Our methodology

Every platform we review is scored the same way, by the same rubric, so our ratings are comparable and transparent. We rate five dimensions, each on a 0 to 5 scale, and combine them into a single overall score. We host no explicit media — our judgements are editorial, based on the platform’s practices, catalogue, and terms.

How we review

We subscribe and test. We pay for the platforms, use them across devices, and cancel to test the flow, so our verdicts come from first-hand experience rather than marketing pages.

Ethics is a scored category. Ethics and performer treatment are two of the five sub-scores below — not a marketing badge — and a platform’s ethics claim moves its number only when it is verifiable.

Words only, by design. We evaluate craft, ethics, value, and fit in prose and link out; we never reproduce the content. It is both our editorial stance and the legal safe harbor the site depends on.

The five sub-scores

Ethics & consent (0–5): how clearly the platform demonstrates informed, ongoing performer consent and ethical sourcing of its content.

Performer treatment (0–5): fair pay, working conditions, credited performers, and the platform’s relationship with the people it features.

Production quality (0–5): the craft and care of the material — writing, audio, or film — judged against its category.

Value (0–5): what you get for the price, including catalogue depth, update cadence, and plan flexibility.

Privacy (0–5): account privacy, data handling, discreet billing, and how much the platform respects your anonymity.

The 0–5 scale

0 means a serious failing or absence; 5 means best-in-class. Most reputable platforms land between 2 and 4 on any given dimension — a 5 is earned, not given.

How the overall score is derived

The overall score is the average of the five sub-scores, also expressed on the 0–5 scale, rounded to one decimal place. Ethics & consent and performer treatment are never averaged away — a platform that fails on either cannot earn a top overall score, regardless of production quality or value. We revisit scores as platforms change their practices.