Editorial Policy
SaaS Scored earns money through affiliate commissions. This page explains exactly how that works, what we earn, and the rules we follow to keep our reviews honest.
How We Make Money
When you click an affiliate link on our site and sign up for a tool, we earn a commission from that tool's company. You pay the same price whether you use our link or go directly — our commission comes from the vendor, not from you.
Not every tool we review has an affiliate program. We review and rank tools regardless of whether they pay us. Several of our highest-rated tools have declined our affiliate applications.
What We Earn (Specific Numbers)
We believe in radical transparency. Here are the commission rates for tools that have active affiliate programs with us:
| Tool | Commission | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| AWeber | 50% first year | 5.8/10 |
| ActiveCampaign | 20-30% recurring | 7.4/10 |
| beehiiv | 20% recurring | 6.8/10 |
AWeber pays us the highest commission (50%) but we rate it 5.8/10 — our second-lowest score. Our top-rated tool, MailerLite (7.5/10), has no active affiliate relationship with us. This is the proof that commissions do not drive our rankings.
The Rules We Follow
- Rankings are never influenced by commissions. Our scoring methodology is public. Every score is calculated from six weighted criteria using data from independent sources. Commission rates are not a factor.
- We review tools with no affiliate program. If a tool is relevant to our readers, we review it whether it pays us or not. Several tools on the site have declined our affiliate applications.
- Every claim is sourced. Pricing is verified by checking the tool's actual pricing page. Deliverability data comes from independent test providers. User sentiment is aggregated from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and Reddit — with review counts cited.
- We disclose when editorial judgment overrides the algorithm. If our editorial score differs from the calculated score, we explain exactly why and what risk or factor we weighted differently.
- We name downsides with evidence. Every review includes a “who should NOT use this tool” section. We do not soften negative findings to protect affiliate relationships.
- Affiliate links are always disclosed. Pages containing affiliate links carry a visible disclosure notice near the recommendation.
Our Research Process
We use a tiered evidence system and label it honestly:
- Tier A — Hands-on tested: We created an account, used the tool, and verified features firsthand.
- Tier B — Light verification: We verified pricing and key claims against the tool's actual interface, but did not run a full hands-on test.
- Tier C — Research-based: Our review is based on independent test data, user reviews across multiple platforms, and official documentation.
We never say “we tested” when we mean “we read about someone else's test.” The evidence tier is displayed on each review page.
Contact & Corrections
Found an error? Disagree with a rating? We welcome corrections and will update any page where the data supports it. Email shaun@saasscored.com with the specific claim, the page it appears on, and your supporting evidence.