How I Test Software

Every review on this site says what I did myself and what I took from somewhere else. This page explains how that works, so you can judge each claim for yourself.

What I test hands-on

When a review says "I tested", I opened the product in a real account and used it the way a new customer would in their first week.

• Skool: I've run a Skool group since 2024 for my animal rescue work, on the Hobby plan. For my Skool review I went back through every settings tab, including the upgrade screens and the plugin list.
• Systeme.io: I built a test community on the free plan for my Skool alternatives roundup, and I show the settings page as I found it.

Screenshots on this site come from my own accounts. I crop or blur anything private, such as member details, but I never edit what a plan includes or what a screen says.

What I take from official sources

I can't run a paid account on every platform at once. When I haven't used a tool hands-on, I say so, and I work only from the vendor's own pricing page, help center and published terms. Right now that applies to Kajabi, Circle and Mighty Networks. Each comparison names those sources and the date I checked them.

I don't use other review sites, forum posts or AI summaries as sources for prices or features.

How I calculate costs

Plan prices alone don't tell you what a platform costs. Most of the money goes on transaction fees as your community grows. So my comparisons use a labeled example, such as 100 members paying $50 a month, and add up:

1. the plan price (annual price where the vendor offers one),
2. the platform's own cut of each sale,
3. card processing, including Stripe's extra subscription billing fee where it applies.

These are my own calculations from published fees. I show the inputs so you can redo them with your own numbers. Taxes, refunds and international cards are left out because they vary too much from one business to another.

How I keep reviews current

Software pricing changes often. Every review shows the date it was last updated. I only change that date when I've actually changed the content, such as a new price, a new plan or a new screenshot. I don't refresh dates to make old reviews look new.

If you spot something out of date, tell me and I'll check it.

How I make money

Some links are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Every one is marked "Paid link" right next to it.

Commissions don't decide my verdicts. Several of my reviews tell readers to choose a cheaper plan, or a tool I don't earn from. Kajabi, for example, has no affiliate link on this site. My full disclaimer has the details.