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Software Review Methodology

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Our Methodology for Selecting and Reviewing Apps to Feature on Nifty Blogs

We believe in recommending tools that truly add value for our readers. That's why every app we mention or review on our blog undergoes a careful and independent evaluation process.

For anyone who lands on our blogs looking for the best tools and before making a decision, you need to know how we assess these apps before they make it onto our site. So, let's get started with the process!

Why should you trust us?

  1. We're the creators of Nifty, trusted by 20,000+ teams. With 8+ years of experience building project management solutions, our expertise helps us carefully recommend the best tools for you.
  2. Our group of researchers, writers, and analysts works hand in hand to carefully examine and propose the best tools available for you.
  3. After reviewing over 500 SaaS applications from different sectors such as project management, HR, and customer relationship management, we provide you with insights that genuinely align with what you're looking for!
  4. Our approach goes beyond simply reviewing apps; we compare them side by side, so you can quickly see which one meets your needs perfectly.
  5. We prioritize real-life scenarios, ensuring that every tool we cover is evaluated for its effectiveness in actual business situations.

Here is the process we follow to select and review tools

Our software review methodology is based on 4 steps - Research, Shortlist, Test, and Recommend. Here are the steps below for our software review process.

1. Research

Understanding What People Actually Need

Before we even look at a single app, we start by understanding the real problems people are trying to solve.

For Example, if we are creating an article on the 15 Best task management software.

We look at:

  • What people complain about on Reddit (e.g., "My team never updates tasks").
  • G2 and Capterra reviews for recurring pain points (e.g., poor client reporting, steep learning curve).
  • Feedback from our Nifty user base (we serve 20,000+ teams globally), and feedback from other customers for other tools.
  • Industry forums where PMs share tips and frustrations.
  • Blog search terms like "tools for managing remote teams" or "Gantt chart vs Kanban view".

Final Criteria to Select the Software

  • Function & Features
  • Pricing
  • Customer Support
  • User experience
  • Standout feature for Specific Category

2. Shortlist

Our dedicated team of analysts puts in countless hours digging into research to pinpoint the exact needs that empower our readers to make confident choices when it comes to buying software.

We shortlist a few tools from software review sites, customer feedback, LLM suggestions, and top-ranking sites in SERPs, to match them with real user needs and expectations.

This process allows us to build a comprehensive list of tools, which we then manually test and evaluate before approving them for inclusion in our final recommendations.

3. Real Life Testing

After shortlisting tools & software, we start picking every tool to start the most important phase of evaluation. We follow the final criteria for testing software.

Features & Functionalities

  1. Problem-Solving Capabilities: We focus on whether the tool's features directly address real user pain points seen in feedback and reviews.
  2. Depth Over Hype: It's not just about how many features a tool offers, but how well those features actually work for you in real-world use cases.
  3. Ease of Use & Flexibility: We assess how intuitive the tool is for different teams and whether it adapts well to various workflows or needs.

In our comparison section, we show every standout feature that makes the tools the best fit for readers.

Pricing

We consider the following steps when checking the pricing structure.

  1. Flat rate or per-user fee to which model offers more flexibility and value for teams of different sizes.
  2. All pricing plans with features to see if the user can get real value from what they are paying for.
  3. Free vs 14-day free trial to test how much you can explore during these periods to see if they're enough to make an informed decision.

Customer Support

Customer support is an important aspect we consider to ensure that users find any difficulties in using the software and how quickly they can solve their issues.

  1. We manually raise queries to test their support in real time.
  2. Test how effectively users can get support.
  3. We test all the customer support options like live chat, messages, chatbot, email, etc.

User Experience

To test the user experience, our team creates demo projects to assess setup simplicity, navigation flow, feature accessibility, learning curve, and how easily it integrates with other tools.

4. Final Review

After going through the entire process and putting in hours of deep research, analysis, and testing, our team selects the best tools to put in our articles.

If we say "15 Best task management software", it means they are well tested for real-life use cases, including a comparison table with standout features so you can confidently make the right decision as per your requirements.

We are proud to hold the confidence of thousands of visitors who read our blogs daily to make a final decision to invest in tools.

If you want to select the right tool for your organization, you can confidently read our articles.

Explore our top-reviewed software picks trusted by thousands each month.

Read all the blogs on Nifty to find more software reviews.

Frequently asked questions

Are the tools in your reviews sponsored or paid placements?

No. Our software recommendations are 100% editorially independent. We do not accept payment for inclusion in any article. If a tool is listed as a top choice, it's because it earned that spot through research, testing, and value, not influence.

How often do you update your software reviews?

We monitor tools continuously and revisit articles regularly to ensure they stay up to date. If a product improves, adds features, or becomes less competitive, our recommendations change accordingly.

Do you include Nifty in your articles?

Yes, we include Nifty in our articles, but not because we are the creators of Nifty; we only include Nifty if it is the best fit as per user requirements.

It may be possible that any tool you find much better than those listed in our blogs, you can consider using it according to your convenience.