Plainstack

Editorial Policy

Plainstack exists to help US small-business owners and independent professionals make faster, better-informed decisions about AI productivity tools. This page explains exactly how we research what we publish, so you can weigh our recommendations accordingly.

How we research tools and pricing

Every tool profile, comparison, and buying guide on this site is desk research, not hands-on product testing. We do not sign up for, operate, or personally use the products we cover. Instead, we read each vendor's own pricing pages, product documentation, changelogs, and public support resources, and we synthesize that information into plain-language comparisons and real cost math for specific business sizes.

We believe this distinction matters, and we'd rather disclose it clearly than let a review imply testing that didn't happen. Every page that discusses a specific tool carries a visible "Desk-researched, not hands-on tested" notice near the top.

Who writes this site

Content is published under a single, consistent byline — "Plainstack Editorial Team" — rather than attributed to an invented individual with a fabricated background. We chose consistency and honesty over the appearance of a personal reviewer we don't actually have.

Freshness and corrections

Vendor pricing and features change often. Every tool and comparison page displays the date its pricing was last verified ("as of"), and we review comparison/pricing content on at least a quarterly basis. If you notice outdated or incorrect information, please contact us — we correct pages promptly and note substantive changes with an updated "dateModified".

How we handle affiliate relationships and advertising

Plainstack may in the future display advertising (for example, through Google AdSense) or participate in affiliate programs. If and when that happens, any such relationship will be disclosed clearly on the relevant pages, before you reach any monetized content — never buried in a footer.

What we won't do