How we test and score AI software
This page explains what we check in every review, how the score is calculated, what “verified” means on YourAISoft, and what we do when prices change or a tool shuts down. The same method applies to every review and comparison on the site.
The six things we score
Each review scores a tool on six criteria. The weights reflect what decides a business purchase: what you pay for the work you need, and whether the output is usable.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Price for real work | 25% | The cost of a typical month of work (articles, tracked prompts, minutes of audio or video, seats), not just the entry price. |
| Output quality | 25% | Results on the jobs the tool is sold for, judged on samples made in our own account. |
| Limits and fine print | 15% | Credits, caps, what expires, commercial rights, refunds and renewals. |
| Billing and reputation | 15% | Public prices, how cancellation works, Trustpilot and G2 ratings with the date read. |
| Support and learning | 10% | Documentation, tutorials, support channels, response times promised in writing. |
| Maturity of AI features | 10% | Whether AI features are live on the plan you would buy, or still beta, waitlist or enterprise-only. |
How the final score is calculated
Each criterion gets a score from 1 to 5. The final score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal place.
Example: scores of 4, 3, 4, 3, 3 and 4 give 0.25 × 4 + 0.25 × 3 + 0.15 × 4 + 0.15 × 3 + 0.10 × 3 + 0.10 × 4 = 3.5 out of 5.
- 4.5–5.0: the best option we know for its job.
- 4.0–4.4: a strong choice for most buyers in its category.
- 3.0–3.9: good for specific cases; read the limits first.
- Below 3.0: we don’t recommend it, and we say why.
Examples from reviews updated in October 2026: ElevenLabs scored 3.5, Colossyan 3.2 and Murf AI 3.2, in each case with output quality left unscored because we hold no account with the vendor. The guides to AI assistants and music generators compare plans, limits and licences and carry no score.
Two rules keep the score honest. If we have no account with a tool, we don’t score output quality: the review shows “not scored” for that line, and the total is the weighted average of the other five. If a price or a key limit could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages, the review says so, and that criterion scores no higher than 3.
What counts as “verified”
A claim on YourAISoft is marked as verified only when it rests on one of these:
- a screenshot from our own account, with the date it was taken;
- for voice tools, an audio sample generated in our own account;
- a price from the vendor’s own pricing page, with the date of the check;
- a quote from the vendor’s terms, documentation or help center, with a link.
We don’t call a review “tested” unless it includes screenshots or samples from our own account. Claims based on vendor pages and public reviews are labeled as such.
Where the information comes from
- Vendor pages: pricing, plan comparisons, terms of service, refund policies, documentation and changelogs.
- Our accounts: screenshots and samples, where we have an account.
- Customer reviews: Trustpilot and G2 ratings, with the review count and the date we read them. We look for repeated complaints about billing, cancellation and support.
- Public records and news: for events such as a shutdown or a bankruptcy, the court record and news reports, linked on the page.
When we update
- Every review is re-checked every 90 days: prices, plan names, limits and ratings.
- Sooner when a vendor changes its plans, raises prices or closes the product.
- Every review shows the date of the last price check near the top. All reviews were re-checked and re-scored in October 2026.
How we mark affiliate links
- Affiliate links are marked as sponsored in the page code.
- Pages with affiliate links carry a disclosure under the headline, and each button has a disclosure directly below it.
- For ElevenLabs, whose affiliate program sets its own rules, the line next to each link reads: “As an independent ElevenLabs affiliate, we may earn a commission if you subscribe through this link.”
- An affiliate program does not change a tool’s score. Tools without one are scored the same way.
What we do when a service closes
We don’t delete the review. We keep the address, remove every button that pointed to the closed product, add what happened with dated sources, and list working alternatives with current prices. Example: Lovo AI (Genny), whose company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on 27 May 2026.
Corrections
If a price, limit or fact on our site is wrong, tell us through the contact page. We fix factual errors and update the date on the page. Our wider rules are in the editorial and transparency policy, and all reviews are on the reviews hub.