Our Ranking Process

At ConsumersFriend.org, our name is our mission. We believe that when you are looking for advice on where to spend your hard-earned money, you deserve a "friend in the business" who tells it to you straight.

The sad reality of the modern internet is that many comparison and recommendation sites are "pay-to-play." They allow brands to pay for the #1 spot, or they adjust their rankings based on which affiliate program pays the highest commission.

We do things differently.

1. Independence is Our Foundation

Unlike many of our competitors, we never accept payment in exchange for a higher ranking. A company cannot buy their way onto our "Best Of" lists, and they certainly cannot pay to move from #5 to #1.

Our rankings are 100% editorial. This means our researchers determine the order of the products based on objective performance data, not by looking at our bank account.

2. How We Rank (Our 3-Pillar Criteria)

To ensure our recommendations are consistent and fair, we evaluate every product or service against these four pillars:

Actual real world use and hands on testing: Does the product actually do what it claims to do? 

True Value for Money: We don't just look at the lowest price; we look at what you get for that price.

Public Sentiment: We aggregate thousands of verified user reviews from across the web to see if the "average user" experience matches the marketing hype.

3. How We Stay Sustainable

You might wonder: If we don't sell our rankings, how do we keep the lights on? We participate in affiliate marketing programs. This means that if you decide to purchase a product through one of our links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. However, this commission is the same regardless of where a brand sits on our list. Whether a brand is ranked #1 or #5, our goal is simply to help you find the one that fits your needs.

Our Promise to You

We are here to be your advocate. If we wouldn't recommend a product to our own friends and family, it won't earn a top spot on ConsumersFriend.org.