Editorial standards
How we review apps
Every listing on apptidal blends two things: facts pulled straight from the official app stores, and judgement earned by actually using the app. This page explains exactly how that works, where our numbers come from, and why an advertiser can never buy a better score.
Our promise in one paragraph
We do not build the apps we cover, we do not take payment to publish a review, and we never let a developer approve their own score. apptidal is funded by advertising, so every verdict stays free to read and free from the conflicts of sponsored placement.
Five principles we answer to
These are the questions our editors are expected to answer before a review is ready to publish.
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Hands on, not hearsay
We install the app, create an account where one is needed, and use it for real tasks before a single sentence is written.
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Show the working
Scores come from a published rubric with fixed weights, not a gut feeling. Anyone can see how a number was reached.
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Facts from the source
Prices, versions, ratings and release dates come from the official stores through their public data feeds, not a marketing page.
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Kept current
An app that was great a year ago may not be today. We re-check listings on a schedule and after major updates.
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Independent by design
Advertising pays the bills so that app makers do not. No money changes hands for coverage, ranking or a kinder verdict.
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Breadth over the obvious
We cover niche apps alongside household names, across price points and platforms, so a category is genuinely useful.
From install to published verdict
Every scored review moves through the same four stages, in the same order.
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Hands-on testing
A review begins the way you would use the app yourself. We download it from the official store, set it up from scratch, and push it through the jobs it is built for, on current hardware and, where it matters, an older device too. Photo editors get a real edit and export; planners get a working week of tasks; a VPN is connected, speed-checked and tested for leaks.
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Scoring against the rubric
One editor runs the testing and proposes category marks; a second checks the evidence and the maths before anything publishes. The weights are fixed across the whole site, so a finance app and a game are judged by the same yardstick. If the two editors disagree, they re-test the disputed area rather than splitting the difference.
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Sourcing real store data
The factual details, the icon, current price, version, age rating, file size, dates, screenshots and the store rating, are pulled from the official stores rather than typed in by hand. Apple platforms come through the public iTunes Search API; Android through publicly available Google Play listing data. Store data and editorial opinion are always kept clearly labelled and separate.
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Keeping reviews current
An app is a moving target, so currency is part of the standard, not an afterthought. Store fields refresh automatically, editors revisit reviews on a rolling basis with fast-moving categories coming round more often, and a major update or pricing change triggers a fresh hands-on session that can move the score up or down.
One star rating, six weighted parts
apptidal rates apps from 0 to 5 in tenth-of-a-point steps, the same scale the stores use. Behind that single figure is a 100-point internal score built from six weighted categories.
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Core experience & usefulness
30%How well the app does the job it exists to do, and how good it feels to use day to day.
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Performance & stability
20%Speed, reliability, crashes, and resource use across the devices we test.
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Value for money
15%What you get free versus paid, the fairness of subscriptions, and honesty around pricing.
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Privacy & permissions
15%Data collection, tracking, the clarity of privacy labels, and whether requests are proportionate.
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Design & accessibility
12%Clarity of the interface, visual quality, and support for users with different needs.
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Updates & developer support
8%Update cadence, responsiveness to bugs, and how the developer handles user feedback.
Weights are fixed site-wide and always sum to 100%.
What each band means
To make the final star rating easy to read at a glance, we band it like this.
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4.5 and up
Outstanding. A best-in-class app we would recommend without hesitation.
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4.0 - 4.4
Strong. Very good, with only minor trade-offs.
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3.5 - 3.9
Solid. Worth using, but with caveats we spell out.
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3.0 - 3.4
Mixed. Real strengths undercut by real problems.
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Below 3.0
Skip for now. Better options exist in the category.
Store data, straight from the source
Pulling directly from the official stores keeps these fields accurate, so a price or version change at the store is reflected here rather than going stale.
Apple platforms
iTunes Search API
The public Apple feed supplies icons, pricing, version numbers, age ratings, screenshots and store ratings for iOS, iPadOS and Mac listings.
Android
Google Play listing data
Publicly available Play listing data keeps the same factual fields aligned for Android, and download links always point to the official listing.
App metadata, icons and screenshots are provided through Apple's iTunes Search API and Google Play. Trademarks and app artwork are the property of their respective owners. apptidal is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Google LLC.
Readers pay, so app makers don't
apptidal is supported by advertising, including ads served through Google AdSense. Those ads are clearly labelled and kept separate from editorial. To protect that independence we hold a few firm lines.
- We do not accept payment, free premium subscriptions or gifts in exchange for a review, a higher score, or a better position in a category.
- Advertisers have no say over which apps we cover or what we conclude, and no advance look at a review.
- Rankings and recommendations are based on our rubric alone. Ad revenue is never a factor.
- If a link to an app ever earns us a commission, we disclose it on the page. A commission never changes a score.
Spotted something wrong?
We get things wrong sometimes, and when we do, we fix it. If you find an error in a review or a piece of store data, tell us and we will investigate, correct it, and note significant changes on the listing.
apptidal is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. or Google LLC. App names, icons, screenshots and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are shown for identification and review purposes. Prices, availability and features are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of testing or sync, and may have changed since. Always confirm the current details on the official store listing before you download or pay.