Our Testing Methodology
Summary: We buy every service with our own crypto, use it for 30-60 days, measure performance metrics, then score on a 10-point scale.
Our 6-step testing protocol
1. Purchase
We create an account and pay with our own cryptocurrency (BTC, XMR, or USDT). We never accept free accounts or sponsored access.
2. Setup
We configure the service following the provider documentation. We note any setup friction or technical issues.
3. Long-term testing (30-60 days)
We use the service continuously for 30-60 days depending on category:
- VPS: 60 days, automated uptime monitoring every 60 seconds
- Gift cards: 30 purchases minimum per site
- SMS: 20 verification attempts per service
- GPU rental: 100+ hours of training/rendering
- Exchanges: 40+ test swaps
- Cloud phones: 30 days continuous operation
4. Metrics collection
We measure category-specific metrics:
- VPS: Uptime %, network Mbps, disk I/O MB/s, support response time
- Gift cards: Delivery time, validity rate, fees %
- SMS: Reception rate %, delivery speed, price per SMS
- GPU: Uptime %, instance launch time, price per hour
- Exchanges: Spread %, swap time, no-KYC limits
5. Support testing
We submit 2-3 support tickets per service with realistic questions. We measure response time and answer quality.
6. Scoring
We score on a 10-point scale using weighted criteria:
- Performance/Reliability: 40%
- Price/Value: 25%
- Privacy/Anonymity: 20%
- Support quality: 15%
What we will not do
- Accept sponsored placements or payment for reviews
- Rank services we have not personally tested
- Let affiliate status influence scores
- Publish one-day tests as "reviews"
- Share our real identities with tested services
Corrections policy
If we make a mistake, we publish a correction on our corrections log with the date, what changed, and why.