About RankPicked
Who We Are
RankPicked is an independent review publication dedicated to testing tech products in real-world conditions. We believe you deserve honest reviews backed by actual data, not marketing hype.
Our team of specialized reviewers—including security analysts, hosting infrastructure experts, and AI researchers—tests every product we review. We never publish based on specs alone. We test based on performance.
Our Testing Methodology
For VPN services, we measure real-world speed across multiple server locations, test streaming on Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu, verify leak protection with live DNS/IP tests, and audit privacy claims with independent auditors.
For web hosting, we migrate test sites to each provider, monitor uptime continuously, measure real page load times, interact with support at off-hours, and test backup/restore procedures.
For AI tools, we run actual workflows: writing articles, analyzing data, generating code, and synthesizing research. We measure output quality, not just speed or feature lists.
Editorial Independence
Our reviews are written by our editorial team and are not influenced by advertising or sponsorship considerations. We clearly disclose our affiliate relationships and financial incentives on every review page and in our Affiliate Disclosure.
We do participate in affiliate programs (disclosed in every review). However, we rank products by actual performance, not commission size. If the best product doesn't have an affiliate program, we still recommend it.
Our editors maintain strict ethical standards:
- We independently purchase all products we review (we don't accept review units)
- We never accept payment from companies to promote their products
- We don't alter recommendations based on sponsorship status
- We publish critical findings even if they hurt affiliate relationships
Our Team
RankPicked is staffed by writers with deep expertise in their categories. Our VPN editor spent a decade as a penetration tester. Our hosting expert ran a web agency. Our AI writer studied linguistics and works with AI tools daily.
Read more about our individual editors on our Authors page.
Why We Don't Review Everything
We focus on products we can test rigorously. If a product requires specialized hardware we can't access, or if we can't test core functionality under real-world conditions, we don't publish.
We'd rather publish 5 thorough reviews than 50 shallow ones.
Contact
Have a question about our methodology? Found an error in a review? Want to sponsor an article (we're open to it, with disclosure)?
Email us at [email protected].