How we rank

Each paid tool has a checklist. A feature that matters more gets a heavier weight, and the weights are printed on the comparison table. An alternative gets full credit, half credit, or none.

The Drop-in score is the weighted credit divided by the weight of the whole checklist, from 0 to 100. A cell marked Not checked counts as zero. Leaving a feature blank cannot push a tool up the list. When two scores match, the tool with more of the checklist actually reviewed ranks higher.

Price is not in the score. A free tool with a thin feature set should not outrank a closer replacement that costs money to host. Free-tier limits, hosted prices, and self-host difficulty sit in the cost section instead.

Marks are editorial judgments from public docs, pricing pages, and license files, reviewed on the date printed on the listing. They are not certified by the vendors. If a price or license could not be confirmed, the field says unverified or it is left out.

Sponsored listings

A featured, category, or site-wide slot is labeled on the card or banner. On a ranked list it is inserted after the organic #1 and it does not receive a rank number. On a category page it sits after the first unsponsored tool. Paying does not move a tool to the top, even if its score is higher. A founding rate and a lifetime spot use that same rule. A sponsored migration guide is labeled and does not replace the organic #1 guide. The sample on the advertise page shows the treatment. None of the seeded listings are sponsored.

Affiliate links

A listing can carry an affiliateUrl. That link is separate from the official website, uses rel="sponsored nofollow", and says it is an affiliate. A commission does not change a cell, a score, or a rank. Listings without a partner program omit the field.

Licenses

Open source means an OSI-approved license on the part you actually run. Source-available means you can read the code and the license still restricts hosting, resale, or production use. Free and closed means the app is free to use and the code is not yours. Mixed products, like an MIT editor with a commercial server, are tagged for the restriction that matters and the notes say which half is which.

Last checked is the date that listing was reviewed. It is not a promise that the vendor has not changed a price since.