The Design Tools exists for one reason: to tell designers which tool to use — including when the answer is not to buy something. This page documents how we work so readers, tool makers and search engines can judge whether to trust us.
How a tool gets listed
- Hand-picked, never scraped. Every listing is added by a person who opened the tool, checked its pricing, and wrote down where it falls short. Bulk imports and paid inclusions do not exist here.
- Drawbacks are mandatory. Each tool page carries a drawbacks section. A listing that cannot name a real weakness does not get published.
- Re-checked, not frozen. Pricing, plans and availability are re-verified periodically, and outbound links are monitored automatically for dead, parked or moved destinations. Listings for discontinued products are retired with a redirect, not left to rot.
How we make money — and what it cannot buy
- Affiliate links. Some outbound links earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. They never decide whether a tool is listed, how it is described, or where it ranks. Every affiliate relationship is disclosed next to the link and in our privacy policy.
- Sponsored placements. A small number of clearly labelled Sponsored cards exist on the homepage, deals page and discipline pages. A sponsor cannot buy a listing, move a ranking, soften a drawback or remove a competitor. All paid links carry
rel="sponsored nofollow". - Display ads. A small number of clearly labelled Google AdSense ads appear only on our own free browser tools and on blog posts — never inside directory rankings. See privacy policy for how consent works.
Reviews and comparisons
Comparisons state the prices and plan limits we verified and the month we checked them. Where we have tested something hands-on — our own browser tools, a migration between two apps — we say so and show the result. Where we have not (for example a point release we did not install in production), we say that too and frame the piece as what to check rather than a verdict.
AI assistance
We use AI tools for drafting, research summaries and formatting — the same class of tools this directory lists. Every article is reviewed and edited by a human before publication, facts and prices are checked against primary sources, and the published author takes responsibility for the result. We do not publish fully automated, unreviewed content.
Corrections
If something is wrong — a price, a dead link, a shut-down product, a misattributed screenshot — email hello@thedesigntools.site with the page and the error. Genuine corrections are fixed promptly; substantive fixes are noted on the page. Takedown requests from creators whose work appears in the inspiration gallery are honoured without argument via the contact page.
Who is responsible
The Design Tools is a small, independent directory run from the EU. Read more on the about page. Last updated: September 2026.