what changed. We do not quietly edit errors away. To report a possible error, email contact@ecomreports.org with the page and what you believe is wrong.
6. Awards
- Winners are chosen by our editors from tools we have evaluated, using published criteria.
- There are no entry fees, nomination fees, or fees to use an award badge, and there never will be.
- Companies cannot apply, lobby or pay for an award. An award can be withdrawn if a product no longer meets the criteria.