Numbers we took ourselves
Timed and tested on our own account. If a figure comes from the vendor, it's labeled as theirs.
TTFB cached 0.55 s · cold 2.98 sour server · 14 Jul 2026
Deploy
~7 min
timed, first site
Independent software & AI reviews · est. 2026
We test it.
Then we tell you
the catch.
No press releases, no vendor screenshots. We deploy the tool, measure it with real numbers, read the price on a stated date — and write down who should skip it.
Bench 01 — Hosting ›
01/04
Bench log · tested
Run · 14 Jul 2026
▸ target Cloudways · WordPress · DigitalOcean 1 GB · New York
▸ method curl time_starttransfer · PageSpeed Insights · stopwatch
▸ method curl time_starttransfer · PageSpeed Insights · stopwatch
TTFB · cached0.55s
TTFB · cold, cache miss2.98s
0 s1.5 s3.0 s
Price
$14 /mo
vs ~$6 raw droplet
PageSpeed
100 /100
empty site — not yours
The catchIt's only fast when the cache hits. On a miss, WordPress rebuilt the page in 2.98 s.
Measured from Brazil · your results will varyFull test log →
Four things every review has to carry — or it doesn't ship.
Shown here with lines from our Cloudways test
The price, read on a stated day
Read off the seller's own pricing page, with the date — plus the add-ons that change the real total.
Raw droplet $6 + backups → $7.20–$7.80pricing page · 28 Jul 2026
The downside, in plain words
Every product has one. A review without it is an ad, so it's the part we never cut.
Fast only when the cache hitsverdict box
The wrong buyer, named
If a cheaper tool or a free option fits you better, we say so — even when it costs us the commission.
Enjoy the terminal? Run the raw droplet.who it's for
Latest review
Tested on a real account · no vendor screenshots
Cloudways vs DigitalOcean: is the managed layer worth double the price?
Verdict · 7.5 / 10Worth it if you don't want a terminal
Same DigitalOcean hardware, with or without someone managing it. We priced the real gap — about $80 a year once you add backups to the raw droplet — and measured what it buys.
Read the review →On the bench next
No verdict until the test is done
Email marketing for small teams
The tools a five-person business actually picks between, on the plan they'd actually buy.
We'll measure: real monthly cost at 2,500 contacts · time to first campaign · what the free plan leaves out
AI voice generators
Same script, every tool, judged blind — then priced per minute of usable audio.
We'll measure: cost per finished minute · retakes needed · commercial-use terms
Landing page builders
One page, rebuilt in each builder, then tested for speed on a phone.
We'll measure: build time · mobile PageSpeed of the same page · price at 1 published page
The rules that hold even when a sale is on the line
Full method →Hands-on
We use the product before we write
When a hands-on test isn't possible, the page says so and is labeled a pre-launch look.
Independence
No one pays for a verdict
Commissions keep the site running. They never move a score, and we review things we can't recommend.
Brand terms
We don't pose as the seller
Every page is a third-party review, clearly labeled. Product names are used only to say what we tested.
Corrections
Mistakes get fixed in the open
Spot an error? Tell us and we'll correct it quickly and visibly — with the date of the change.
Guides
No affiliate links in these