✔ How we vet tools

What we check

• The official site works. We load the vendor's own website and make sure it's up and is the real company, not a lookalike.
• Pricing is posted, and we re-check it. We open the vendor's own pricing page and compare it to what our listing says. If it's changed, we fix our listing. If a vendor only gives quotes after a demo, we say so instead of guessing a number.
• There's a privacy policy. You're handing these tools your customers' names and phone numbers, so a missing privacy policy is a red flag.
• No scam signs. Things like a dead or half-built site, no company details, no way to contact anyone, or a checkout that doesn't look right.

What it doesn't mean

Vetted means a tool passed these basic checks. It isn't a guarantee the tool is right for your shop, and we haven't run every tool in a live business. Read the pros and cons, start with a trial if there is one, and confirm the price on the vendor's site before you pay.

How often we re-check

We re-check every listing periodically. The last full pass was Oct 16, 2026, and all 42 tools passed. A tool that fails, say its site goes dead or it looks like a scam, comes off the directory. Smaller problems get noted on the listing.

You can't buy a Vetted badge

Every listed tool gets the same check, whether it pays us or not. Sponsors pay for placement only, and sponsored spots are always labeled "Featured" or "Sponsored." Paying doesn't change a verdict, a ranking or the badge.

Think we got something wrong? Email mainstreettools@gmail.com and we'll look again.