Methodology
How we test
Every review on The Sunrise Digest follows the same five-step process. We publish this page so readers can check the work against the result.
1. At least 28 days of active use
No review is published until the author has used the product daily or near-daily for four full weeks. Most apps are tolerable for a week and reveal their actual tradeoffs somewhere between day 14 and day 28. A two-day "hands-on" does not qualify.
2. Tested against the job the app claims to do
If an app claims to be the fastest meal-logger, we time it against alternatives. If it claims the best micronutrient coverage, we verify that claim against the USDA reference database. If it claims the most accurate sleep tracking, we compare its readings to a clinical reference where possible and to other trackers where not. Every measurable claim is checked, not taken.
3. Comparison set
Each category review compares 6–12 products. Selection criteria: the three most widely-used in the category, plus any product that has shipped a meaningfully different approach in the last 18 months. We do not pad comparisons with products that have stopped updating.
4. Ranking criteria per category
Each category uses a consistent rubric, published at the top of the roundup. Common dimensions across categories: accuracy (where measurable), workflow friction (time to complete a common task), depth of coverage, price transparency, sustainability of use (how often a user of this app stops using it within 30 / 90 / 180 days).
5. What we rank, what we don't
We rank the roundup top-to-bottom based on the weighted rubric above. We name an Editor's Pick where one product clearly leads on the dimensions most readers will care about. We do not manufacture ties. We do not avoid picking a #1.
What can change a ranking
- A product shipping a meaningful feature or fixing a meaningful flaw. We re-test.
- Price changes that materially alter the value calculation.
- Sustained degradation (bugs, ad-loading, sudden forced signups).
- Reader-submitted findings we can reproduce.
What does not change a ranking: a PR request, an advertiser relationship, or a product team's complaint that we were too harsh. The editorial judgment is not for sale.
Affiliate links
Some of our review pages contain affiliate links to app stores or product pages. These never determine the ranking, never appear above the editorial judgment, and are always marked when present. If an app in our top slot does not have an affiliate program, it still gets the top slot; we do not downgrade it to preserve revenue.
Corrections policy
If we got something wrong, we correct it in place and note the correction at the bottom of the review with a date. We do not silently edit published work.