Methodology
Methodology: how we test and rate AI tools
To earn your trust, a comparison site must be transparent about its method. Here is how we choose the tools we feature, how we score them, and why our affiliate links never influence our reviews.
How we select tools
We favor AI tools that are genuinely useful, mature enough and representative of their category. A tool enters the directory if it brings clear value to a use case (generating images, writing, coding, automating…), not because it offers an affiliate program. We leave out abandoned, misleading or undifferentiated products.
How we assign the score out of 10
Each tool gets an editorial score that summarizes four dimensions: output quality, ease of use, value for money, and reliability (consistency, support, maturity). The score is an opinion grounded in usage, not an automatic calculation: it assumes a degree of judgment, which we explain on the page (strengths, weaknesses, who it's for).
Our editorial independence
Some links are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This funds the site but does not change our scores, rankings or article content. A tool without an affiliate program (like ChatGPT, Claude or NotebookLM) can be rated higher than a paying one — and regularly is.
Updates and corrections
The AI market changes every week: prices, features and positioning move fast. We regularly revise the pages, scores and comparisons. If something looks outdated or inaccurate, tell us: we'll fix it.
A question about our method?
Email us at contact@searchyourai.com. We're an independent guide: constructive criticism helps us stay reliable.