Editorial · Updated July 2026
How we test and rank SOP software
300+ hours per refresh, one rubric, no vendor input on scores.
The 6 scoring axes
| Axis | Weight | What we measure |
|---|---|---|
| Capture reliability | 25% | Does the tool catch every click, keystroke, and window switch across Chrome, Edge, macOS, and Windows without dropping steps? We run the same 14-step reference workflow on each tool and count missed events. |
| AI quality | 20% | How accurate are auto-generated step titles, summaries, and redactions on a fixed test corpus of 50 mixed-app workflows? We compare against a hand-written gold standard. |
| Export flexibility | 15% | How many formats does the tool ship to (PDF, MP4, HTML embed, Confluence, Notion, Markdown, Word) and how much manual cleanup does each format need? |
| Pricing fairness | 15% | Value per dollar at the smallest usable paid tier, plus penalty for known dark-pattern billing (per-viewer fees, mandatory annual, seat lock-in). |
| Adoption features | 15% | Sign-off tracking, view analytics, quiz/testing, version history, comment threads, role permissions. |
| Support & docs | 10% | Response time on a real support ticket, doc coverage, community activity. |
Test rig
- MacBook Pro M3 + Windows 11 desktop, Chrome 128 and Edge 128 stable channels.
- Every tool tested on both a paid and free plan when available.
- Reference workflow: 14 steps spanning browser (Gmail, Notion), desktop (Finder, Excel), and a decision branch.
- AI evaluation corpus: 50 pre-recorded workflows scored blind against a hand-written gold standard.
Corrections & disputes
Spotted a factual error or a stale price? Email corrections@ and we'll re-verify against the vendor's public docs within 72 hours. Vendors can dispute a scored fact but not a subjective verdict. See the full editorial policy.
Rubric changelog
- 2026-07-10 — Added Haiku to the tracked set; refreshed all reviews against v2 rubric.
- 2026-04-02 — Increased AI quality weighting from 15% → 20% to reflect market shift.
- 2026-01-15 — Introduced the 14-step reference workflow for capture-reliability scoring.
Ready to see the results? See the 2026 rankings or browse individual reviews.