Our 12-point comparison methodology
The method is designed to make claims traceable, comparisons repeatable, and commercial relationships visible.
Primary price source
Use the provider's current pricing or official terms page where possible.
Verification date
Record when the source was checked and the market or currency displayed.
Billing unit
Identify per seat, per workspace, per usage unit, per household, or another basis.
Commitment
Separate cancel-anytime monthly billing from annual commitments and upfront payment.
Renewal terms
Show auto-renewal, notice periods, expected post-promotion price, and refund limits.
True cost
Include required add-ons, minimum seats, expected overage, onboarding, and implementation.
Feature fit
Evaluate the features that matter to a defined user or workflow, not the longest feature list.
Limits and exclusions
Surface quotas, fair-use rules, regional differences, and missing functionality.
Evidence quality
Distinguish provider claims, independent testing, user reports, and editorial judgment.
Security and portability
Consider export, deletion, permissions, authentication, backups, and lock-in.
Commercial disclosure
Disclose affiliate, sponsorship, free access, or other material relationships.
Editorial conclusion
Explain who the plan suits, why, and what facts could change the verdict.
Scoring policy
ScoutSubs does not use a universal numeric score across unrelated subscription categories. The relative importance of a criterion changes by use case. A security control can be essential for a business tool but irrelevant to a consumer streaming plan.
Where a category score is used, the comparison page must publish the criteria, weights, evidence, and calculation. Sponsored status or affiliate commission may not change the score or ranking.
Price-change maintenance
Pages should display a visible last-checked date. High-traffic or frequently changing providers need more frequent review. When a price cannot be verified, label it clearly rather than carrying forward an old figure as current.