How we rate
The same four axes, applied the same way, to every product on this site.
Last updated September 2026
One scale, everywhere
Every product gets a score out of 10 built from four component scores. A 7 on a $200 pair of headphones means the same thing as a 7 on a $3,000 television: solid, with real compromises worth knowing about. We do not grade on a curve, and we do not inflate scores so that every product looks recommendable. Plenty here score below 8, and a few we actively tell you not to buy at list price.
The four axes
Performance
Does it do the job well? Measured against direct rivals at the same price, using published test data and hands-on use rather than manufacturer claims.
Value for money
What you get per dollar, judged at the street price rather than the list price. A brilliant product at a bad price scores badly here, and often should not be bought until it is discounted.
Design and build
Materials, ergonomics, serviceability and whether living with it daily is pleasant. This is where things like a bad keyboard or a case that no longer folds cost real points.
Reliability
Long-term durability, warranty terms, support quality and the manufacturer’s track record. Weighted heavily on anything expensive or hard to replace.
Commission does not touch the score
This is the part that matters, so it is worth being blunt about. We are paid commission by retailers, and the rates differ — Walmart pays around four times what Best Buy does on the same laptop. If commission influenced our output, you would see it in two places: the ratings, and the order of the price tables.
It influences neither. Price tables are sorted by price, cheapest in-stock offer first, and the cheapest offer is labelled as such even when it earns us the least. Ratings are written before offers are attached to a product at all. Where a manufacturer pays us nothing whatsoever, as Apple and the Google Store do, we review their products on the identical scale and often recommend them.
Read the full affiliate disclosure or the retailer list, where we publish what every single partner pays us.
What we do not do
- We do not accept payment for a review, a score, or a position in a ranking.
- We do not send reviews to brands before publication.
- We do not publish reviews written by manufacturers or their agencies.
- We do not invent user reviews, testimonials or star counts.
- We do not use artificial urgency — no fake countdowns, no invented stock levels.
The fourth point is a legal obligation as well as an editorial one: the Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials prohibits fabricated reviews outright. Every rating here is our own editorial assessment, presented as opinion.
When we get it wrong
Products change, prices move and sometimes we simply miss something. If a rating on this site looks wrong to you, or a price has been stale for weeks, tell us. We would rather correct it than defend it. Verdictly is only worth reading for as long as it is worth trusting.
