Methodology of Writing Listings of Best Services/Apps

HeyLocate creates compilations of the best services/apps for phone tracking and monitoring, phone number tracking, parental control, and people search services (the list is not exhaustive and may be expanded with related topics).

Each material is created based on our personal experience, testing, and evaluation of these services/apps. That’s why our compilation may differ from similar ones online. However, we consider services that have made it into other publications’ top lists but analyze them using our own experts, contributors, and methodology.

HeyLocate aims to make the evaluation methodology as objective as possible; however, service/app performance depends on device type, OS, internet quality, general settings, memory capacity, and other indicators that vary among all users, and this may affect the result of our evaluation.

Below we provide a general description of how we create compilations of the best services/apps.

We define a specific niche, audience, and purpose of the compilation and focus on comparing and highlighting these services by the most important characteristics for this niche, audience, and purpose.

We analyze popular online services/apps that are suitable for a particular compilation and find the best options among those we have already made separate reviews for.

For transparency and honesty, we record the number of analyzed services/apps, the amount of time spent preparing the material, and the expertise of authors and reviewers.

We compile a top list and determine winners in different categories, such as (the list is an example, not exhaustive, and may change/be expanded):

General

Editor’s Choice – our personal favorite.
Best Overall – the best balance of features, price, and convenience.
Runner-up – a worthy alternative, second place.
Budget Pick – the most cost-effective option.
Premium Choice – expensive but top in capabilities.
Best Value – the best price/capability ratio.

By platform / compatibility

Best for iPhone – optimized for iOS.
Best for Android – best experience on Android.
Best for PC – best option to use on PC.
Best for Tablet – best option to use on tablets.
Cross-platform Leader – works excellently on different devices.

By specific needs

Best for Beginners – easy to use.
Best for Advanced Users – more settings and flexibility.
Best for Families – convenient for multiple users.
Best for … [the list can be continued].

We explain the choice of the best services/apps, add their strengths and weaknesses, as well as links to full and detailed reviews, as justification for our choice.

For each service, we check:

effectiveness and reliability of main functions;
ease of everyday use: how intuitive the interface is, whether it’s easy to set up the service and use its main functions;
reliability and security: stability of operation, privacy policy, data protection, and, if relevant, difficulty of bypassing restrictions;
price-to-value ratio, including free plans and trial versions.

We evaluate each service by several key parameters, but present one summary figure to the reader. A detailed evaluation can be viewed in the review of each individual service/app.

Step 1. Criteria and their weight.

Functionality – 30% (the foundation of any service — what it actually can do);
Ease of use – 20% (design, setup simplicity, learning speed);
Reliability & security – 25% (operational stability, data protection);
Support – 10% (help availability, updates, instructions);
Price/value – 15% (whether the service justifies the costs).

(all criteria are evaluated on a 0–5 scale, then a weighted average is calculated, rounded to tenths)

Step 2. Calculation formula.

Overall rating = (Functionality×0.3)+(Ease of use×0.2)+(Reliability×0.25)+(Support×0.1)+(Price×0.15).

Example, Service received: Functionality – 5.0/ Ease of use – 4.0/ Reliability – 4.5/ Support – 3.5/ Price – 4.0

Calculation: (5.0×0.3)+(4.0×0.2)+(4.5×0.25)+(3.5×0.1)+(4×0.15)=4.4/5.0

Final rating: 4.4/5.0

Step 3. Rating interpretation.

5.0 – perfect, category leader.
4.0–4.9 – excellent, with minor flaws.
3.0–3.9 – good, but has nuances.
2.0–2.9 – mediocre, won’t suit everyone.
1.0–1.9 – weak, rather not recommended.
0 – service doesn’t deliver what’s promised.

We provide expert advice on what to pay attention to when choosing the best service/app for different situations (device compatibility, purpose of use, data security, etc.). We pay special attention to our users’ Security & Privacy, so we give advice on how to ensure the safety of services/apps.

We provide a comparison table of services from the listing for user convenience and comparison of the main characteristics important for this category.

We collect the most frequent user questions on the given topic and provide thorough answers.

We provide a list of Top Brands Excluded from Our Ranking and explain why we didn’t include them in our own Top list.

We explain Risks & limitations of services/apps from the review that users should consider.

We add general usage instructions for services/apps from the review, so when choosing one of them, the user already understands the complete installation process.

We compare paid services/apps with free ones so users can weigh all advantages and risks.

We provide explanations of unclear terms in the text or through links to the HeyLocate glossary.

The services reviewed in our articles are provided for informational purposes only. Users should use them responsibly and within the law, on devices or accounts they own or have explicit permission to access. Unauthorized use may violate local regulations or the service’s Terms of Service. Services we review are not FCRA-compliant and cannot be used for employment, tenant screening, or background checks. Users should always respect privacy, data protection rules, and ethical boundaries. Following these guidelines ensures that the tools provide value safely, legally, and responsibly.