Trust

Ethics & Independence

The commercial boundaries Softmarque keeps, written down so they can be held against us.

Last updated: September 12, 2026

No paid placement

No vendor can buy a review, a score, a position in the ranking, or a mention in a comparison. We do not run affiliate links in reviews. We do not sell 'featured' slots, and there is no commercial tier of coverage.

Gifts, access and licences

We decline gifts and paid trips. Where a vendor provides a review licence that is not otherwise purchasable, the review discloses it. A provided licence never guarantees favourable coverage and does not exempt a product from criticism.

Fairness before publication

Where a review makes a serious factual allegation about a company's conduct — as distinct from a judgement about its product or pricing — we put it to the company and reflect the response. Ordinary critical assessment of a product does not require pre-publication notice, and vendors do not get to see reviews early.

Corrections over deletion

We keep the published record and correct it rather than removing it. Unpublishing is reserved for unlawful material, verified privacy harm, or content that cannot be responsibly corrected.