How We Rank
Every score and every ordering on hfreedom.com comes from data we can point at. Retailers cannot buy a better number, a higher position or an award label, and no one on the commercial side can move a ranking.
The score, 0 to 10
Products in our guides carry a single score out of ten so you can compare them at a glance. It is relative to the category — a 9.0 budget pick and a 9.0 flagship are not the same product, they are each strong for what they are.
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 9.0 – 10 | Exceptional. Leads its category on the things that matter. |
| 8.0 – 8.9 | Great. Few compromises, and the ones there are, are easy to live with. |
| 6.5 – 7.9 | Average. Does the job; something in the category does it better. |
| Below 6.5 | Below average. Only worth it at the right price. |
What goes into the score
- Popularity. What readers actually click on and buy, measured over time rather than in a single week.
- Reputation. Customer ratings and the retailer’s track record on returns, support and honouring its own terms.
- Features and value. What the product does relative to what it costs, judged against the rest of its category.
The weighting is applied by the same system to every product. It is not hand-tuned per item, which is exactly what stops a favour being done quietly.
How we rank coupons and deals
- Value first. The offer that saves you most goes at the top, regardless of what it earns us.
- Editors verify the top of the list. The most-used codes on a store page get tested by a person, not just a feed.
- Dead codes leave. Expired offers are removed automatically rather than padding the count.
Review integrity
Star ratings on store pages come from readers. Retailers cannot post them, edit them or have them removed for being unflattering. We remove a review only when it is spam, abusive, or clearly not about the store.
Questions about a score
If a ranking looks wrong to you, tell us — with a reason, ideally. Reader corrections are one of the main ways we catch stale data. Contact us.