Reviews on MrPuns answer one question: is this worth your time? To answer it honestly we have to say what we did, so every review states its method and the date it was checked at the top.
Two methods, always stated
- Hands-on. We used the tool or site ourselves for the task it's meant for, on a normal account, for long enough to hit its limits.
- Desk check. We didn't sign up or pay. We read the site closely, checked its domain record and technical basics, tested what can be tested without an account, and compared what it says about itself with what we could verify. Desk checks are labelled as such, and they never claim to have used what they haven't.
What we check on a website
- Who runs it. About, contact and legal pages; whether real people are named; whether the domain record is public or hidden behind a privacy service (hidden is normal, but it's still a fact).
- How old it is. The domain's creation date from its WHOIS record — a site claiming ten years of expertise on a domain registered last spring is worth a second look.
- What it publishes. Topics, bylines, dates, how often, and whether the writing reads as first-hand or as a rewrite of other people's articles.
- How it makes money. Ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, guest-post sales — none of these are bad, but undisclosed ones are.
- The basics. HTTPS, whether pages actually 404 when they should, and whether the site does what its tagline claims.
What we check on a tool
- What it claims versus what the free tier actually lets you do — file limits, watermarks, queues, sign-up walls.
- Price and terms. Real prices, billing period, refund policy, and what happens to your data.
- Who's behind it and whether there's a way to get support from a human.
- Whether it does the thing, when we've been able to test it.
What the rating means
- 5 — does exactly what it says, and we'd recommend it without caveats.
- 4 — good, with a limitation you should know about first.
- 3 — fine for some people; read the verdict before you decide.
- 2 — works, but there are better options or real concerns.
- 1 — we'd steer you elsewhere.
Desk checks may go unrated where we can't fairly judge quality without using the thing.
Independence
Nobody pays to be reviewed, and nobody pays for a rating. Sponsored posts on this site are labelled and are never reviews. Links to the site or tool under review carry rel="nofollow", so a review here doesn't pass search-engine credit to its subject either way.
Things change
Sites get sold, tools change their pricing. Every review shows the date it was last checked; if you know something has changed since, tell us and we'll re-check and note the correction with the date.