Reviews

When it comes to email marketing, Mailchimp is still the name most people reach for first. But since Intuit acquired Mailchimp in 2021 for roughly $12 billion, the platform has undergone many changes.

Intuit has poured investment into AI capabilities, rebranding and reshaping features under its "Intuit Assist" umbrella. The result is a more powerful and automation-heavy platform than the Mailchimp many users first signed up for.

That evolution has come with tradeoffs. The free plan has been pared back repeatedly over the years, with the most recent cuts in January 2026 reducing it to just 250 contacts and 500 emails per month. Automation workflows, once a free plan staple, are now exclusively for paying customers. For businesses that rely on Mailchimp's entry-level tier, the math has changed considerably.

Still, for teams ready to invest in a paid plan, the platform now offers a compelling mix of email marketing, automation, AI-powered content creation, and analytics. In this review, we break down what's new, what's changed, and whether Mailchimp is still worth your money in 2026.

(Image credit: MailChimp)MailChimp: Plans and pricing

Plan

Starting Rate (Paid Annually)

Starting Rate (Paid Monthly)

Free

$0

$0

Essentials

~$11/month*

$13/month

Standard

~$17/month*

$20/month

Premium

~$297/month*

$350/month

Mailchimp offers four plans: Free, Essentials, Standard, and Premium. The free tier now supports just 250 contacts and 500 email sends per month, a significant reduction from earlier limits, following the most recent cutback in January 2026.

The Essentials plan starts at $13/month (billed monthly) for up to 500 contacts and 5,000 monthly email sends. Standard, which unlocks generative AI tools and advanced automation, starts at $20/month for 500 contacts. Premium (designed for larger teams and advanced marketers) starts at $350/month and requires a minimum of 10,000 contacts, with unlimited users and priority phone support included.

Mailchimp also offers a pay-as-you-go email credits option, useful for occasional senders. Annual billing is available on paid plans and can bring meaningful savings. Verified nonprofits and charities are eligible for a 15% discount.

(Image credit: MailChimp)MailChimp: AI tools

Since Intuit's 2021 acquisition, AI has become central to Mailchimp's roadmap. The flagship feature is Intuit Assist, an AI-powered layer that touches everything from content creation to campaign automation. Rather than a standalone AI add-on, it's built directly into the Mailchimp interface, which makes the experience feel cohesive rather than bolted on.

The most practical tool for day-to-day use is Write with AI, which lets you generate email body copy based on your campaign goals, audience type, and brand voice. You give the AI a brief prompt and it produces multiple draft options you can refine in the editor. A related feature, the AI subject line generator, analyzes your email content and past performance data to suggest up to five subject line variations per campaign. Both tools are available on Standard and Premium plans only.

On the automation side, Marketing Automation Flows (formerly the Customer Journey Builder, rebranded in June 2025) uses AI to generate multi-step campaign workflows based on your brand profile and previous campaign performance. You can launch flows like "Welcome New Contacts" or "Abandoned Cart" with a single click, and the AI pre-populates email content for each touchpoint. This replaces Mailchimp's Classic Automation Builder, which was discontinued in June 2025.

Rounding things out are more established AI features that have matured considerably: Send-Time Optimization predicts the best delivery window for each individual contact, Predictive Segmentation identifies your highest-value subscribers using engagement and purchase behavior, and Content Optimizer scores your campaigns against industry benchmarks across readability, tone, imagery, and calls-to-action. Together, these tools give Mailchimp a meaningful AI edge over similarly priced competitors.

MailChimp: Features

Mailchimp's paid plans are genuinely feature-rich, covering the full lifecycle of email marketing from list-building and campaign design through to analytics and testing. For small and mid-sized businesses, the breadth of tools on offer is hard to match at this price point.

Audience-building tools are a clear strength. You get custom sign-up forms, landing pages, digital advertising integrations, and a lookalike audience finder to help grow your contact list. Dynamic content blocks let you personalize emails per segment and the subject line helper offers AI-powered suggestions to improve open rates, though this is limited to Standard and Premium subscribers.

When it comes to campaign creation, Mailchimp's drag-and-drop email builder remains one of the most accessible in the market. The Creative Assistant generates on-brand templates using your logo and color palette, while multivariate testing tools let you run controlled experiments to optimize your campaigns. These testing features are reserved for Premium users, but A/B testing is available on Standard as well.

Mailchimp has also expanded its platform scope beyond email marketing. A built-in website builder with marketing tools and a transactional email add-on (Mailchimp Transactional, formerly Mandrill) position it as more than just an email tool. That said, some competitors, particularly ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo, offer deeper CRM functionality and more granular segmentation without requiring a jump to higher pricing tiers. For teams that need those capabilities, Mailchimp's value proposition weakens as contact lists scale up.

(Image credit: MailChimp)MailChimp: Interface and In Use

Just like most other email marketing services, Mailchimp is a web-based platform or SaaS. With your account created, the next step is to log in on any device for immediate access to all of your Mailchimp campaigns, analytics, and other tools.

Configuration for role-based access is reserved for the highest pricing plan. For those not familiar, this means that different members of your team will log in using their own Mailchimp credentials, but then will only be able to access features and data relevant to their position. Think about role-based access as a powerful feature, making Mailchimp ideal for a medium or large-sized business, or for a business with a strong need for customer privacy.

MailChimp: Support

Mailchimp offers direct customer support through email, live chat, and telephone, but the ones available to you depend on the plan you pay for. Users on the free plan have access to email support for the first 30 days of their use. Users on the Essentials and Standard plans have access to 24/7 email and live chat support, while only users on the Premium plan can access phone support. 

Apart from direct support, Mailchimp offers many other support resources that every customer can access. There's the official Help Center where you can find articles and tutorials concerning all the platform's features. If you're having an issue with any feature, you’ll likely find an article or a step-by-step video tutorial that’ll help you solve it.

Mailchimp offers a separate Marketing Library, which contains articles, podcasts, and videos that teach users how to market effectively. If you need help with your marketing efforts, you can also hire a vetted expert from the company’s directory. 

MailChimp: The competition

Sendinblue and MailerLite are two popular alternatives to Mailchimp. Sendinblue is a much more affordable email marketing platform and offers more automation and list management features, but Mailchimp is way easier to use. 

MailerLite is also a more affordable tool than Mailchimp. However, Mailchimp offers more sophisticated analytical and reporting features and a broader selection of email templates.

MailChimp: Final verdict

In our analysis, we think that Mailchimp is simply one of the best email marketing services available.

The choice of four tiered plans means that there is a digital marketing solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes. With Mailchimp’s large range of features, it almost guarantees your business will thrive when empowered by Mailchimp’s email marketing tools.

Also factoring in the comprehensive support options, and the robust data security framework makes us even more confident in our recommendation of Mailchimp for businesses of all sizes. 

We list the best online marketing services.

SE Ranking has come a long way since Valery Kurilov founded it in 2013. What started as a focused SEO rank tracker has grown into a full-stack platform for agencies, online businesses, and independent SEO professionals. There are tools covering everything from keyword research and backlink analysis to AI-powered search visibility tracking.

First you get access to a massive dataset, including over 5 billion keywords, 2.9 trillion backlinks, and support across 188 countries. That's a lot of data to work with, whether you're analyzing a single site or managing dozens of client projects. For new users, the platform offers a free trial that requires no credit card, giving you a real hands-on feel before you commit.

Want to know more? This review breaks down everything SE Ranking offers in 2026. What works well, where it falls short, and whether it's worth your money compared to the competition.

• Try SE Ranking here

SE Ranking: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: SE Ranking)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Starting rate (paid monthly)

Core

$103.20/mo

$129/mo

Growth

$223.20/mo

$279/mo

Enterprise

Custom

Custom

SE Ranking has restructured its pricing in 2026, moving from the old Essential/Pro/Business tiers to three new plans: Core, Growth, and Enterprise. You save 20% across the board by paying annually, and free assisted migration is included with any annual subscription.

The Core plan starts at $103.20/month (paid annually). It's built for marketing teams that need a solid SEO and GEO foundation without managing a large client roster. You get 10 projects, one manager seat, 2,000 keywords tracked daily, 100 daily AI prompts for GEO research, and up to 250,000 pages audited per month. Integrations with Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Looker Studio, and Matomo are all included from the start.

The Growth plan at $223.20/month (paid annually) is where most agencies will land. It scales up to 30 projects, three manager seats, 5,000 keywords tracked daily, and 250 daily GEO prompts. You also get full historical data going back across your account's lifetime, page changes monitoring, guest links for client collaboration, and API access with 100,000 credits included. Dedicated customer support is available at this tier too.

For larger teams with custom requirements, the Enterprise plan offers flexible limits and pricing but you'll need to talk to SE Ranking's sales to scope out the right setup. They also offer three optional add-ons that work across plans: the Agency Pack (from +$69/mo, annual only) adds white-label reporting and client-facing tools; the AI Search add-on (from +$71.20/mo) layers in AI visibility tracking across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity; and the API add-on (from +$149/mo, annual only) gives you bulk data access starting at 12 million credits per month.

SE Ranking: Features

SE Ranking gives you a wide toolkit built around the core pillars of SEO — rank tracking, site auditing, competitor research, backlink analysis, content optimization, and now AI search visibility. It's geared primarily toward agencies and freelance SEO professionals, but solo site owners and in-house marketers will find plenty here too. Most tools are well-executed, with clean data presentation and minimal clutter, though the interface does have a learning curve once you move beyond the basics.

SE Ranking really pulls ahead on value in how much it packs into lower-tier plans. You get 120+ metrics in the website audit tool, daily keyword updates, and a 2.9 trillion link backlink index. It still lags slightly behind tools like Ahrefs or Majestic on backlink filtering granularity, though, which matters if deep link analysis is central to your workflow.

At the prices SE Ranking charges in 2026, we think the feature set more than justifies the cost. The addition of AI search tracking, expanded API capabilities, and the new SE Visible product signals that the platform is keeping pace with how search itself is changing. For a Core plan at $103.20/month, you'd be hard-pressed to find a comparable all-in-one tool.

Keyword Rank Tracker

(Image credit: SE Ranking)

SE Ranking keeps your keyword rankings updated daily across desktop and mobile, so you always have a current picture of where your pages stand in the SERPs. The ability to check cached SERP results gives you a useful historical perspective, letting you spot ranking trends over time rather than reacting to single-day shifts.

Managing large keyword lists becomes a lot more manageable with SE Ranking's grouping and tagging system. You can organise keywords by topic, campaign, or client, and the interface makes it easy to move between projects without losing your place. Pro and Business users also benefit from unlimited client projects, which is a meaningful advantage for agencies handling multiple accounts at once.

On-Page SEO checker

SE Ranking's on-page checker evaluates your pages against 94 different SEO parameters, comparing your content against competitor data to identify exactly where you're falling short. Issues are categorised as errors, warnings, or notices, with practical suggestions attached to each one so you know what to fix and why.

Website Audit

SE Ranking analysis dashboard (Image credit: SE Ranking)

The Website Audit tool gives you a clear picture of your site's technical health through an easy-to-navigate dashboard. It can analyse up to 1,000 pages quickly and surfaces critical errors with in-depth explanations, so you're not left guessing about what needs attention.

A 2025 update improved how the Health Score is calculated, making it easier to understand how individual issues actually affect your overall score. Over 120 metrics are tracked in total, and you can customize audits to focus on the areas most relevant to your project.

Competitive Research Tool

SE Ranking has all essential SEO tools in one place (Image credit: SE Ranking)

SE Ranking's competitive research tool gives you a thorough view of what your competitors are doing across both organic and paid search. You can assess their traffic sources, targeted keywords, backlink profiles, and active Google Ads campaigns.

This is one of the stronger features in the platform, especially for agencies that need to present competitive data to clients. Monthly ad history tracking and keyword-level PPC data make it useful beyond just organic SEO, giving you a fuller picture of how a competitor is investing across search channels.

Backlink Checker

(Image credit: SE Ranking)

SE Ranking's Backlink Checker draws on a 2.9 trillion-link index, with 58% of backlinks refreshed every 90 days. You enter a domain and get a full breakdown of backlinks, referring domains, and key metrics including follow/nofollow status and a Toxicity Score to flag potentially harmful links.

You can also use the tool to identify which of your content pieces attract the strongest links, and analyse competitor backlink strategies to find new link-building opportunities. If your main use case is deep-dive link analysis, Ahrefs and Majestic still offer more granular filtering options. But for most users, SE Ranking covers the essentials well.

Local Marketing Tool

(Image credit: SE Ranking)

SE Ranking's Local Marketing Tool is designed for businesses that need to win visibility in location-based searches. It shows you how customers find and interact with your listings in search results, surfaces the most effective local keywords, and tracks engagement patterns to help you understand when users are most active.

The Reputation Management feature pulls review data directly into SE Ranking, letting you respond to customer feedback without switching between platforms. You can also mine review language for new keyword opportunities, which is a practical way to connect customer voice with your strategy.

SE Ranking: Support

SE Ranking offers a wide range of educational and supportive resources. Their blog is a valuable source of SEO knowledge, offering detailed guides and real-life client case studies. Plus, to enhance interactive learning, SE Ranking offers webinars where you can even get in touch with industry experts. These webinars can be accessed on-demand or scheduled live. The SE Ranking Academy also offers practical online courses specifically designed for SEO professionals and agency owners to improve their skills.

On the support side, you can use the Agency Catalog, which features a curated list of top SEO agencies from around the world. This helps users find the right expertise for their projects. For those who are unsure about choosing an agency, SE Ranking provides straightforward advice on selecting a partner that best suits their specific needs. Additionally, SE Ranking's 'What's new?' section updates you about the latest features and updates.

SE Ranking: The competition

Semrush is a comprehensive SEO and digital marketing tool that provides a wide array of features, including keyword research, competitive analysis, backlink analysis, site auditing, and more. It offers a user-friendly interface and robust reporting capabilities. Ahrefs is another powerful SEO tool that focuses on backlink analysis and competitive research. It provides extensive data on backlinks, organic search traffic, keyword rankings, and content analysis. Ahrefs also offers features for keyword research, site auditing, and rank tracking.

Moz Pro is a popular SEO suite that offers a range of features for keyword research, rank tracking, site auditing, and link analysis. It provides valuable insights and recommendations to help improve your website's visibility and performance in search engine results.

Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform that offers features such as keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink analysis, and competitor research. It provides a user-friendly interface and comprehensive data to optimize your website's SEO. Majestic is primarily known for its backlink analysis capabilities. It offers an extensive database of backlinks, allowing you to analyze your website's link profile and track competitors' backlinks. Majestic also provides features for keyword research, site audits, and rank tracking.

SpyFu is a competitive intelligence tool that focuses on competitor analysis and keyword research. It provides insights into your competitors' SEO strategies, including their top-performing keywords, ad campaigns, and organic search rankings.

SE Ranking: Final verdict

Overall, we found SE Ranking to be a great helping hand at running various SEO tests and analyses. It excels in tracking specific keywords, conducting thorough on-page SEO audits, and even delving into detailed backlinks and keyword analysis.

Plus, it provides regular updates and practical insights which helps you stay updated throughout the time. However, it's also important to keep in mind that you might have to pay extra for certain additional services. And if you’re someone, it all boils down to your strategic needs and finding a tool that might be the best fit for it.  

• Here's a list of the best free SEO keyword research tools on the market

Google dominates search, so it makes sense that its own set of search and analytics tools would be among the most powerful available, even if they're all free to use. Whether you run a small personal blog or a large e-commerce site, Google offers a suite of tools that lets you understand how people find you online, what they're searching for, and how your pages are performing in real time.

In this review, we take a close look at the main tools Google offers for website owners and SEO professionals: Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner, and Google Business Profile. We'll walk you through what each tool does, where they shine, and what they're still missing compared to paid alternatives.

Google SEO tools: Plans and pricing

Plan

Starting Rate

Google Analytics (Standard)

Free

Google Analytics 360

Custom

Google Search Console

Free

Google Trends

Free

Google Keyword Planner

Free (Requires a Google Ads account)

Google Business Profile

Free

Google Ads

Variable (Pay-per-click)

All of Google's core SEO tools are completely free to use. You just need a Google account to get started. However, Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click model and Google Analytics 360 is an enterprise-grade upgrade available for large organizations.

Google SEO tools: Features

Google's free SEO toolkit remains one of the most comprehensive available at any price point. Across Analytics, Search Console, Trends, Keyword Planner, and Business Profile, you get a full-stack view of your site's visibility. It's broad enough to serve solo bloggers, yet deep enough for professional teams managing large properties.

The tools are best suited to users who are already operating within the Google ecosystem. Because everything ties back to Google Search, the data you receive is first-party and highly accurate. That said, the lack of a unified dashboard still means you're jumping between separate interfaces to get the full picture.

Yet what Google does particularly well is continuous iteration. In 2025 and 2026, Search Console received a string of meaningful upgrades that close the gap with paid SEO tools. Below, we've broken these down under dedicated sections.

Google Analytics 4

(Image credit: Google)

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the current standard for web and app analytics, having fully replaced Universal Analytics, which was shut down on July 1, 2023. GA4 uses an event-based data model—rather than the session-based model of its predecessor—which gives you a more granular view of how users interact with your content across devices and platforms.

You can track everything from page views and scroll depth to custom events like video plays or form submissions, all without writing code. Cross-platform tracking is built in, so you can follow the same user across mobile and desktop visits. GA4 also integrates tightly with Google Ads, making it easier to trace conversions back to specific campaigns.

Google Search Console

(Image credit: Google)

Search Console is your direct line to how Google sees your website. It shows you which queries bring people to your pages, how your content is indexed, and whether any technical issues are affecting your visibility. Unlike third-party SEO tools, this data comes straight from Google, so it's as authoritative as it gets.

In December 2025, Google also introduced an experimental AI-powered configuration feature inside Search Console's Performance report. Instead of manually clicking through filters and dropdowns, you can now describe what you want to analyze in plain language. For example, saying "show me mobile queries containing the word 'reviews' over the last 90 days" gets Search Console to configure the report automatically.

The feature handles filter application, metric selection, and date comparisons on your behalf. It's still in an experimental rollout to a limited number of users and properties, so you may not see it in your account yet. When it does land, it's a genuine time-saver for anyone who regularly digs into performance data.

Google PageSpeed Insights

(Image credit: PageSpeed Insights)

PageSpeed Insights evaluates the performance of individual pages on both mobile and desktop, scoring them from 0 to 100. It draws on both Lab Data (simulated test conditions) and Field Data from the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), which reflects how real users experience your pages across different devices and connections.

The tool is free to use at pagespeed.web.dev and requires no account. Just paste a URL and you'll get a breakdown of Core Web Vitals, along with specific recommendations for improving load speed, layout stability, and interactivity.

Google Trends

(Image credit: Google)

Google Trends lets you explore how interest in specific search queries changes over time, across regions, and in relation to competing terms. It's particularly useful for content planning, spotting seasonal patterns, and validating whether a topic is growing or declining in popularity.

The tool is entirely free and requires no login. You can compare up to five terms at once, filter by region, time period, and search category, and access real-time trending data. If you want to embed Trends data directly into a site, Google also provides an API for that purpose.

Google Keyword Planner

(Image credit: Google)

Keyword Planner is part of Google Ads and is primarily designed for advertisers who want to research keywords before building campaigns. That said, it's widely used by SEO professionals too—it provides search volume estimates, competition levels, and cost-per-click data that can inform both paid and organic strategies.

Note that Keyword Planner requires a Google Ads account to access. You can create one for free without spending money on ads, but the account is a prerequisite. Volume data shown to accounts that aren't running active campaigns tends to be displayed in broad ranges rather than precise figures.

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business, which was rebranded in November 2021) is the tool businesses use to manage how they appear in Google Search and Google Maps. You can add your address, hours, phone number, photos, and service details, and respond to customer reviews directly from the dashboard.

For local SEO, Business Profile is essential. An optimized listing significantly increases your chances of appearing in the local "map pack" results that appear at the top of many location-based searches. The tool also provides insights into how customers find and interact with your listing.

• We've also listed best SEO tools of 2026

Google SEO tools: Interface and in-use

Google is famous for its friendly user experiences, and Analytics, Search Console, and Ads exemplify why. All three SEO tools use an easily navigable left-hand menu bar with drop-down menus that help to organize your data displays. On top of that, within Analytics, you can create custom dashboards and reports to put the most useful performance information in front of you.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Google’s SEO interface is that Analytics, Search Console, and Ads are three different platforms. You can link Search Console and Ads, but you still need to navigate back and forth between the two interfaces for most tasks.

Separating the three platforms helps keep their respective missions—monitoring performance, optimizing performance, and creating ad campaigns—clearly delineated. But, it would be a more streamlined experience if they were rolled into a single user interface.

• We've also listed the best on-page SEO tool of 2026.

Google SEO tools: Support

Google offers support for Analytics and Search Console by web only. Both platforms have extensive documentation centers, and you simply need to describe your issue to find the appropriate help file. If you get stuck, though, support is limited to posting in a help forum and hoping that another user answers your question.

Support for Ads is more concrete. There’s an online documentation library similar to what you’ll find for Analytics and Search Console. But, you can also get help over the phone, by live chat, or by email.

• We've also listed the best SEO keyword research tool of 2026.

(Image credit: Google)Google SEO tools: The competition

Google's tools are in a category of their own when it comes to price. Everything is free, plus the underlying data comes directly from the world's most-used search engine. No third-party tool can replicate that. Where it falls short, however, is in competitive intelligence: you can see how your own site performs, but not how you stack up against competitors on specific keywords.

That's where paid platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Pro come in. These tools build on top of Google's data using Search Console API connections, while adding features like backlink analysis, competitor keyword gap tools, rank tracking for arbitrary keywords, and site audit crawling.

If you're managing SEO seriously across a competitive niche, you'll likely find yourself using Google's tools alongside one of these platforms rather than choosing between them. For website analytics specifically, Matomo and Plausible Analytics are popular privacy-focused alternatives to GA4, particularly for users in regions with strict data protection regulations.

• We've also listed the best free SEO tools in 2026.

Google SEO tool: Final verdict

The trifecta of Google Analytics, Search Console, and Ads is an extremely powerful combination for website owners. The three tools together allow you not only to monitor your website traffic, but also to build more traffic through organic and paid search results.

The only major thing that Google’s SEO tools are lacking is information about how your website is ranking in search results against competitors. Also, there's no visibility when it comes to other search engines like Bing or AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

Still, given that Google doesn’t charge anything for its SEO suite, it’s pretty hard to complain. Paid options like Semrush and Ahrefs exist for those who want to take their SEO game to the next level.

iFi GO Blu Air: Two-minute review

The iFi GO Blu Air is a solution to tech firms taking away headphone jacks: it enables you to connect your wired headphones to Bluetooth streaming sources, and it features a 4.4mm balanced and a 3.5mm standard headphone output. It's impressively powerful and runs for up to 10 hours between charges, delivering excellent bass and a spacious sound stage that's particularly enjoyable on well produced music.

The GO Blu Air is exceptionally small and light and that means features have been kept to a minimum: there's no USB DAC functionality and you don't get on-board EQ, although there are switches for iFi's subtle but effective XBass and XSpace audio enhancers.

As we've come to expect from iFi, the GO Blu Air is well made, does exactly what it sets out to do and won't break the bank. It sounds great and is surprisingly powerful for such a small device, but its small size and low price means it lacks some features of rivals such as a display, on-board EQ and USB DAC functionality. It's emphatically one of the best portable DACs provided you don't need that wired connectivity.

iFi GO Blu Air review: Price and release date

That big oval is the magnet for the optional and surprisingly strong garment/bag clip. (Image credit: Future)

• Released August 2025
• Priced $129 / £129 / AU$229

The iFi GO Blu Air Bluetooth DAC was launched in August 2025 and is available now. In the UK its recommended retail price is £129; in the US it's $129; and in Australia it's AU$229.

The GO Blu Air is cheaper than its predecessor, the iFi GO Blu: that model was $199 / £199 / AU$399. A lower-priced model is a smart move in a sector that's becoming increasingly competitive.

iFi GO Blu Air review: Features

Despite the small size, iFi has managed to pack a 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced output into the top of the GO Blu Air. The USB port on the bottom is for charging only. (Image credit: iFi)

• Up to 24-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth
• Cirrus Logic Master Hi-Fi DAC
• "S-balanced" 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs

The iFi GO Blu Air is based around a Cirrus Logic Master Hi-Fi DAC and features iFi's own XBass bass expansion and XSpace audio expander. There are also standard and minimum phase digital filter options to shape the sound further.

The headphone outputs deliver up to 165mW into 32 ohms on the 3.5mm out and up to 262mW into 32 ohms on the balanced output. iFi calls the 3.5mm output "S-balanced", with dual-mono headphone amplification all the way to the output socket. You can read iFi's tech note about it, but essentially the company says it's particularly useful for ultra-sensitive IEMs. SNR (or signal-to-noise ratio) on both outputs is a highly respectable ≥110dBA and battery life is up to 10 hours via the internal 450mAh battery, dropping to about 7.5 hours if you're using the LDAC codec. Recharging takes less than an hour.

The iFi GO Blu Air has Bluetooth 5.2 (up from the 5.1 of the GO Blu) with LDAC, LDHC and aptX Classic, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive as well as the obligatory AAC and SBC codecs. It supports resolutions of up to 24-bit/96kHz. Unlike the previous GO Blu the USB-C port is purely for charging; this model doesn't double as a wired DAC.

Features score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Blu Air review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Tons of fun on IEMs and over-ear headphones
• No on-board EQ to tame high-end harshness
• Audio enhancers are subtle but effective

The iFi GO Blu Air is a lot of fun with both headphones and IEMs, delivering an inviting soundstage and excellent clarity from a range of audio sources. It's particularly good on well-produced, spacious tracks such as Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved, Peter Gabriel's Shaking The Tree, Christine and the Queens' Tilted or The Blue Nile's Tinseltown in the Rain, delivering a consistently enjoyable, revealing and dynamic listen.

The GO Blu Air doesn't have its own equaliser, and I did find myself reaching for software EQ when I listened to fairly trebly recordings such as Junior Varsity's Cross The Street, Sugar's Changes and Kygo & Selena Gomez's It Ain't Me: getting the bass to smile-inducing levels in my IEMs made their high frequencies a little too prominent for my taste, although that was less of an issue in my less excitable over-ear headphones.

I'm wary of bass and space enhancement options as they often color the sound in too-noticeable ways, but I was pleasantly surprised by both XBass and XSpace here. Their effects are subtle, with the former adding a little more low end that gave my open-back headphones more of a closed-back punch without introducing distortion at sensible listening levels, overpowering the other frequencies or overly changing the sound. XSpace impressed me too, making the likes of Talk Talk and acoustic music more subtly spacious.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

iFi GO Blu Air review: Design

The magnetically attached garment/bag clip is very strong, and you can pretend that it's a crocodile (Image credit: Future)

• Similar to GO Blu but more plasticky
• 3.5 x 33.7 x 19.5mm (WxHxD) and just 30g
• Magnetically attached clip is surprisingly strong

I'd suggest that the Air looks a little less premium than the GO Blu, but I'm not a fan of that model's rather 1970s-cigarette-lighter appearance – and if a slightly more plastic appearance is part of the reason why the new model is cheaper, I'm all in favor.

The GO Blu Air is very compact at 3.5 x 33.7 x 19.5mm (2.11 x 1.33 x 0.77”) and it weighs 30g. There is a single rotary volume/transport controller, which iFi calls the ChronoDial, on the right. The dial is multi-mode: turn it to adjust the volume, press to play, pause or skip, and long-press to activate your phone's voice assistant. Below the dial is a button for enabling or disabling Xbass and Xspace, for setting the digital filter and for Bluetooth pairing; on the other side there's a single button for power on/off and Bluetooth format announcement. Up top you'll find a 4.4mm balanced headphone output and a 3.5mm output plus the status light for Xbass, Xspace and Bluetooth.

One of the design features I like is the detachable magnetic clip, which saves you having to buy a clip-on case: you can use the clip to attach the GO Blu Air to your clothing, bag or belt. I'd like it even more if I could use the magnet to clip the GO Blu Air to the back of my phone; I did try, but while it does attach it's not strong enough to clamp through my phone's case.

Design score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Blu Air Review: Usability and setup

• Effortless Bluetooth pairing
• No display: color status lights instead
• Remembering what buttons do is hard at first

It's very easy to set up the GO Blu Air: simply switch it on and it enters pairing mode the first time you use it. You can then connect it in your device's Bluetooth settings and you're good to go.

The lack of a display is understandable in such a small device, but it does mean trying to remember what the status light colors mean and which button does what can be tricky. It doesn't take long to learn but the inclusion of a pocket-sized quick start guide comes in very handy.

Whether you're working from the guide or from memory it's all straightforward: single button presses take you from no enhancement to XBass only, to XSpace only, and to both XBass and XSpace; a spin of the ChronoDial adjusts the volume while a short click takes care of play/pause and a longer click skips to the next track.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Blu Air review: Value

• Competitively priced but some rivals have higher spec
• Previous model is now discounted so price gap is smaller
• A good buy if you don't need a USB DAC

If the lack of a USB DAC isn't a deal-breaker this is a very good Bluetooth dongle for a very good price. But it's a very competitive market, and I'd suggest looking at some alternatives too – including the GO Blu Air's predecessor.

The GO Blu Air is effectively a GO Blu without the USB DAC and as a result it has a significantly lower price tag, but at the time of writing I found the original GO Blu discounted to just under £169 so there's less of a price gap than the two devices' MSRPs suggest.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the iFi GO Blu Air?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Bluetooth-only with all the key aptX options plus LDAC too. 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs.

4/5

Design

A little plasticky-looking and too small to have a screen, but it's exceptionally small and light with a great magnetic clip

4/5

Sound quality

Tons of fun with a spacious soundstage and useful enhancers

5/5

Value

Competitively priced but up against very strong rivals

4/5

Buy it if...

You like to keep it light
The GO Blu Air is exceptionally small and exceptionally lightweight, making it ideal for commuting and travel.

You've got quality IEMs or headphones
Don't let the small size fool you: this is capable of driving quite demanding headphones, delivering 262mW into 32 ohms via the balanced output.

You don't need wired listening
Unlike the GO Blu, the GO Blu Air is Bluetooth-only. The USB is just for charging.

Don't buy it if...

You want maximum flexibility
Bluetooth-only keeps everything simple and straightforward, but it does mean you can't get the same hi-res resolutions that a wired DAC can deliver.

You've got very big hands
I'm not advising those with larger mitts steer clear entirely, I just want you to know that this is a very little 30g piece of kit and its various dials and buttons are therefore bijou by design. View Deal

iFi GO Blu Air review: Also consider

The iFi GO Link USB DAC is an excellent and affordable wired headphone DAC, and if you want USB and Bluetooth capabilities the GO Blu is still available and often discounted.

The key rivals here include FiiO’s KA13 and BTR15. The former is a screen-free wired USB DAC and the latter is both USB and Bluetooth. It's marginally cheaper than the iFi: at the time of writing the BTR15 is £114 in the UK, $119 in the US and $219 in Australia.

How I tested the iFi GO Link Max

• TIDAL, hi-res music files, vinyl and Logic Pro projects
• Beyerdynamic and Philips over-ears and SoundMagic IEMs

I tested the GO Blu Air over two weeks with a variety of headphones and IEMs including Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro and Philips Fidelio X2HR open-back headphones, Beyerdynamic DT770 closed-back headphones, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs.

I connected the GO Blu Air to a Samsung Galaxy S25 for hi-res streaming services over LDAC and listened to locally stored lossless audio and my own multitrack Logic Pro X projects via AAC from my MacBook Pro. I also connected my Audio-Technica turntable, which transmits aptX.

• First reviewed: February 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Suunto Vertical 2: One minute review

We’ve already waxed lyrical about the improvements Suunto has made to its one of premium, fitness-orientated smartwatches, with the latest Race 2 receiving a solid 4.5 stars out of a possible 5 late last year.

Without wanting to take the very easy route here, the Vertical 2 is essentially the same watch with a few additional rugged touches. The bezel is available in either a chunky Stainless Steel or Titanium finish, while the model itself adds a built-in flashlight and a number of new battery life modes. These help improve battery efficiency for those that like to venture off-grid for days.

Suunto has done away with the rotating digital crown of the Race 2, instead opting for three physical buttons. We assume this is because they are a little easier to operate with gloved hands (spoiler alert: they are), much like the best Garmin watches.

The Suunto Vertical 2 offers a plethora of built-in workout profiles, the ability to download and navigate via offline mapping, a digital compass and the ability to receive some smartphone notifications via a tethered device.

This, plus the enormous claimed 250-hours of battery life in its most efficient GPS-logging mode means this is one smart smartwatch that can handle the toughest trails.

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)Suunto Vertical 2: Specifications

Component

Suunto Vertical 2

Price

£529 / $599 / AU$999 (Stainless Steel) or £629 / $699 / AU$1,099 (Titanium)

Dimensions

48.6 x 48.6 x 13.6 mm / 1.91 x 1.91 x 0.54"

Weight

86g (Stainless Steel) / 74g (Titanium)

Case/bezel

Glass fibre reinforced polyamide case, stainless steel or titanium bezel, sapphire crystal glass

Display

1.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 466 x 466 resolution

GPS

Dual-band GNSS: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BEIDOU

Battery life

Up to 20 days in Smartwatch mode, up to 20 days in Time mode, up to 65 hours in dual-band GNSS mode (extended modes up to 500 hours)

Connection

Bluetooth

Water resistance

100m (10 ATM)

Suunto Vertical 2: Price and availability

• Two versions on sale: Stainless Steel and Titanium
• Stainless Steel costs £529 / $599 / AU$999
• Titanium costs £629 / $699 / AU$1,099

The Stainless Steel Suunto Vertical 2 actually comes in at the same price as the Titanium version of the Suunto Race 2, but adds the previously mentioned flashlight and clever battery modes. It’s also a chunkier watch in general.

Alas, opting for the range-topping (and better looking) Titanium version sees the price rapidly escalate to a figure that tips into Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED territory, which is arguably the watch the Vertical 2 is chasing here.

Value score 4/5

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)Suunto Vertical 2: Design

• Vertical 2 is slightly thicker than Race 2
• Rotating digital crown is gone
• Build quality looks and feels solid

Full disclosure, I really like the look and feel of the Suunto Vertical 2. It gives off the impression that it has been hewn from a solid piece of metal — in this case, a big old chunk of stainless steel.

Suunto provides a rubber strap that attaches to the watch itself via a pair of fairly standard pins. These are slightly fiddlier than bespoke systems found on the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra and most Garmin models, but it is a tried-and-tested fixture that works.

The rubber band itself is full of holes (many more than the Race 2), designed to increase airflow when worn on the wrist. But this is also a boon if you plan to take the watch into water, as it drains nicely and there’s no need to worry about drying it out afterwards.

Sitting 13.6mm proud of the wrist, this isn’t a discreet timepiece that can easily be worn under shirtsleeves, and at 86g for this steel version, it certainly feels very heavy.

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)

For someone with skinny wrists, like me, it looks a little ridiculous. But I suppose that’s the point, it’s a rugged adventure watch that’s designed to look like something the Special Forces might wear. Unfortunately, there’s only one size to choose from.

Interaction is taken care of via three buttons mounted along the righthand flank of the toughened bezel, while the AMOLED display itself is touchscreen-enabled, allowing for swipes and prods to navigate the various widgets and menus.

Where the Suunto Race 2 uses a rotating digital crown to scroll through said widgets, it is a case of manually depressing the top and bottom buttons here. This is a much better system for operating with gloved hands, or for when precipitation makes interacting with a touchscreen impossible.

Design Score: 5/5

Suunto Vertical 2: Features

• Upgraded optical heart rate sensor
• Faster processing speeds than original watch
• Massive battery life

When compared to the Suunto Vertical 1, which used a rather naff MIP-based display and solar ring to boost battery life, the difference really is night and day. That AMOLED display is bright and crisp, making it really easy to see all of the numerous data streams it is capable of processing.

We would need several pages and a great deal of your time to go through absolutely all of the features but suffice to say, the Vertical 2 can track pretty much every activity you can think of (115 sport modes in total), while keeping an eye on heart rate, location, elevation and much more.

There’s a built-in compass, the ability to download and navigate via offline mapping and a built-in flashlight for those treks that roll right through the night. The main widget panel on the watch can be customized to suit your specific needs by moving your most-used widgets to the top of the menu, but it is the dedicated battery modes that lend the Vertical 2 a more extreme, wilder personality.

With a 250-hour power-saving GNSS Mode, the watch can intermittently mark GPS locations on those longer hikes or trail runs, meaning you can get back to base camp without worrying about consulting a paper map.

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)

During testing, I forgot to download offline maps during the first hike (it’s a fiddly process requiring Wi-Fi and requiring the watch to be placed on the charger), but there was still enough breadcrumb data to allow me to navigate back to the start with ease.

Of course, once you have successfully downloaded maps, the watch gives a crystal clear view of the surrounding terrain, with details on elevation and other obstacles that may require traversing.

There’s around 28GB of storage on the watch, with mapping for Great Britain taking up around 3.3GB, so you should be good to download a fair amount of offline data that covers vast expanses.

If simply used as a smartwatch, Suunto says the Vertical 2 will last up to 20 days before it needs recharging. On that subject, the USB-C charger is now a magnetic clip, which is far more robust and easier to use compared to its predecessor.

However, the smartwatch functionality isn’t quite up there with Apple, Samsung or even Garmin’s devices, as there’s no tap-to-pay wallet functionality, nor can you store Spotify and YouTube Music playlists offline. It will only control whatever is currently playing on a tethered smartphone. For that reason, the Suunto Vertical 2 is docked a point.

Features Score: 4/5

Suunto Vertical 2: Performance

• Massive battery life
• Bezel can take a beating
• Superb display

Without wanting to create a carbon copy of our Suunto Race 2 review, we primarily subjected the Vertical 2 to plenty of outdoors exercise — strapping it to the wrist for a couple of gnarly gravel bike sessions and trail-running up a few monster hills to test its mettle.

Compared to its MIP predecessor, the AMOLED display is a million times clearer and easier to read in low-light conditions and bad weather. The touchscreen does still get a bit confused when it gets wet, but there are three pleasingly analogue buttons to navigate the simple UI.

When using the watch for the first time, an on-screen guide walks you through most of the key features and offers handy tips on how to get the most out of the numerous profiles.

GPS pin-pointing is fast, particularly when out in the wilderness, while it is possible to download a bunch of offline maps for free using the Suunto smartphone app. The app is also great for planning routes, as it’s as simple as prodding points on a map to create loops or out-and-backs. You can then send these to the watch for use later.

You do have to toggle turn-by-turn directions on, which seems weird to me, but if you pair bluetooth headphones, you can get audible prompts about upcoming directions piped into your skull, which is great for directional doofuses like me.

Suunto’s watch face also makes it very clear when you’ve strayed off the chosen route, navigating back to those trails quickly and easily. I found this particularly useful when on the bike, where I would actually strap the watch to my handlebars and use it as a sat-nav system.

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)

There are lots of websites that go into granular detail about GPS performance, but I found it to be very accurate.

The same can be said for the wrist-based heart rate sensors. These can be a little hit-and-miss, in my experience, but Suunto’s latest effort is commendable. It only really comes undone if performing an exercise that requires grip strength or lots of wrist movement.

Strength training and even racquet sports can see it take confused readings, but it proved accurate (a Garmin chest strap was used to compare) when running, hiking and cycling.

As with lots of other modern smartwatches and fitness trackers, you can also use the Suunto Vertical 2 to track sleep and recovery cycles. Again, the accuracy was great (it largely aligned with an Ultrahuman smart ring) but it proved a very heavy and cumbersome watch to wear into bed. I whacked myself in the face a number of times with it while sleeping.

Finally, battery life is hugely impressive. While I didn’t subject it to a 250-hour hike through the Andes, I did wear it for a number of months. On average, I could easily run or cycle a couple of times a week with GPS tracking and mapping activated, hit the gym three times a week and generally use it as a smartwatch the rest of the time, and only have to charge it every 10 days or so.

Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)Suunto Vertical 2: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

It’s pricer than the Suunto Race 2 and you only get a few additional features

4/5

Design

It’s a handsome watch and the bezel can take a battering

5/5

Features

An excellent outdoors fitness watch but it lacks some smartwatch features

4/5

Performance

Solid battery life, a crisp display and accurate tracking

5/5

(Image credit: Future/Leon Poultney)Suunto Vertical 2: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want a reliable outdoors smartwatch that undercuts Garmin

The Suunto Vertical 2 costs less than the excellent Garmin Fenix 8 and offers many of the same features.

Build quality and usability are key

The Suunto Vertical 2 feels like it can withstand a hell of a beating, particularly in the Titanium guise.

Don't buy it if...

You want smartwatch features

There’s no tap-to-pay, the smartphone notifications are limited and there’s no offline music. All things some rivals offer.

You are integrated into the Garmin ecosystem

While Suunto’s smartphone app is perfectly acceptable, I’d argue it isn’t as good nor as all-encompassing as Garmin’s. The coaching programmes and long-term fitness-tracking are simply better.

Also consider

Garmin Fenix 8

A rugged outdoor watch that boasts the best bits of Garmin's smartwatch capabilities. It is expensive but it's only really the core smartwatch functionality that sets it apart from Suunto's offering.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 8 reviewView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Yep, the Californian tech company can also do rugged outdoors smart watches. The third iteration is a Garmin-rivaling powerhouse for adventurers, and a lovely daily driver.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 review hereView Deal

How I tested

As with all smart watches and fitness trackers, I like to slot these gizmos into my busy daily life, which means dragging them to the gym, taking them on runs, wearing them in the sea during frigid winter surfs and much more.

Seeing as the Suunto Vertical 2 is aimed at particularly outdoors-y types, I laced up the trail running shoes, slipped on hiking boots and dusted off the gravel bike to get it out into some properly horrible British winter weather.

This proved a good exercise in assessing the quality of the GPS tracking, the brightness and usability of the display in inclement conditions, as well as testing the claimed battery life

First reviewed: February 2026

Clearscope is an AI-powered content optimization platform for marketing teams, offering real-time grading, keyword insights, and Google Docs integration.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools like Clearscope analyze search engine result pages (SERPs) to offer clear guidance on what kind of content is currently ranking well for a particular keyword and why. They give you actionable tips to overtake your competitors in search results by optimizing content length, adding relevant terms, answering common queries from searchers, etc.

In 2025, Clearscope has evolved well beyond a simple keyword-grading tool — now positioning itself as a full "discoverability platform" with AI drafting, topic exploration, and LLM visibility tracking. That said, the platform still isn't suited for budget-conscious individuals or teams needing technical search engine marketing features beyond content optimization.

• Interested in Clearscope? Check out the Clearscope website.

Features

(Image credit: Clearscope)

Clearscope is a powerful tool that caters to writers, marketers, and SEO strategists optimizing content for Google and AI search. With some of the biggest names in the industry like Intuit, Adobe, Shopify, and YouTube, among its clients, Clearscope seems to be steadily maintaining its popularity in 2026.

Clearscope's features should sound familiar for anyone already familiar with SEO optimization techniques. It employs latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords, which are terms and phrases closely related to your target keyword, to grade the relevance and comprehensiveness of your online content. Additionally, it provides Search Engine Results Page (SERP) analysis, giving you invaluable insights into user queries and the strategies you can use to optimize your content for better search rankings.

But that's not all. Clearscope is also an excellent planning tool. It suggests headings and terms that can be used to structure your content outlines, making your articles or blog posts more readable and SEO-friendly.

Clearscope recommends conducting a content inventory before getting started. This tool enables you to keep track of existing online content’s performance. The Content Inventory section also empowers you to take preventative measures to maintain or improve crucial metrics such as Content Grade, clicks, average position, and SEO value for your current content.

How does Clearscope use AI?

Clearscope's AI capabilities have expanded considerably since the platform's earlier iterations. At its core, the tool uses natural language processing (NLP) to analyze the top-ranking pages for any given search query, then surfaces a prioritized list of terms, topics, and structural recommendations.

As you write in the built-in content editor, an AI-driven content grade updates in real time, reflecting how well your draft covers the topic based on entity usage, competitive benchmarks, and readability — giving writers an objective target to work toward rather than relying on guesswork.

The most significant AI addition in recent years is Draft with AI, available on all plans. Rather than generating boilerplate text, Clearscope's draft builder lets you define the search intent, select a content type, and upload a writing sample so the output can match your brand's tone and voice. It still requires human editing before it's publish-ready, but offers a solid starting point for content teams.

Clearscope also introduced Topic Exploration, which maps a seed keyword out into a network of related queries, questions, and sub-topics. This helps content strategists identify the full "query fan-out" around a subject, covering not just a single keyword but any relevant associated subtopics.

As generative AI increasingly intercepts the traditional search funnel, knowing whether your content is being cited or surfaced in these environments is becoming just as important as tracking search rankings. For this, Clearscope offers AI Tracked Topics (also called "Expand"), which monitors how and where your brand or content appears across AI-driven answer engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.

Installation, setup, and compatibility

Using Clearscope is a breeze and straightforward. All you need is a web browser; no fancy software is required. To kick things off, head over to the Clearscope website. Sign up by clicking either the "Get Started" or "Request a demo" button on the homepage. Fill in your company details, email, and team size on the form. Once you've entered your info, hit “Submit” or “Schedule a Demo,” depending on your preference.

Once you've selected a plan and made the payment, it's time for the real fun to begin. Log into your Clearscope account. Navigate to the dashboard. Take some time to explore the interface where you can create reports, connect with Google Docs, and more.

Linking Clearscope with your content creation platform is a crucial step. This integration is key to optimizing your content within these platforms, making your work more efficient. The process is seamless if you're using Google Docs or WordPress.

To access Clearscope, go to the “Integrations” section on the Clearscope website in Google Docs. Choose Google Docs. Follow the steps to install the Clearscope add-on. Once it’s installed, Google Docs. Locate the Clearscope add-on under "Add ons" in the top menu. You're now set to optimize your documents from Google Docs using the add-on.

Download the Clearscope plugin from your dashboard or the WordPress repository if you use WordPress. Install and activate the plugin, then connect it to Clearscope using your API key from the dashboard. With Clearscope integrated, you can start crafting content.

When creating content, generate a report on your dashboard by entering your target keyword. The report will provide insights into keyword usage, content grade, and readability score. Utilize these insights to shape your content creation process and ensure it aligns with SEO practices.

As you write and enhance your content, Clearscope provides invaluable real-time feedback. Keep an eye on your content grade to ensure it meets SEO requirements. Implement suggested changes, such as adding keywords and enhancing readability, to optimize your content.

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Clearscope)

Plan

Starting rate (paid monthly)

Essentials

$129/month

Business

$399/month

Enterprise

Custom

Clearscope is a powerful tool suitable for anyone who wants to take their content to the next level regarding SEO optimization. Yet, its target audience isn’t necessarily freelancers or small companies. Instead, its pricing clearly shows it’s targeting corporations, or at least larger companies, for better or worse.

Three plans are available for would-be Clearscope users: Essentials, Business, and Enterprise. The Essentials plan starts at $129/month and includes 20 AI Tracked Topics, 20 monthly Topic Explorations, 20 monthly AI Drafts, and 50 Content Inventory Pages. You can add 100 additional inventory pages for $25/month under this tier.

The Business plan at $399/month bumps the limits to 50 AI Tracked Topics, 50 monthly Topic Explorations, 20 monthly AI Drafts, and 300 Content Inventory Pages. It also includes a dedicated account manager and reduces the cost of additional pages to $15 per 100. Enterprise pricing is custom and adds crawler whitelisting, single sign-on (SSO), custom credit bundles, and tailored agreements.

While it's higher than average for tools in this category, Clearscope's pricing model reflects its positioning as a business SEO tool rather than something that individuals or freelancers would use. However, Clearscope also has no free trial available. Instead, you must first request a demo, which is somewhat time-taking and inconvenient.

Final verdict

Like other tools used for SEO optimization, Clearscope has pros and cons. However, the pros outweigh the cons.

The algorithm of Clearscope is finely tuned to provide suggestions for using keywords, which can significantly enhance the likelihood of a piece of content ranking well on search engines. Additionally, the platform offers a user interface that suits experienced SEO professionals perfectly. It's also commendable that Clearscope integrates seamlessly with two used software products: Google Docs and WordPress. Notably, Clearscope is appreciated for its reports and how real-time feedback can assist in crafting search engine-friendly and relevant content.

One major deterrent for some individuals might be the cost of using Clearscope. Providing a trial could attract a more extensive user base regardless of Clearscope's pricing structure. Moreover, beginners in SEO optimization might find it challenging to navigate Clearscope despite its user design. There is still a learning curve involved in using Clearscope.

Another downside is that AI content outline generation is exclusively available to customers on the business plan with Clearscope. This limitation may seem unreasonable, especially considering the pricing tiers, particularly for the essentials package.

Clearscope, it would benefit all your customers to access your AI tools.

Although Clearscope provides a variety of content optimization tools, it lacks some features that other comprehensive tools offer, such as backlink analysis and technical SEO audits.

Overall, Clearscope is a tool for individuals and organizations looking to enhance their content SEO potential with data-driven insights and optimization suggestions. While the pricing and learning curve may deter some users, the platform's accurate recommendations, user-friendly interface, and immediate feedback make it a valuable resource for content creators and marketers striving to create content that performs well in search engine results.

More from TechRadar Pro

• See our best on-page SEO tool of the year
• We've also featured the best AI tools.
• You will also be interested in our best web accessibility services of the year.

Philips Fidelio FA3: Two-minute review

I don’t often think ‘this is too good to be true’ when confronted with the details of an audio product’s make-up, but a glance at the spec sheet accompanying the Philips Fidelio FA3 made me double-take.

The Fidelio FA3 is an active wireless speaker system that can connect its speakers together either wirelessly or via a cable, that has high-end Bluetooth connectivity along with a fistful of physical inputs to handle hi-res content, that is controllable by an extremely extensive app, has Auracast functionality in order to become part of a multi-speaker set-up, and uses a lot of recycled material in its construction, with full-range frequency response. For $399 / £349 / AU$499? Really?

Then the system comes out of its packaging and the price still seems like it might be a misprint compared to most of the best wireless speakers. It’s nicely made and finished, looks and feels good, and arrives with a physical remote control to augment the app functionality – it even has grilles that attach magnetically to its high-gloss cabinets.

No, the slight ‘wedge’ shape that angles the speaker’s drivers upwards rather than straight ahead isn’t as useful in all circumstances as Philips obviously thinks it is – but still, the FA3 seems to have an awful lot going for it.

And that’s the case where sound is concerned, too. The Philips is a positive and quite forthright listen, with plenty of detail available in most areas of the frequency range and a very enjoyable facility with soundstaging and dynamic response. It allows itself to get carried away where low-frequency response is concerned, though, and its over-egged bass presence makes for a rather lop-sided, bottom-heavy presentation.

If that low-end enthusiasm could be dialled back a little, perhaps to be replaced with a more subtle and detailed low-frequency attitude instead, the FA3 could really go places. As it is, the Ruark MR1 Mk3 remains our favorite option in this kind of price range, even it's not quite as impressively specced.

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Price & release date

• $399 / £349 / AU$499
• Released in January 2026
• Originally announced in September 2025

The Philips Fidelio FA3 wireless active speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs £349. In the United States it sells for $399 or thereabouts, while in Australia it goes for something like AU$499.

This puts it in line with a lot of single-box wireless speakers, such as the JBL Authentics 200 – and a bit cheaper than the Sonos Era 300. But these are stereo speakers, and when it comes to the best stereo speakers in this price range, they're usually passive or not as quite well-equipped as this when it comes to features and options.

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Features

• Bluetooth 5.4 LE Audio with LC3 and LDAC codec support
• Auracast-enabled for multi-speaker connectivity
• 24bit/96kHz via HDMI ARC and digital optical inputs

The specification of the Fidelio FA3 would be perfectly acceptable in a product costing a great deal more than this. To understand what Philips has included for the asking price is to be properly impressed.

The FA3 speakers are a two-way design, with a 25mm titanium dome tweeter above a 127mm glass-fiber mid/bass driver at the front, and a small reflex port venting towards the top of the rear of the cabinet.

Philips says this arrangement is good for a frequency response of 40Hz - 40 kHz — which, if it’s anything like accurate, is very impressive from such a relatively modest arrangement.

This is an active system, which means both speakers require power. After that, it’s very much a ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ speaker arrangement — the rear of the secondary speaker features just a coaxial input for a wired connection to its partner in addition to the reflex port and its power socket.

The primary speaker, though, adds a USB-C slot (which can be used for playback and for servicing), a digital optical input, an HDMI ARC connection, and a line-level analog input on stereo RCA sockets.

In addition, the primary speaker is where Bluetooth pairing takes place — the FA3 features Bluetooth 5.4 LE Audio connectivity and is compatible with SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs. The system also features Auracast technology, which means it can easily become part of a multi-speaker system if given appropriate partners to work with.

As well as via a coaxial cable, the speakers can also be connected to each other wirelessly using a 2.4GHz wireless connection. Regardless of the method of connection between the speakers, though, the digital-to-analog conversion circuitry operates at a native 24bit/96kHz resolution, and anything that’s coming in via HDMI ARC, digital optical or USB-C that’s of higher resolution will be downsampled to 24bit/96kHz.

The ability to wirelessly connect a pair of speakers and still enjoy authentically high-resolution sound is not all that common, and rarer still in this area of the market. Streams coming in via Bluetooth using the LDAC codec will be served up at its maximum 990kbps resolution.

No matter the resolution of the stuff you’re listening to, it’s given the benefit of 50 watts of Class D amplification per channel. Philips is claiming a THD (total harmonic distortion) figure of less than 1%.

• Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Sound quality

• Direct and full-scale presentation
• Low-frequency response is a blunt and oversized instrument
• Somehow able to sound loud even when playing quietly

If you’ve come for an assertive, positive sound that’s delivered at significant scale, stick around. The Philips Fidelio FA3 has you covered in quite some style.

No matter if you’re listening to something that sounds like a glorified demo (Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure, for example) or that’s dressed up to the nines (Nuits Sonores by Floating Points, say), the FA3 take it by the scruff of the neck and serve it up in the most direct and unequivocal manner.

Their fundamental character is confident, and they are capable of generating a large and quite nicely defined soundstage on which the action can occur. The Philips seem to genuinely revel in big dynamic shifts in attack or intensity, and are more than capable of summoning the sort of energy and momentum that makes for a lively and positive presentation.

The tweeter does fine work in delivering bright, crisp and detailed high frequencies that carry enough substance to balance out their undoubted bite. There’s plenty of variation in treble sounds and, even though the FA3 somehow contrive to sound loud even if they’re playing at quite low levels, the brilliance of the top end here is never problematic.

There’s scant suggestion of hardness or glassiness, even if you choose to listen at quite oppressive volume levels (and don’t for a moment doubt the Philips are capable of quite significant volume).

The handover to the bigger mid/bass driver is smooth, and the midrange is served up with a similarly careful attitude towards detail and variation as the top end demonstrates. There’s a stack of information made available regarding the tone and timbre of voices, and the FA3 are just as capable of teasing out the attitude and character in a voice as they are the minutiae of technique or texture.

Those more minor (but no less significant) dynamics of harmonic variation, those over- and undertones that exist either side of the fundamental, are put into quite convincing context, and the Philips are able to preserve a sense of singularity and togetherness from the very top end down towards the bottom of the midrange.

Beneath here, though, the speakers don’t so much ‘overplay their hand’ as seem to be engaged in a different game altogether. Low frequencies are overstated and overbearing, and exhibit less of the dexterity and variation that’s apparent further up the frequency range.

The quest for ‘punch’ seems a preoccupation, and the rather blunt and overstated nature of the bass response here makes for a lop-sided overall frequency response that seemingly prioritizes the low end at the expense of everything else.

This trait is obvious enough when listening to music, but if anything it’s even more apparent when listening to spoken word — especially with male voices. The moment the register of a speaking voice dips towards the bottom of the midrange and below, the bloom in that area of the frequency range becomes all too apparent.

The result is far from naturalistic, and it serves to undermine all the good work the FA3 does elsewhere in the frequency range.

It’s possible to mitigate this by dialing ‘bass’ response right back in the control app, but it doesn’t eradicate the issue — and it’s an issue that’s more apparent at lower volumes than it is at bigger levels.

Despite this rather pear-shaped frequency response, though, the Philips manage to express rhythms in a fairly convincing manner and somehow maintain a degree of momentum despite the drag those oversized bass sounds create.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Design

• 170 x 303 x 211mm (WxHxD) per speaker
• 3.4kg per speaker
• Each cabinet features 45% RCS-certified recycled material

If you were considering the FA3 as a desktop audio system, I’d urge you to think again. Given the size of each speaker, you’d need a notably large and conspicuously tidy desktop to comfortably accommodate them — much better to consider this system for use on speaker stands or a shelf of appropriate depth.

The problem in this scenario, though, is that the cabinets are designed with a kind of ‘wedge’ foot integrated into the base which angles the speaker baffle so the drivers are firing slightly upwards rather than dead ahead. If the surface you’re putting them on is reasonably low, then this is definitely a good thing — it's somewhat common on desktop speakers.

But if you put them on stands or on a shelf that’s at a kind of regular shelf height, then the FA3 will be pointing above, rather than at, your ears. Unless you do all your listening while standing up, anyway.

The cabinets are very nicely built and finished, though, with gentle curves at each corner and that special sort of high-gloss black finish that’s very shiny and very keen to collect fingerprints.

They are supplied with magnetic grilles to cover the driver array if that’s your preference, and the plastic shell of each cabinet includes (deep breath) 45% RCS-certified recycled post-consumer acrylonitrile butadiene styrene in its construction.

• Design score: 4

(Image credit: Philips Entertainment / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Usability & setup

• Remote control handset included
• Philips Entertainment control app
• Physical controls on the primary speaker

To its credit, Philips has provided several options for taking control of the Fidelio FA3 — and each of them is reasonably well-implemented and reliable.

There’s a small and unremarkable remote control handset included in the packaging — it’s of quite hard plastic and has no backlighting. It doesn’t have quite enough buttons, either, since one button takes care of selecting the optical or the HDMI ARC input, another has to deal with selecting between USB-C and analog inputs, and a third chooses between Bluetooth and Auracast.

Still, it’s reliable enough, and the ability to raise, lower or mute the volume, play/pause, skip forwards or backwards, cycle through half-a-dozen EQ presets, and trim bass and treble independently of each other, is all very useful.

There are some controls on the rear of the primary speaker, too. These consist of a volume dial (which needs much too much turning to deliver any meaningful effect), a button to initiate wireless pairing between the speakers, a button to cycle through the inputs, and a power on/off switch.

You can exercise the greatest amount of control over the system, though, by using the Philips Entertainment app that’s free for iOS and Android. It offers playback control, those EQ presets (‘balanced’, ‘warm’, ‘bright’, ‘powerful’, ‘clear’ and ‘custom’, the last of which employs user-controllable ‘bass’ and ‘treble’ adjustment dials), enables you tell the primary speaker if it’s the left or right channel, and lets you dial through your input selection options.

It also gives access to a suite of ambient sound settings (everything from ‘ancient wind’ and ‘ocean’ to ‘bubbles’ and ‘sonar’) in case you’ve misplaced your collection of Brian Eno LPs. It can duplicate the layout of the remote control handset (except with a single button for each input, mercifully) and enables you to check for software updates too.

• Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Value

• Big and powerful for the price
• Very well equipped and with a great app
• But the iffy bass pulls the down from being a bargain

Judged either by the size of its specification or by the size of the speakers themselves, there’s really no arguing with the value for money the Philips Fidelio FA3 represents — the sheer amount of glossy black finish your money buys is considerable all by itself.

It's reassuring to have a great app, too — it's something that companies often don't manage to achieve. If only the remote control was as neatly laid out.

The bottom-heavy nature of the sonic character you get for your outlay, though, is quite a bit more difficult to make a case for than the above.

• Value score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)Should I buy Philips Fidelio FA3?Philips Fidelio FA3 scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Basically as well-equipped as stereo wireless speakers come at this price.

5 / 5

Sound quality

Rich and powerful and full of dynamic attack – but the overblown bass is a problem.

3.5 / 5

Design

Very well-built and good-looking, but the wedge shape is an odd decision.

4 / 5

Setup & usability

Very well thought-through, and with multiple control options, including a great app.

4.5 / 5

Value

Not bad value at all, thanks to the features and build quality – but bass issues mean they're not amazing value either.

3 / 5

Buy them if…

You have one or two (or more) sources of hi-res content
The FA3’s ability to serve up the 24bit/96kHz stuff even when joined together wirelessly is not to be sniffed at.View Deal

You have a low-ish surface on which to position it
The laid-back, upward-facing cabinet arrangement is ideal for use on those surfaces that are below head height.View Deal

You love a shiny aesthetic
‘Glossy’ is almost too weak a word to describe the black finish of these speakers.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You’re expecting sonic realism
The way the FA3 so gleefully overstates the bass frequencies is almost admirable — but it’s not to be confused with an even frequency response.View Deal

You don’t have a lot of power outlets
The fact this is a wireless stereo system is a big positive — but it also means both speakers must be plugged into power individually.View Deal

Your memory isn’t what it was
Having three buttons on the remote control to cover six different input options is sub-optimal (as is the remote’s lack of backlighting).View Deal

Philips Fidelio FA3 review: Also consider

Ruark MR1 Mk3
This is one of the very best wireless speaker systems around at a similar price to what Philips wants for the Fidelio FA3. Compact enough to fit on a desk, but it sounds considerably larger; wired and wireless connectivity options include a phono stage for use with a turntable; the real wood veneer feels almost as good as it looks. No control app, though. Here's our full Ruark MR1 Mk3 review.View Deal

Edifier MR5
If you want something for the desktop, we described these as "triumphantly multifaceted little boxes of joy" in our full Edifier MR5 review. Lots of connections, a really comprehensive app, and a nice compact size – oh, and superb sound, of course. And they're cheaper than the Philips, though don't expect room-filling power in the same way.View Deal

How I tested the Philips Fidelio FA3

(Image credit: Simon Lucas / Future)

I connected the speakers together using their cable, but also wirelessly. I connected an Apple iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player via Bluetooth, a Rega Apollo CD player via the digital optical input, an Apple MacBook Pro using the USB-C slot, and a Philips OLED806 television via the HDMI ARC socket.

I positioned them on the same equipment rack as the TV — I also used them on my desk (not for long, though; they’re pretty big when you put them on there) and on a pair of Custom Design speaker stands.

I listened to music streamed from Qobuz and Tidal apps, from my collection of compact discs, and to content from a Panasonic 4K Blu-ray player and Sony Playstation 5 connected to the TV.

• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
• First reviewed: February 2026

Artificial intelligence has significantly simplified the process of SEO optimization for website owners. It has made content creation and discovery easier and more accessible, both individuals and businesses.

MarketMuse is an example of a tool that leverages AI to provide objective insights for planning. A lot has changed with the platform since its 2024 acquisition by SiteImprove. Here's where it currently stands.

• Interested in Marketmuse? Check out the Marketmuse website.

Features

(Image credit: MarketMuse)

Like tools like Frase, Dashword, Clearscope, and other SEO optimization platforms, MarketMuse supports content creators and marketers in producing top-notch content. This AI-powered tool leverages machine learning algorithms to evaluate content quality, relevance, and depth while enhancing its potential for improved SEO performance.

Utilizing natural language processing capabilities, MarketMuse thoroughly examines a subject. Generates an overview of related topics, keywords, and queries that should be incorporated into the content to enhance its relevance and boost search engine rankings. Doing so offers users an analysis that aids in crafting more thorough and SEO-friendly content. Its seamless integration process also simplifies its incorporation into existing workflows.

As detailed on its website, MarketMuse offerings extend beyond keyword research and content evaluation. This includes access to on-demand inventory technology that enables customers to comprehend the strengths and weaknesses of their online content. Additionally, MarketMuse offers personalized metrics to demonstrate how challenging it may be for a website to rank for keywords. By considering a site's edge in content creation, MarketMuse delivers a precise assessment of the obstacles one might encounter and the opportunities available for leveraging success.

MarketMuse also provides a measure for determining the authority on a topic, emphasizing its importance in recognizing areas where a company thrives and where improvements are needed. This approach helps craft content that establishes an organization as a trusted source in a field.

Moreover, MarketMuse's research capabilities extend beyond keyword analysis. Using its topic modeling technology, MarketMuse sifts through pages to pinpoint essential concepts linked to a specific subject. This thorough investigation aids in identifying content deficiencies,, explore keyword suggestions,, and understand how competitors address these subjects. Furthermore, through the MarketMuse content cluster analysis tool, one can assess the depth and breadth of existing content on a topic. This process assists in spotting any gaps or oversights and guides in developing material or enhancing current pages to ensure comprehensive coverage and enhance the impact of the content.

How does Marketmuse use AI?

Unlike most competitors, MarketMuse has embedded AI into its platform since its founding in 2013. At the core of its approach is proprietary topic modeling technology. For every page and topic you analyze, the platform fetches hundreds to thousands of pages of web content, filters out low-quality outliers, then applies a combination of proprietary and open-source algorithms to classify parts of speech and calculate relevance.

Then there's the AI-automated content inventory feature. Once connected to your domain, MarketMuse's AI crawls your published pages and maps out your existing topical authority — effectively identifying the subjects your site already ranks well for and surfacing gaps where a competitor has the edge. This inventory updates automatically over time, removing the need for manual content audits.

MarketMuse also generates Personalized Difficulty scores, a metric calculated specifically for your site, factoring in your existing topical authority against the competitive landscape for a given query. This means two different sites analyzing the same keyword will receive different difficulty scores, giving content teams genuinely actionable guidance on where to focus effort.

Generative AI also plays a targeted role in the platform. The Optimize application includes a generative AI component that helps users draft content faster. Although, MarketMuse is careful to frame this as a writing accelerator rather than an automated content generator. The real AI firepower sits in planning and prioritization: automated cluster analysis, AI-generated content briefs that lay out required topics, subtopics, and questions, and competitive gap analysis that identifies what top-ranking pages cover that yours does not.

Following its acquisition by Siteimprove in October 2024, MarketMuse's AI capabilities are now available as part of a broader platform that integrates accessibility, SEO, analytics, and cross-channel advertising — a meaningful step toward a unified content marketing workflow.

Installation, setup, and compatibility

MarketMuse is entirely browser-based, meaning you simply visit the platform through any modern web browser and create an account using your name, email, and a password. After signup, you'll receive a confirmation email, and once verified you're taken directly to the dashboard.

The onboarding process also prompts you to connect your site's domain, which kicks off the automated content inventory process that underpins much of the platform's intelligence. Depending on the size of your site, this initial crawl can take a little time, but most users report being ready to run their first analyses within minutes.

The dashboard itself is organized around a set of core applications — Optimize, Research, Compete, Questions, and Connect. Each tab is designed to handle a distinct phase of the content workflow. New users will likely find the Inventory feature the natural starting point. From there, you can move into Topic Research to investigate search intent, identify related subtopics, and build out content plans without switching tools. Everything is cleanly laid out, but the sheer number of metrics and applications means there is a genuine learning curve before the platform starts to feel intuitive.

For teams looking to accelerate that process, MarketMuse offers the MarketMuse Academy, a learning hub with blog posts, video walkthroughs, and webinar-based content strategy courses. Higher-tier plan holders also have access to more direct support, including onboarding calls and team training. It's worth noting that paid plan features like data export, content briefs, and domain analysis become relevant quickly once you're past initial exploration, so users on the free tier will bump into limitations fairly soon.

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: MarketMuse)

Plan

Starting Rate (paid annually)

Starting Rate (paid monthly)

Free

$0/month

$0/month

Optimize

$83.25/month ($999/year)

$99/month

Research

$208.25/month ($2,499/year)

$249/month

Strategy

$458.25/month ($5,499/year)

$499/month

MarketMuse currently offers four plans — Free, Optimize, Research, and Strategy. It's a restructured lineup that replaced the older Standard, Team, and Premium tiers. The Free plan gives a single user 10 queries per month with no credit card required, making it a low-risk way to explore the platform before committing. Paid plans are available on both monthly and annual billing, with annual subscriptions offering meaningful savings across all tiers.

The entry-level Optimize plan starts at $99 per month (or $999 per year), giving individual users and small teams access to high-level site and topical insights to accelerate content creation. The mid-tier Research plan, at $249 per month (or $2,499 per year), is geared toward mid-sized teams that need comprehensive data for content decisions and high-quality content production.

Agencies and larger organizations scaling across multiple sites will want to consider the Strategy plan at $499 per month (or $5,499 per year), which adds more Content Analysis and Planning documents along with multi-site support. Enterprise users who need a fully customized arrangement can contact MarketMuse directly.

Final verdict

One of the best things about MarketMuse is that it’s been designed to help individuals and small and large teams. This isn’t always the case with similar products that target individuals or large organizations, but not both. From a product standpoint, there’s much to love about MarketMuse. The AI-based guidance provided by MarketMuse ensures you create in-depth, high-quality content related to your chosen topic. It helps in developing the most comprehensive and authoritative content possible. By increasing the relevance and depth of the content, MarketMuse can dramatically boost the SEO success rate. A well-optimized, high-quality content can naturally rank higher on search engine results pages.

Additionally, with MarketMuse's ability to recognize related content, users can create a robust, interlinked content strategy. These linked clusters of content can significantly improve your website's domain authority.

There are a few things to criticize about MarketMuse, however. First, although I have no doubt users of all backgrounds can get started with MarketMuse with relative ease, there’s a huge learning curve to master the platform’s full range of platforms. For this, I’d strongly suggest looking into paid training through MarketMuse. 

It’s important to note that SEO optimization tools like MarketMuse have another significant drawback. They have no control over the dynamic nature of search engine algorithms. This means that even the best tools will be affected if Google changes how it handles searches. As a result, companies like MarketMuse must adjust the data behind their offerings, and end-users will also need to make necessary adjustments. This can be a challenging process for everyone involved.

More from TechRadar Pro

• See our best on-page SEO tool of the year
• We've also featured the best AI tools.

It's at times like this when I wish I could review TV via TechRadar's YouTube channel, as I'm struggling to form words after binging Paradise season 2. What would actually convey my thoughts is a series of stunned noises and facial expressions, perfectly communicating how my mind has happily turned into post-apocalyptic soup.

Last year, season 1 became one of Hulu and Disney+'s most-watched TV shows during its first few weeks, stunning everybody by transforming from a unsuspecting zero into a globally successful hero. The social media furore is going to pick straight back up where it left off, and I'm already confident that season 2 will be one of the best TV shows of 2026.

So why all the hype? Paradise has a tight craft and a strong understanding of the story it wants to tell... and frankly, it's all a nightmare that could easily become a reality. Couple that with a stellar cast who never put a foot wrong, and you've got a bold and striking end product.

Season 2 only makes all of the above more apparent. As Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) leaves the bunker behind to try and find estranged wife Teri (Enuka Okuma), we meet medical school dropout turned Graceland tour guide Annie (Shailene Woodley), who has to hide out in the King's mansion for the three years after the Doomsday event.

For me, it's our new cast who really make this season sing. Yes, we have to trudge over existing character history like we're trying to pass the time by sharing war stories in an underground bunker. But not only is this gripping in small doses, but the biggest intrigue comes from understanding the backstory behind the new kids on the block.

While some of these help put the pieces together for Xavier and Teri, others will flat-out make you sob. Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) can't be forgotten either, and I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her.

We've got to thank Shailene Woodley and Elvis Presley's estate for how impeccably Paradise season 2 begins

There's no world where I imagined Riley Keough (who is now the sole trustee of her grandfather's estate) letting Hulu and Disney+ near-destroy Graceland to recreate it as a set for the main location in Paradise season 2, but clearly, pigs have flown.

The move is probably the most jarring change across the new episodes, and I'm surprised that the mansion hadn't been looted earlier. If you've ever wanted to fly to Memphis to do the tour (would recommend), you now don't have to leave your living room.

Put the absurd and surreal background of hiding there during Doomsday with Annie's personal plight and resilience, and opening episodes of season 2 are catnip. I won't lie — I'd forgotten how brilliant of an actor Woodley is, wearing her heart on her sleeve and her snotty tears all over her beautiful face. There's no way her eyebrows would have remained that pristine, but we'll move past that.

Without spoilers, the new characters are the ones who really pack the emotional punch. They're now the biggest variable in a world reconstructed to benefit the few, so any sudden tragedy or buried trauma is the ultimate sideswipe. It's incredible how quickly you become invested in people you know very little about, and Paradise season 2 makes sure they will all break your heart.

Everything else is like a duck to post-apocalyptic water

You'll see a lot of flashbacks like this. (Image credit: Hulu)

For most of both seasons, I haven't had a single clue what was going on — but to quote K.C and the Sunshine Band, that's the way I like it. There's an unexplainable rush to being swept up in something that's so much bigger than you are, but you seldom understand. It also helps that we're not the ones having to live through a climate apocalypse, even when its relatability pushes it too close to home.

Xavier and Sinatra are spearheading the tension from opposite sides, and both Brown and Nicholson slip seamlessly back into their season 2 roles. There's a greater sense of danger for them both, but also each teeter on the brink of total exposure. With one snap decision, either could shift from good to evil and back again, and the unpredictability is a thrill in itself.

Paradise season 2 is an all-rounder, as a teacher might say on parent's evening. High-value production, a tight story, well-developed narrative arc that's clearly going to end after season 3 (though this is currently unconfirmed), cast fully sending their performances to the depths of insanity, and Graceland's own horses successfully surviving at surface level. There's truly nothing else you can ask for.

It's very rare that a TV show gives me a sense of giddy excitement, like a child whizzing around on a teacup at Disneyworld, holding candy floss while trying not to puke. But Paradise season 2 effortlessly manages, and it's ridiculous how excited I am about something that resembles a 2020s retelling of Threads.

Frankly, you'd be a fool not to stream it — but get ready to gasp, scream and cry your way through it, with the tiniest ray of hope peeking through the volcanic clouds.

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Drop + Epos PC38X review: One-minute review

Not necessarily a new model, but still a great one, the Drop + Epos PC38X is an excellent wired gaming headset and comes through with the promise of delivering top-shelf audio for the discerning gaming sound enthusiasts among us.

Featuring immensely enjoyable audio, no matter the game, a simple wired connection, a reliable mic, solid build quality, and a level of comfort that makes it a joy to wear for hours on end, it really is a do-it-all wired gaming headset that can be a one-stop solution across platforms.

The standout feature is easily the audio. I’ve tested some of the best and most expensive gaming headsets of the last decade, and only a few really blow me away; the Drop + Epos PC38X does that, too, for a sub-$200 price tag. It’s even played beautifully with an external sound card as well.

It’s by no means a flashy or outlandish gaming headset when it comes to design and build, but it does sport the level of quality you’d expect from Sennheiser and Epos. A symphony of piano black, the headset is slick, and its over-ear, open-back earcups are robust but supremely comfortable. The only blemishes on the scorecard here are a slightly plasticky-feeling build and that the microphone is a bit of a chunky one, despite it being a handy flip-to-mute model.

In brief, if you’re happy to be (or prefer being) a wired gamer, then the Drop + Epos PC38X is a superb option. It’s now my go-to wired headset - though it’s in constant battle with my Sennheiser HD 550s - and I’ve had a blast listening to all my music and entertainment, and playing games across PC and PlayStation 5 with it.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Drop + Epos PC38X review: Price and availability

• Current approximate prices as of early 2026: $199 / £180 / around AU$305
• Availability is spotty, but it represents excellent value for money
• Pricing puts it in the mid-to-high range for gaming headsets, but good value for audiophile sets

The main point of discussion around the Drop + Epos PC38X gaming headset’s price and availability in 2026 is that it is not as readily available as its competitors. I’ve seen listings come and go at retailers, both US and UK, and prices go up and down like yo-yos, too.

There’s also some variation in the headset’s name when it comes to retailer listings. However, if you can find one of any Drop + Epos PC38X, DROP PC38X, or Drop + Sennheiser PC38X (or similar), know that it’s the same headset regardless of name, and you’re still getting a quality product.

Despite stock wobbliness, Drop’s own website has been a reliable seller of the headset, and currently has it in stock for $199, but has had it as low as $169 at times, too. It does very much look like you’ll be limited to the all-black variant if you do find it in stock, though - the version that had yellow-colored cups appears to not be available for purchase anymore.

Given that ‘roughly $200 / £200’ price point, that does put it in pretty lofty territory and in the company of some absolute belters - in both gaming headset and headphone territory. I’ve been comparing the PC38X most closely to my Sennheiser HD 550 headphones ($299.99 / $249.99 / AU$479) and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset ($279.99 / £249.99 / AU$565); both are wired, both have great audio, and both are a little bit more costly, but are viable alternatives for gamers wanting seriously strong audio.

Drop + Epos PC38X review: Specs

Drop + Epos PC38X

Price

$199 / £180 / around AU$305

Weight

8.9oz / 253g

Drivers

Size officially unspecified

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac, mobile

Connection type

3.5mm audio jack (2.5m 2 x 3.5mm cable, 1.5m 1 x 3.5mm cable)

Battery life

N/A

Features

Openback design, Bi-directional, flip-to-mute electret condenser mic, dynamic neodymium drivers

Software

N/A

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Drop + Epos PC38X review: Design and features

• Open-back earcup design
• Flip-to-mute boom-arm mic
• Sleek and understated black finish

When it comes to design, the Drop + Epos PC38X doesn’t really stand out. It’s a slick black-on-black unit, with only black metal covers for the open earcups and mic punctuating the cloak of darkness. There used to be a slightly more exciting green/yellow colorway, but I haven’t been able to spot a listing for that in all my time testing this black model.

Away from aesthetics, it does feel like any other gaming headset to wear, too, in all honesty. The frame is a little plasticky, and there’s nothing too special here - but there are upsides to that. It’s just an easy-to-wear, very comfortable headset with padding in the right places, and a deliberate and appropriate use of materials.

The cables provided make for easy connection too: you get both a mic-and-headphone split cable perfect for those who prefer the split (or to use their headphones with other devices), as well as a straight-up 3.5mm audio jack connection too - perfect for use with a gaming console controller.

My only small criticism is the boom mic, which is a chunky monster. Located on the left cup, every part of it feels large in the hand, and when inspecting or holding the headset.

The caveat to that is - when it’s flipped up, especially - it’s totally out of sight anyway, and is in no way an immersion or multiplayer-ruiner. It feels like something from one of the older Sennheiser gaming headsets, too, so it doesn’t feel out of place either. Completing the onboard set, the volume dial on the right cup is the only onboard control and is intuitive and easy to interact with.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Drop + Epos PC38X review: Performance

• Brilliant, immersive audio
• While massive in design, the mic is crisp and clear
• Comfortable to wear for long periods of time

The audio on offer from the Drop + Epos PC38X is excellent, across the board. It certainly punches above its weight and can certainly hold its own against even the most recent of premium headsets.

Bass notes are rich and thumpy without being muddy and unpleasant, mids are rich and full, and highs are always crisp and punchy, but not piercing. It really does channel some excellent Sennheiser and Epos pedigree that makes its out-of-the-box audio some of the best I’ve tested.

On PC, the echoes and spookiness of The Oldest House in Control were beamed to my brain superbly, while hearing every detail of my cities in Frostpunk 2, and every crunch and thwack in encounters in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 were joyous. On my PS5 Pro, I experienced some wonderfully atmospheric and rich audio in Death Stranding: Director’s Cut, which really upped my immersion to brilliant heights.

Elsewhere, every punch of a Nazi’s face in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was fulsome and full of oomf, and gunfire in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, as well as Battlefield 6, were excellent, giving me the right balance of rich chaos, but punchy action and crisp gunfire audio. No matter what I played on either platform, the Drop + Epos PC38X really did excel, and I can’t sing its audio praises high enough.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)

As an everyday work headset, it also performed admirably, transporting my voice beautifully down the internet as well as giving me clear audio on calls and meetings, and also becoming a stalwart companion for a range of music and entertainment.

While that mic is chunky, it’s easy to use and doesn’t impact the comfort of the headset during use. I wore the headset for hours and hours at a time without ever feeling uncomfortable, and the mic being flip-to-mute at least makes for a convenient design.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this review, I’ve also been able to test the Drop + Epos PC38X with external sound cards. This enabled me to get even more out of the headset - so if you have the luxury of having one of these devices in your setup already, or fancy adding one, then know that it’s an ideal combination. Be it on PS5 or PC, adding an extra layer of excellence to augment the experience the Drop + Epos PC38X gave me was great - but I still defaulted to the out-of-the-box audio on more than one occasion away from the sound cards.

All in, however, you won’t need an external sound card at all with the Drop + Epos PC38X. If you can find it in 2026 and are after a top wired gaming headset with pedigree and sublime audio, then it won’t let you down.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Should I buy the Drop + Epos PC38X?Buy it if...

You’re after a top wired gaming headset - and can find it in stock
Honestly, if you are committed to finding a top wired gaming headset that’ll cover you across platforms, offer you excellent audio across the board, superb comfort, and a solid mic, then the PC38X is a no-brainer for me to recommend.

You want an audiophile-quality sound in your wired headset
The PC38X’s audio quality is genuinely some of the best I’ve heard and is right up there with some of my other favorites like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, the Audeze Maxwell, and headphones like my Sennheiser HD 550s.

You want a simple solution that you can still tailor externally
The PC38X is at its heart a plug-and-play gaming headset; there’s no software, and even its onboard controls are minimal. However, I’ve really enjoyed using its baseline audio excellence and tinkering it somewhat with external soundcards to get even more out of the PC38X’s sound, and it has really played exceptionally well with such devices.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for a compact mic
Overall, the design of the PC38X is agreeable, but in 2026 its large flip-to-mute mic does stand out as a bit of a chonker - if you want something more subtle and tidier, then a product from the likes of SteelSeries would be a better fit.

You’re looking for flawless build quality
The PC38X is solid enough, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve definitely tested more robust and stronger-feeling sets, so if you think you’ll need something that can offer more durability, you may have to look elsewhere.

You like to use software to tinker with audio settings and EQs
The PC38X doesn’t have any software, so there’s no app or program in which to alter your EQs or manipulate your sound. If that’s a must-have for you, then this plug-and-play option may not be the right fit.

Drop + Epos PC38X review: Also consider...

Still not sold on the Drop + Epos PC38X? Here are two competitors that might hit the mark instead.

Drop + Epos PC38X

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Sennheiser HD 550

Price

$199 / £180 / around AU$305

$279.99 / £249.99 / AU$565

$299.99 / $249.99 / AU$479

Weight

8.9oz / 253g

16.08oz / 456g

8.35oz / 237g

Drivers

Size officially unspecified

40mm

38mm

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac, mobile (where audio jack is present)

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac, mobile (where audio jack is present)

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac, mobile (where audio jack is present)

Connection type

3.5mm audio jack (2.5m 2 x 3.5mm cable, 1.5m 1 x 3.5mm cable)

USB, 3.5mm audio jack

3.5mm audio jack; 6ft / 1.8m cable (3.5 to 6.5mm adapter provided)

Battery life

N/A

N/A

N/A

Features

Openback design, Bi-directional, flip-to-mute electret condenser mic, dynamic neodymium drivers

40 mm Neodymium drivers, Bidirectional microphone polar pattern, ClearCast Gen 2 microphone, GameDac Gen 2 control panel

38mm transducer, 150 Ω nominal impedance, 6Hz – 39.5kHz frequency response, synthetic velour ear pads

Software

N/A

SteelSeries GG

N/A

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
One of my absolute favorite wired gaming headsets, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is truly brilliant. If you’re looking to spend a bit more to go even more premium, have a retractable mic, a wonderful USB DAC unit, and some of that sweet, sweet SteelSeries audio and build quality, then this is the wired competitor for the PC38X to go for from the brand.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review

Sennheiser HD 550
Keeping it even more simple than the PC38X and really focusing on providing top- level audio for your games and nothing more, the Sennheiser HD 550 is one of my favorite sets of headphones that target gaming performance. That known Sennheiser quality shines through here, and a simple audio jack connection is all you need. An easy alternative to recommend.

For more information, check out our full Sennheiser HD 550 review

How I tested the Drop + Epos PC38X

• Tested for around six months
• Used across multiple platforms and with multiple devices, including USB sound cards
• Compared performance across game types and against other headsets and headphones

I used the Drop + Epos PC38X on and off over a period of around six months, on PC and PS5, and for games, music, entertainment, and work. I was able to compare it to a bunch of other headphones and headsets to gauge its place in the market in 2026.

On my PS5 Pro, I used the PC38X set across games like Dying Light 2, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Enhanced, Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Ghost of Yotei, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Battlefield 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and more. I plugged it into both a DualSense Wireless Controller and a Creative Sound BlasterX G6 sound card during sessions as well.

When testing the headset on my old RTX 3090 gaming PC and my newer RTX 5070 gaming PC (provided by Acer), I dove into a host of games such as Frostpunk 2, Control, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3, while also using the headset daily for music, entertainment, and daily work commitments and calls.

First reviewed July 2025-February 2026

Read more about how we test

Hostinger is one of the best web hosting providers. It's an all in one solution for many scenarios and use cases. Shared hosting, VPS & cloud plans, multiple website builders, vibe coding tools, and email and marketing products mean there is everything a business needs to launch and grow.

(Image credit: Hostiner)Hostinger: The pros

Ease of use

When I started building websites, if you had zero experience and wanted a website you'd go to a place like Squarespace or Wix because they offered an easy to use website builder and hosting all in one. They were a bit more expensive but if you didn't want to pay for a web developer they were still much cheaper. Hostinger has changed the game as you can use Hostinger's website builder, AI tools, and guides to easily create and host a website at a much lower cost. This now expands into app building with Hostinger Horizons.

Cost

If you went with a website builder such as Wix you'll be paying $17 a month and if you want to add features to your site like taking bookings or payment you'll need to fork out even more. At Hostinger you can start from as little as $2.49 a month with very little restrictions. It's unlikely you'll need to upgrade your plan unless your site get more use. You won't need to pay more for features that you want. Plus, you get a website builder with Hostinger too. After renewal the most basic Hostinger plan is $11.99 a month still making it cheaper than Wix and Squarespace at $16 a month.

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(Image credit: Hostinger)

Feature packed plans

Hostinger’s plans are well priced and stuffed with features, many of which are chargeable extras elsewhere. Page speed monitoring, malware scanning, and analytics are all nice extras for beginners. There are also drag and drop website builders alongside AI builders and AI tools to manage website optimization and troubleshooting.

The more advanced plans like cloud the cloud hosting plans include auto-scaling and geo-redundancy for maximum flexibility and reliability.

Excellent uptime

Reliability is one of the most important elements in any quality web host. A provider can offer as many other features as it likes, but if your site is down all the time, most of your visitors will disappear.

We measured Hostinger’s performance by setting up a test WordPress website, then using Uptime.com to monitor its speed and any downtime from multiple locations around the world.

Although our site was hosted on Hostinger's most basic shared hosting plan, it still managed an excellent 100% uptime record over 10 weeks of monitoring.

Fast load times

We measure website load speeds with help from GTmetrix, which accesses a test page and reports how long its main content takes to load (a value called Largest Contentful Paint, or LCP). A low LCP means your website begins to appear on the screen more quickly, keeping visitors happy.

Hostinger scored here with a speedy LCP of 0.607 seconds, the second fastest result in our last 15 tests, just behind HostGator.

One-off load speed checks are important, but we also like to see how a site performs when it's busy. To do this, we use the stress-testing service k6 to unleash 20 virtual users on our site and measure what happens.

Hostinger's results showed it could handle 15 requests per second throughout the test. That’s similar to other providers, but very acceptable for shared hosting, and if you’re opting for a more high-powered cloud or VPS plan, you should be able to handle even more visitors.

Low starter prices

Hostinger’s prices start at just $2.49 a month for the four year Premium hosting plan (renewing at a still very reasonable $7.99 on the first renewal).

Not keen on signing up for such a long time? Switch to the annual plan and it’s still well priced at $2.99 a month and $11.99 on renewal.

The pricing can be a bit confusing and renewal prices can change based things like whether you have auto-renew enabled. You can ignore the countdown timer on the page as it's always refreshing and the prices stay the same. However, we do recommend that you take more time to look at the long term cost of your plans.

Data centers in nine countries

Sign up with many web hosts and they’ll give you storage space in a data center but they won’t tell you where it is, or give you any choice of locations.

That could be bad performance news if, say, your target audience is in California but your website is hosted in a data center halfway around the world.

Hostinger has data centers in nine countries: the USA, UK, France, Netherlands, Indonesia, Lithuania, Singapore, India and Brazil.

That's far more than most hosts, and it’s especially good to see a service which doesn’t purely focus on North America and Europe.

There is one catch though, some plans don't support all the data centers. The Shared, Cloud and WordPress plans are available everywhere, but Hostinger's VPS plans can't be hosted in Netherlands, the UK, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Check the small print of individual plans to find out more, or take a look at Hostinger's 'Where are your servers located?' support document.

Quality custom control panel

Hostinger doesn't offer cPanel (an intuitive server and site management platform) to its shared hosting users, opting to provide its custom hPanel platform, instead. Custom control panels make us wary, probably because most of them are underpowered in the extreme, but hPanel is an exception.

It looks similar to cPanel with server details (location, IP address) in a sidebar, and colorful icons representing features in categories such as Domains, Emails, Files, WordPress and more.

Most functions are accessible to even novice users. Creating an email address, for instance, is as easy as entering the address and a password. Advanced features like importing existing emails, to setting up SPF and DKIM records (to authenticate emails and protect against phishing) are just a click or two away too.

Hostinger: The cons

Confusing prices

With three different subscription lengths and each one having a different renewal cost, it can be hard to work out which plan is best for you. Keep in mind when calculating long term costs. After the reduced renewal price the monthly fee will revert to the monthly cost of $11.99.

There are significant discounts to be had for longer plans but are you really going to need that plan for 48 months? Check your business plan and pick a subscription length not just based on price but one that might come up for renewal when you're about to out grow your hosting plan.

Performance restrictions

Any site that does any kind of image processing or has big databases will find low performance because disk read/write speeds are throttled and memory is not that generous. Any static site will be fine but performance of sites that have user accounts and to some extent eCommerce sites will be affected.

No telephone support

Hostinger say that telephone support just slows down getting things done and that they've been able to fix issues faster by removing this option. If you really care about speaking to a human via a voice call there are other hosts that offer phone support but they are more costly.

(Image credit: Hostinger)Hostinger: Tested

We've put Hostinger through its paces to see how well it copes and how easy it is to use. Our testers are industry experts that have extensive experience in a range of web hosting scenarios so we can give a reliable and comprehensive review on everything Hostinger claims to be.

On the whole, we found a web hosting service that's easy to use and performs well for the majority of users.

Hostinger hPanel (Image credit: Hostinger)Using Hostinger

Hostinger has put a lot of effort into making their shared hosting experience as seamless and beginner friendly as possible. From the moment you sign up, Hostinger walks you through every step with very clear and easy to follow instructions that can help beginners get their website up and running.

There's more for experienced users too. With the inclusion of additional features such as page speed monitoring, malware scanning, and analytics, they’re really making sure that you can manage every aspect of your website directly from Hostinger’s hPanel. This really goes above and beyond the industry standard control panel cPanel and it does a good job of hiding away any of the techy stuff that can be confusing, presenting everything in a logical manner.

Hostinger guide you through every combination of scenarios - building a fresh website vs migrating an existing one, doing it yourself vs getting a developer to do it - they really caters for everyone. They’ve even customised the Wordpress admin panel to ease the transition from their own control panel to help newbies get to grips with Wordpress.

Wordpress is by no-means difficult to use, but if you’re not familiar with it then it can be overwhelming and their customisations are a really nice touch. Overall impressions are very high.

Hostinger have developed a new AI troubleshooter that can automatically detect errors (403, 404, 500, 503, etc) and suggest fixes making hosting even easier than before. Currently the tool works 42% of the time but it's improving every month. It also only takes one minute to use so it's not an added inconvenience if it doesn't work, you can just go through the usual support channels.Hostinger is a genuine alternative to Wix and Squarespace. The getting started process is really well thought out. It covers every eventuality including, transferring your website from another host and installing WordPress.

Extras such as malware scanning, page speed monitoring and analytics are great for beginners who wouldn’t know how to set up third party tools such as google analytics

There's an AI website builder if you don't want to use WordPress but if you do it's very easy to personalise WordPress, add content, and configure performance improving settings like automatic caching.

When it comes to their VPS offerings, you’ve very much on your own. VPS tend to be aimed at people with experience setting up and managing servers and, in exchange for far more performance for your money, you will need to know how to run and manage the server yourself.

One click installers

Hostinger really shines here. There are a bunch of different things you can one-click install, most are a bit useless but there’s not much harm in having the choice. Some plans include staging versions which let you test changes to your website on a cloned version of your website. Perfect for beginners that are afraid of breaking their live site. There's also automatic updates which is a fantastic feature.

This also extends into the VPS products with one click installers for various popular installations such as n8n and Docker. There is also a catalogue of popular services to install on Docker containers.

Hostinger's performance

We used Uptime.com to monitor our test website from multiple locations around the world, logging response times and any downtime.

Our test site was hosted on Hostinger's most basic shared hosting plan, but still managed a solid 99.96% uptime record over 10 weeks of monitoring.

Uptime.com recorded a response time range of 171ms to 1.73s, with an average of 382ms, over the last seven days of testing. Starter shared hosting plans typically manage 200-400ms with an average peak of 700-800ms, so Hostinger is a bit on the slow side when it comes to response times.

Page load times matter too, though, so we used Dotcom Tools' Website Speed Test to measure our site performance from 16 locations around the US and Europe. This time the results were much better at 878ms, putting it in the top 25% of providers.

One-off load speed checks are important, but we also like to see how a site performs when it's busy. To do this, we use the stress-testing service k6 to unleash 20 virtual users on our site and measure what happens.

Hostinger's results showed some drops in performance at peak load, but that's what we would expect for a shared hosting package. Overall, it was able to handle 15 requests per second throughout the test, a typical result for most providers.

These are broadly positive results, and show Hostinger performs better than most budget hosts. But keep in mind that our figures are based on testing a shared plan, and if you're opting for VPS, cloud hosting or any other product, your experience may be very different.

A mixed story, then, but keep in mind these are comparisons based on the cheapest shared hosting plan from each test provider. Some of those plans cost 5x to 10x the cost you could pay with Hostinger, so on balance we think the company did reasonably well.

Hostinger's GTmetrix grade showing 100% performance (Image credit: Future)Hostinger's performance metrics

LPC

Uptime

Response time

Page requests

Hostinger

0.607

99.96%

0.382

15

Average across top hosts

0.720

99.98%

0.300

14

Hostinger's support is entirely text based (Image credit: Hostinger)How good is Hostinger's support?

Unusually for a top hosting provider, Hostinger doesn't have telephone support. There's 24/7 live chat, though, and email or ticket support if you prefer.

We opened a ticket asking how we could install WordPress on a subdomain. That's not a complicated technical issue, but it's more involved than a simple product question, and gave us a better chance of getting an interesting response.

The reply arrived only 17 minutes later, just about as speedy as we could expect for ticket support. (Who needs live chat, anyway?)

The text used more jargon than we’d like, but was accurate and included all the detail we needed to figure out a solution.

Live chat is also available whenever you need it. We never waited more than a couple of minutes for a response, and agents were just as quick at identifying our issues and coming up with relevant and useful advice.

A web knowledgebase is on hand if you prefer the DIY approach. We'd recommend ignoring the Search box (it does a poor job of finding the best articles), and just browse the categories further down the page. There are hundreds of articles arranged into topics such as hPanel, cPanel, DNS, SSL Certificates and more.

These articles are often short, and not always organized or presented as you'd expect. The site does have plenty of useful advice on carrying out specific tasks, though, even when they're not about Hostinger's own services.

If your domain is managed by another registrar, for instance, most hosting providers don't give you any real advice on how to modify DNS records. But Hostinger has separate articles for managing DNS at Bluehost, GoDaddy, IONOS, Namecheap, HostGator, SiteGround, WordPress.com, DreamHost’s, and many more: 30+ providers in total.

There's clearly work to do here, but Hostinger scores well in most areas, and overall delivers a far better quality of support than most budget providers.

What sort of hosting plans does Hostinger offer?

Hostinger offers affordable shared hosting for small to medium low-traffic sites. VPS hosting and cloud hosting give your website more resources for extra speed, making them suitable for more demanding, business-critical sites. (How demanding? A good VPS can run a WordPress site with hundreds of thousands of visitors a month.)

Hostinger is also one of the few big hosting names to offer pre-configured Minecraft server hosting from under $10 a month.

• Hostinger is also top of our best Minecraft server hosting list

Shared hosting

Shared hosting works just as the name suggests: your site is stored on a web server along with many others, and everyone shares the server costs and resources. It's cheap and relatively easy to use, and although this is the slowest hosting type, shared plans may still be able to handle sites with tens of thousands of visitors a month.

Hostinger's shared hosting starts with the Premium plan. It's well priced at $2.49 a month over four years ($7.99 on renewal, then the standard $11.99 monthly price), and has some welcome features including free SSL, easy WordPress installation and management.

The Business plan comes at an affordable $3.99 a month ($8.99 on renewal, then the standard $13.99 monthly price). There's support for 50 websites and 100 email addresses, a free domain, and unlimited bandwidth are also available with the Premium plan. This plan comes with more (200 GB) and faster (NVMe instead of standard SSD) storage, free CDN for faster loading speeds, daily and on-demand backups, WordPress AI tools that help you create bespoke content and troubleshoot issues, Amazon Affiliate plugin for WordPress, and enhanced DDoS protection, to name a few.

On top of what the Business plan offers, the Cloud Startup plan adds a dedicated IP for increased security and enhanced control, as well as more power (100 PHP workers instead of 60 with the Business plan, 3GB RAM instead of 1.5GB, 1024 IOPS limit instead of 256), up to 2 million files and directories (inodes), and support for up to 100 websites. It starts at $7.99 a month for 48 months and renews at $19.99 a month before switching to the standard $24.99 a month. We recommend Hostinger's cloud hosting plans for WooCommerce users so they can enjoy the performance they expect.

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VPS hosting 

Signing up for VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gets you a private area in a web server with your own system resources. This automatically gives any VPS a speed advantage over shared hosting, and the more resources your plan includes (CPU time, RAM, storage space) the faster it's likely to be.

Hostinger offers four VPS plans. The first is $13.99 a month for 1 vCPU core, 4GB RAM, and 50GB NVMe storage. The higher end plan is $59.99 a month for 8 vCPU cores, 32 GB RAM, and 400GB NMVe storage. All these plans are on offer at a discount when you purchase plans of long durations. For example, the basic plan is $4.99 a month instead of $13.99 if you get a 24-month subscription.

The range is fair value, but it won't work for everyone. One reason Hostinger's prices are low is that their VPS plans are unmanaged. That means Hostinger doesn't monitor the operating system, set up the firewall, install security patches or do anything similar: you're left to manage the server's system software yourself. That's manageable for experts, but if you're not one, Hostinger has over 60 one-click templates, so clients can install top control panels and applications with ease. Also, VPS AI Assistant provides answers and guidance for VPS clients.

All VPS plans have 1000 Mb/s network speed which facilitates high-performing websites, smooth streaming, and fast data transfers.

A new feature from Hostinger for VPS servers is Vibe sysadmin. You can create an MCP server that acts as the link between an AI coding assistant and the VPS server. This can help you perform system administration like maintenance and automation more easily.

Cloud hosting

If Hostinger’s shared hosting isn’t powerful enough for your needs, its cloud hosting packages might help. They come with up to 20x more resources and come with a dedicated IP address, ensuring fast performance, great stability, and maximum security. But they’re also just as easy to use as the shared range.

There are three cloud hosting plans available: Cloud Startup, Cloud Professional, and Cloud Enterprise. They all offer unlimited bandwidth, free SSL, a free domain, daily backups and a dedicated IP address, and can host up to 300 websites on the same account.

The Cloud Startup plan includes 100GB of NVMe storage, 4GB of RAM, and 2 CPU cores for $27.99 billed monthly or $7.99 for a 48-month subscription. Other subscription durations are available too at varying discounts.

The Cloud Professional plan increases these to 200GB storage, 6GB RAM and 4 CPU cores, and remains reasonably priced at $47.99 a month (discounts are available for different subscription lengths).

Opting for the Cloud Enterprise plan gets you 300GB storage, 12GB RAM ,and 6 CPU cores for $69.99 a month or $29.99 for four years. The major difference between the Cloud Enterprise plan and the Cloud Professional plan is that Enterprise is more suitable for larger eCommerce businesses.

Horizons

Hostinger Horizons is like a website builder but for web applications. If you can imagine it, you can build it. I've built various things with it, including a chess learning app.

You interact with it using natural language, meaning that you just write out your instructions in your language (80+ languages supported). Then, Horizons does it's thing in the background and if there are any issues it will tell you about them in your language giving you clear instructions on how to solve them.

The plans start from $6.99 and includes 30 credits (one credit is one message). This is enough for the most basic apps (like a family planner or gamified to do list) but more demanding apps might require an upgrade to one of the higher-level plans that include a free domain and more tokens to iterate on your app.

Reach email marketing

Hostinger Reach is an email marketing tool powered with AI for small businesses, creators, and anyone that wants to grow their audience. It enables you to create and send professional emails quickly and easily, without needing to use a third party.

All you need to do is tell it what email you want to send, such as a product launch or special offer and it will create a professional, mobile-friendly email in seconds. It also suggests a layout for your message – and learns your style settings so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.

It also includes essential tools like analytics, GDPR compliance, and email deliverability features. There’s a free plan available, and you can upgrade as your list grows. It’s a simple way to turn your website into a complete marketing platform.

Does Hostinger have a website builder?

If you don't have a website yet, and WordPress seems a little intimidating, a website builder may be the easiest way to get started. Typically, they'll have a gallery of pre-built website designs you can use to get started. Adding pictures, videos, maps and other page elements is as easy as dragging and dropping, and customizing the content with your own text and photos works much like any editor.

Hostinger has its own website builder, which comes with unmetered traffic, unlimited free SSL certificates, web hosting, up to 50 websites, free domain, free email, ecommerce features, plus more.

We found it to be a simple and straightforward tool that we could use right away. No need to spend an age scrolling through feature lists, comparing plans or wondering what you can afford: just hand over your email address to create an account and you can start building right away. In fact, now you can generate your own, unique website with Hostinger's AI in less than a minute.

The editor is relatively basic, but the online shop’s what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) editor will give you tools to create detailed descriptions with HTML titles.

Hostinger website builder has two plans: Premium Website Builder and Business Website Builder. The entry-level plan costs $2.99 per month for a 12-month period and is a decent website builder for personal use and small sites. But, if you want more, the Business plan costs $3.99 per month for a 12-month period and offers eCommerce features and AI tools to write articles, generate images, and even whole sections for a website.

Does Hostinger provide Minecraft server hosting?

Hostinger Minecraft server hosting price plans (Image credit: Hostinger)

Hostinger offers Minecraft server hosting, even though it's not as obvious as its other hosting options.

Setting up a server isn’t quite as straightforward as Hostinger’s 1-click WordPress installers, but it’s not difficult either. The support site has tutorials on how to get your server running, find and install mods, tweak key settings and change your server type (options include Official, Spigot, CraftBukkit, Paper, Forge and more.)

Plans start with a small-scale 4GB RAM, 1 CPU package for $4.99 a month for a 24-month period, ranging up to $19.99 for a 24-month term, which offers 32 GB RAM, 8 vCPU cores, and 400 GB NVMe storage.

All plans include a malware scanner and a dedicated IP to protect your server from DDoS attacks, while automated backups keep you safe from just about everything else. Its AI assistant -- Kodee -- is a stand out feature as it'll help answer many common questions along the way. It's easily one of the best Minecraft server hosting options for most people.

Can you build a web store with Hostinger?

Hostinger has two options for eCommerce clients: WordPress clients can pick a managed WooCommerce plan, and eCommerce Website Builder is perfect for simple online shops.

As we’ve discussed above, Hostinger Website Builder can create web stores with up to 1000 products, and supports 20+ popular payment types. It’s not very configurable, but it’s easy to use and could be enough to run a simple home business.

The alternative is to sign up with one of Hostinger's other hosting plans, then install a specialist ecommerce platform. WooCommerce is probably the best-known option. It's a hugely capable WordPress plugin, which can be easily installed on any Hostinger plan, and includes all the product cataloging, inventory managing, payment taking and worldwide shipping integrations you need.

This really does give you the power to build a world-class web store, and handle most of it on your own. Hostinger will not only help with the hosting but also provide expert WooCommerce support for managed WooCommerce hosting clients.

Final verdict: Is Hostinger right for you?

Hostinger is really good for complete beginners and very basic websites and the VPS plans are good value. If you’re either a complete beginner or experienced enough to handle your own server through their VPS offering then Hostinger are good for you. Anyone that has enough experience to not need the help with the shared plans won't be getting their value for money and if you are not an expert at VPS then using Hostinger VPS packages might be slightly out of your league.

How we test

Hostinger was tested and reviewed by Lewis Wright who has years of experience in web hosting and infrastructure. He tested the features and usability of the basic shared plan and a VPS plan, assessed the performance, and compared the plans with hosts that offer similar packages.

Meet the authorsHostinger FAQs How big is Hostinger?

Hostinger is an experienced Lithuanian hosting provider with almost 900 employees and more than 2.5 million subscribers around the world.

Datanyze' Web Hosting Market Share report ranks Hostinger in 35th place, used by around 20,000 companies, for 0.45% of the hosting market.

Does Hostinger register domains?

Hostinger isn’t just about web hosting; the company can also help you find and register your perfect domain.

First year prices are reasonable, with .com’s available from $9.99, and some domain names are discounted to $0.99 in the first year (.cloud, .shop and so on).

Renewal prices can be more expensive than some. Shop domains are $0.99 in year one, but $34.99 afterwards, and Porkbun.com renews .shop domains at around $25 a year.

Hostinger domain registration has its plus points, though, including free domain privacy to hide your details from spammers. If you’re after a domain, it’s worth a look.

What payment types does Hostinger support?

Hostinger accepts payment via credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, Alipay and Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies via CoinGate.

Does Hostinger have an uptime guarantee?

Hostinger has an uptime guarantee of 99.9% per month, similar to many other budget hosts.

If Hostinger doesn't hit that target, you can contact the company and request a credit of 5% of your monthly hosting fee.

Capping your compensation at 5% is one of the least generous guarantees around. Other hosts typically give you much more. For example, ScalaHosting promises to credit users with a free month of hosting if its uptime drops below 1% (that's around seven hours and 18 minutes of downtime).

Where are Hostinger's data centers?

Hostinger has data centers in the USA, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, Singapore, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. That's far more than most hosts, and they're also more widely spread (many hosts barely step outside of the USA and Europe).

The advantage of having a lot of data centers is that more users can choose to host sites close to their audience, for the best possible performance. Another advantage is that their in-house content delivery network (CDN) covers all data centers on 4 continents. It automatically caches website’s content across other servers, loading up to 40% faster for end-users and minimizing pressure on the main server.

There's just one potential catch: some plans don't support all the data centers. The Shared, Cloud, and WordPress plans can be hosted in all eleven, but Hostinger's VPS plans can't be hosted in the Netherlands, the UK, Indonesia, and Singapore DCs.

Check the small print of individual plans to find out more, or take a look at Hostinger's 'Where are your servers located?' support document.

What are Hostinger's nameservers?

Before using an existing domain with your web hosting, it may be necessary to point the domain to Hostinger's nameservers.

The hPanel, Shared and Cloud plans use the nameservers ns1.dns-parking.com and ns2.dns-parking.com.

The cPanel nameservers depend on the plan and host a client is using.

How does Hostinger compare to other web hosting service providers?

Hostinger is cheaper than Bluehost, and by comparison, offers roughly the same amount of features in its shared hosting plans. While Hostinger has strong features and pricing, it doesn't have 24/7 telephone support like GoDaddy.

Hostinger also offers its web hosting and website builder services as a combination plan unlike other popular web hosting providers that will make users buy website building services separately.

When comparing Hostinger to popular web hosting solutions from SiteGround, Hostinger's shared plans are not an overall bad choice. It offers the same unlimited bandwidth and storage for the premium plans, an easy hPanel control system, free website migration, free domain for a year, and a better performance with 1.5s average page load time.

How do I cancel a Hostinger product?

Log into Hostinger's hPanel.

Click Hosting in the menu at the top of the screen, then click Manage.

Scroll down and click Deactivate Account.

Choose whether to cancel your hosting account immediately, or when your subscription expires, and click Continue to complete the cancellation process.

Does Hostinger offer refunds?

Hostinger has a 30-day money-back guarantee covering its hosting plans and some other products. These include SSL certificates, often excluded by other hosts.

It's good to see Hostinger's policy covers renewal fees as well as your original purchase, something else we don't see with all hosts.

There's a final bonus in a limited four day warranty for some domain registrations and domain name transfers (see the official Refund Policy for the list.) Sure, four days isn't long, but most hosts don't offer any domain-related refunds at all.

We've also teamed up with Hostinger to offer a full refund for a year's hosting in Amazon vouchers.

Can I build a WordPress site with Hostinger?

Yes. Hostinger have a wide range of tools and optimizations for WordPress. Hostinger has further rolled out several features, including a WordPress Compatibility Checker, which looks for compatibility issues between PHP and WordPress versions, plugins, and themes. Plus, the Hostinger Amazon Affiliate plugin and theme for WordPress help launch an affiliate marketing website much faster and easier.

There is also a new hosting infrastructure for WordPress that makes WordPress hosting 30% faster so in the near future we will need to re-do our speed tests.

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With millions of successful websites and more being launched each day, SEO strategy now requires a solid action plan and a serious budget. RankIQ is an AI-powered SEO tool that can help bloggers and content creators optimize their content for better search engine rankings.

It's a relatively recent entrant in the SEO tool space. But like companies such as MarketMuse and Clearscope, RankIQ uses artificial intelligence to analyze a vast array of data points across the web, including keyword usage, search trends, and competitive content. It's tailored especially for bloggers and content marketers who want to improve their organic traffic without necessarily being SEO experts.

But what sets RankIQ apart from other tools in the SEO industry? Let’s examine its features and benefits to discover what makes it a game-changer.

• Interested in RankIQ? Check out the RankIQ website.

Features

RankIQ's feature set is deliberately narrow in scope, prioritizing depth over breadth in the areas that matter most to bloggers: keyword research, content optimization, and title analysis.

The standout element is the hand-curated Keyword Library, which covers more than 200 blog niches and is maintained by RankIQ's team to surface low-competition, high-traffic keyword opportunities. Unlike keyword tools that require users to start from scratch with a seed keyword, the library gives bloggers a pre-filtered shortlist to work from; a significant time-saver for anyone without a deep background in SEO.

The AI SEO Report and Content Optimizer work in tandem to guide the full content creation process, from outline to final draft. The report identifies the topics and keyword phrases that top-ranking pages are using, while the optimizer scores your content in real-time as you write.

Together, these tools create a guided, repeatable workflow that can meaningfully reduce the time it takes to produce a post that's competitive on Google. The Content Planner adds a layer of editorial organization, allowing bloggers to set monthly goals for new posts and content refreshes.

That said, RankIQ's toolkit is noticeably limited compared to platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs. There's no backlink analysis, technical SEO audit, rank tracking, or site health monitoring. The keyword data is also U.S.-centric, which can frustrate international bloggers working in non-English markets. For users who need a full-service SEO suite, RankIQ will feel incomplete.

But for bloggers whose primary goal is to write content that ranks on Google's first page, the platform's focused approach is a genuine advantage rather than a drawback. There's less to learn, fewer dashboards to manage, and a clearer path from keyword to published post.

How does RankIQ use AI?

At the core of RankIQ's platform is its AI SEO Report, which draws on IBM Watson's artificial intelligence to analyze top-ranking pages for any given keyword and generate a detailed content brief. The report identifies the topics, subtopics, and LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords that Google's ranking algorithm associates with high-quality content in your niche. Rather than asking users to manually comb through competitor articles, the AI condenses that competitive research into a prioritized checklist you can act on immediately.

The Content Optimizer pairs with each SEO Report to provide real-time feedback as you write or revise. It grades your content on a scale from F to A++, dynamically updating as you incorporate recommended keywords and phrases. This creates a straightforward editing loop: draft, optimize, and polish — with a clear benchmark for when your content is competitive enough to publish. It also recommends an ideal word count based on the average length of top-ranking posts for your keyword, removing guesswork from one of the more tedious aspects of content planning.

RankIQ's title analysis tool uses the same AI-driven methodology to evaluate your blog post title, grading it based on keyword inclusion, title length, and patterns observed in high-performing SERP results. This feature is particularly useful for bloggers who want to maximize click-through rates without resorting to keyword stuffing. The tool flags when a title is underoptimized and suggests specific adjustments to push it toward an A or A+ grade.

One of the more practical additions to RankIQ's AI toolkit is its "time to rank" estimator, which predicts how quickly a new post could appear on Google's first page. The system categorizes ranking speed as ultrafast (approximately 3 months), very fast (3–6 months), fast (6–12 months), or average (12+ months), based on factors such as keyword competition, domain authority, and SERP landscape. While no tool can guarantee ranking timelines, this feature helps bloggers prioritize their content calendar based on realistic expectations rather than wishful thinking.

Installation, setup, and compatibility

Getting started with RankIQ is a pretty low-friction experience. The platform is entirely cloud-based, meaning there's no software to download or install. You only need a web browser and an internet connection. Once you've signed up and chosen a plan, access to the full toolset is immediate.

RankIQ's onboarding is handled through a 20-minute walkthrough video produced by founder Brandon Gaille, which covers the platform's core workflow: selecting a keyword from the library, running an SEO report, reviewing the AI-generated content brief, and optimizing your draft using the Content Optimizer.

The video-first approach suits RankIQ's target audience of bloggers, who may not have prior experience with dedicated SEO tools. There's also an active Facebook community where subscribers can ask questions and share results.

The platform integrates with Google Search Console, which allows you to pull in performance data for your existing posts and identify underperforming content worth optimizing. Beyond that, RankIQ's integrations are intentionally minimal — there is no API and the tool doesn't connect natively with CMS platforms like WordPress.

If your workflow relies on integrations across multiple platforms, this is worth factoring into your decision. That said, the Content Optimizer's built-in editor is functional enough to write and optimize content directly within RankIQ, especially if you prefer a focused, distraction-free environment.

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: RankIQ)

Plan

Starting rate (paid monthly)

Blogger

$49/month

Pro

$99/month

Agency

$199/month

Enterprise

Custom pricing

RankIQ keeps its pricing structure simple and blogger-friendly. There are four tiers in total, ranging from the entry-level Blogger plan to a custom Enterprise option for larger organizations. Unlike many SEO tools, RankIQ does not currently offer an annual billing discount — all plans are billed monthly. There is no free trial, though the Blogger plan is frequently promoted at a 50% introductory discount.

The Blogger plan includes up to 16 SEO reports per month along with full access to the keyword library and content optimizer. The Pro plan steps that up with additional reports, while the Agency plan is designed for teams managing multiple sites, offering 80 monthly reports. Enterprise pricing is customized on request and can scale to 2,000 monthly reports for large-scale content operations.

Final verdict

RankIQ is one of the best solutions for analyzing SEO content. Its AI-powered content optimizer provides clear and specific guidance to writers on how to optimize their content for SEO. This can be particularly useful for those new to SEO or wanting to streamline their content creation process.

In addition, it offers an excellent keyword discovery component that provides users with a list of high-traffic, low-competition keywords specifically tailored to their niche. RankIQ is also intuitive and easy to use, even for those who are not technically savvy. Plus, it is much more affordable than many competitors, making it accessible to bloggers, freelancers, and small businesses.

However, there are some downsides to using RankIQ. The service is primarily designed for bloggers and smaller websites, not larger enterprises. This lack of scalability could be an issue for rapidly growing businesses. Additionally, RankIQ's SEO tools are more basic and may not be suitable for larger enterprises that need advanced features.

The service also doesn't integrate with other digital marketing tools, which could be problematic for users who require such integrations. Finally, RankIQ does not provide a free trial, which could disadvantage those who want to test the tool before committing to a subscription.

More from TechRadar Pro

• See our best on-page SEO tool of the year
• We've received other tools like Frase, Dashword, and SurferSEO.
• We've also featured the best AI tools.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is designed to crawl websites and gather crucial SEO data efficiently. This powerful software simulates how search engines crawl a site and lets you identify key SEO elements that impact website visibility and performance. It further enables the analysis of meta tags, response codes, keyword elements, and much more. Whether it's finding broken links, generating XML sitemaps, or analyzing page titles and meta descriptions, Screaming Frog offers a detailed insight into the website's architecture from an SEO perspective.

Ideal for SEO experts and digital marketers, Screaming Frog is a critical tool for enhancing website searchability and performance. In this review, we will be covering the detailed features, specifications, and offerings of Screaming Frog SEO Spider. From its advanced crawling capabilities to its integration options and reporting features, we will explore how this tool can be leveraged to conduct comprehensive SEO audits, improve website performance, and ultimately drive better search engine rankings.

• You can sign up for SEO Spider here.

Screaming Frog: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Screaming Frog SEO Spider)

Plan

Starting Rate (Paid Annually)

Free

$0

Paid (1–4 licences)

$279/user/year

Paid (5–9 licences)

$265/user/year

Paid (10–19 licences)

$249/user/year

Paid (20+ licences)

$235/user/year

The Free Plan is ideal for small-scale SEO tasks that allow up to 500 URL crawls. It includes basic features like finding broken links, errors, redirects, analyzing page titles, meta data, and generating XML sitemaps. This plan is a great starting point for beginners or small websites.

Priced at $279 /year per license, the Paid Plan offers unlimited URL crawls, subject to available memory and storage. It builds upon the Free Plan with advanced features such as JavaScript rendering for crawling complex websites, custom extraction using CSS Path, XPath, or regex, and integration with Google Analytics, Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights for deeper insights. This plan also includes AMP crawling and validation, structured data analysis, spelling and grammar checks, and the ability to crawl password-protected areas. It's designed for SEO professionals and larger websites needing comprehensive analysis and reporting tools.

Licenses are individual, meaning each user needs a separate one. Screaming Frog offers discounts for bulk purchases, making it cost-effective for teams. The licenses are valid for one year, requiring renewal thereafter. The Paid Plan is particularly beneficial for agencies and larger teams due to its advanced features and scalability.

• We've featured the best SEO tools.

Screaming Frog: FeaturesAI features

Screaming Frog has added direct AI API integration to the SEO Spider, starting with version 21.0 and expanded significantly in version 22.0. You can now connect to OpenAI, Gemini, Anthropic (Claude), and Ollama directly within the tool via Config > API Access > AI, and run custom prompts against your crawl data at scale. Up to 100 custom prompts can be configured per crawl, and the tool includes a built-in prompt library to get you started with common use cases.

In practical terms, the AI integration lets you run intelligent analysis against page-level data while crawling — without needing to export anything or switch tools. Popular use cases include generating missing alt text for images in bulk, detecting the language or sentiment of page content, classifying page intent, summarising body text, and extracting specific structured data using natural language prompts. The results appear in a dedicated AI tab alongside your standard crawl data, making it easy to cross-reference findings.

Version 22.0 extended AI capabilities further with support for vector embeddings, which power a new semantic similarity analysis feature. By connecting an AI provider and enabling embeddings via Config > Content > Embeddings, the Spider can now identify pages that are semantically similar (not just exact duplicates), detect low-relevance content that deviates from the overall theme of a site, and generate semantic search results within a crawl. Similarity scores range from 0 to 1, with a default threshold of 0.95 that can be adjusted down to 0.5.

It's worth noting that the AI integration is a paid-licence feature also requires a separate API key from your chosen AI provider (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, or a locally run Ollama instance). That said, Gemini is available for free through Google AI Studio in the US and UK, making it a low-cost entry point. The AI feature does not replace any of Screaming Frog's existing functionality, it layers intelligent automation on top of the crawler's output.

Website crawling and analysis

(Image credit: Screaming Frog SEO Spider)

Screaming Frog SEO Spider stands out for its ability to efficiently crawl websites of any size, from small blogs to large e-commerce sites, and provides real-time analysis of your results. This feature is great for identifying broken links, server errors, redirects, and security vulnerabilities, thus ensuring the site’s integrity and performance. It goes beyond simple error detection and offers deep insights into page titles and metadata that help spot issues, such as duplicate content or poorly optimized tags.

Additionally, Screaming Frog extracts specific site data using CSS Path, XPath, or regex. This lets you pinpoint and address issues efficiently and further optimizes the site for both search engines and users.

SEO auditing and optimization

(Image credit: Screaming Frog SEO Spider)

We found that Screaming Frog’s auditing capabilities are equally robust and focus on redirects, robots.txt, and meta-robots directives, among other elements. It can audit temporary and permanent redirects and identify complex redirect chains and loops that can harm search engine visibility and user experience.

Screaming Frog also reviews robots.txt, meta robots, or X-Robots-Tag directives and delivers insights into how search engines are directed to crawl and index pages or not. This includes identifying pages blocked from indexing, which could inadvertently hide valuable content from search engines. Another key feature is the validation of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) which makes sure that these pages are free from issues and optimized for performance in mobile search results.

Integration with Google services

Screaming Frog SEO Spider boosts its capabilities through integration with various Google services, including Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights. This synergy improves the crawl data with crucial user behavior insights, search query data, and vital performance metrics. By combining these datasets, the tool allows for a holistic analysis that spans visibility, speed, and usability.

This helps SEO professionals access a comprehensive overview of how users interact with their site, identify performance bottlenecks, and understand the site's presence in search results, all within a single platform. This feature underscores the importance of leveraging Google's vast data resources to inform and refine SEO strategies.

Content and structure analysis

If you wish to explore the structural aspects of your site, Screaming Frog offers powerful tools for site architecture analysis. It provides detailed visualizations of a site's architecture, internal linking patterns, and URL structure, making assessing and optimizing the site hierarchy easier. These visual tools help in identifying areas for improvement in site navigation, deliver a seamless user experience, and facilitate search engines' understanding of site content and relevance. You can make informed decisions to enhance the site's navigational efficiency and SEO performance by spotlighting how content is interconnected and how authority flows through internal links. This aspect of Screaming Frog is instrumental in developing a site structure that supports both user engagement and search engine indexing.

Advanced features and customization

Screaming Frog SEO Spider goes beyond standard SEO tools by offering advanced features and customization options. During our tests, we noticed that it generated XML Sitemaps and Image XML Sitemaps with detailed configurations that help search engines efficiently discover and index website content.

Additionally, the custom source code search feature gives the precise location of specific elements or code snippets across a website which is a boon for technical SEO audits and site maintenance. Plus, Screaming Frog is available as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

• We've featured the best onpage SEO tools.

Screaming Frog: Interface and in-use

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is renowned for its comprehensive suite of features, user-friendly interface, and ease of use. This is what makes it accessible to experts and novices alike. The interface is designed to be intuitive, with a clear and organized layout that lets you easily navigate through its various features and toolset. Upon launching the tool, you see a dashboard that presents all critical functionalities at a glance, which lets you quick access to start new crawls, view reports, and analyze data.

The tool's main window displays a wealth of information in a tabulated format and categorizes data into easily digestible sections such as response codes, page titles, meta descriptions, and more. This helps you to identify areas of interest or concern swiftly and facilitates a streamlined workflow for auditing and optimization tasks. Additionally, Screaming Frog offers extensive customization options. This lets you tailor your crawl sessions based on specific needs or objectives. Even the settings can be adjusted to focus on particular aspects of a site, such as link depth, subdomains, or specific file types, giving users complete control over the scope of the analysis.

• We've featured the best rank checking tools.

Screaming Frog: Support

(Image credit: Screaming Frog SEO Spider )

Screaming Frog has a well-structured support system to assist you in resolving any type of technical issue. You can start by utilizing self-support resources. These guides include the latest version of the SEO Spider, a starter guide, FAQs, and a user guide, available for addressing common problems and queries.

For more complex or specific issues, Screaming Frog has direct technical support. For this, you are advised to save your log files through the app ('Help > Debug > Save logs') and include detailed information about the site, the issue at hand, and any relevant screenshots or videos. This can be done by emailing support@screamingfrog.co.uk or using the 'open a support ticket' option on their website. The support team at Screaming Frog is committed to responding to queries within 24 hours during standard business hours. This dual approach to support paired with self-help resources reflects Screaming Frog's dedication to user satisfaction and problem resolution.

Screaming Frog: The competition

Priced at $279 annually, it is a cost-effective option compared to other tools. For example, SerpStat starts at $69/month, which totals over $800 annually, and it makes Screaming Frog a more budget-friendly choice. However, Screaming Frong’s alternate competitor, Yoast SEO is known for its user-friendly interface and integration with WordPress and it might turn out to be a better option for those who prioritize ease of use and immediate feedback.

However, Screaming Frog's manual configuration for tracking changes in page rankings may be a drawback for some users. Tools like Ahrefs offer automated alerts and a range of tools in a user-friendly interface, although they're priced much higher. Similarly, Semrush offers a variety of SEO, content marketing, competitor analysis, and PPC tools.

Screaming Frog: Final verdict

The Screaming Frog SEO Spider stands out in the market because of its thorough analysis and cost-effectiveness. It costs $279/year and provides a wide range of features for detailed SEO audits. This makes it a valuable asset for in-depth website analysis as it can crawl large sites and identify various issues like broken links, duplicate content, and security issues.

However, its technical interface may be challenging for those who prefer simpler, more automated tools. Competitors like Serpstat, Yoast SEO, Ahrefs, and Semrush deliver more user-friendly interfaces and a wider range of marketing tools. However, the cost of these tools is comparatively higher than Screaming Frog. In conclusion, Screaming Frog is ideal for you if you need detailed data and thorough site audits. Overall, it is particularly suitable for individuals, small teams, and agencies who want multi-functional SEO tools without a high investment.

• We've also featured the best content marketing tools.

Acer ebii 20: One-minute review

Every industry has its disrupters. Those designers and manufacturers who decide to make a product with the aim of redefining and disrupting everything people previously thought they knew. Apple did it with the iPhone, Nothing is attempting it with other electronic gadgets like the CMF Watch Pro and CMF Buds Pro 2, and Acer has attempted it here with the ebii e-bike.

When I first heard that Taiwanese electronics company Acer had released an e-bike, I couldn’t quite believe it. I actually did some Googling to check if there was another company who had decided to use the same company name. There wasn’t.

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)

The carbon belt drive is long-lasting and low-maintenance. An advertised life of 19,000 miles for the belt means it'll take a long time to require replacement. Not having any grease to deal with not only makes maintenance a breeze but also removes the risk of getting it on your clothes.

The 36V, 10Ah lithium-ion battery with LG cells has a maximum range of 100 km / 62 miles. This is far from the longest the best electric bikes have to offer, but it is more than adequate for any commute. A four-hour recharge can be easily achieved while either at work or overnight before riding it again in the morning.

The CGO600 Pro is perfectly positioned as a city commuter. The medium-to-thin tires eat up the miles, and handling around traffic is light and easy. The price is comparable with most of its competitors for this e-bike type, and, given its fantastic performance, it's one of the best commuter bikes on the market at the moment.

Acer ebii 20 review: Specs

Component

Acer ebii 20

Size range:

157cm x 102cm

Motor:

250W

Top speed

15.5 mph / 25 kmh

Power:

460W Lithium-ion Battery

Control:

Phone app

E-bike classification:

Class 1

Speeds:

Single-speed

Brakes:

6.3-inch Hydraulic Disc Brake

Frame material:

Aluminum

Weight:

23.5 kg / 51.8 lbs

Range:

110 km / 68.35 miles

Acer ebii 20 review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)

• $4,999.99 USD / £3,999 UK / around AU$7,650
• Expensive for what it is
• Not available in Australia

I decided not to look at the price until after I had carried out most of my testing, because I didn’t want to be unduly influenced by it either way. Now that I know the price, all I can say is that I didn’t expect it to cost anything like what Acer is charging for it. On performance alone I would have put it around the $1,250 / £1,250 / AU$1,800 mark. With that in mind, I’d much rather spend my money on something like the ENGWE MapFour N1 Air.

• Value score: 3/5

Acer ebii 20 review: Design

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)

• Unbalanced weight distribution
• Aesthetic isn’t to my taste
• Bold design decisions

The Acer ebii is one of the most polarizing e-bike designs I have ever seen. That’s saying something, as I’ve reviewed a number of ‘interestingly’ designed e-bikes, including the Engwe L20. It’s not that I don’t like it per se, but like the 1962 Peel P50 car, it just takes a little time to know exactly what you’re looking at.

As well as that solid white block that spans the two wheels, one of the most notable deviations from a standard e-bike design is the inclusion of a single-armed front fork. Despite it being more than sturdy enough, it just felt mentally wrong not having my weight distributed across two forks.

When I first saw the e-bike, I thought it would be foldable. I spent time looking for a catch that would allow me to fold it up, but let me save you the hard work; this is not a foldable e-bike, despite the design suggesting it should be.

It’s a shame, because this is one bike that could have really benefited from the folding mechanism. This is a long, heavy bike that is cumbersome to move around. When I compare it to the lightweight Brompton G-Line or even the Engwe P20, I think Acer has missed a trick.

If we consider the sweet spot for this type of design, it would have to be a city-based urban dweller who still has the space to store a fully assembled bike. Unless you could fit it in your elevator, you'll also want to make sure you can store it at ground level because it weighs a hefty 23.5Kg.

The weight in and of itself is not necessarily a huge problem, but what is is the way it is distributed across the bike. With most of it located towards the front, I found it a little awkward and at times unsafe to handle.

More positively, I love its airless tires, which are thick enough to make easy work of any uneven roads or paths. There’s also a super bright front light, which is integrated into the main frame. I would like to have seen an integrated rear light as well, but Acer decided against this.

• Design Score: 3.5/5

Acer ebii 20 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)

• Fast-acting brakes
• A useful set of security features
• Lack of overall power

The ebii's performance is a bit of a mixed bag. The e-bike is driven by a quality carbon belt which is both smooth and reliable. Even though it might be slightly less high-performing than a chain, there’s always the benefit of having very little to worry about in terms of maintenance.

Brake performance is also a win for the ebii thanks to hydraulic disc brakes (160mm rotors), which provide efficient stopping power. Due to the time of year, I wasn't able to test it in the wettest of conditions, but I had no problems stopping when I needed to, even when performing an emergency stop.

From a security point of view, the ebii excels as a result of an auto-lock system that utilizes Bluetooth to lock the bike when you leave and unlock it when you're nearby. I found this feature incredibly useful, although, much like a keyless car, it's slightly unnerving walking away, not knowing whether it's truly disabled.

Moving onto where the ebii didn’t perform so well, and unfortunately it’s in the area which matters most for e-bikes. It was rather disappointing to find that the 250W front hub motor found it difficult to pull the weight of the bike efficiently enough, even when cycling along flat roads. Don’t ever get me started on the lack of assistance up medium inclines. Much of these could have been addressed with a higher-performing motor, and if it was positioned at the rear, then that could have also helped.

One of the other frustrating things about the ebii was that there was a constant white noise emitted from the handlebar unit. That might have been bearable, but unfortunately it was also paired with a repetitive ticking sound. From my research, it appears that this was because I didn't have a SIM card inserted. I've read of others having the same problem.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Acer ebii 20 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)

• Limited range, especially when using boost mode
• Detachable battery
• Helpful battery integration with the app.

Battery life is one of the most important considerations when it comes to purchasing an e-bike. If the battery doesn’t have enough capacity to take you between your location and your destination, then it’s a pointless piece of kit, especially considering the motor resistance on the ebii is so strong that you can’t ride it without electrical assistance.

Managing battery life is where Acer’s technology comes into its own. Thanks to the ebiiGo app, users can track the amount of remaining battery life and thereby make sure they have enough juice left in the tank to make their desired journey. It’s also possible to select boost mode, smart mode, or eco mode to help manage what you do have left.

Additionally, there’s an ebii Assist mode that tailors the riding experience thanks to some handy AI learning techniques. For example, after learning your riding style, the e-bike is able to tweak the “motor output to provide effortless riding based on” your pedaling power and current road conditions. This tailored experience also extends to managing battery consumption based on your chosen destination. Personally, I preferred to be in total control of my ride, but if you’re happy with the computer taking the reins, then this will work well for you.

I was a little disappointed with the battery life, if I’m honest. It barely managed 15 miles with boost mode selected, which, compared to the likes of the Tenways CGO600 Pro or the Brompton C-Line, is pretty limited. I would like to add that I wasn’t the first person to ride the test unit and so couldn’t guarantee how many miles it had already been subjected to.

I loved being able to remove the battery and charge it indoors. That way I could keep an eye on it rather than leaving it charging elsewhere. I recently tested a Quella e-bike with an integrated battery, which made it impossible to charge anywhere else but where the bike was locked up.

As a quick side note, it’s also possible to USB-C charge laptops, phones, or other devices by connecting them to the battery. Very clever!

• Battery life score: 3.5/5

Acer ebii 20: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

A very expensive for what it is. Better performing e-bikes are available at this price point.

3/5

Design

A unique design but an unbalanced weight distribution.

3.5/5

Performance

Fast-acting brakes and a useful set of security features but lacks motor power.

3.5/5

Battery Life

A limited range, but AI helps to manage the battery well.

3.5/5

Should I buy the Acer ebii 20?

(Image credit: Future / Paul hatton)Buy it if...

You want an e-bike that hardly anyone else has

Compared to big e-bike brands, there are hardly any of these on the roads.

You’re happy being an early adopter

Acer may well be onto something with their design and features, but only time will tell.

Don't buy it if...

You’d like a budget-friendly e-bike

Despite performing like it, the Acer ebii e-bike costs as much as the most premium alternatives on the market.

You want an e-bike from a tried and tested brand

Acer are not known for their e-bikes, so you’ll have to be happy taking the risk.

Also consider

Component

Acer ebii 20

Tenways CGO600 Pro

Engwe P275 Pro

Size range:

157cm x 102cm

157cm x 96cm

98.5cm x 188cm

Motor:

250W

250W (UK) / 350W (US)

250W Brushless Motor

Top speed

15.5 mph / 25 kmh

15.5mph / 25kmh (UK) and 20 mph (US)

15.5mph / 25kmh

Power:

460W Lithium-ion Battery

36V 10Ah Lithium-ion Battery with LG Cells

36V 19.2Ah SAMSUNG Lithium-ion

Control:

Phone app

Small OLED Display

Bafang TFT DP C244

E-bike classification:

Class 1

Class 1

Class 1

Speeds:

Single-speed

Single-speed

Bafang 3 levels automatica gear shifter

Brakes:

6.3-inch Hydraulic Disc Brake

TEKTRO Hydraulic Disc Brakes

180mm Front & Rear Tektro hydraulic disc breaks

Frame material:

Aluminum

Aluminum

6061 Aluminum Alloy

Weight:

23.5 kg / 51.8 lbs

18kg including accessories

25.3kg

Range:

110 km / 68.35 miles

100km / 62 miles

260km (PAS 1 level), 150km (PAS 5 level)

Tenways CGO600 Pro

Smooth and powerful motor assistance is paired with a carbon belt drive that guarantees low maintenance and durability. It's an enjoyable ride and a perfect e-bike for commuters.

Read our full Tenways CGO600 Pro review

Engwe P275 Pro

This city commuter from Engwe is chunkier than the Tenways CGO600 Pro but if you like to stand out from the crowd, then no bike does it better than this one.

Read our full Engwe P275 Pro review

How I tested the Acer ebii 20

I spent over a month with the ebii 20 e-bike. During this time I traveled through city streets, along busy roads, and traversed up and down hills. I refrained from taking it on any trails, as I thought that might be taking it too far away from its intended use! I also downloaded the app and tested out all the associated features.

First reviewed: November 2025

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Two minute review

For all that companies try to squirrel AI chatbots into every gadget possible, I’ve yet to see many buyers who genuinely want this kind of addition. In fact more often than not, the infiltration of artificial intelligence makes the tech worse — many companies are starting to realize this and take a step back. But there’s now a new victim of the AI war: the Skullcandy Method 540.

For context, let’s look at some earbuds that would have gotten onto our list of the best cheap earbuds if not for how competitive 2025 was. I’m talking about the Skullcandy Method 360, which were some of my favorite buds of the year: they fit great, sounded fun and were fairly affordable. The 540 are the updated model of 360, with Skullcandy apparently not taking a leaf from Microsoft’s naming playbook – don’t get your hopes up for a Method One and then Method Series X, then.

New models should, ostensibly, bring upgrades over the previous iterations. However the Skullcandy Method 540 have the same design, drivers and carry case design as the previous model. They’re incredibly similar buds, yet cost about 25% more.

So what’s actually new? Well, there are a few tiny tweaks here and there, but the flagship ‘feature’ is compatibility with Skull AI. This is Skullcandy’s AI assistant, built on Bragi AI which in turn is built on Open AI. So for all intents and purposes, you’re paying more for a built-in chat-bot…

…except that you’re not, because Skull AI is available as a separate subscription, which you have to pay for either monthly, at $4.99 / £4.99, or annually (at $49.99 / £49.99). Skull AI is one of the better AI chatbot names I've heard, but I'm not including an evaluation of the chatbot itself in this review: it’s very much a separate, optional product to the Method 540.

If you use AI chatbots, perhaps the Method 540 is worth considering, but the vast majority of buyers are going to wonder if there are any other spec improvements to justify that price bump, or if this is another case of AI implementation taking precedence over actual upgrades. Spoiler alert: it’s the latter.

The specs are identical – in fact, I copied and pasted the specs table from my 360 review to save time. In some cases, keeping things similar is great: the buds are comfortable and fit incredibly well, making them great for runners or gym-goers. In some cases, an upgrade was needed: I liked the Method 360’s sound, but budget buds have come on leaps and bounds in just one year, and the Method 540 aren’t as competitive.

Since I gave last year’s Skullcandy earbuds four stars, and these are basically the same thing, some might be wondering where half a star went. That was removed because the Method 360 was good for the price, and the 540 price hike makes them a less appealing prospect.

Given the increased cost, the lack of upgrades and the shoehorned AI mode, it’s just hard to get as enthused about the Method 540. And so it’s harder to recommend them, given how many low-cost rivals there are in 2026.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Specifications

Component

Value

Water resistant

IPX4

Battery life (quoted)

11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

11g / Charging case: 72g

Driver

12mm

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in January 2026
• RRP $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250)
• Skull AI costs $4.99 monthly

The Skullcandy Method 540 ANC were unveiled on January 8, 2026, at the annual CES tech conference. That release falls only nine months after the release of the Method 360.

You can pick up the earbuds for $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250, though there’s no word on an Australian release just yet). That’s a notable price hike over the Method 360, which sold for $119 / £99 / AU$189, and are even cheaper now thanks to some discounts.

That retail price doesn’t even take into account the monthly cost of Skull AI. Access to this AI assistant costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year – regional pricing wasn’t available at the time of this review – but it’s worth noting that Skull AI is optional and starts with a 3-month free trial.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: DesignFutureFuture

• Chunky carry case
• Incredibly reliable in-ear fit
• Only black or white options

You know how wireless earbuds makers constantly one-up each other to make svelte little carry cases? Skullcandy didn’t miss the memo – it received it, laughed at it, screwed it up into a ball and threw it away. The Method 540 buds come in a tube, and you slide out the central column to reveal them.

The 360 used the same mechanism, although it’s a little thinner this time around: it measures 3.6 x 2.9 x 10.2 cm, and weighs 72g. At the time of writing, the buds only come in black or white, but Skullcandy often releases funky colors for its products, and hopefully it’ll follow for the 540.

This is not a convenient way to carry earbuds – the monolith doesn’t fit well in trouser pockets. But honestly, I don’t mind – I ended up just putting it in my jacket or bag instead. Perhaps I’ve grown used to these chunky cases from testing other such buds, or maybe petite carry cases are overrated. Plus, a magnetic mechanism makes sure it stays shut tight when not in use, a carry hook means you can attach them to your keys or bag, and unlike in the 360 the charging port is out in the open.

Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

My biggest annoyance with the old model remains, though: putting the buds in the case isn’t convenient, as you have to put them in, in a very particular fashion. It takes quite a bit of maneuvering and flipping to make sure they’re in right, and quite often I’d only realise I’d bungled the job when the case wouldn’t shut properly.

Skullcandy has trimmed the fat of its carry case, but it hasn’t touched the earbuds from the last-gen models – and it didn’t need to. Like the 360, the buds fit snugly and reliably, thanks in part to the grippy eartip material, but mostly due to the fins which wedge the buds into your ear. I went for runs with the buds and took them to the gym, and they never threatened to fall out.

They’re not that light, at 11g, or protected, with IPX4 (no protection against dust, only protected against splashes). But they’re not going to fall out into a puddle thanks to the lovely fit, so it doesn’t really matter.

Each bud has touch controls if you tap on their body, which generally felt okay to use, once I got used to tapping the right spot.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• ANC is solid, not best-in-class
• Battery life is above average: 11 hours from the buds/29 including the case
• App misses some basic features

Technically, these buds are sold as the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC, and so naturally these buds have Active Noise Cancellation. It’s no more advanced than on the 360: pretty solid, but not best-in-class. Loud noises will cut above the silence, though the background hum of city life will get stripped away.

Stay-Aware falls into the trap that many transparency or surround-hearing modes do, in that it seemingly amplifies more than it strips. Thankfully, Skullcandy has included an Intensity slider in the app, so you can turn down its effects.

According to Skullcandy, the Method 540 lasts for 9 hours with ANC on, or 11 hours with it off, and I’d concur with those estimates. That goes up to 23 or 29 hours when factoring in the extra power offered by the case. And that's good, honestly – any earbuds capable of lasting over 7 hours with ANC on represent above-average stamina.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re required to download and use the Skull-iQ app in order to use the 540’s extra features – not the standard Skullcandy one, something I only discovered after downloading the wrong one. I made the exact same error with the 360, but if I say it now, hopefully I save a few of you from making the same mistake.

The app lets you toggle ANC modes, play with a 5-band equalizer, turn on low-latency mode, use the earbuds as a remote phone camera trigger, enable Spotify Tap or set up multipoint pairing. Oh, and the main menu has two separate options for Skull AI. Notably missing perks include the ability to customize touch controls, any kind of fit or listening tests or a find-my-earbuds feature. Any one of these would be a more useful addition than an AI chatbot, as would a more advanced equalizer, or extra presets beyond the three available.

During testing, I had a few temporary Bluetooth drop-outs, but they all resolved themselves quickly.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• 12mm drivers and Bose tuning
• Less bassy than Skullcandy norm
• EQ tweaking is mandatory

On paper, the Skullcandy Method 540 match their predecessors in terms of audio specs: 12mm drivers, tuning by Bose, and a total lack of support for any Bluetooth or high-res streaming codecs.

It’s fair to say I was complimentary of the 360’s sound, but I can’t quite say the same about the 540. Partly, it could be because my ears have been spoiled by some fantastic budget rivals in the last year. But there also seem to be tuning differences too.

Skullcandy has a reputation for offering bass-heavy products, something that’s levelled either as a criticism or high praise, depending on the listener. People who sit in the former camp probably haven’t read this far into the review. The Method 540, however, seem to buck this trend. Simply put, they're not all about that bass.

These buds are relatively and surprisingly neutral for Skullcandy products. Treble is more powerful, the low end is sensibly is pared-back, mids are… well, we can’t hope for miracles. This new face would be an interesting twist, except that it reveals that there’s not much else going on under the surface.

(Image credit: Future)

Songs sound a little flat, with nothing to replace the lost bass injection, to add a little energy into proceedings. And it sounds like the top was lopped off to the detriment of some treble frequencies and musical passages; hi-hats, guitar stings and vocal flourishes do sound compressed.

There’s a lack of a meaningful soundstage, so instruments are tripping over each other to be head. When you listen to songs like Wake Up by Arcade Fire, or All My Friends by The Revivalists, what should be an encompassing cacophony of noise sounds more like a music track being played from a phone. I checked out Atmosphere by Joy Division after it was featured in The History of Sound, and even in the remastered version, it sounded like Ian Curtis was playing every single instrument. What about some noughties rock, right in Skullcandy’s core demographic? The guitar riffs of Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue sounded heavy and dull – even if the wall of sound of the chorus picked up the energy a little.

Saving the Method 540 is the app. I always listened on Bass Boost, which went some way in restoring the Skullcandy sound – these things have the capability for decent bass if you can coax it out. I also dabbled with the equalizer. Though it only has five bands, it lets you add a bit of needed chutzpah to music. And the max volume is still high, so you can rock out at max power.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Value

If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll have noticed that the Skullcandy Method 540 earbuds don’t offer that many upgrades over the 360… well, other than the higher price, and optional chatbot.

Given that it’s basically the same product, but for about 25% more, the Method 540 don't feel like they offer great value for money. That’s doubly true given that the older buds have seen price cuts of around 30% off, depending on where you live.

• Value score: 3/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Their feature set and sound quality aren't quite justified by the price tag, especially with the 360 on the market.

3/5

Design

The tip and fin make the Skullcandy incredibly sturdy in the ear, though the case is pretty chunky.

3.5/5

Features

Above-average battery life and okay ANC are good, but there are a few missing features.

3.5/5

Sound

The sound lacks a little luster that was present in previous Method buds.

3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Should I buy?

(Image credit: Future)Buy them if...

You need a reliable in-ear fit
These things won't fall out. Which makes them perfect for doing sit-ups in a gym, or running up hills.

You need solid battery life
Battery life is always an important feature, and the Method 540 last longer than most others at this price, especially with ANC off.

You want an AI chatbot in your ear
I didn't test Skull AI, but it's likely as reliable as other chatbots. Prepare for mounting costs, though.

Don't buy them if...

You can still find the Method 360 available
Even if not on sale, the Method 360 are preferable. They're basically the same, but cost less.

You want a tiny carry case
These aren't your easily-pocketable buds. They're not designed for trouser pockets.

Also consider

Component

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC

Skullcandy Method 360

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100

Water resistant

IPX4

IPX4

IPX5

Battery life (ANC off)

11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)

11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (total)

11 hours (buds); 39 hours (case)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

11g (buds) 72g (case)

11g (buds) 77g (case)

4.7g (buds) 38.7g (case)

Driver

12mm

12mm

10mm

Skullcandy Method 360
I've talked about them in this review almost as much as the 540. They're incredibly similar in terms of specs and design; a slightly different-shaped case, lack of AI, range of color options and lower price make this an even more tempting prospect.
Read our full Skullcandy Method 360 review

Cambridge Audio Melomania A100
For the same price as the Method 540, you can get these five-star earbuds. They sound fantastic, have great ANC and last ages on a single charge. You don't mind that they look a little boring, do you?
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 review

How I tested

I used the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC for three weeks before writing this review.

The headphones were paired to a OnePlus phone for the entirety of the testing process. I listened to music from Spotify and Qobuz, played various games, conducted several video and voice calls, watched Netflix and listened to voice notes using them. Testing took place at home, while on runs, during cycling (Stay Aware mode, of course), at the gym, on various public transports, and on walks around different areas of my city.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since 2019, including countless low-cost and mid-range headphones. That includes, of course, the Method 360 earbuds, as well as the Crusher 540 Active over-ears from Skullcandy.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: February 2026

Amazfit Balance 2: One minute review

Two years after the original Amazfit Balance was released, Amazfit has now released its follow-up, the Amazfit Balance 2. The new release represents a solid upgrade with a distinct focus on durability, battery life, and enhanced sensors/features. In real terms, that means a bigger battery, superior water resistance, a brighter display, a faster chipset, dual speakers, and sensor upgrades.

The watch itself is pitched as a multi-sport training partner. Direct competitors include the Garmin Venu 4, the Coros Pace 4 or the Huawei Watch GT 5.

With such fierce competition in the market, we're unlikely to see the Amazfit Balance 2 featuring in our best running watches guide, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of consideration, as evidenced by our four-star rating.

The single most impressive feature of the watch is the multi-week battery life. With many watch alternatives forcing customers to choose between features and battery life, the Balance 2 delivers a flagship-level experience with remarkable longevity. This means less charging anxiety and better continuous tracking, especially for multi-day trips or long activity periods.

In terms of software, the addition of Zepp Flow AI is a significant step forward. Watches, for a long while, have supported voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Siri or Garmin’s native voice assistant, but these have required specific rigid commands. Zepp Flow AI, along with the most recent wave of Android watches which now use Gemini on Wear OS 6, understands and responds to conversational, natural speech.

Despite these upgrades, it’s a long way off the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 as a smartwatch. But it’s not really looking to compete on the same plane. The Balance 2 is a middle-of-the-market smartwatch that is looking to push what is possible for under $300/£300.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit Balance 2: Specifications

Component

Amazfit Balance 2

Price

$299 USD / £299 UK / $479.99 AUS

Dimensions

47.4mm wide, 12.3mm thick

Weight

42g without strap

Case/bezel

Aluminum alloy and fiber-reinforced polymer

Display

1.5-inch AMOLED (480x480px)

GPS

Dual-band (L1 + L5) with support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS, Navic

Battery life

Up to 10 days of heavy use, or 21+ days of typical use

Connection

Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, NFC

Water resistance

10 ATM

Amazfit Balance 2: Price and availability

• $299 USD / £299 UK / $479.99 AUS
• Sits comfortably in the middle of the market
• An impressive feature set considering the price

At $299 USD / £299 UK / $479.99 AUS, the Balance 2 sits comfortably in the middle of the smartwatch market. It’s more expensive than the Amazfit Active 2 ($99 / £99.98 / AU$149.99) but not as pricey as the Garmin Venu 4 ($450 / £450). In terms of features, specs, and price, the Balance 2 is probably most comparable with the Samsung Galaxy Watch8.

The Balance 2 offers a respectable set of features considering its sub-$300/£300 price tag, but it's not as mature or refined as the Garmin Venu 4. If you care deeply about advanced fitness analysis and reliable structured workouts, then you'll want the more premium Garmin. If, on the other hand, you care little for these more advanced fitness tracking features, then the Balance 2 serves up a reasonable alternative with an equally impressive display and fantastic battery life.

Value score 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit Balance 2: Design

• Small and lightweight design
• 1.5-inch AMOLED display with 2,000 nits brightness
• 10 ATM (100-meter) water resistance

The Balance 2 offers a classic circular watch design. In terms of materials, there’s an aluminum alloy alongside a fiber-reinforced polymer case, and this blend of materials is about as premium as you're going to get at this price point, similar to the Garmin Vivoactive 6. .

The watch is 47.4mm wide and 12.3mm thick. It also weighs a minimal 42g without the strap. As a result, the Balance 2 sits comfortably without overpowering the wrist muscles or looking unnecessarily bulky. I'm looking at you, Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. The orange silicone strap creates a gorgeous contrast with the black case while delivering the added benefits of water resistance, a comfortable feel, and easy cleaning after a sweaty run.

The Balance 2 boasts a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, which is protected by highly scratch-resistant sapphire glass. This is a significant upgrade over the standard tempered glass of its predecessor and means users don't have to worry while engaging in some activities which might damage the watch. Maybe most impressive is its peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits, which puts it towards the elite end and equal with the Apple Watch Series 11. As a result, I had no problems using the watch even under direct sunlight, not that there was a huge amount around during winter in the UK.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

For those engaging in water sports, the Balance 2 offers substantial ruggedness with a 10 ATM (100-meter) water resistance rating. This goes beyond standard swimming and showering, making it suitable for high-speed water sports and even shallow scuba diving, which is an impressive level of durability for a smartwatch positioned outside of the ultra-premium or dedicated dive watch category.

The watch includes a digital crown for tactile scrolling through menus, although it feels a little on the cheap side. Additionally, dual speakers and a microphone contribute to the design, enhancing the ability to take clear Bluetooth calls and use the Zepp Flow AI voice assistant.

Design Score: 4/5

Amazfit Balance 2: Features

• Zepp Flow AI for natural voice controls
• 21-day battery life
• Improved sensors and dual-band GPS

With a middle-of-the-range set of health and fitness tracking features, I was actually more intrigued by the Zepp Flow AI, which offers a natural way to interact with the watch. Through natural language, it is possible to engage the watch, perform health queries, and control activity tracking. I didn't have to memorize a set of predefined commands but could instead treat it like I treat any other AI engine, such as ChatGPT or Gemini.

Then there's the advertised 21-day battery life that is possible with typical usage. This is an upgrade from 14 days in the original Balance and reduces the need for regular charging. The three-week battery life drops to around 10 days with heavier usage, or if you want to perform continuous GPS tracking, then you'll get 33 hours. For real-world results, I get into battery performance in the next section.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

In terms of sports and health tracking, the Balance 2 incorporates a newer BioTracker 6.0 PPG optical sensor, which Amazfit claims has a specific benefit on the accuracy of measured heart rate and sleep data. There's also dual-band GPS, which is known for its higher accuracy and improved reliability, especially in challenging environments like cities or dense forests.

The Balance 2 features 32GB of onboard storage, which is essential for anyone wanting to exercise, navigate routes and listen to locally stored music without needing their phone with them.

Features Score: 4/5

Amazfit Balance 2: Performance

• Exceptional battery performance
• Accurate tracking
• Solid and reliable GPS

Let's begin with one of the best-performing elements of the Balance 2—the battery life. I had no problems achieving the advertised 21 days of battery life when using the device to track the occasional workout alongside regular health checks. When I increased my GPS use and switched over to the Always-On Display, the battery life dropped to just a week, but that’s still very impressive. Whatever your smartwatch habits, the Balance 2 is streets ahead of more powerful watchOS or Wear OS alternatives such as the Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch, making it more like Garmin or Coros: a top low-power choice for multi-day hiking, long cycle rides, or more demanding adventures.

As for charging, the proprietary charging cradle has a USB-C attachment. During testing, I only had to recharge the watch a handful of times, but when I did, I was able to achieve 0 percent to 100 percent in a little under two hours. Faster recharging is available on other smartwatches such as the OnePlus Watch 3, but Amazfit has opted, instead, for a steadier power delivery to preserve the battery's long-term health.

In terms of tracking performance, Amazfit has updated the BioTracker from version 5.0 to 6.0 which boasts significant improvements in terms of accuracy, certification, and Zepp OS support. The watch delivered accurate heart rate and blood oxygen readouts with comparison tests run on the demonstrably accurate Huawei Watch Ultimate 2.

Additionally, the watch features an improved six-satellite GPS system with a new Huangshan 3 chipset and upgraded antenna and signal processing. In real terms, the watch locked onto a strong signal as soon as I moved out of my house and maintained it while tracking through a number of tricky environments, including a built-up city, forest area, and rural areas. To test accuracy, I compared a number of bike rides and runs against onthegomap.com and my benchmark-accurate smartwatch, the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. I found the Balance 2 to be accurate with very little drifting, even when traveling long distances.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Map interaction left a lot to be desired, unfortunately. Despite the upgraded chip, the Balance 2 struggled to render high-resolution maps and labels in real time. The presence of a lag meant I quickly lost interest in using the map feature.

The watch is powered by Zepp OS 5, which is one of the most fluid and responsive operating systems I've experienced. I also loved using Zepp Flow, which is the AI-driven voice assistant. With it I was able to perform actions hands-free, including starting and stopping workouts, as well as interact with notifications. This was a big time saver and super handy at times when I couldn’t easily operate the watch’s menus.

As good as the Balance 2 is for health and fitness tracking, it's seriously let down by its lack of third-party apps such as Spotify, Apple Maps, and Strava. Even Garmin has integration of sorts with apps like Spotify via the Garmin Connect IQ store. This lack of deep ecosystem integration means that the watch remains largely isolated from everything else you might interact with on a daily basis. There's also no LTE/cellular option, which means it's unable to work independently from your phone.

Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit Balance 2: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

A sub $300/£300 smartwatch with specs to match.

4.5/5

Design

A good-looking design that utilizes mid-range materials for a semi-rugged look.

4/5

Features

A respectable set of features with improved sensors and dual-band GPS.

4/5

Performance

Outstanding battery life, accurate tracking, and reliable GPS.

4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit Balance 2: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want a watch that will just keep on going

With a 21-day typical usage battery life, the Balance 2 is a fantastic performer.

You need accurate health tracking

With Amazfit's latest BioTracker 6.0 PPG sensor, the Balance 2 delivers reliable metrics.

Don't buy it if...

You value a rich app selection

The Zepp OS app store is very limited, and you might find that your favorite apps are missing.

You need an LTE/Cellular Option

As a result, your phone must remain near you if you want to receive calls and text messages and benefit from data synchronization.

Also consider

Garmin Venu 4

The perfect blend between a dressy smartwatch and a fitness tool. We love the accurate metrics, the smart design, and the new health tools.

Read our full Garmin Venu 4 reviewView Deal

Huawei Watch GT 5

This is Huawei's best mid-range offering so far and a smartwatch that covers all the bases with accurate tracking and measurements thanks to Huawei TruSense. Designed for casual exercisers rather than devoted runners.

Read our full Huawei Watch GT 5 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Amazfit Balance 2 for over a month, and in that time I measured almost every single health metric available on the watch. Some of these I tracked over a number of days so that I was able to build up a reasonable picture of the watch's accuracy over time. I also wore the watch while carrying out a range of different exercises, including running, cycling, and walking. During these tests I checked the accuracy of health metrics and GPS using the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, which has itself been tested against the Apple Watch Ultra series.

First reviewed: February 2026

SJCAM C400: one-minute review

The SJCAM C400 is an ultra-compact action camera that comes with an optional handle accessory, transforming it from a tiny wearable cam into a handheld vlogging setup. Starting at around $160 / £155 (without the handle), it undercuts the latest offerings from DJI and Insta360 by a significant margin — but unfortunately, you get what you pay for.

The camera itself is charmingly small and lightweight, making it easy to wear on a pendant or fix to a hat for POV filming. It includes a built-in touchscreen, which is a huge boon compared to similarly sized rivals like the DJI Osmo Nano or Insta360 Go cameras, which lack this feature.

When slotted into the handle, the C400 takes on a whole new character, becoming a comfortable handheld vlogging camera with a rotatable screen that works for both horizontal and vertical content, with the added benefit of an extra battery.

However, image quality is where the C400 seriously stumbles. Despite supporting 4K at 30fps and various video modes, the footage is poor, with an odd combination of over-sharpening and under-detail, plus prominent muddy digital artifacts. Still photos don't fare much better, with detail falling off drastically towards the frame edges. When compared directly to footage from an Insta360 GO Ultra or DJI Osmo Nano, the difference is stark — and it becomes immediately clear why those cameras cost a little more.

Audio quality doesn't help matters. While the built-in microphone copes indoors or in calm conditions, it struggles with wind noise, and there's no option to connect an external mic.

The digital stabilization works, but in an artificial way that draws attention to itself, while enabling horizon leveling drastically reduces resolution. There's also no built-in waterproofing or magnetic mounting — both missed opportunities on a camera this size.

On the plus side, battery life is impressive, with the camera managing around 190 minutes of 4K recording on its own, and much longer when docked in the handle.

In short, the C400 offers an appealingly compact form factor and decent battery life at a bargain price, but its poor image and audio quality make it hard to recommend unless budget is your absolute priority. I'd recommend checking out one of my recommended alternatives in my best action cameras and best vlogging camera guides.

The core camera unit is small and lightweight, and unlike its rivals has room for a functional touchscreen on its front (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)SJCAM C400: price and availability

• Priced from $159 / £153
• Sold with and without handle
• A range of accessories is available

The SJCAM C400 is available in three bundles: the C400 Pocket (just the camera with no handle or accessories); the C400 (which includes the handle); and the C400 Vlogging Bundle (which includes the handle, a mini tripod, a pendant mount, a 64GB microSD card and a carry case). Prices vary wildly depending on the bundle and the country you're shopping in, and seem to be fluctuating too, so I would suggest shopping around to ensure you get the best price for whatever package you're after.

In terms of value the camera seems like a bargain in comparison to the latest models from rival companies like DJI and Insta360. But considering its level of performance, I think you should seriously consider spending a little more elsewhere, particularly if you value image quality.

SJCAM C400: specsSJCAM C400 specs

Sensor

1/2.8-inch CMOS

Max Resolution

24MP photos
4K 30fps footage

Weight

189g / 7oz (with handle); 54g / 1.9oz (camera only)

Dimensions

143.5 x 38.5 x 38.5mm (with handle); 68 x 32 x 25.5mm (camera only)

Displays

1.3-inch (camera); 2.29-inch (handle)

Operating Time

Camera: 190 mins
Camera + handle: 420 mins

Connectivity

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C

Storage

microSD card up to 512GB

Waterproofing

N/A

SJCAM C400: designFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The C400 package I was sent for review has two main components: the C400 camera itself and a handle accessory that incorporates controls, an extra touchscreen, a tripod mounting thread and an additional battery.

The main C400 camera is charmingly tiny and lightweight, if not quite as small as the DJI Osmo Nano or some of the Insta360 Go editions; if you really must have the tiniest, lightest 4K action cam, the C400 isn't it. Still, for POV filming purposes I found it compact enough to wear on a pendant around my neck, or fixed to my hat, without causing any bother whatsoever.

The camera unit has a small touchscreen (which is a huge boon – you don't get one on the DJI Osmo Nano or Insta360 Go), built-in microphone, microSD card slot for storage, and a tiny button that handles power and shutter duties. Sadly, unlike some rivals, it doesn't include a magnet for fixing it easily to metal surfaces, which is a missed opportunity.

Another missed opportunity is waterproofing, which I'd expect on a small action camera. Sadly, it's not mentioned anywhere on the spec or features sheet, although an optional waterproof case (with a 30m depth rating) is available.

The optional pendant mount also includes a magnetic clip add-on for the C400. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

When the C400 is slotted into the handle it takes on a whole new character, transforming from mini cam into a handheld vlogging camera somewhat reminiscent of the DJI Osmo Pocket series. The handle has a pleasingly comfortable design, and its good-sized rotatable screen caters to both horizontal and vertical content, and it also gives recording time a boost with its own supplementary battery.

I preferred using the camera in this arrangement than on its own, due to it being easy to hold and control – even if it clearly lacks the physical gimbal-based stabilization of DJI's Pocket range.

Additionally, it works as a wireless remote control for the camera, with a range of around 30 feet.

A quick word on the companion app: it's pretty good! Once it was installed and I'd established a Wi-Fi link between the C400 and my iPhone, I was able to remotely control the camera and download photos and videos wirelessly. Getting the phone and camera linked up the first time was a bit of a struggle, but once the connection was set up I was able to simply re-connect by scanning a QR code on the camera's screen.

SJCAM C400: PerformanceFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

The camera supports 4K video capture at up to 30fps, 2K at up to 60fps, and 1080p at up to 120fps (for slow-motion playback), plus H.264 and H.265 compression, a 'wide dynamic range' mode and a high-bitrate recording option.

Despite selecting all of these in an attempt to see the C400 performing at its best, I found image quality to be disappointingly poor even in good outdoor lighting, and even worse indoors.

You can view my sample video below to get a clearer picture (no pun intended), but the image seems to me to be a curious mix of being simultaneously over-sharpened and under-detailed, with distracting, muddy digital artifacts very prominent.

Still photos didn't impress either, with detail falling off massively towards the edges of the frame – and there's a huge amount of wide-angle distortion that doesn't appear to be correctable outside of post-production manual tweaking.

The two forms of digital image stabilization on offer — general and horizon leveling — do work, but they do so in an artificial way that really draws attention to the fact that they're working. Using horizon leveling also reduces the resolution quite drastically.

When compared to the videos straight out of an Insta360 GO Ultra or DJI Osmo Nano, the difference is stark – and it's immediately clear where that extra money goes.

Audio quality is passable in calm conditions, but as my video illustrates, the built-in microphone doesn't cope well with wind noise at all — and there's no way to connect an external microphone to better capture sound. So vloggers may have to record their audio separately, then sync it in post-production, which is hardly the sort of simplicity you'd hope for.

There's better news on the battery life front, at least, and I was impressed by the C400's stamina. To test it, I set video quality to 4K at 30fps and left the C400 (without its handle) recording. It managed to capture around 190 minutes of footage before the battery died. When docked inside the handle, it of course lasts even longer, and in my test it lasted 420 minutes in total.

Should I buy the SJCAM C400?

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Buy it if...

You want a super-cheap compact action camera
The C400 is about as small and light as action cams come, and much cheaper than new alternatives from DJI and Insta360.

You need a small camera with a screen
The C400 is tiny, but still makes room for a decent-sized touchscreen on its front — something you won't find on pricier rivals.

Don't buy it if...

You’re particular about image quality
The C400's image quality is not its strong point, and if you want to create polished, professional-looking content, you're better off with a DJI or Insta360 alternative.

You want a well-stabilized vlogging camera
Don't confuse this with a DJI Pocket, despite how it looks on its handle. There's only electronic stabilization here, and it's not particularly convincing.

SJCAM C400: also consider

Insta360 Go Ultra

The latest model in the long-running Go series of ultra-compact action cameras, the Ultra is a little larger than some of its predecessors, but makes up for it with its superb 4K 60fps (or 30fps in Active HDR) footage. It's surprisingly capable in low light, and waterproof to boot.

Read our in-depth Insta360 Go Ultra review

DJI Osmo Nano

Despite being DJI's first serious attempt at an ultra-compact action camera, the Osmo Nano is a waterproof modular marvel with stabilized 4K 60fps video that excels for sports and vlogging, and even supports 10-bit D-Log M. It's pricier than the C400, but still cheap for what it offers.

Read our in-depth DJI Osmo Nano review

How I tested the SJCAM C400

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

• I tested the camera for a week
• I used it for vlogging and capturing photos, assessing image quality on my phone and laptop
• I tested all its features and various accessories

I tested the SJCAM C400 for around a week, using it to record videos and photos both handheld and using some of the accessories included with my review sample. The sample was supplied by SJCAM, and included not only the camera and handle, but a waterproof case and range of mounting options such as a magnetic pendant. I tested all its main functions including electronic image stabilization and battery life, before transferring all photos and videos to my iPhone and subsequently MacBook Air for close inspection.

First reviewed February 2026

There are so many video editors out there, from the expensive high-end professional options, to the free ad-laden basic ones, and everything in between.

Ashampoo’s Windows-only Movie Studio Pro 3 is never going to compete against the likes of Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro - while it's a competent tool, it's not up there with the best video editing software I've tested.

But that's not really the point of software like this. It's not trying to become the go-to for full-time creative professionals in the movie industry. But for those who need to quickly edit videos for social media, or anyone just starting out, it's an affordable entry-point into the world of post-production.

So, with that in mind, I took a look at where Movie Studio Pro 3 fits into the landscape and your workflow.

Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro 3: Pricing & plans

• Incredibly well-priced
• Windows only

It’s unusual for a software package these days to restrict themselves to a single platform, in this case PC users, but if you’re going to curtail your own market, at least it makes some sense to aim for the one with the biggest share of the pie. So if you’re running something other than a Windows machine, you’ll have to find a solution to your video editing needs elsewhere.

As it stands, Movie Studio Pro is compatible with Windows 7 and above, right up to Windows 11. You’ll need at least an Intel Core i3 or comparable processor, and 8GB of RAM, but as always with this type of software, the more powerful your machine, the better it’ll run.

Cost-wise, it’s advertised as being worth $60 / £50 which doesn’t sound too bad, but Ashampoo regularly offer steep discounts; as of this writing, you could grab it for only $18 / £15. Not only that, but you’re also able to download a copy of the software and try it out free for a generous 30 days.

If you already own a previous version of Movie Studio Pro, the upgrade cost is the same discounted price.

So yeah, it’s not free, but the cost of entry is so low, that should not be an impediment to you getting the software.

Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro 3: Basic Trimming

(Image credit: Ashampoo // Future)

• ‘Cut Commercials’ lets you trim multiple parts of chosen clips
• Very easy and intuitive to use

Launch Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro, and you’ll be faced with various options as to how to proceed.

You can open an existing project of course (if you have one), create one from scratch, or use the software’s ‘Wizard’ to, supposedly, speed up the creation process, but the one I thought we’d look at first is intriguingly labelled ‘Cut Commercials’.

Its purpose is to simply trim sections of a chosen clip. This is ideal if all you need is to top and tail some footage, but it also allows you to cut out multiple sections inside the clip itself (hence the ‘Cut Commercials’ moniker).

None of this is automatic. You have to scroll through the footage and manually select each section, but doing this is incredibly easy, even if what you’re removing isn’t a commercial.

Once you’ve selected all that needs to be removed, you then have a choice of resolution, format and quality, all with big friendly buttons.

So far so good. If the rest of the interface is as easy to use and understand, we have a fun and useful video editor on our hands.

Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro 3: Using the Wizard

(Image credit: Ashampoo // Future)

• Easy to insert animated intros and transitions between clips
• Not especially useful as a whole

Next, I’m off to see the Wizard, Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro’s Theme Wizard to be precise.

Clicking on that option brings up two more: a ‘Simple’ or ‘Expert’ mode, but that doesn’t alter what the Wizard will do for you - it simply determines the type of interface you’ll be left with once it has done its job.

You get to choose from one of dozens of themes, add a title, select the clips you’d like to use, and put them in the order you’d like them to appear in. Movie Studio Pro will then combine the lot into a short movie, add transitions between each clip, and that’s pretty much the extent of its prowess. It doesn’t even trim the footage. Just puts the whole thing into the timeline. Talk about a rough edit!

I was expecting a Wizard to do more for me than just insert an animated intro and put transitions between clips. Maybe I was expecting too much.

It’s up to you to trim those clips, perhaps change those transitions, and maybe even add a musical score. What the Wizard did is little different than what you could’ve done yourself in a couple of minutes.

It’s barely a time saver, and when you consider all the editing you have to do afterwards, it probably ends up taking up more of your time than if you’d never bothered to use the Wizard in the first place.

Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro 3: Editing process

(Image credit: Ashampoo // Future)

• All the basic options are available here
• ‘Simple’ mode feels too restrictive for experienced video editors

Cutting a movie yourself is where a video editor should show its true colors. Here again, just like for the Wizard option, we’re offered ‘Simple’ and ‘Expert’ modes.

As you’d expect, ‘Simple’ has some restrictions applied to it to try and make the process easier for beginners, but I found it more frustrating than helpful, truth be told.

For instance, why could I only trim a clip in the timeline by opening a special window? It actually adds a layer of complexity that is not needed for what should be a simple, and all too often used, process.

Frustrations aside, you have easy access to your clips, effects, transitions, animations, and even those themes we saw in the Wizard section, meaning you can build an edit pretty quickly.

If you need to move to ‘Expert’ mode, it’s easy to do so from your ‘Simple’ project: there’s a handy button just for that, effortlessly upgrading your interface to Movie Studio Pro’s highest heights of editing complexity.

Be aware, though, that I couldn’t find a way to move my project back to the simpler editing paradigm. Unlike DaVinci Resolve’s editing levels, once you’ve upgraded, you’ve upgraded for good.

As you’d expect, ‘Expert’ offers you more options. For one thing, the effects, transitions, titles, animations, etc, are all on their separate tracks in the timeline, making it easy to select them, alter them, and move them around. ‘Expert’ even allows you to trim a clip within the timeline itself (hooray).

There is one thing I found quite limiting in either mode: the inability to preview a clip prior to adding it to the project. Sure you can see a thumbnail of it, but it would be good to actually play said clip, and maybe even apply some in and out points to it, for instance.

But no. It can only be seen once it’s added to the timeline. Different apps do things in different ways of course, but I found this particularly restrictive. On the plus side, if you liked the cutting options available in ‘Cut Commercials’, they’re only an icon click away in either mode.

Overall, the options you’re offered are good, you can fine tune an edit, and add enough effects, titles, even subtitles, and more, to make your project look good, but I don’t think the software deserves its ‘Pro’ moniker.

There are other packages that offer you many more options, charge even less for it, and they don’t call themselves ‘Pro’.

On the flip side, proper ‘Pro’ video editors can and are intimidating for novice users. Think of this app as a good step up from the software that usually comes bundled with your machine, and viewed from that perspective, it definitely has a place and a purpose.

Should I buy Ashampoo Movie Studio Pro 3?

(Image credit: Ashampoo // Future)Buy it if…

You’re looking for some video editing capabilities beyond what your bundled software offers, you want something that’s easy to use, which doesn’t cost much.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re searching for software that’s more responsive, with more pro tools than this supposedly ‘pro’ software has.

(Image credit: Ashampoo // Future)

For more editors, we've tested and reviewed the best free video editing software, best video editing software for beginners, and the best video editing apps.

I’ve been dipping in and out of Serif Affinity for years now. It always struck me as a very impressive set of apps designed to compete with Adobe’s core offering: Affinity Designer was their answer to Adobe Illustrator, Photo was their Photoshop, and Publisher took on InDesign, all for a remarkably competitive price.

So what do you do for an encore? You get bought out by Canva for $500 million, of course! This happened back in March 2024 and everything went silent - until a few months ago. That's when Affinity merged all three apps into one and dispensed of licenses to become free for all.

I took a look at the all-new Affinity (sometimes known as Affinity by Canva) to see what's going on and how the new, completely free version stacks up.

• Try out Affinity by clicking here

Affinity: Pricing & plans

• Free to use
• Some optional AI tools locked behind a Canva Pro subscription

Price is the biggest change to the all-new Affinity.

It's completely free. No subscriptions, no perpetual licenses. 'Free forever' is the promise. But there’s no such thing as 'forever' in the business world, so how is Canva expected to make its money back from such a huge investment?

The current answer is by offering most tools for free, while restricting some higher end ones behind a paywall. Canva currently have an impressive 200 million total users, out of which 16 million pay for their premium subscription. The company is banking on Affinity luring a few more to it.

As a guide, Canva Pro would cost an individual $15 / €12 a month, or $120 / €110 a year, which will unlock all those AI tools, as well as everything else Canva’s premium side of things already offers.

So yes, in reality, Affinity is more freemium than free. However, these 'advanced' tools are AI-based, and all the tools you used to enjoy - and pay for - in Affinity 1 and 2, are free in 3.

Right now, and especially if you’re not a fan of AI, you can download, install and make use of Affinity 3 without spending any money. That's a heck of a deal for three Adobe-killer apps. And even if you were to fork out for the Pro subscription, it’s far cheaper than what Adobe charges.

Affinity: Interface

(Image credit: Affinity // Canva // Future)

• Superb interface consider it's three apps in one

Launching Affinity for the first time will reveal a slight wrinkle: you need to log in to your Canva account, or create one, before you can use the software. It’s not that big a deal as setting one up is free, and you’ll still be able to access the app when offline.

You may wonder how Affinity manages to combine three apps with vastly different sets of tools, into a single interface. It's achieved by dividing the interface into a number of ‘studios’, which are essentially separate interfaces depending on what you wish to work on.

Toggling between them is done through a menu, top left of the window. By default, you have ‘Vector’ (for Illustrator-type work), ‘Pixel’ (what’s where your photo editor tools are located), ‘Layout’ (where your desktop publishing software tools can be found). And, of course, ‘Canva AI’ if you pay the subscription for AI-laced tools.

But that’s not all.

Click on the three dots to the right of that menu, and you’ll find other workspaces are available, such as ‘slice’, ‘color grading’ and ‘compositing’, and you’ve even got the ability to create your own ‘Studio’, starting by cloning an existing one, and modifying it until it only contains the tools you need.

In that respect, this is a very elegant design. Better still, while working on a project, you can effortlessly switch between studios without having to save your work or anything. You’re in ‘Pixel’ and need to add some curves, just click on ‘Vector’ and carry on working. It’s that simple.

Furthermore, to help designers along in their Affinity journey, mouse over any tool and you’ll get some information about its purpose. Big deal you might think: almost every other software program does that.

True… except here, they go into great detail for each of them, and if that’s not enough for you, there’s a ‘learn more’ button that opens a ‘Help’ window with even more information.

A feature I quite liked deals with additional tools hidden in a single icon. Just like with Adobe, you can tell there’s more there thanks to a little chevron lower right of the icon. In other apps, were you to click on it, it would reveal the additional tools in a sub palette; select the one you need and that extended menu promptly disappears.

Here, it opens up a floating window, making it easy to access those tools again and again should you need to. Click on a different tool’s chevron, and its additional tools will overwrite the previous selection in that floating window, so you won’t end up with a proliferation of floating windows, which can only be a good thing.

All in all, I felt the interface was well designed and considering Affinity now does the job of three apps in one, it all works impressively well.

Affinity: Importing from Adobe

(Image credit: Affinity // Canva // Future)

• Importing Adobe projects works - mostly
• More complex files can take a while

Importing Adobe documents into Affinity wasn’t as seamless as I had hoped. Now don’t get me wrong, it works, and it works pretty well - for the most part - but there are flaws.

For one thing, although Affinity is broadly on par with Adobe’s tool palette, some are missing. If you created documents with those missing tools, the result may not be replicated perfectly as you import your file into Affinity. For instance, Smart Objects fall into that category.

Another hindrance I found is based on the fact Adobe doesn’t solely make use of the fonts installed on your computer, but also relies on Adobe Fonts, a collection of cloud-based typefaces. If you use those in your work, it won’t come as a surprise to see that those won’t transfer over when you open your project in Affinity. But as long as you only use fonts installed on your computer, you’ll bypass that problem.

Affinity can read PSD (Photoshop) and AI (Illustrator) files without too much problem. INDD (InDesign) ones however, can’t be read. In order to open them, you need to export your work from InDesign into the IDML format (InDesign Markup Language). It’s frustrating, but it’s nothing new: this was the case for when Affinity Publisher existed, before it was merged into this all-in-one new version.

Finally, the worst part of importing I experienced, was the wait. Go to File > Open, select the document you want and… nothing happens. Or at least, nothing seems to open.

You get no progress bar, no nothing, so I was left with the impression that it didn’t work. I tried again, and again, and again… and then after a while all those files eventually opened, one after the other.

This does show Affinity can handle multiple commands at once, which is not a bad thing, but it would be good to know something is happening which you wait for the file to open. Now this doesn’t happen for every document, but the more complex it is, the more likely you’ll have to wait, with no clue as to when your project will eventually deign to appear.

Affinity: Tools

(Image credit: Affinity // Canva // Future)

• A huge selection of tools
• All well organized with helpful assistants

If you’re used to other design tools, you’ll understand the concept right away. You have a sidebar where all the tools you need are located (these change depending on which studio you’re in as mentioned above).

On the other side of the interface is your contextual inspector, showing you all your changeable parameters, along with your project’s layers, and more. At this rate, you’ve seen one image processing app, you’ve seen them all.

And yes, don’t expect Affinity to possess all the tools Adobe cram into its own software. Adobe is renowned for that. But to be frank, the overwhelming majority of users don’t use all these tools, and if the one you need happens to be missing from Affinity, chances are there are other ways of doing the same - or similar - thing.

But it’s the little things that I greatly appreciated. Say you want to add a new object to an existing project. You get your paint brush, start drawing, only to realise you forgot to create a new layer and are messing up an existing part of your work.

So, you have to undo what you did, and start again. Well that doesn’t happen with Affinity, as a little clever assistant just automatically creates a new layer as you start drawing. It’s not a big deal really, but it makes using this software a more enjoyable experience.

Now of course, as I keep mentioning, some tools are missing if you’re used to Adobe. I brought up Start Objects earlier on, but a bigger omission is the lack of Curve tools in Illustrator - sorry, I meant Vector. You can use the Pen tool instead, but if you’re migrating, it’s another adaptation you need to make. Thankfully, a lot of the keyboard shortcuts are the same, greatly easing the transition.

If you’re upgrading from Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher, you might be puzzled as to where the filters have gone to in the Pixel Studio: they’re still there, but now they’re located in the menu bar’s Pixel menu, which means you gain access to those filters whichever Studio you’re in, so you could apply one of them to a vector layer if you wish (doing this will get an assistant to automatically rasterise the selected layer for you).

Since you can so easily go from a vector layer to a rasterised one, you’ll be pleased to learn that Affinity can also do the reverse, thanks to its impressive Trace tool. Select the layer you wish to alter, activate the tool, tweak the couple of parameters, check the result before applying it, and you’re good to go. I found the outcome to be remarkably good.

One thing to bear in mind, is that Affinity Photo - now the Pixel section of Affinity - is designed to be a competitor to Photoshop, not Lightroom. As such, it has no file management capabilities, so you’ll need to get yourself a separate app to sort out your images on your computer - or failing that, just be very good at maintaining order in your computer’s file system.

Affinity: Premium AI

(Image credit: Affinity // Canva // Future)

• Tools designed for subscription don’t feel good enough to achieve that goal - for now

All of the above is free. It’s a huge gamble, but one that will certainly benefit those who are tired of renting their software by paying expensive ongoing subscriptions to the likes of Adobe and others to gain access to creative tools.

But Canva hopes that you will choose to take advantage of the Premium subscription to gain access to the AI tools now added to Affinity. These include features such as AI-based object selection, generative fill, upscaling, generative edit, portrait blur, lighting, colorise and depth tools.

To be honest, they’re not show stoppers, must-haves, revolutionary tent pole features. In fact, compared to the tools available for free, these feel pretty average at best.

Still, it’s early days, and Affinity may well release over time tools that feel indispensable and worth their - let’s face it - quite affordable subscription. But today doesn’t feel like it’s that day.

Should I download Affinity?

(Image credit: Affinity // Canva // Future)Get it if…

You’re looking for powerful image compositing tools that are free with no strings attached, that combine the best of raster, vector and page layout design, in an impressively well made interface.

Don’t get it if…

You’re 100% wedded to Adobe’s portfolio, and regularly rely on the tools Adobe has, but Affinity lacks.

For more tools, we've tested the best graphic design software you can get.

Styx: Blades of Greed isn’t an Assassin’s Creed game. It’s not a Sniper Elite, a Hitman, or part of any of the other popular stealth action franchises that have received new entries in the last couple of years. This is a proper, old-fashioned stealth game - the kind that you really don’t see much of anymore.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S
Release date: February 19, 2026

The focus is entirely on the act of sneaking, surreptitiously sticking to shadows, and creeping around environments in order to avoid detection entirely, rather than trying to blend in or silently take out enemies from afar.

As the titular green goblin Styx, you’re certainly not a fighter, and detection means an almost certain demise. Sure, you can fend for yourself against one or even two low-level enemies in a pinch, but your health pool is extremely limited, and open combat quickly spirals out of control as more guards are alerted by the sound of the fray.

You can hardly break out of a crouch when you’re moving around maps, as your footsteps alone are enough to trigger a chain reaction that inevitably ends with you getting skewered by an army of heavily armed goons. It sounds frustrating, and believe me, it sometimes is, but I simply wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nothing beats the satisfaction of pulling off the perfect heist, and some smart quality-of-life features stop the experience from ever becoming too exasperating.

Styx and stones

(Image credit: Nacon)

Its big innovation is a clever, quick save system. You might see the phrase ‘save scumming’ (the practice of frequently reloading saves made before your mistakes) tossed around as a derogatory term in discussions about other titles, but in Styx: Blades of Greed, it’s not only necessary for success, but actively encouraged.

It’s instant and bound to pressing down the left thumbstick on your controller, with a successful save signaled by a small on-screen notification that doesn’t break your immersion. Get slashed by a guard, fall off a ledge, or accidentally come into contact with water (goblins dissolve instantly like the Wicked Witch of the West, apparently), and you’re back to your save point after just a brief loading screen.

It’s a little awkward at first, but after a few hours, saving every time you make any significant progress becomes second nature, and it’s absolutely liberating.

(Image credit: Nacon)

Rather than annoyingly setting you back, deaths become your signal to experiment. "What would happen if I tossed an acid trap on that carpet just as the guard saw me?” “Can I actually take out that worker without his mate seeing me?” “Would that falling chandelier really land on that armored patrol if I timed it just right?"

Best bit

(Image credit: Nacon)

In this instalment Styx is more mobile than ever before, with an incredibly fast default move speed and rapid double jump. It makes scurrying across open rooftops or darting down empty corridors a joy, and really helps you feel like a devious little goblin.

The game’s three main levels are mammoth and filled with multiple avenues of approach that really reward trying new approaches. With endless ledges, chimneys, the undersides of tables, inside barrels or chests, and maintenance passages, you’re never short of places to hide, and making full use of every available spot in order to infiltrate somewhere flawlessly is satisfying.

Don’t be worried about the fact that there are ‘only’ three maps either. Side quests and collectibles incentivize you to scour them thoroughly, and an intelligent metroidvania-esque progression system sees you gradually acquire new traversal tools like grapple hooks or gliders that open up vast new zones in them to explore.

Each story chapter also ends in unique, more linear segments that are a refreshing change of pace after such openness and help you get acquainted with each new mechanic as they come.

Carrot and Styx

(Image credit: Nacon)

Styx is a seasoned master of infiltration, so he has a wealth of abilities to play around with that are unlocked through a modest but impactful upgrade tree. The most interesting of these are tied to your acquisition of Quartz, the sinister new material that Styx and his rag-tag crew of allies are pursuing.

Mind control has you manually piloting adversaries that would otherwise be too powerful to defeat and commanding them to jump to their deaths, while slowing down time helps you escape otherwise impossible situations in a flash.

This is on top of some returning favorites from the past Styx games, like invisibility, throwable clones that latch on to the faces of foes, plus basic tools like throwable bottles, acid mines, and more. It’s perfectly possible to get through the game without using the majority of these, but fully engaging with every tool at your disposal invites exciting gameplay possibilities.

It’s unfortunate that there are plenty of jagged edges here that might trip up those coming over from more casual stealth experiences. I really appreciate the commitment to make Styx: Blades of Greed a faithful sequel to both Master of Shadows and Shards of Darkness (not to mention a prequel to Of Orcs and Men), but it’s almost too faithful at times when the last instalment was almost ten years ago.

Without knowledge of the previous entries, the otherwise surprisingly decent story isn’t going to make a lick of sense, and many of its coolest moments, like returning to the ruins of an old map, simply won’t resonate.

(Image credit: Nacon)

Even true Styx heads like me might struggle to stay fully engaged with it, given the fairly dire voice acting, though. The performance for the protagonist is excellent, especially his many ironically charming one-liners, but the lines for side characters and NPCs are often amateurish. Cutscenes feel cheaply animated, with stilted motion and odd cuts that never seem to flow quite right.

There’s plenty of more general jankiness to get past, too, from frame rate stutters and typos in subtitles to bugs that see you fall through the floor, get seen through solid objects, or have the entire game crash without warning. Thanks to its strong foundations, the experience was never truly spoiled for me, but I do hope there are some patches in the works to make everything more stable.

Should I play Styx: Blades of Greed?Play it if...

You want a true stealth experience
Fighting back if you’re caught? Forget about it. Styx: Blades of Greed is a true stealth game that’s all about using the tools at your disposal to infiltrate areas undetected - and very satisfying if that’s what you’re looking for.

You’ve played the other games
The story of Styx: Blades of Greed would probably be impenetrable for a newcomer, but if you’re a true Styx head like me, you’ll love diving back into the universe and appreciate the call-backs to other games.

Don't play it if...

You’re not willing to overlook rough edges
This is not a high-budget game, so some level of jankiness should be expected. Still, there are plenty of issues with performance, crashes, and a wealth of bugs to overcome if you want to get to the good stuff.

Accessibility features

Styx: Blades of Greed has three difficulty levels, in addition to a modest accessibility menu. Aside from the option to disable controller vibration, all of the settings relate to color blindness.

There are three vision filters: deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia. Subtitles are enabled throughout the game by default.

How I reviewed Styx: Blades of Greed

I went full goblin and played more than 20 hours of Styx: Blades of Greed on PC over the course of a few days. During this time, I completed the entire game, thoroughly explored all of the levels, tested every single ability, and worked my way through many of the side quests.

The keyboard and mouse support is pretty dire, so I relied on a DualSense Wireless Controller to play in addition to my Astro A20 X gaming headset.

I reviewed the game at full graphics settings on my system, which is a 5070 Ti-powered model from retailer Scan that features a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I Gaming Wifi motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Nvidia 5070 Ti manufactured by Asus.

First reviewed February 2026