Why this matters
Most software review sites summarize marketing copy and call it a review. We don't. Every product that earns a badge on EditorMint has been bought with our own card, installed on a real project, and used for at least two weeks before we write a single word about it.
That's slower than rewriting a press release, and it means our roundups don't cover everything on the market. What it does mean is that when we say a hosting plan is fast, we've watched the load times ourselves. You can see this in practice on our Hostinger review, where every number in the Quick Specs table came from our own account, not a press kit.
How we buy and set up
We sign up for the same plan a first-time buyer would, at the same price, through the same checkout flow. No vendor-provided demo accounts, no pre-configured environments.
We start from a blank account, same as any new customer
We migrate or build at least one real site or workflow on it
We contact support with a genuine question, not a test ticket
We stay on the plan long enough to see a renewal price, not just the introductory one
If we haven't seen the renewal invoice, we don't publish the review.
What we actually score
Every product on the site is rated across four categories, weighted the same way regardless of category: performance, ease of use, value, and support. We don't average in factors like brand reputation or affiliate commission, both of which would quietly bias the number.
Our commission from a partner has no bearing on their score. We've given four-star reviews to tools that pay us nothing, and three-star reviews to tools that pay us well.
Keeping it fair
Every review discloses that we may earn a commission, right next to the link. We also link to the vendor's own pricing page so you can verify our numbers instead of taking our word for it.
When we re-test
Pricing and plans change often enough that a review can go stale within months. We recheck every listing at least once a quarter, and sooner if a product changes its plans, gets acquired, or has a major public incident. Every price on our Price Watch page shows the date we last checked it.