How TrustList ranks
Every TrustList ranking orders listings by the TrustList Score: one number out of 100, built from evidence about what clients say, what has been checked, and what the business commits to. This page publishes all of it.
Free to be ranked
Being listed, ranked, vetted or entered for an award never costs anything.
Nothing paid counts
Sponsored placements are labelled and shown apart from the ranking. Paid services, including commissioned expert reviews, never add a point.
Evidence before a rank number
A listing gets a number when there is something checked about it. Until then it is listed, not ranked.
Nothing hidden
Every criterion, weight and scale is below. Weights change only with a new version, announced in advance.
Version 2026-Q4-v3 orders the rankings in the quarterly editions (below). A ranking not yet in an edition, and the scores on listing pages, still follow the previous method.
Quarterly editions
Rankings are published four times a year, on dated evidence, and then stay put.
Each quarter every ranking is ordered on the evidence held on a stated cut-off date and published as that quarter's edition (the first is Q4 2026). Positions are fixed until the next edition, so a place can be cited, and a rank badge says which edition it comes from. A business that joins a ranking in between is shown below the ranked list until then.
Within an edition, listings with evidence for a rank number come first, by TrustList Score. When scores are equal, the listing with more facts we can check comes first, then the one with the longer track record. Two listings equal on all three share a place (“=4”). On a place ranking (a city, region or country), a number also needs the place itself evidenced: its own website or its address puts it there, not a tag.
Every entry says why it is where it is, and what is not yet on record. Facts a business states on its own website count as evidenced: we read the site, record the fact with the date we read it, and the business can confirm or correct it from its profile. All editions
How an answer counts
Businesses answer our questions; how much an answer counts depends on how we know it.
| Declared | The business says so | 50% of the points |
| Evidenced | The business states it with evidence we have not checked further: a link it sent, or its own website, which we read and date | 80% of the points |
| Verified | TrustList checked it, or vetting confirmed it | 100% of the points |
| Measured | TrustList measured it directly (uptime, releases, enquiry response) | 100% of the points |
An answer older than 12 months counts as declared until the business confirms it again. A question left unanswered scores nothing. An answer TrustList rejects scores nothing until it is changed.
Service providers
6 themes, 100 points, and the questions that describe fit but never score.
Client satisfaction
30 pointsWhat clients say, how many clients the business serves and how many come back.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client rating | 12 | The average client rating, smoothed towards the average of all listings so a handful of reviews can't top the list. | From client reviews |
| Review volume, recency and verified share | 5 | How many client reviews there are (with diminishing returns), how many are verified, and how recent the latest is. | From client reviews |
| Clients who confirmed the work | 6 | Worked out by TrustList from the data it holds. | Measured by TrustList |
| Active clients“How many clients did you deliver work for in the last 12 months?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 3 | clients: 0 → 0, 1 → 20, 5 → 50, 20 → 75, 100 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Repeat business“What share of last year's revenue came from clients who had worked with you before?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 4 | %: 0 → 0, 40 → 50, 80 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
Credibility and compliance
20 pointsWhether the business has been checked, is properly registered, certified and insured.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrustList vetting | 8 | Full points while TrustList vetting is current; a narrower legacy registration check earns 60. | Verified by TrustList |
| Registered company“Is the business registered, and what is its registration number?” | 4 | Yes: 100. | Declared by the business; Verified by TrustList |
| Certifications and partner status“Which certifications and partner statuses do you currently hold?” | 5 | The first earns 60, each more adds 20, up to 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Professional indemnity insurance“Do you hold professional indemnity insurance?” | 3 | Yes: 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
Track record and stability
15 pointsHow long the business has operated, how long its people stay, how experienced they are and whether it files its accounts.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of the organisation“In which year was the business founded?” | 5 | years since: 0 → 0, 1 → 20, 3 → 45, 5 → 60, 10 → 80, 20 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| History of employment: average staff tenure“On average, how many years have your current staff worked for you?” | 4 | years: 0 → 0, 0.5 → 20, 1 → 40, 2 → 60, 3 → 80, 5 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Staff turnover“What share of staff left in the last 12 months?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 2 | %: 0 → 100, 10 → 100, 20 → 70, 35 → 40, 50 → 10, 100 → 0; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Seniority“What share of your staff have five or more years of experience in their field?” | 2 | %: 0 → 0, 10 → 30, 25 → 60, 40 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Financial stability“Does the business file its accounts, and how has revenue moved over the last two years?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 2 | Accounts filed, revenue growing: 100; Accounts filed, revenue steady: 100; Accounts filed, revenue declining: 60; Accounts not filed publicly: 0. | Declared by the business; Verified by TrustList |
Delivery commitments
15 pointsWhat the business commits to in writing, and whether it delivers on time.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written SLA“Do you give clients a written service level agreement?” | 5 | No written SLA: 0; Written SLA: 50; Written SLA with response-time commitments: 75; Written SLA with response times and service credits or penalties: 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| On-time delivery“What share of projects in the last 12 months were delivered on the agreed date?” | 5 | %: 0 → 0, 50 → 20, 70 → 60, 90 → 100; in between proportionally. | Measured by TrustList; Declared by the business |
| Post-launch warranty or support“After delivery, how long do you fix defects at no extra cost?” | 2 | No warranty period: 0; Up to 30 days: 50; 90 days or more: 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Delivery capacity“How many projects did you complete in the last 12 months?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 3 | projects per 10 staff: 0 → 0, 2 → 40, 5 → 70, 10 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
Recognition
10 pointsAwards held, weighted by result, and independent expert reviews.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awards held | 7 | Awards held: a win earns 50, two earn full points; lesser results count for less. | Verified by TrustList |
| Independent expert reviews | 3 | Independent expert reviews: 60 for one, 80 for two, 100 for three or more, scaled by their rating. Reviews the listing paid for never count. | Verified by TrustList |
Responsiveness
10 pointsHow quickly the business answers enquiries, whether it replies to reviews, keeps its facts current and publishes its pricing.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiry response time“How quickly do you usually reply to a new enquiry?” | 4 | Within 4 hours: 100; Within a day: 75; Within 3 days: 40; Longer: 10.When TrustList measures it, the measurement replaces the answer. | Declared by the business; Measured by TrustList |
| Replies to client reviews | 2 | Half points for replying to client reviews, full points for replying to most of them. | Measured by TrustList |
| Claimed and kept current | 2 | Full points when the business has claimed its listing and confirmed its answers in the last 12 months; half when claimed only. | Measured by TrustList |
| Pricing published | 2 | Full points when an hourly rate or a minimum project size is published. | Measured by TrustList |
Fit: filters, never points
These describe who the business suits. They help buyers filter and match, and they never add or remove a point: a small specialist is not worse than a large firm, it suits different buyers.
Annual revenue · Number of staff · Offices · Countries covered · Industries covered · Minimum project size · Hourly rate · Typical project length · Engagement models · Contract terms · Working languages · Client focus
Software products
6 themes, 100 points, and the questions that describe fit but never score.
Customer satisfaction
30 pointsWhat customers say, how many pay for the product and how many stay.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer rating | 12 | The average client rating, smoothed towards the average of all listings so a handful of reviews can't top the list. | From client reviews |
| Review volume, recency and verified share | 5 | How many client reviews there are (with diminishing returns), how many are verified, and how recent the latest is. | From client reviews |
| Customers who confirmed they use it | 5 | Worked out by TrustList from the data it holds. | Measured by TrustList |
| Paying customers“How many paying customers use the product today?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 4 | customers: 0 → 0, 10 → 20, 100 → 50, 1000 → 75, 10000 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Retention“What share of last year's customers (or revenue) renewed?”Counts, but the answer itself is never shown publicly. | 4 | %: 0 → 0, 70 → 30, 85 → 70, 95 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
Reliability and stability
20 pointsUptime, what the vendor commits to, how often it has incidents and how fast critical bugs are fixed.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uptime, last 90 days“What was the product's uptime over the last 90 days?” | 7 | %: 0 → 0, 99 → 20, 99.5 → 40, 99.9 → 75, 99.95 → 90, 99.99 → 100; in between proportionally.When TrustList measures it, the measurement replaces the answer. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Measured by TrustList |
| Uptime SLA“Do you commit to an uptime level in your terms?” | 4 | No uptime commitment: 0; Uptime commitment: 60; Uptime commitment with service credits: 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Stability: major incidents“How many major incidents (outage or data problem affecting customers) in the last 90 days?” | 4 | incidents: 0 → 100, 1 → 80, 2 → 60, 3 → 60, 4 → 35, 6 → 35, 7 → 10, 30 → 0; in between proportionally.When TrustList measures it, the measurement replaces the answer. | Declared by the business; Measured by TrustList |
| Bug fix times (critical)“For a critical bug, what are your minimum and maximum fix times?” | 5 | hours: 0 → 100, 24 → 100, 72 → 70, 168 → 40, 336 → 15, 10000 → 15, scored on the longest time; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked |
Support
10 pointsWhen customers can get help, how fast they get a first reply and how much help is published.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support hours“When is support available?” | 4 | 24/7: 100; Extended hours or weekends: 70; Business hours: 45; Email only, no set hours: 15. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| First response time (critical)“How quickly do you first respond to a critical support request?” | 3 | hours: 0 → 100, 1 → 100, 4 → 70, 24 → 40, 72 → 10, 1000 → 0; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked |
| Documentation and onboarding help“Which of these do you publish?” | 3 | Each of the 3 counts equally. | Declared by the business; Verified by TrustList |
Momentum and value
15 pointsHow often the product improves, how fast a customer can start, and how its price compares.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency of updates“How often do you ship product updates?” | 5 | Weekly or more: 100; Two to four times a month: 85; Monthly: 65; Quarterly: 35; Less often: 0.When TrustList measures it, the measurement replaces the answer. | Declared by the business; Measured by TrustList |
| Time to start“How long from sign-up to first real use?” | 4 | Instant, self-serve: 100; Under a day: 85; Under a week: 60; One to four weeks: 35; Longer: 15. | Declared by the business; Verified by TrustList |
| Competitive pricing | 4 | The entry price per user the business gives in its ranking answers, compared with the other products in its category that gave one, once four have: cheapest quarter 100, second 75, third 50, dearest 25. No answer, no points. | Measured by TrustList |
| Pricing transparency and trial | 2 | A third each for public pricing, a free trial or free plan, and no setup fee. | Measured by TrustList |
Security and compliance
10 pointsIndependent security certifications, privacy compliance and account security features.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security certifications“Which security certifications does the product hold?” | 5 | The first earns 80, each more adds 20, up to 100. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Privacy and data“Which of these apply?” | 3 | Each of the 3 counts equally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Account security“Which account security features are available?” | 2 | Each of the 3 counts equally. | Declared by the business; Verified by TrustList |
Credibility and recognition
15 pointsVetting of the vendor, the product's track record, awards and independent expert reviews.
| Criterion | Points | How it scores (out of 100, then weighted) | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrustList vetting | 7 | Full points while TrustList vetting is current; a narrower legacy registration check earns 60. | Verified by TrustList |
| Product track record“In which year did the product launch?” | 3 | years since: 0 → 0, 1 → 20, 3 → 50, 5 → 70, 10 → 100; in between proportionally. | Declared by the business; Evidence sent, not yet checked; Verified by TrustList |
| Awards held | 3 | Awards held: a win earns 50, two earn full points; lesser results count for less. | Verified by TrustList |
| Independent expert reviews | 2 | Independent expert reviews: 60 for one, 80 for two, 100 for three or more, scaled by their rating. Reviews the listing paid for never count. | Verified by TrustList |
Fit: filters, never points
These describe who the business suits. They help buyers filter and match, and they never add or remove a point: a small specialist is not worse than a large firm, it suits different buyers.
Delivery · Pricing model · Entry price per user per month · Minimum seats · Company size it suits · API · Mobile apps · Languages · Data hosting regions · Support channels
Ranked or listed
What earns a number in a ranking.
A listing gets a rank number when it has at least one of: a client review, TrustList vetting, an award, an independent expert review, 5 verified or measured answers, a fact stated on its own website, read by TrustList. Listings without any are shown after the ranked ones, as listed, in the order of their score.
Scores are shown to 1 decimal place. Listings with the same score share a rank, shown as “=4”. Past rank 100, ranks are shown in bands of 50 (“101–150”): small differences that far down are not meaningful.
What never counts
- Sponsored placements, house placements and anything else bought from TrustList.
- Expert reviews the listing paid for. They are shown, labelled, and not scored.
- Size for its own sake: revenue, staff numbers and office count are fit filters, not points.
Businesses can see their own score by theme in the TrustList Growth Hub. TrustList Intelligence can advise a business on improving its organisation and its evidence; it can’t change a score, and nothing about it counts.
Editions and corrections
Rankings are published as quarterly editions, with corrections recorded here.
Each quarter we publish an edition: the rank numbers, frozen with an evidence cut-off date, until the next one. Rank badges cite the edition. Businesses that arrive or qualify mid-quarter are listed below the ranked ones until the next edition. See every edition.
When we find an error that changed a published rank (a wrong answer we verified, a review we should have excluded), we correct the ranking and record it here with the edition and page it affected.
- 2026-10-06 (2026-Q4 edition, all rankings): Rebuilt with 6,881 more facts read from the profiles we wrote (a business's stated years in business, more ways of stating a founding year, 24/7 support), and with four Bahrain business-service members removed whose own websites place them elsewhere or no longer exist. Rankings in the edition: 3,130 → 4,047. A year read from "more than 20 years" is shown as "In business 20+ years", never as a founding year.
- 2026-10-06 (2026-Q4 edition, software rankings): Rebuilt with facts read from software vendors' own websites (security certifications and certificates, GDPR and HIPAA compliance, 24/7 support, uptime commitments; each with the page and sentence it came from) and major incidents counted from their public status pages over 90 days. Products with evidence for a rank number: 726 → 1,733; rankings in the edition: 4,047 → 5,099.
- 2026-10-06 (2026-Q4 edition, all rankings): Lead cap: no listing ranks first on more than 5 rankings. A business filed under many subjects and places led every one of them. It keeps first place on the 5 rankings where its lead over the next listing is largest; on the others the next ranked listing leads and the entry says why. Where a page's few ranked listings all lead too many, first place goes to the one leading fewest. 3,462 first places moved.
- 2026-10-06 (2026-Q4 edition, IT service provider rankings): IT service providers joined the Q4 2026 edition a week early, once our search experiment on their pages was stopped, with 8,304 of them moved into the categories that fit their main business. Their place rankings now count only businesses with evidence of being in that place. Rankings in the edition: 5,571.
- 2026-10-09 (2026-Q4 edition, all rankings): Ranking review after the profile rewrite finished: rebuilt on 2,412 more facts; a business listed twice now appears once on each page (4,505 duplicate entries); 47 businesses in the top five of the most-visited rankings that do not do what the page ranks were removed from those pages; 588 names carrying a page-title tagline were shortened to the business name; every ranked entry now states its evidence. Rankings in the edition: 6,997 of 13,744.
- 2026-10-12 (2026-Q4 edition, service, industry and skill rankings): Service evidence: a company now counts on a ranking for a service, an industry it serves or a skill only when the profile we wrote from its own website names it (claimed listings keep their tags). Rankings for subjects that do not fit the kind of business (for example accounting firms for Goals) are no longer ranked or offered to search. On the UK web development ranking, 48 of 540 tagged firms remain, all of them web agencies. Rankings in the edition: 3,382 of 13,748.
Versions
- 2026-Q4-v3 (2026-10-05): First quarterly edition (doc 129). Facts a business states on its own website, read by TrustList when we wrote its profile, count as evidenced (0.8): the founding and launch year now accept that source. A rank number can also rest on such a fact (site_evidence), so a ranking numbers the businesses we can say something checkable about and lists the rest. Weights unchanged.
- 2026-11-v2 (2026-09-21): Competitive pricing compares only the entry price a business gives in its ranking answers; a product without one is not scored on price. The profile's 'priced per user' yes/no had been read as a price of 1, which placed every per-user product in its category's cheapest quarter.
- 2026-11-v2 (2026-09-17): Customers confirm a business themselves (doc 89): confirmed clients and customers replace the reference count the business declared, on-time delivery comes from what those clients said, and review volume reaches full points at 30 reviews. Client and customer satisfaction stay at 30 points.
- 2026-11-v2 (2026-09-16): Our own criteria per listing kind (doc 84, approved by the owner): scored criteria with published scales, fit criteria as filters, confidence by source.
- 2026-10-v1 (2026-09-16): Five general lenses, computed in the background next to the current ranking.