Our Review Methodology

The short version

• We earn affiliate commissions from some platforms when you sign up through our links. We say so on every page where it applies.
• We do not accept payment, free upgrades, or any other incentive in exchange for a rating or a verdict.
• Ratings are calculated from six fixed, weighted criteria. Commission size is not one of them.
• The sign up bonus is also excluded from the score. A generous bonus on a weak platform still gets a weak rating.
• Every review is based on a real account we opened and funded with our own money.

How we make money

When you open an account through a link marked as sponsored on this site, the platform may pay KindredBase a commission. This is how the site is funded. It costs you nothing extra, and in most cases the same link is what unlocks the signup bonus for you.

This means we have a financial relationship with some of the platforms we review. We disclose it openly, next to the button on the page where it applies, not only in the footer. Our full affiliate disclosure is on the affiliate disclosure page.

What we never accept

Compensation buys a platform nothing beyond a tracked link. Specifically, we do not accept:

• Payment or incentives of any kind for a higher rating or a softer verdict
• Payment to remove, delay, or tone down criticism
• Editorial control over what goes into a review
• Sponsored placements presented as independent ratings

One clarification for transparency. Some regulated partners require a compliance check of promotional claims and disclosures before publication. That process exists to keep factual and regulatory statements accurate. It does not change our ratings, our verdicts, or our criticism, and no partner can veto a review.

How we test platforms

Every platform we review is tested with a real account, opened and funded with our own money. We go through the full signup flow ourselves, including identity verification, depositing, claiming the bonus where one exists, trading, and withdrawing.

The screenshots in our reviews are taken by us from our own accounts. We do not use press kits or stock imagery to illustrate how a platform works.

Many of the platforms we cover are ones we have used personally for years as active users, not accounts opened for a single review. Where that is the case, the review says so.

How the star rating works

Every rating on KindredBase is scored out of 5 using six fixed criteria. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5, then combined using the weights below. The result is rounded to one decimal.

Fees and pricing covers commissions, FX fees, withdrawal costs, and inactivity fees against direct competitors. Safety and regulation covers regulators, investor protection schemes, and fund segregation. Platform and usability, product range, deposits and withdrawals, and support are scored from our own use of the account.

Two things are deliberately excluded from the score: the size of the signup bonus and whether the platform pays us a commission. A platform we have no partnership with can outscore one that pays us, and several do.

Ratings can go down

We re-check reviewed platforms on an ongoing basis. If fees rise, a regulator takes action, or the product degrades, we lower the score and update the review. The verified date shown on each review reflects the most recent check.

Who writes our reviews

Every review on KindredBase is researched, tested, and written by Robin Malmaci, the founder of KindredBase, which is operated by Nideon One AB, a registered Swedish company. You can read more on our about page or verify Robin's identity on LinkedIn.

Corrections

If you spot something in a review that is wrong or out of date, email contact@kindredbase.com. We correct verified errors quickly and note material changes in the review.

Frequently Asked Questions