Everything on AI Tool Compared comes from somewhere you can check. Most of it comes from my own tests. The rest comes from the companies that make the tools, from research and from public records. This page explains which sources I use, how I use them and which ones I avoid.
My own tests
Most articles start with a test I ran myself. I give each tool the same task, record the exact prompt and save what the tool returned. In the article I note the tool, the model or plan where it matters, and the date of the test. When you see a prompt and output block, that is the unedited exchange.
A hands-on test is a small sample. Five prompts show how a tool handled those five prompts on that day. I report results at that scale, as counts like “3 of 5”, and I say how many runs a result is based on.
Information from the companies
For features, limits, prices and terms, I go to the tool’s own documentation, official pricing page, changelog and terms of service. Pricing changes often, so pricing tables show the date I checked them and link to the official page.
Marketing claims get different treatment. When a company says its tool is “99% accurate” or “never makes things up”, I quote it as a claim and test it where I can. Checking those claims is the reason this site exists.
Research and benchmarks
I link to peer-reviewed studies, preprints and independent benchmarks when they help explain a result. I say who ran the study, when, and what it measured. Preprints haven’t been through peer review yet, and I mention that when I cite one. A benchmark run by the company that makes the tool is labeled as the company’s own result.
Laws, regulators and public records
News about AI rules and policy is sourced to the bill, ruling, agency notice or official statement whenever one is available. News reports add context and reactions.
News reports
For news, I link to the original reporting and name the outlet. When a story rests on a single report, I say so.
What I don’t use as a source
- Answers from AI chatbots. I may use AI tools while researching, but a chatbot’s answer is never the source for a fact, number or quote. I check those against an original source.
- Screenshots and claims I can’t verify, including viral posts with no original link.
- Statistics without a clear origin. If I can’t trace a number back to whoever measured it, it doesn’t go in the article.
How sources appear in articles
Sources are linked where the fact appears and, in longer articles, listed again at the end. Charts and key numbers show their source directly underneath. External links open in a new tab.
If an article contains an affiliate link, a sponsorship or free access to a paid plan, the article says so, as described in the Editorial Policy.
When a source changes or disappears
Documentation pages move and prices change. When I find a dead link, I replace it with the current page or an archived copy of the original. If a source I relied on turns out to be wrong, I correct the article as described in the Corrections Policy.
Found a broken or wrong source? Send an email: [email protected].