Four stages, in order - nothing skips ahead
The tool is on our radar
It solves a real problem for self-managing hosts and is worth understanding, even before we've used it ourselves.
We've documented what it does
A plain, feature-by-feature breakdown based on public documentation and, where possible, a trial account. No verdict, no star rating, no "best for" claim yet.
We're using it against a real workflow
Set up against an actual booking calendar, over a real turnover cycle - not a five-minute demo click-through.
A verdict is published
Only at this stage does a page carry a recommendation, and only then does an affiliate link appear next to it - clearly marked as one.
Right now, every system on the Systems page is at stage 1 or 2. None have reached stage 4 yet. The page for each one says which stage it's at, so you're never guessing.
What we actually judge, once testing starts
Setup time
How long from signing up to a working, correctly-synced calendar - for someone doing it themselves, not a developer.
Fit for a small operation
Whether the tool is actually built for 1–5 properties, or whether it's a scaled-down version of software meant for portfolios of 50+.
Pricing transparency
Whether the real cost is clear upfront, or only visible after a sales call - and what it actually costs at the size most of our readers operate at.
Support when something breaks
Response time and quality when a sync fails or a double-booking risk shows up - tested with a real support ticket, not assumed.
Independence
We don't accept payment in exchange for a rating, a ranking position, or favourable coverage. Where a link on this site is an affiliate link, it's disclosed next to the link itself, not just in a footer note. A commission being available on a tool never moves it up a ranking - the criteria above decide that, and only once testing is actually complete.
Why publish this before we've rated anything
Because the alternative - staying quiet until we have opinions to share - leaves you with no way to check our work. Publishing the process first means you can hold us to it once the verdicts do arrive.