Review Methodology
Every score on this site is the output of a structured 12-dimension framework. This page shows our work.
The 12 scoring dimensions
Each product is scored 0-10 across 12 dimensions, weighted by segment relevance. The final score is a weighted average.
| Dimension | Weight | What we test |
|---|---|---|
| Feature depth | 15% | Does the software do what the segment needs? Mileage, payroll, MTD, inventory — only counted if the segment needs it. |
| MTD compatibility | 10% | Is it on the HMRC official MTD list? UK segments only. |
| Mobile UX | 10% | Receipt capture, mileage logging, invoice sending on mobile. |
| Bank feed quality | 12% | Connection stability, auto-categorisation accuracy after 3 months. |
| Multi-user access | 8% | Role-based permissions; accountant access without extra cost. |
| Integrations | 8% | Key integrations for the segment: Stripe, Shopify, Gusto, Plaid. |
| Pricing transparency | 10% | Is the marketing price close to the realistic spend? Hidden fees? |
| Security | 8% | 2FA, SOC 2 compliance, GDPR/UK GDPR. |
| Support quality | 7% | Response time, help documentation quality. |
| Learning curve | 5% | Time to first useful output for a non-accountant. |
| Accountant ecosystem | 5% | Is this software common among UK/US accountants? Switching friction. |
| Jurisdictional coverage | 2% | US, UK, Canada, EU — how many the tool natively supports. |
Testing protocol
Each tool is tested with a live account, not a demo. We run:
- Bank feed connection test (does it link to a major UK and US bank without issues?)
- Invoice creation and payment collection end-to-end
- Expense import and categorisation accuracy test (import 100 known transactions, measure auto-category accuracy)
- Mileage tracking over a 30-day period (where available)
- Year-end report generation (P&L, balance sheet, trial balance)
- Accountant access invitation flow
Conflict of interest policy
All affiliate links on this site generate a commission for the publisher. The commission rate does not influence scores — several recommended products have lower commission rates than alternatives we rate lower. Commission rates are not disclosed at the product level but this policy is disclosed at the page level on all commercial pages.
No vendor has editorial approval or preview rights over any review on this site. Scores are updated when the product materially changes (pricing change, feature launch, or removal of a key feature).
Version and date tracking
Every review declares a version number (e.g., "v2026.1") and a lastTested date. When Intuit raises QBO prices or Wave moves features to Pro, the review is updated and the version incremented. The freshness chip on each pricing card shows how recently the price was verified.
YMYL editorial standard
This site covers business finance software — a YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) category. Our editorial standard:
- Every claim about pricing is linked to a primary source (vendor pricing page, archive.org snapshot, or official regulator guidance)
- No specific tax advice — general information only, with a "consult a qualified accountant" disclaimer on every commercial page
- UK MTD recommendations link to the official HMRC compatibility list, not just our own assessment
- Author byline: all commercial content edited by Max Yao