--- title: "Editorial Policy: how we test" canonical: "https://saaskly.com/editorial-policy" last-updated: "2026-10-05" --- # Editorial Policy: how we test *Last updated: 29 August 2026* ## Why this page exists Every score, ranking and claim on Saaskly should be explainable. This page is the explanation. ## Who writes Saaskly Saaskly is written by the team behind Next Generation ICT LTD, practitioners who run IT and marketing infrastructure for real businesses, not a content farm. Where we say we have run a product in production, we have. ## First-party vs third-party claims We label the provenance of what we say: - **"Our direct experience" / first-party:** we have run the product in production ourselves. We only say this when it is true, and we name which products in each comparison. - **Third-party data:** figures we did not measure ourselves (independent deliverability tests, Trustpilot scores, analyst estimates) are attributed and linked. - **Vendor claims:** labelled as such (for example "vendor claim") and not presented as verified. - **Vendor-confirmed:** facts (pricing, plan limits, spec details) that a verified vendor supplied or corrected through the [vendor portal](/portal/login) and an editor checked and accepted. The profile carries a dated "Vendor-confirmed" label naming what was confirmed. It means the facts came from the source; it is not an endorsement, and the score and ranking are never part of that review. - **Unconfirmed:** where a vendor hides a price or a figure, we say "not published" or "unconfirmed" rather than guess. ## How we score Scores are out of 5 and are editorial judgements weighing functionality, pricing and pricing transparency, ease of working with (including API and automation access), reliability, and customer reputation. Ties are shown as ties (=1). A low score for a capable product usually reflects commercial behaviour (pricing, contracts, partner treatment), and we say so. ## Pricing transparency We show the month-to-month price and the annual-commitment price wherever a vendor charges differently, and call out the premium. "Minimum commitment" is the least you can spend before walking away from the entry plan: committed rate × the minimum seats the vendor will sell × the months you must commit to (one month at the month-to-month rate where there is no commitment; the licence price where sold per year). It excludes usage, add-ons and prerequisite licences. Your real first bill will be higher, never lower. We quote GBP and EUR where vendors publish them and USD otherwise, and we note VAT where it is added for UK and EU buyers. ## Sources we trust, and don't We use vendor pricing pages and documentation, Trustpilot (score, review count and recurring complaint themes), G2 and Capterra where Trustpilot is sparse, regulators and reputable independent press. We do not use vendor-sponsored or advertorial "industry news" sites as sources. ## How we make money, and what it doesn't buy - **Sponsored placements** are labelled "Sponsored" wherever they appear, with a disclosure on the product page stating the relationship. A sponsor can be ranked first only when it would be ranked first anyway, and we say when a winner is also a partner. - **Affiliate links** are marked, pass through our /go/ redirect so we can count clicks, and earn us a commission if you buy. They never affect scores or rankings. - **Display advertising** is served by third parties and is separate from editorial. Our commercial relationships are listed on the [Advertise](/advertise) page. ## Vendor logos Vendor logos appear only where a commercial relationship is in place: an affiliate programme we have joined, a partnership, or a logo the vendor has supplied through our vendor process. We record where every logo came from. Every other product is shown with a neutral letter tile, and a logo never affects a score or a ranking. ## Badges Vendors whose products appear on Saaskly may display a year-stamped Saaskly badge: "Leading Provider" for any listed product, "Category Winner" for the product that held first place when that year's badges were issued. A badge shows no score and no rank, is never sold, and displaying one has no effect on scores or rankings. The full rules are at [/badges](/badges). ## Corrections and vendor input If something looks wrong, tell us: help@saaskly.com. Vendors can contest or correct data about their products; we verify that the person represents the vendor (a confirmed email on the vendor's own domain) before acting, and we label vendor-supplied data as such. ## AI We use AI tools to research and draft; a named human editor reviews and approves every page and holds responsibility for it. See [AI Transparency](/ai-transparency). ## Independence Next Generation ICT LTD also operates Fractional Teams, a services business. Where Saaskly mentions Fractional Teams, it is disclosed as our sister brand and never ranked or scored. Where Fractional Teams works for a vendor listed on Saaskly, the product page, the comparison article and the [Advertise](/advertise) page say so; today that is VoIPstudio. --- Researched and drafted with AI assistance; reviewed and approved by Tim Meredith. See https://saaskly.com/ai-transparency.md and https://saaskly.com/editorial-policy.md. Canonical HTML: https://saaskly.com/editorial-policy · Markdown index: https://saaskly.com/llms.txt