How we test, score and make money
A directory is only worth reading if you know how it was assembled. Here is exactly how our scores are produced and where our revenue comes from.
The score is a weighted average
Every provider is scored out of 10 on five criteria. Each criterion carries a weight, and the published score is their weighted average. Every score on the site shows its own breakdown, including the written reasoning behind each number.
- Pool quality×1.5
Size matters less than health. We measure how many IPs in a pool actually respond and how often we see the same address twice.
- Success rate×1.5
The share of requests that return the expected response against a fixed set of protected and permissive targets.
- Pricing transparency×1.0
Whether rates are published, whether the effective cost is predictable, and how much is hidden behind a sales call.
- Ease of use×1.0
Time from signup to first successful request, plus the quality of the dashboard and documentation.
- Support×1.0
How quickly a technical question gets a technical answer, tested by asking one.
Editorial and user ratings are separate
The editor score is ours. The user rating is an average of approved reviews submitted by readers. We never merge the two, and we never seed user reviews — if a provider shows no user rating, it genuinely has none yet.
How we make money
Some outbound links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you sign up through them. Every page carrying such a link says so.
Commercial relationships never affect scores or ranking order. A provider that pays us nothing can — and does — outrank one that pays us. Where a placement is paid, it is labelled “Sponsored” and it still appears in its score-determined position.
When we get it wrong
Pricing and features change constantly, and we date every review so you can judge how fresh it is. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.