How We Check Software

A software site asks you to trust it. We would rather show you things you can check yourself. This page lists what we do, what happens automatically, and where our checks stop.

Before a program is listed

It must be a well-known, actively maintained program with an official website or official release page.
The Download button must go to that official source. We do not host, wrap or repackage any installer.
We write the review and the pros and cons ourselves. Publishers cannot pay for a listing or a better position.

Checks that run automatically

Versions: every day a batch of programs is compared with Microsoft's public winget catalog, so each program is checked about every three days. The date of the last check is on its page.
Links: official links are tested in daily batches, and the last good test is shown on each page.
Fingerprints: where the catalog lists an installer, we show its address and SHA-256 fingerprint.

How to check a file yourself

Download the file and open PowerShell.
Run the Get-FileHash command shown on the program's page.
Compare the result with the fingerprint on the page. If they match, you have the same file the catalog lists.
Open the VirusTotal link to see that file's scan report. A single warning is sometimes a false alarm, and many warnings are a reason to stop.

What we cannot promise

We do not test each program's code. A matching fingerprint shows a file is unchanged, not that the program is free of bugs or security problems.
The catalog is maintained by Microsoft and community contributors, and it can lag behind a publisher's newest release. Some publishers also replace files at the same address, which changes the fingerprint.
Programs that update themselves show "Latest" with no fingerprint, because no fixed file exists to check.
The site is paid for by Google ads. We do not choose each ad, so an ad could say "Download". Our real button is always the green one on the program's page and leads to the publisher.

Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will check it.