How we test and rate software
Every rating on Spendesk comes from the same scoring framework. This page explains exactly what goes into a score, who does the testing, and why a vendor cannot buy a better one.
- Products reviewed
- 30
- Categories covered
- 31
- Verified user reviews
- 120
The six scoring criteria
A product's overall score is the weighted average of these six criteria, rounded to one decimal place.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Features & capability | 25% | Depth of the core feature set against what the category actually requires, not a checklist of everything a vendor ships. |
| Ease of use | 20% | Time to first useful outcome, clarity of the interface, and how much admin knowledge day-to-day work demands. |
| Value for money | 20% | Real total cost at realistic seat counts, including add-ons, required tiers, onboarding fees, and overage charges. |
| Integrations & extensibility | 15% | Native connectors to the tools teams already run, plus API quality and automation options. |
| Support & reliability | 10% | Response times on the plans most buyers actually purchase, documentation quality, and published uptime history. |
| Security & compliance | 10% | Certifications, data residency, access controls, audit logging, and admin governance features. |
Our review process
- Step 1
Define the shortlist
We start from search demand, reader requests, and market share to decide which products in a category deserve a full review.
- Step 2
Test hands-on
An analyst runs the product through the workflows the category is bought for, on a paid plan wherever a trial is not representative.
- Step 3
Score against fixed criteria
Every product is scored on the same six weighted criteria, so a 4.6 in accounting means the same thing as a 4.6 in CRM.
- Step 4
Fact-check and publish
Pricing, limits, and claims are verified against vendor documentation before publication, and each page shows its last-updated date.
- Step 5
Re-review on a schedule
Every review is revisited at least twice a year, and immediately when a vendor changes pricing or ships a major release.
Independence and funding
Spendesk earns affiliate commissions when readers sign up with some of the vendors we cover. Commercial relationships never affect a score, a ranking, or whether a product is criticised. We do not publish sponsored posts or paid guest content, and vendors cannot review an article before it goes live.
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