How We Test, Rate, and Review Products

At All About Cookies, our #1 priority is you. We aim for everything we test, rate, rank, and write to be both helpful and unbiased, because we know that’s what you come to us for — to find the products that really work best for you.

Our team of privacy and security experts aim to strip back the marketing on tech software, uncover the details, and distill the information in easy-to-read reviews, rankings, and articles. We achieve this by using our carefully developed testing and rating processes.

Here’s a full look into the methodology that informs all the behind-the-scenes decisions at All About Cookies.

Why you can trust us

It can be hard to shake off the feeling that money may be influencing the opinions you read online. That’s why we want to make it extremely clear that we never accept money in return for reviews.

Here’s how we keep the bias out of our reviews:

How we test products hands-on

Our testing process involves buying the premium version of a software subscription, using it like any user would, and putting it through a vigorous set of tests.

For example, when testing a VPN, we use trusted third-party websites to evaluate speed by recording our starting speed and comparing it against multiple servers across the world. We then calculate the percentage of speed loss per server to get an overview of the impact.

What we look for

While the specifics of what we look for in these tests depends on what type of product we’re reviewing, here are the overlying criteria we’re evaluating every time:

• Privacy: Is the product careful with the user’s information? Does it have a well-defined privacy policy with very limited logs?
• Security: Does the product protect the user’s information by providing two-factor authentication or other features?
• Features: Does the product’s set of features achieve what’s promised in its marketing materials? Does the product include extra features that go above and beyond what other similar products offer?
• Ease of use: Is the product easy to understand and learn? Is there a learning curve that may scare away people who are less tech savvy? Is the interface clean and easy to navigate, or cluttered and convoluted?
• Compatibility: Which operating systems is the product available on? Does it have browser extensions? If so, do those browser extensions allow for all features or just certain ones?
• Value: Will the user feel like they’re getting their money’s worth with this product? How does the price point compare to similar products on the market? Is there a free trial or money-back guarantee available?

Our testing methodology by product type

The guidelines above are supplemented by a specific set of standardized tests we’ve developed for each of the main product types we review.

Here’s a deeper look at the intricacies of our testing methodologies for key product types:

• VPN testing methodology
• Ad blocker testing methodology

How we rate products objectively

We calculate star ratings by looking at the most important features for each product type (VPNs, ad blockers, password managers, etc.). We’ve developed a scoring scale for each of these features, which we then aggregate and weigh to create an overall star rating.

Each product is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the best score.

Here’s an example breakdown of what features we measure for two of our key product types:

How we keep information up to date

The tech world is notorious for moving fast. An ad blocker that works on YouTube one day may be blocked the next. A VPN that nails the speed test one week may make streaming impossible another.

That’s why we conduct frequent product retests to make sure our information is validated at least several times a year.

We also keep our finger on the pulse of privacy and security products so we’re always the first to know of any major updates. Once a change comes through that impacts our reviews and rankings, we get the information updated in the fastest, most efficient way possible.

Our expert reviewers

There are real people behind every article, review, and ranking you read on All About Cookies. And every one of them is passionate about finding the privacy and security products that actually work.

Kalleigh Lane

LEAD EDITOR

Kalleigh is a passionate digital security software expert with over five years of experience writing, editing, and testing tech content (and a lifetime of experience being a tech nerd). Always fascinated with technology and testing the limits of what it can do, she has a background in programming and is devoted to helping people be safe online.

Stephanie Trejos

EDITOR

With over five years of professional writing experience, Steph has established herself in the cybersecurity realm, having tested countless digital security software, like VPNs, ad blockers, and antivirus apps. Beyond software, she also specializes in anti-financial crime and cybercrime topics.

Kate Quinlan

EDITOR

Kate has over eight years of digital publishing experience and a background in EdTech. As a digital security expert, she leverages her passion for helping people to create impactful, well-researched content on a wide-range of security software topics.

Mary James

WRITER

Mary is a cybersecurity writer with over seven years of experience and hundreds of products under her belt. With a background in cybersecurity sales, she distills everything she knows into easy-to-read guides on a wide range of cybersecurity topics, from VPNs to antivirus software.

See our full team of content experts here