How we rank
Every category shows a curated top 10. We keep editorial control over quality, but any tool can challenge for a slot. Here is exactly how a listing's score is calculated, and how a challenge works.
THE FORMULA
Composite score = weighted sum of three components, each scored 0–100:
The average of all 1–5 star votes on the listing, scaled to a 0–100 score. One vote per visitor, rate-limited to deter brigading.
A 0–100 score we set by hand per listing, based on our own use of the tool, its build quality, and how it treats users.
A 0–100 score we set by hand for things like real-world adoption, affiliate program status, or anything else we decide is worth weighing.
These weights are configurable and may be tuned over time — this page always reflects the weights currently in effect.
THE CHECKLIST
Before a submission is eligible to challenge a ranked slot, it must pass a short eligibility checklist — things like having a public pricing page, a working site, no major scam or complaint flags, and genuinely fitting the category. Checklist answers are stored with every submission.
SUBMITTING & CHALLENGING
- Categories are capped at 10 listings. A new tool can only enter by winning a challenge against the current #10 — never by adding an 11th slot.
- Submitting a tool costs $49 and requires passing the eligibility checklist above. Every submission is reviewed manually and is never shown publicly until approved.
- Once a submission is approved and challenges the category's #10, the incumbent is notified and has 7 days to defend their slot with a $29 fee.
- When the defense window closes, composite scores are compared — whichever is higher keeps or takes the #10 slot, and the outcome is logged.
A challenger stays unlisted for the entire challenge window — we never show a submission publicly before it either wins or we approve it by hand — so its composite score during a challenge comes only from our editorial and traction scoring, not a public rating average. The incumbent is notified but never told who is challenging them, and paying the defense fee is optional: it doesn't change how scores are compared.