How to Read a Software Review (and Spot the Ones Written From a Press Release)
Many software reviews are summaries of a feature list. A few signs tell you whether the writer used the product, and whether the verdict applies to a business like yours.
Searching for a business tool turns up page after page of reviews, and they can look identical: a list of features, a star rating and a confident recommendation. Some were written by someone who used the product for a month. Others were written from the vendor's press kit.
Signs the writer used the product
Look for details a feature list cannot give you: how long setup took, a setting that was hard to find, something that failed during testing. A review that has no complaints at all has probably not been tested.
Check who it was tested for
A tool can be excellent for a ten-person agency and clumsy for a forty-person warehouse. Good reviews say who the verdict is for. If the review never mentions team size, industry or the job being done, treat the rating with caution.
Affiliate links are normal, hidden ones are not
Many sites earn commission when you click through. That is fine if it is disclosed and the review still lists weaknesses. Be wary when every product gets four or five stars.
Read the cons first
Skip to the weaknesses. Specific, believable cons, such as limited reporting, a clumsy mobile app or an expensive add-on, are a sign of honest testing. Vague ones such as can take time to learn are filler.
Cross-check the price
Prices change often. Check the vendor's own pricing page, and look at what the review says about add-ons, user limits and contract terms, not just the starting price.
A review without a single complaint has not been tested.
Used well, reviews narrow a long list to two or three tools. The trial, not the review, should make the final call.
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