TechRadar Reviews

If you think more pixels makes for a better PC monitor, you're going to love the new LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A. This 6K monster of a monitor has over 21 million of them. For context, a 4K display has just eight million. It's a massive step up.

What you don't get, at least not compared with a regular 32-inch 4K monitor, is more actual display size. Instead, those 21 million pixels are crammed into essentially the same 32-inch diagonal, resulting in much, much higher pixel density. Where 4K on a 32-inche monitor comes in around 140 pixels per inch, the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A clocks in at 224 pixels per inch.

In other words, this is a true high-DPI display. It's a pretty high-performance display by several other metrics, too, at least for an IPS as opposed to an OLED monitor. There's good colour coverage and true 10-bit fidelity, for instance.

Less impressive is the 60Hz refresh. It's perhaps inevitable given the epic resolution and this monitor's productivity rather than gaming remit. But here in 2026, 60Hz seems a bit sluggish, as does the quoted 5ms pixel response time. Countering that is excellent connectivity, including dual Thunderbolt 5 ports and plenty of further USB-C inputs and outputs.

As for value, well, it all depends how you're coming at this LG. Compared to the near-enough $6,000 Apple Pro Display XDR, which is also 6K and 32 inches, it's a bargain, if less capable in some important ways. But at $1,999 or £1,799, it's also way more expensive than most of the best 4K monitors available today. So, you'll really want to appreciate those extra pixels.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Design and featuresLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

• Minimalist design
• Mediocre build quality
• Excellent connectivity

Specs

Panel size: 32-inch

Panel type: IPS Black

Resolution: 6,144 x 3,456

Brightness: 450 nits SDR, 600 nits HDR

Contrast: 2,000:1

Pixel response: 5ms GtG

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Colour coverage: 98% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Connectivity: DisplayPort 2.1 x1, HDMI 2.1 x1, 2x Thunderbolt 5 with 96W PD upstream, 1x Thunderbolt 4 downstream,1x USB-C upstream, 2x USB-C downstream, 1x USB-C upstream

The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is a slick display that looks like it's been designed to please Apple Mac users. In terms of pure aesthetics it will do just that, thanks to its minimalist vibe, slim bezels and engineering elements like a display hinge that mimics Apple's Pro Display XDR.

However, it's not as nicely built as either of Apple's own monitors, the Studio Display or the aforementioned Pro Display XDR. The mix of plastic and metal used here doesn't feel even nearly as premium as the lush alloys of the Apple alternatives. The huge external power brick is also a little untidy compared to monitors with integrated power supplies.

Still, by PC monitor standards, this LG is well enough screwed together and offers a decent range of adjustability from its stand. It also boasts excellent connectivity. You get dual Thunderbolt 5 ports with 96W of power delivery, just for starters.

To that you can add DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1 and another three USB-C ports. Together, that ensures pretty much all your connectivity needs are covered, including single-cable connectivity with a laptop, sharing the display with multiple PCs and even daisychaining with full 6K support.

Of course, the main event is the 32-inch 6K panel. It's an IPS Black item, so has heightened contrast compared with most other IPS monitors. But when it comes to not only contrast but also HDR performance, its specs still fall miles behind an OLED display.

That's no surprise given this monitor is only rated for DisplayHDR 600 certification. In other words, it lacks full-array local dimming. That said, colour coverage is good, extending to 98% of the DCI-P3 gamut and there's also true 10-bit per channel colour support without dithering.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: PerformanceLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

• Incredibly sharp visuals
• Good colour accuracy
• Poor contrast and HDR performance

The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is both stellar and disappointing in almost equal measure. But let's start with its finest quality, which is surely the incredible pixel density enabled by full 6K resolution on a 32-inch panel.

The resulting 224 pixels per inch makes for incredibly sharp visuals and fabulously clear and crisp text. It also allows for a huge amount of space for professional workflows. The appeal here compared to a mere 4K monitor, for instance, is that you can view 4K content in a window at full resolution and still have significant space left over for timelines, toolbars and more.

However, the 6K resolution and outstanding pixel density is compromised by the IPS panel's slightly old-school anti-glare coating, which introduces a touch of visible sparkle. Moreover, the step up from a 4K panel in terms of visual detail also isn't entirely earth shattering. Yes, this display is sharper and the text is crisper. But you're paying quite the price premium for those benefits.

The very fact that this is an IPS panel as opposed to OLED also makes it feel rather old fashioned. Sure, the colour accuracy at factory settings is good in both SDR and HDR modes. But even with the latest IPS Black panel tech and 2,000:1 claimed contrast, this monitor looks a bit watery and washed out compared to the latest OLED monitors. The black levels in particular look poor next to any OLED display.

In part that's thanks to the fact that this LG only has DisplayHDR 600 certification. That means it's specified with mere edge-lit backlighting, likely with around 16 zones, not full-array local dimming with hundreds or thousands of zones. In short, this is not a true HDR display.

The 60Hz refresh likewise adds to the sense of a slightly outdated display. Sure, this is no gaming monitor. But even for routine daily computing tasks, 120Hz or higher makes everything more pleasant. Of course, by IPS display standards, this is not a poor monitor. It's just, at this price point, you have so many options. What you gain in terms of 6K pixel density with this display you arguably lose in other areas.

LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Final verdictLG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future

LG's new 6K display is an exciting prospect, on paper. The combination of native 6K support using the latest IPS Black panel tech is very appealing, for sure. In practice, this premium pro display somewhat disappoints.

For sure, you get an outstanding high-DPI experience. But unless your specific workflows benefit from the extra desktop space, the subjective upgrade in terms of visual clarity and the quality of text rendering is more marginal than you might expect compared to a 4K display of the same size.

At the same time, the limitations of an IPS panel, even with improved contrast, are all too obvious at a price point that includes 4K OLED alternatives such as the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM. The comparatively poor contrast and black levels are all too obvious. There's a significant speed deficit, too, in terms of refresh rate and pixel response.

Admittedly, LG has given this display outstanding connectivity that extends to dual Thunderport 5 ports with support for 6K monitor daisy-chaining. So, in many ways, this is a very powerful productivity tool.

The problem is the 6K and connectivity upsides come with quite a few compromises. Long story short, what many will want is a display like this but based on OLED panel tech. Given the lofty pricing, that isn't an outrageous ask even if such a monitor doesn't currently exist. Until it does, if you are happy with an IPS panel and your workflows will benefit from the 6K resolution, LG's latest Ultrafine monitor probably adds up. But only barely.

For more high-resolution displays, we've reviewed the best 5K and 8K monitors.

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is not your usual business PC. It's not going to be the pick for casual users, or gamers, or admin work. And it's worth specifying that to begin with: this is a beast of a machine for professionals who need uncompromising power in engineering, AI, and all-around business performance, and who want a machine that is capable today and upgradable for the future,

Yes, it’s niche, and that’s okay. Dell doesn’t shy away from creating machines for a specific subset of users.

If you’re looking into this machine, there is a wide range in specs and pricing. The entry-level buildout is right around $1,000. But the high specs on my review unit are pushing $13,000. So, it may rank as one of the best workstations I've tested, but it certainly comes at a (hefty) price.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Price and Availability

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is available from both Dell US and Dell UK in a range of configurations.

The entry configurations are priced at around $1,000 and still include a Core Ultra 7, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon Pro GPU.

As I mentioned, my buildout is pretty high-tier. My exact buildout is priced at $12,787 and features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vPro with 128 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, 4 TB of storage, and a massive 1500W PSU… oh, and a DVDRW drive.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Unboxing and First Impressions

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 brings me down memory lane; it makes me remember the PCs I grew up on, the one I learned my fascination with computers on, and then I turned it on.

The machine that once reminded me of dial-up and waiting for a simple PDF or low•res photo to fully render is no longer reminiscent of my past at all, and simply reminds me that this is 2026 and this machine means business for today, and tomorrow. That’s exactly how this machine feels. Granted, it‘s no small casing, but for the amount of power packed into this chassis, the power-to-size ratio is wild.

Another thing that quickly surprised me is the port offering. There are great DisplayPorts, USB-A and USB-C ports, a disk drive for crying out loud, and other great ports that make this a spectacular machine all around. What‘s awesome too is that the build quality is spectacular, yes, it is a big machine, but it's a big machine that is built to last, and built to be re-built as new components are released, keeping the desktop workstation around for quite some time to come.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This desktop has a classic tower design with a. 32L Chassis that offers great cooling, space to expand and change out parts in the future, and it fits the mold of what pro-level users are used to, which is a bigger deal than some may think.

For those who are not necessarily enthusiasts but are just pro-users, they may not care about the fancy new doohickeys, gadgets, and gizmos. They want a machine that will work the way they need it to, every time, without fail or downtime, and they want it to work right away. They don‘t want to have to learn a new system or rebuild their setup.

The form factor helps with that, but so does the port location, the simple DisplayPort out, the IEC power connection, not some proprietary cable, and the all-around business-first focus. It’s simple things like this that help business users.

Beyond the design, the build quality is great. It’s rugged enough that you can get work done without worrying about your machine breaking, and it looks and feels professional enough that it never passes as a gaming machine, keeping this strictly business.

The internals of this blast-from-the-past-looking tower are nothing close to those with which I grew up. It’s rocking an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with 24 cores, up to 5.7GHz boost, and built-in NPU AI Acceleration. It has an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, plus a total of 4TB of blazing-fast SSD storage, 128GB of RAM, and a power supply with plenty of headroom to add other components in the future.

This computer is fine-tuned down to the component selection for AI models, training, 8K video editing, large-scale rendering, massive database manipulation, CAD, simulations, and more. This machine is a powerhouse. Plain and simple.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I work alongside engineers, those who work with large data warehouses, those who work with AI, those who work in 3D modeling, 4K and 6K video editors, professional photographers, those who run massive visual events, those who run full custom applications, and so on. I was able to work alongside all of those individuals with this computer to see just how powerful the Dell Pro Max T2 Tower truly is.

It is important to note that this is not a gaming PC; those are also highly spec’d, but in different ways. You could upgrade the GPU to a more gaming-focused one to get closer, but right now this machine is built for work, not play.

I'd happily use this machine as my workhorse for serious work. In high-performance roles like data engineering and architecture, tower PCs are common. This machine is spectacular for that. If you already have a monitor and keyboard setup you love, you're just looking for a more powerful engine for your ecosystem. That's exactly what this delivers.

It’s snappy, has great ports, doesn’t slow down, and stays quiet even during benchmarking tests.

Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is a powerhouse workstation designed for real productivity. It’s not your everyday gaming PC; it’s more than that. Yes, it’s not the most advanced gaming GPU, but it is among the most powerful for raw performance and processing.

For AI, data models, data-intensive work, massive productivity, and beyond, this will handle it. And thanks to the old-school tower form factor, this machine can be upgraded with other components as you desire, without breaking solder joints or cramming parts in.

In short, this isn’t the PC for most, but for those who know they need incredible power in a Windows machine to handle these kinds of tasks, then this may just be the enterprise-grade machine you’ve been dreaming of.

For more powerful options, we've tested the best business computers and the best mobile workstations.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a remake of what is perhaps the most divisive game in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like A Dragon franchise. It comes with overhauled graphics, refreshed combat, a more fleshed-out narrative, and, of course, a new separate story – dubbed Dark Ties – which follows the path of antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
Release date: February 11, 2026 (Steam); February 12, 2026 (other platforms)

Having recently gone back to the Yakuza 3 Remastered on PlayStation 4, I can say that Kiwami 3 is a very comprehensive remake, and changes to its visuals, combat, and story certainly feel striking.

But are all of these changes for the better? Does this remake continue the high standard that RGG Studio set with the first 2 Kiwami games? Well, the answer to those questions may not be particularly straightforward.

A Dragon reborn

(Image credit: Sega)

Let’s start by discussing the main game: Yakuza Kiwami 3. This follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu – also known as the Dragon of Dojima – a former Yakuza and Tojo Clan Chairman. Following the events of Kiwami 2, Kiryu decides to run an orphanage on the island of Okinawa. But it doesn’t take long before he’s embroiled in yet more drama.

His orphanage is under threat, due to it being situated on land that's needed for a government-backed resort plan. The new Tojo Clan chairman is shot by a mysterious figure. And a succession dispute is erupting among the Tojo family patriarchs. The narrative is still gripping, although this revisit does make a couple of changes.

As some fans may already know, there’s been a shake-up to the finale, which is undoubtedly going to ruffle some feathers. I won’t go into details, but in my view, this change isn’t executed very well. It takes some of the emotion and impact away from the original Yakuza 3, causing the game to fall short of the very best RPGs, narrative-wise.

Something else that may reduce the impact of the narrative is the newly added English voice acting. I know I’m far from the only one who’s said this, but some of the English voices are poor, especially that of Kiryu himself. There’s a lack of maturity and gruffness to the protagonist’s voice, meaning his iconic personality doesn’t shine through. As a result, I played through the game in Japanese.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sega)

One of the highlights for me was playing through the various mini-games at Morning Glory. So when I defeated the grand-champion of bug catching – Mame the dog – I was absolutely over the moon. That pooch puts up one hell of a fight, believe me.

Still, a lot of the other adjustments feel largely positive. For instance, combat feels far better than it did in the original. The new Ryukyu style – which is inspired by Okinawan weapon arts – is brutal and optimized for wiping out swathes of enemies at once. There’s a wide variety of weapons that Kiryu can use in this style, and learning new combos makes it truly devastating.

The Dragon of Dojima style feels excellent too, and perfectly personifies the classic brawler combat Kiryu is known for. You can learn new abilities, including heat action finishers and grabbing techniques – usually, you’ll have to use points earned in battle to do so. Other aspects, like health and strength enhancements, require you to use cash instead. In my opinion, this feels more streamlined and polished than the original upgrade system, and I really enjoyed enhancing my build as the game progressed.

Just generally, combat feels more refined in Kiwami 3. The issue of enemies continually blocking has been significantly improved, battles feel a bit faster-paced, and Kiryu’s movement feels more fluid. I did find that the game was considerably easier than other Yakuza games – at least playing on standard difficulty. As a result, I reduced my use of healing items in battle – but you can select a harder difficulty option instead, if you’d prefer a greater challenge.

Another significant addition is the Lalala Phone, which you can customize to improve Kiryu’s abilities – or just for aesthetic reasons. This is surprisingly fun and provides a real throwback to the late noughties. You can also add friends in Tokyo or Okinawa, and eventually unlock rewards for doing so, giving an actual incentive to use your phone. This has seemingly replaced the original’s Revelations feature, though, which was a source of quirky and often funny cutscenes.

(Image credit: Sega)

But before I move on to Dark Ties, I want to talk about two other major changes – one that I loved, and one that I was less hot on.

I’ll start with the good: Life At Morning Glory. Here, you can complete a bunch of mini-games, like helping the children with homework, sewing, harvesting crops, and fishing. I was absolutely addicted to these – especially the latter two, as they’re necessary for cooking meals requested by the kids. Cooking is a blast, and it’s really wholesome watching Kiryu bond with the orphans over food. More generally, you see so much more of Kiryu’s relationship with the children in this remake – and although he may be a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of guy, you get a window into the softer, more sensitive side of him, which is a joy to watch.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in love with the other major addition, Bad Boy Dragon. In this story, Kiryu becomes chairman of the Haisai Girls and supports them in their aim to protect Okinawa, crush the oppressive Tokyo Night Terrors, and become Japan’s leading girl gang. You’ll fight in turf wars and large-scale battles in order to achieve all of this, and frequently recruit new members along the way.

Personally, I found this part of the adventure to be a little tedious. Fighting in turf wars feels same-y after a little while, and the trope of helping a group of underdogs win against the odds – as seen with Four Shine in Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Real Estate Royale in Yakuza 0 – just felt a little uninspired. The environments you battle through also lack differentiation, making this part of Kiryu’s campaign less compelling than others.

Enter the underworld

(Image credit: Sega)

Kiwami 3 definitely adds a lot of good stuff, but not all of its additions work out for the best. But my suspicion is that a lot of players – especially returning fans – will be more interested in the Dark Ties content, which follows Tojo Clan newbie Yoshitaka Mine. Here, you uncover the origins of Mine’s Yakuza career, explore his relationship with the brutish Tsuyoshi Kanda, and explore his desire to learn about genuine human bonds.

This is a shorter style of game, with just three chapters. Dark Ties clocked in at under 8 hours for me after I completed the story, as well as a healthy dollop of side-content. But there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Firstly, I want to talk about combat. We already gushed about Mine’s moves in our Dark Ties preview, and for good reason. Mine’s shootboxing style is truly vicious and brilliantly reflects his character – especially when you’re using the souped-up Dark Awakening mechanic. But even his normal moveset – made up of Intense knee smashes, rapid-fire jabs, and acrobatic grabs – makes Mine’s new campaign a blast to blitz through. Seriously, I even found myself enjoying random encounters with street thugs.

(Image credit: Sega)

I really took a shine to Kanda Damage Control as well. This sees Mine attempt to boost the reputation of his aniki, Kanda – a man who I’d describe as a disgusting pig if I were feeling generous. In order to do this, Mine has to do good deeds around Kamurocho – after which he always claims to be Kanda himself. It never gets old, honestly. These often involve high-octane battles, but sometimes descend into the typical wackiness that Yakuza is loved for. I spent a lot of time with this, and plan to max out Kanda’s rank in the coming days for sure.

But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Because the other major part of the game – Hell’s Arena – did not do it for me at all. This is basically a dungeon crawler where you have to avoid death, loot treasure chests, and destroy your enemies with the help of various mercenaries and weapons. In a similar vein to Bad Boy Dragon, the dungeon-crawling in Hell’s Arena can feel tedious, and the setting didn’t feel varied or interesting enough to draw me back in.

Story-telling is pretty good throughout Dark Ties, though. Mine is fixated on Tojo Clan Chairman, Daigo Dojima, and the way that the latter’s men will risk their very lives in order to save their boss. I was engaged with Mine’s pursuit of human connection, his conflicting relationship with Kanda, and his rise through the Tojo Clan, ensuring that Dark Ties felt like a worthwhile addition overall.

The Dragon and the Kirin

(Image credit: Sega)

We’ve spoken in depth about Yakuza Kiwami 3 as well as Dark Ties now, but it’s time to bring them together and look at the package as a whole.

Now, something that has whipped up a lot of discussion online is the graphical quality of the game – especially with regards to Kiwami 3. An update was released during my review, intended to fix “a lighting issue” and “other quality concerns”. This will be available for all players at launch.

Using version 1.11 of the game, I didn’t have some of the lighting issues encountered by other players, and with HDR active and a few tweaks, I had Kiwami 3 looking pretty solid. RGG Studios’ attempt at ‘tropical lighting’ can make some in-game elements appear oversaturated, though. Some street signs, for instance, looked almost too bright, creating quite the contrast against the original’s grittier color palette.

Just generally, I wasn’t bowled over by the visuals across both campaigns, actually. Some of the in-game textures – stuff like cars and walls, say – just look a bit dated, and lacked the sharpness I’d expect from a 2026 release. Sure, you’re still getting an upgrade overall from the remaster of Yakuza 3, and the game’s visuals aren’t ugly or anything – they’re just not especially impressive.

But back to the good stuff. I was really pleased with the performance of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on PlayStation 5. With 4K visuals and a smooth framerate, you can expect pretty seamless gameplay with very few hiccups.

I was also loving the soundtrack once again. Yakuza always brings together an eclectic mix of aggressive battle music, smooth jazz, and upbeat tracks to suit every mood or setting, and Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is no different. You can even listen to tunes from other Sega titles, like Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure, Persona 3 Reload, and Metaphor: ReFantazio using Kiryu or Mine’s phone, which I adored.

(Image credit: Sega)

But now I want to return to the questions that I posed at the beginning. Are all of the changes made in Yakuza Kiwami 3 for the better? Well, the short answer is no. On the whole, you’re getting an improved experience, with better combat, a shiny new battle style, and boatloads of new content. However, changes to the finale and the slightly tedious Bad Boy Dragon side-story felt less positive.

Does Kiwami 3 maintain the high standards set by its remade predecessors? On the whole, yes. The more streamlined upgrade system, good performance, and quality of life adjustments are most welcome. But I think RGG Studio could’ve made a more visually impressive game. A few other choices – like redesigning a major character named Rikiya and removing Revelations – may also upset some hardcore fans.

With that said, I was a fan of Dark Ties overall, in spite of a couple of flaws. I wouldn’t say that this helps to propel the overall package to the dizzying heights that other entries in the series have reached, though. And ultimately, I feel that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties sit in the ‘good category’, rather than the ‘great’ one.

Should you play Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties?:

(Image credit: Sega)Play it if...

You’re looking for action-packed combat
The combat in both Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is very enjoyable. Smashing through enemies with the new Ryukyu style with Kiryu or viscerally attacking foes with Mine never gets old. I love using new skills against bitter ex-Yakuza called reapers in Yakuza Kiwami 3 or troublesome opponents in Kanda Damage Control in Dark Ties.

You want to learn more about Mine
Mine is a villain with quite a bit of depth, and Dark Ties is a great way to discover more about him. In this separate story, you’ll learn about the end of his business career and descent into the underworld, and it’s pretty gripping from start to end.

Don't play it if...

You’re a stranger to the series
If you’ve not played a game in the Yakuza series before, I strongly advise against starting with this one. By the time you find Kiryu in Okinawa, you’ve just missed out on too much lore. Go back to Yakuza Kiwami, or even better, Yakuza 0, and work your way up to this one.

You’re expecting amazing next-gen visuals
If you’re looking for a real spectacle to enjoy on your PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, then Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties may not hit the spot. Some textures look a bit dated, and the lighting may not do it for those seeking out a more realistic, natural-looking game.

Accessibility features

There’s a pretty comprehensive set of accessibility features to explore in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. You can set auto quick-time events, swap the left and right sticks, choose between rapid or hold button controls, and customize the camera to your liking. You can also alter subtitle language and text size, map controls to different buttons, and utilize color vision assistance.

(Image credit: Sega)How I reviewed Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties:

For this review, I spent more than 50 hours playing through Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. During this time, I rolled credits on both Kiryu's and Mine’s campaigns, defeated all of the reapers, and completed the Life At Morning Glory and Bad Boy Dragon storylines.

I played the PS5 version of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV, which is connected to a Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. On occasion, I dipped into the Yakuza 3 remaster in order to compare performance, graphics, and gameplay.

I’m a long-time fan of the Yakuza series, and recently reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2. More generally, I’m a massive JRPG fan, and have written about titles such as Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army, and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter.

First reviewed February 2026

Freshsales, a CRM that’s part of the Freshworks suite of business software, is a platform designed to streamline and optimize the sales process for businesses of all sizes.

What sets Freshsales apart is its focus on sales-centric features, such as visual sales pipelines, built-in communication tools, and AI-powered insights. One of the best CRM platforms, Freshsales offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs and workflows. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, Freshsales aims to provide a comprehensive solution for managing leads, deals, and customer relationships, all while keeping the user experience simple and intuitive.

In this in-depth review, I'll explore the key features, pricing, ease of use, and overall value of Freshsales CRM — based on my experience with the platform. I've looked beyond the marketing to provide hands-on, objective analysis. I spent many hours navigating its "Freddy AI" ecosystem, testing its predictive lead scoring with real-world datasets, and evaluating its built-in telephony to see if it truly offers a single pane of glass experience. As with all our reviews, we never accept payment for product rankings, ensuring that my verdict on Freshsales’ ease of use and its value for high-growth teams is based entirely on practical performance. By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of whether Freshsales is the right fit for your business and sales team.

Get Freshworks CRM solutions from $9 per user/mo

Freshsales is just one of a suite of CRM solutions offered by Freshworks, which combine phone, email, and messaging. Each solution is intuitive, user-friendly interface and boasts strong sales features; all reasons why our editors recommend Freshworks for small businesses.View Deal

Freshsales core capabilities

(Image credit: Freshsales )

Freshsales offers a comprehensive set of tools that cover all the essential aspects of customer relationship management. Its centralized database makes it easy to store, organize, and access customer data from a single place. Meanwhile, the ability to enrich contact profiles with additional information from social media and other public sources is a valuable time-saver.

The platform provides a visual sales pipeline that helps me track the progress of each deal from initial contact to closure. I can easily create and assign tasks, set reminders, and collaborate with my team to nurture leads effectively. I can also customize the deal stages, pipelines, and contact fields to match my specific sales process. The new AI-powered lead scoring is particularly useful, helping to prioritize the most promising opportunities based on their likelihood to convert.

When it comes to sales forecasting and pipeline management, Freshsales offers customizable sales reports and dashboards that provide real-time insights into key metrics such as revenue, win rates, and sales cycle length. I can easily filter and segment data to identify trends, spot bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions when optimizing my sales process. I can track everything from individual rep performance to overall team productivity and revenue growth. The visual dashboards make it easy to digest complex data and share insights with stakeholders across the organization.

(Image credit: Freshsales )

For those in the field, Freshsales offers a fully-featured mobile app for iOS and Android devices, allowing me to access customer data, update deals, and communicate with my team on the go. The app also allows me to view and update contact information, log calls and emails, schedule appointments, and even access key reports and dashboards. Applications are well-designed and responsive, making it a seamless extension of the desktop experience.

Another signature selling point of Freshsales is its integration with other tools in the Freshworks ecosystem, such as Freshdesk for customer support and Freshmarketer for marketing automation. It allows me to gain a holistic view of each customer's journey and ensures that sales, marketing, and support are always on the same page. Additionally, the platform supports a wide range of third-party integrations through its open API, allowing me to connect with my favorite productivity tools to simplify my daily workflow.

Beyond these core capabilities, Freshsales offers a range of advanced features that set it apart from other CRM platforms. For example, the built-in phone system allows me to make and receive calls directly from the CRM, with automatic call logging and recording. The email integration is also top-notch, with the ability to send personalized bulk emails, track opens and clicks, and sync conversations with contact records.

What's new?

Freshsales has undergone a significant transformation in late 2025 and early 2026, moving away from passive data entry toward a more proactive, AI-driven "Assistant" model. The most notable change is the rollout of the Freddy AI Copilot, which has evolved from a simple lead-scoring tool into a comprehensive generative assistant. This new version of Freddy can now autonomously summarize sprawling email threads, draft hyper-personalized follow-up messages based on the detected sentiment of a prospect, and even suggest the "Next Best Action" for deals that have remained stagnant in the pipeline for too long. For sales managers, this shift means less time spent on manual deal reviews and more time spent on strategy, as the AI identifies at-risk opportunities before they drop off the board.

The platform's connectivity has also seen a major boost through the Unified Customer Data Hub, a 2026 initiative that bridges the gap between the sales and support departments. Freshsales users now benefit from real-time visibility into active Freshdesk support tickets and "Customer Frustration Scores" directly within the CRM contact timeline. This integration ensures that sales reps aren't making outreach calls to clients who are currently experiencing technical issues, a common point of friction in high-growth companies. Furthermore, the introduction of Advanced Multichannel Sequences allows for smarter automation; for instance, if a lead ignores an email but engages with a LinkedIn post, the CRM can automatically pivot its outreach strategy to social channels or SMS, creating a more fluid and responsive buyer journey.

Finally, the onboarding experience has been modernized with the AI-Guided Data Importer, launched in January 2026. This tool drastically reduces setup time by using machine learning to map complex custom fields and historical data from competitors like Salesforce or HubSpot with over 90% accuracy. Coupled with the new Role-Based Workspaces, which declutter the interface by showing only the tools relevant to a user's specific job - such as prospecting for SDRs or territory management for Directors - Freshsales has successfully maintained its easy-to-use reputation while adding the depth required for larger, global sales organizations.

How easy is Freshsales to use?

When it comes to user experience, Freshsales features a clean and modern layout that’s very easy to get familiar with. Its dashboard provides a clear overview of key metrics, upcoming tasks, and recent activities, allowing me to quickly access information without feeling overwhelmed. The main menu is well-organized and easy to navigate, with clear labels and icons for each section of the platform.

(Image credit: Freshsales )

I can quickly access my contacts, deals, reports, and settings without having to hunt through multiple submenus or click through endless screens. The platform also allows me to tailor the interface to my specific needs and preferences, from rearranging widgets on the dashboard to creating custom fields for contacts and deals. The drag-and-drop functionality for managing deals and pipelines is particularly user-friendly, enabling me to quickly update the status of my sales opportunities with just a few clicks.

When it comes to the onboarding curve, Freshsales offers a wealth of resources to help new users get up to speed quickly. The comprehensive knowledge base includes detailed articles, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides covering every aspect of the platform. Based on my experience with other CRM tools like HubSpot and Salesforce, I’d say that Freshsales stands out for its simplicity without compromising on the core capabilities that sales teams need for their day-to-day.

In addition to the self-service knowledge base, Freshsales also provides a dedicated onboarding program for new users to the platform. This includes a series of interactive walkthroughs that guide you through the key features and functions, as well as best practices for setting up your account and importing data.

Freshsales also offers a range of time-saving features and shortcuts that further enhance its usability. For example, the global search function allows me to quickly find any record or file within the platform, while the bulk editing tools enable me to update multiple records at once. These small but impactful features make a big difference when you have to use the platform everyday.

While Freshsales is generally very user-friendly, I did encounter a few minor challenges. For example, the page timeout feature can be a bit annoying, as it requires you to refresh the page if you need to stay on it for an extended period. But overall, the combination of an intuitive interface, extensive customization options, comprehensive onboarding resources, and time-saving features leave me with a positive impression of the platform’s user experience. I particularly appreciate the inclusion of a proper onboarding program, something that’s sadly missing from a lot of other CRMs.

Freshsales integrations

(Image credit: Freshsales)

In my experience with Freshsales, I've found its integration capabilities to be a mixed bag. While the platform integrates seamlessly with other products in the Freshworks suite, such as Freshdesk for customer support and Freshchat for live chat, the number of native integrations with third-party applications is somewhat limited compared to other solutions.

Freshsales offers around 30 pre-built integrations with popular business tools, including Google Calendar, Mailchimp, Twilio, Quickbooks, Xero, and Trello. These integrations allow for streamlined data synchronization and workflow automation, saving time and reducing manual effort. For example, the Google Calendar integration enables me to sync my Freshsales appointments and tasks with my Google Calendar, ensuring I never miss an important meeting or deadline.

However, when compared to other CRM platforms like Pipedrive offering 400 integrations, or HubSpot with over 1,600 third-party app integrations, Freshsales' native integration options seem relatively sparse. This limitation may be a concern for businesses that rely heavily on a wide range of tools and require seamless data flow between them.

Fortunately, Freshsales provides a robust API that allows for custom integrations and extensions. API documentation is comprehensive and well-structured, making it easier for developers to build custom integrations tailored to specific business needs. Additionally, Freshsales offers native connectors for Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat), which enable users to create automated workflows between Freshsales and hundreds of other apps without coding.

Leveraging the Freshsales API and Zapier has allowed me to connect the CRM with several crucial tools in my tech stack. For instance, when a deal is won in Freshsales, I was able to set up a Zap that automatically creates a task in Asana for the customer success team to onboard the new client. This integration helps streamline the handover process and ensures that no critical steps are missed.

While the limited number of native integrations in Freshsales may seem concerning at first glance, the platform's API and compatibility with iPaaS tools like Zapier and Make provide ample opportunities for customization and extension. With a bit of technical know-how or the help of a developer, businesses can create powerful integrations that suit their unique needs and workflows.

How good is Freshsales customer support?

Again with customer support, Freshsales CRM is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Freshsales offers a variety of support channels, including phone, email, and live chat, which are available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. However, the lack of 24/7 support that competitors such as Monday.com offer, can be a drawback for some, especially those with global operations or customers in different time zones.

However, I appreciate that Freshsales offers phone support across all subscription tiers, a welcome addition of a must-have feature that’s often missing from some competitors’ entry-level plans. Being able to speak with a support representative directly can be invaluable when facing complex issues.

In terms of self-service resources, Freshsales provides a solid foundation with its collection of case studies, how-to videos, and knowledge base articles. These materials cover a wide range of topics, from basic features to advanced workflows, and can be helpful for users looking to troubleshoot issues or learn more about the platform on their own.

Additionally, Freshsales offers an academy program with courses and certifications for admins and agents. This is a great way for users to improve their skills and demonstrate their expertise with the platform, which can lead to better adoption and more effective use of the CRM.

While its customer support is still strong enough, there are more areas where the company could improve. For example, the average first response and resolution times are not readily available, making it difficult to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness of the support team. Similarly, customer satisfaction scores are not publicly disclosed, which could leave users wondering about the quality of support they can expect.

It’s also worth noting that Freshsales’ customer support is only available in English. This may be a barrier for users in non-English speaking countries or those who prefer to communicate in their native language. Expanding support to include more languages could help Freshsales better serve its global user base.

Freshsales pricing and plans

(Image credit: Freshsales )

Plan

Free

Growth

Pro

Enterprise

Price

$0/user/month

$15/user/month

$39/user/month

$69/user/month

Best for

Small teams just starting out with CRM

Startups and SMBs seeking efficient pipeline management

Growing businesses requiring advanced capabilities

Mid to large-sized businesses needing advanced customization

Features

Contact management; Deal tracking; Built-in chat & phone

Visual sales pipeline; AI-powered contact scoring; Sales sequences

Multiple sales pipelines; AI deal insights; Advanced workflows

Custom modules; AI-based forecasting; Audit logs

Limitations

Limited to 3 users

Lacks some advanced features

Higher cost may be prohibitive for smaller teams

Might be overly complex for small businesses

Freshsales’ pricing is flexible and competitive, offering a range of options to suit businesses of various sizes and needs. Its free plan supports up to 100 active contacts, with basic features like contact management, deal tracking, and built-in phone and email. For businesses requiring more advanced features, Freshsales offers three paid plans: Growth, Pro, and Enterprise.

The Growth plan starts at $15 per user per month (billed annually) and includes additional features like AI-powered contact scoring, sales sequences, and workflows. This plan help make Freshsales one of the best CRM of small businesses and startups looking for a cost-effective CRM solution with essential automation capabilities.

As a business grows and requires more sophisticated features, the Pro plan at $39 per user per month (billed annually) offers advanced functionality such as multiple sales pipelines, time-based workflows, and auto-assignment rules. I found this plan to be well-suited for medium-sized businesses with more complex sales processes and multiple teams.

For larger enterprises with extensive customization and governance needs, the Enterprise plan at $69 per user per month (billed annually) provides custom modules, AI-based forecasting insights, audit logs, and other advanced features. While this plan is more expensive, it offers a comprehensive feature set that can scale with the needs of large organizations.

There’s a flat 20% discount on annual subscriptions over monthly ones. Plus, additional discounts and bundles are available throughout the year if you’re looking to save money. For newcomers, Freshsales also offers a generous 21-day free trial for all plans.

Beyond your base plan, businesses can purchase additional bot sessions, phone credits, or configure-price-quote (CPQ) licenses as needed. While this lends more flexibility to the pricing structure, overall costs can add up quickly if you aren’t careful. You should carefully review your needs and factor in the cost of necessary add-ons to make sure you aren’t overspending.

How we test

At TechRadar Pro, our review process is designed to delve into the real-life daily workflows of modern sales teams. When we evaluate a platform like Freshsales, we follow a rigorous testing framework to ensure our recommendation stands up to the pressures of a modern-day business environment:

We perform a full, clean-slate installation of the software, testing the "AI-Guided Data Importer" by feeding it messy, real-world CSV datasets and historical exports from rival CRMs to see how effectively it maps custom fields and identifies duplicates during the initial migration.

Of course, we also get to grips with one of Freshsales' key features: Freddy AI. We feed Freddy AI complex email threads and customer sentiment data to see if its "Next Best Action" suggestions and meeting summaries are actually useful or merely generic. We specifically look for hallucinations in AI-generated email drafts to ensure they remain professional and context-aware.

In addition, unique to the Freshworks ecosystem, we test the bi-directional data flow between Freshsales and Freshdesk. We simulate active customer support tickets to see if the "Frustration Scores" update in real-time on the sales rep's dashboard and if the alerts are prominent enough to prevent a poorly timed sales call.

Finally, no assessment of a modern CRM would be worth its salt without considering the mobile nature of modern marketing and sales. As such, we test the Freshsales mobile app in real-world scenarios, evaluating its offline lead-logging capabilities, the reliability of its built-in cloud telephony over 5G and Wi-Fi, and the ease of access to Freddy insights while on the move.

Freshsales review: Final verdict

Freshsales shines in its core capabilities, offering a robust set of features that cater to the needs of sales teams of all sizes. The platform's intuitive interface and customization options make it easy for users to adopt and tailor to their unique workflows.

While the number of native integrations is limited compared to some competitors, Freshsales' open API and compatibility with Zapier and Make provide ample opportunities for extensibility. Customer support is generally strong, with multiple channels available and helpful resources for self-service. However, there is room for improvement in terms of response times and language support. In any case, Freshsales offers excellent value for money, with flexible pricing plans and a generous free trial period, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

At the end of the day, Freshsales CRM is a powerful and user-friendly platform that offers a compelling blend of features, affordability, and scalability. While there are areas for improvement, particularly when it comes to the quality of support and range of integrations offered, the platform's strengths make it a top choice for businesses seeking a reliable and adaptable CRM.

FAQIs Freshsales actually free?

Yes, Freshsales offers a "Forever Free" plan for up to three users. It includes basic contact management, a built-in dialer, and 24/5 support. However, it is important to note that the free tier lacks any reporting, visual sales pipelines, or AI insights. It is best suited for solo entrepreneurs or micro-teams just starting to move away from spreadsheets.

What is the difference between Freshsales and Freshsales Suite?

Freshsales is the standalone sales CRM focused on pipelines and deal management. Freshsales Suite is an all-in-one platform that combines the sales CRM with Freshmarketer (for email campaigns and landing pages). If your team needs to manage the entire customer journey - from the first marketing click to the final sales signature - the Suite is the better value, though it comes at a higher starting price point.

Does Freddy AI cost extra?

This year, Freshworks moved Freddy AI from a built-in feature to a "Flexi-Add-on." For the advanced generative features (like email summarization and automated follow-ups), it costs $29 per user/month billed annually. The benefit of the flexi model is that you don't have to buy it for your entire company; you can purchase licenses only for the power users or high-volume reps who need it most.

Does Freshsales work offline

Yes, the Freshsales mobile app for iOS and Android supports offline functionality. You can view contacts, add notes, and create tasks without an internet connection. Once your device is back online, the app automatically syncs your changes to the cloud database.

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro: two-minute review

The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is a premium, feature-rich, hybrid floor-cleaning robot that delivers an impressive 25,000 Pascals of suction – great for lifting fine dust, debris and pet hair from hard floors and even deep-pile carpet. With its ultra-slim profile. retractable LiDAR navigation turret and clever AdaptiLift chassis with omnidirectional wheels, this bot can clean under very low furniture and scale especially tall thresholds.

Those 'AdaptiLift' stilts also enable this robot vacuum to hover at exactly the right height over thick carpet and rugs. In practice, this worked extremely well – the Curv 2 Pro offers some of the very best carpet cleaning performance I've experienced.

While the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's navigation is robust and reliable (it uses a combination of lasers and an RGB camera), its Reactive AI obstacle avoidance isn't quite up to the accurate standards of some of its premium stablemates.

Given that this is a hybrid robot, it comes with a dual-spinning mop system that exerts 12 Newtons of downward pressure for tackling everyday messes though it will struggle with liquid spills and some ingrained stains. These mops also automatically detach or lift up whenever the bot is on carpet or crossing a rug.

The chunky, curvy look of Roborock's newly updated Hygiene+ 3.0 docking system may not be to everyone's liking but there's no doubting its efficiency at maintaining the robot on a daily basis. Like most of today's hybrid models, the dock charges the bot after every cleaning session, automatically empties the contents of the robot's diminutive bin into the dock's large 2.7-liter dust bag, and washes the robot's two spinning mop pads with hot water before wafting hot air over them to prevent smells and mould. In other words, it's mostly hands free.

Overall, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is an exceptionally capable everyday floor cleaning solution that offers excellent suction, intelligent navigation and a highly self-sufficient dock. Granted, it doesn't have the best obstacle avoidance I've ever encountered, but for everyday household cleaning of both hard floors and especially carpet, it's an efficient workhorse that shouldn't let you down.

(Image credit: Future)Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: price & availability

• List price: €899 (about $1,060 / £780 / AU$1,520)
• Available: Europe and Asia – US, UK and AU to follow
• Launched: September 2025

The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro sits toward the premium end of the robot vacuum spectrum and generally delivers solid value for money, if your priorities are advanced automation and cleaning performance. High-end features like expert LiDAR-based mapping and decent obstacle avoidance justify the price for users who want a mostly set-and-forget cleaning solution rather than a basic scheduled robot.

That said, there are similar robots at lower cost that may suit some households just as well. For instance, in the UK the standard Roborock Qrevo S5V with a decent 12,000Pa of suction power, self-cleaning dock and similar mopping system retails at a smidge under £500 for the black model and £425 for the white. Or, for just £549, the excellent Dreame L40 Ultra with 19,000Pa is an equally good bet.

No question, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro offers very decent value for those who want maximum convenience and features (including AdaptiLift), but there are some less expensive robots out there that are on a par for typical floor cleaning tasks.

As of writing, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is only available in select territories, including most of Europe (where it's selling for around €899) and some Asian and Middle East countries. The rest of the world, including the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, will see staggered launches throughout 2026.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro specs

Max suction:

25,000Pa

Robot diameter:

13.8 x 13.9in / 35 x 35.2cm

Robot height:

3.1 in / 8cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

17.7 x 17.7 x 17.7 in / 45 x 45 x 45cm

Mop type:

Dual spinning discs

Max threshold clearance: 

1.6 in / 4cm (double-layer)

Dust bin volume (base):

2.7L

Water tank volume:

3.2L (clean), 3L (dirty)

Base functions:

Charge, empty dust, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads with hot air, self-clean

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: design

• Excellent suction power, with split rollers to avoid hair tangle
• Retractable LiDAR puck and 'AdaptiLift' legs for deep carpet and tall thresholds
• Large but fully-featured cleaning dock

As I mentioned in my review of the Roborock Q5 Pro+ in March 2025, there's a proliferation of robot vacuum brands on the market right now, each with a huge roster of models. This makes it a challenge for any journalist writing about a specific robot vacuum cleaner that is, in many ways, very similar to other models on the market, and it must be even more confusing for the consumer when faced with so many options.

Take Roborock, for instance. There are currently five different models in its Saros range, five in the Qrevo Curv Series, eight in the standard Qrevo range, five in the S Series, four in the Qrevo Edge Series and seven models in the lower-priced Q Series. And that's without even having a sniff at all the other brands like Dreame, Ecovacs, Eufy, Narwal, EZVIZ, Switchbot and iRobot. It seems that the world is awash in robot vacs at the moment and the same thing is already beginning to happen with robot lawn mowers.

But I digress – let's look at the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro in more detail and see if it's as good as the myriad of other premium models I've reviewed from the Roborock stable.

Robot vacuum design

On the surface, Roborock's Qrevo Curv 2 Pro adopts the same design principles as many other premium robot vacuum cleaners. The robot itself – 13.8 in / 35cm in diameter – is circular in shape with a centrally-located roller brush, an expandable side sweeping brush for edge and corner cleaning, two circular mops that are automatically ejected in the dock or raised whenever the robot is working on or crossing over carpet, a LiDAR turret for expert navigation, plus a full gamut of other navigational and obstacle avoidance aids. The Full Monty, in other words.

(Image credit: Future)

As one might expect from a renowned manufacturer like Roborock, build quality is exceptional throughout and well up there with the best in premium robot vacs. I've reviewed many Roborock products over the years and have never once experienced any issues aside from the odd clogging of a dust bag or some cotton tangled around a spindle. In the main, they have all performed reliably and efficiently. As a consequence, Roborock is the brand I always recommend whenever asked.

Given the popularity of Roborock's retractable LiDAR turrets that allow many models from its current roster to venture beneath low-slung furnishings, it's no surprise that Roborock has opted to fit the same RetractSense system to this particular model. As a result, when the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's turret is retracted, the height of the robot measures a squat 3.14in / 7.98cm.

That means it can scuttle under most wardrobes, TV stands and low sofas as long as there's a minimum of 3in / 8cm of clearance. This is a major boon for anyone who has struggled to clean such inaccessible areas using a standard stick vac, especially one that isn't equipped with a Shark-inspired bendy suction tube.

(Image credit: Future)

The Qrevo Curv 2 Pro uses the aforementioned tried-and-trusted LiDAR system for its primary navigation, a VertiBeam lateral laser system for accurate edge cleaning around furniture, an upward-facing Range Finder for measuring overhead clearance, a top contact sensor to prevent the robot from jamming itself and, importantly, a combination of 'structured light' and a front-facing RGB camera with LED light for expert obstacle avoidance in all lighting conditions.

According to Roborock the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro can recognise over 200 objects, 'from tangled cables to pet surprises' but presumably only when the 'Pet' switch in the app is activated. Incidentally, the Pet setting also ensures that the robot's brush roller stops working the moment the sensors detect a furry friend.

While I personally prefer the idea of a dual counter-rotating brush head system as introduced by iRobot, Roborock has quite recently started fitting some of its bots with single split rubber brushes that meet with a small gap in the centre, and that's the case with this model. According to Roborock, the so-called 'DuoDivide' layout helps deal with hair tangles by moving the hair towards the suction gap in the middle to prevent it from getting tangled around the roller's spindles. I vouch that this system works very well and I have no issues to report regarding pet hair tangles.

(Image credit: Future)

However, as mentioned in my article on overdue robot innovations I want to see, I really do wish robot manufacturers would adopt D-shaped bodies to their products, because the circular ones of norm require fitting a short 6.3in / 16cm roller brush between the robot's wheels, which leaves as much as 3.5in / 9cm of unused space on either side of the roller.

I cite iRobot's very early S9+ as an example. This D-shaped robot came onto the market in 2019 and featured a long 9in / 23cm rubber roller positioned near the front, almost across the entire width of the machine. This meant it was not only better at collecting dust along edges, but it also picked up a wider band of detritus with every sweep. Perhaps there's a valid technical reason why the vast majority of robot vacs are circular, so answers on a postcard please.

(Image credit: Future)

Let's look at this bot's suction power, because suction strength is one of the only differences between the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro and its sibling, the Qrevo CurvX. Where the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra TechRadar reviewed in July 2024 featured a then 'industry-leading' 10,000 Pascals of suction power, this one hits the 25,000Pa mark; 3,000Pa more than the Qrevo CurvX. Mind, even this lofty stat is still 5,000Pa shy of the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra I recently reviewed, but it just goes to show how fast robot vacuum technology has advanced in such a short space of time. For the record, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro offers five levels of suction, from quiet to MAX+.

Given that this robot is of the hybrid variety, it also comes with a full mopping system comprised of twin spinning mops on the rear, with the ability to extend the mop on one side for cleaning around furniture legs and in corners. These mops are only used for hard floor cleaning and are therefore either raised when the robot is crossing carpet or rugs, or left behind in the dock if the robot is only performing a vacuum task. Like all decent mopping bots, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's mops are given a thorough wash and dry after each working session, and you can read more about this in the Dock Design chapter directly below.

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, those with single or double thresholds up to 1.6in / 4cm in height will be thrilled to learn that the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro has been fitted with Roborock's clever AdaptiLift technology. Rather than relying on fixed-height wheels like traditional robot vacuums, AdaptiLift gives the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro the ability to dynamically raise and lower its chassis and wheels to adapt to complex floor environments.

The robot's two articulated wheels literally allow the robot to automatically lift and tilt its body to clear high thresholds and even maintain optimal brush and suction contact across different floor types, including carpets with up to 1.2in / 3cm of pile. It also helps free the robot when encountering an obstruction. By intelligently sensing floor transitions and responding in real time, AdaptiLift reduces the need for manual intervention while expanding the robot's practical reach within a home. What's not to like?

Dock design

Roborock's Qrevo Curv series is defined by the curvature of its newly updated Hygiene+ 3.0 dock design. Available only in white, this rounded design aesthetic differs from the rectangular norm and looks shiny, minimalist and, dare I say, rather swish when installed in a modern home. However, its rotund shape may not be to everyone's taste.

(Image credit: Future)

Like the majority of robot docks, this one charges the robot after every task (it takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to charge from 0%) as well as emptying the contents of the robot's small 270ml bin into the dock's much larger 2.7-liter dust bag. If you don't have pets, expect about a month or so to pass before the dust bag is full and ready for disposal. However, if you have hairy pets like me, then be prepared to fit a new bag every couple of weeks or so. To save on the cost of extra bags, I often remove the hair and muck in the bag using a pair of long-nose pliers. It's messy, yes, but it saves money in the long run.

(Image credit: Future)

Given that this robot also mops hard floors, the mops always go through a thorough cleaning regime in the dock after every cleaning session. This involves scrubbing them using water at 212F / 100C followed by a 122F / 50C hot-air drying session to prevent mould and nasty odours. All you have to do is occasionally fill the dock's 3.2-liter reservoir with fresh water and dispose of the contents in the 3-liter dirty water tank.

Various levels of moisture can be added to the mops depending on the type of flooring you have. Simply go to the Roborock app and select the level of moisture required – for vinyl flooring I would suggest a higher level, and for wooden flooring I'd opt for one of the various levels well below the midway mark. This is especially pertinent for thin laminated flooring which can easily warp if too damp.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: performance

• Exemplary carpet cleaning performance
• Acceptable mopping performance
• Slightly disappointing obstacle avoidance

I have no major anomalies to report regarding this bot's navigation which is generally very good, though it might take the long way round to get to its place of work rather than a direct path. I've noticed a lot of robot vacs do this but then I've also noticed that some models, specifically those from Roborock, appear to learn over time and eventually take the shorter, direct route. I would expect this model to start doing the same over the next few weeks.

While the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's first mapping run of my open-plan area was a success, it didn't initially name the rooms in my home as accurately as the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra. While it correctly named the kitchen, it treated the open-plan lounge and dining area as one large room and called it the sunroom. It also named the hallway as the living room and the hall passage as a bedroom. By comparison, the Matrix10 Ultra not only named every room correctly, but all areas were divided correctly, too.

(Image credit: Future)

Mind, this slight hiccup in the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's room recognition was easily rectified by using the Roborock app to divide, merge and rename all rooms correctly. The key takeaway here is that this bot has never not found its charging dock, has never got lost under a sofa and has never stranded itself under the dining table. Every cleaning task has generally gone without any navigational hitches, and that's all you need to know.

Obstacle avoidance

For my obstacle avoidance test I laid out an assault course of dog toys, including two small items to replicate the size of average dog waste. While the robot deftly avoided the larger obstacles over two inches in height, it twice ran over one of the smaller items, a one-inch tall nylon bone. In the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's defence, this item often flummoxes robots though I'll admit that I was surprised that the Curv 2 Pro didn't avoid it given the Roborock website's poo-dodging claim.

FutureFutureFuture

I then added a phone cable to the mix and, despite adjustments in the app, I was surprised to see the robot run over the cable on three separate occasions, even wrapping the cable around the brush head in one instance. This one really surprised me so I checked the multitude of parameters in the app – I had 'Pet' selected for extra overall sensitivity – and I couldn't see any conflicting settings. The upshot is that, while I consider this model's obstacle avoidance to be generally acceptable, I wouldn't rely on it to avoid all clutter in the home. More importantly, I would never rely on it to avoid dog mess of any shape or form.

Vacuum performance

Roborock has been marketing this bot as one of the best for carpet cleaning and, on evidence of my test using oats, muesli and crushed biscuits, I'd say the claim is spot on. I was blown away by how well it tackled the test.

I admittedly selected two passes in the app and MAX+ mode for 25,000Pa of suction, but I needn't have bothered going that far because pass number one was enough to remove the vast majority of detritus. That's an exceptional result, and one of the best I've seen for carpet pickup. I also tried it on a thick pile carpet upstairs and was equally impressed that it a) it managed to collect a sprinkling of oats and b) it didn't get bogged down in the pile.

The carpet rug before the vacuuming testFuture... during the test...Future... and the results afterwardsFutureThe contents of the bin following the testFuture

For the hard floor test, I used the same ingredients but changed the suction one level down to Max. I was generally very pleased with the results though, as is often the case with robots, the edges weren't completely cleaned and some of the debris was scattered by the robot's spinning side brush – which just goes to show why having a cordless stick vac to hand is always advisable.

The Qrevo Curv 2 Pro before the suction test on hard flooring...Future... during the test...Future... and the results afterwardsFutureAs with many bots, the Curv 2 Pro didn't do a perfect job of the cornersFutureMopping performance

In terms of its bi-weekly mopping ability, I've been impressed by the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's overall performance. It has dealt with light stains and general footfall marks very well, including regularly extending one of its articulated mopping pads when traveling along skirting boards, in corners and around chair and table legs.

However, there's only so much one can ask of a twin-pad mopping system like this because, unlike some roller-based models which rinse the roller while it's cleaning, the pads on this aren't cleaned during the mopping task. And that means that any gunk that appears to have been cleaned off the floor actually remains on the mops – which is then spread around the rest of the floor. It's the nature of the beast, which is why it's never advisable to let a robot with spinning pads loose on a large-ish liquid spill.

To prove this, I created a small 'zone' in my kitchen, squirted some tomato ketchup over my wooden floor and commanded the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro to go and clean it up, having set the mop moisture setting to medium. On initial evidence it did a fine job at removing the mess, though it did leave one small smear behind. However, on closer inspection in the right reflective lighting, I could clearly see some clear but slimy swirls on the floor which would invariably dry, leaving a tacky residue behind.

Before the mopping test...Future...during... Future... and the results afterwardsFutureAnother look at the mopping resultsFuture

Had I not had the excellent Roborock F25 Ultra to hand to completely finish the job, I would have had to reach for the good old mop and bucket to fully remove all residue. This is no slight on the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro since all mopping robots of this nature behave the same way. You just need to choose your battles carefully.

Dock performance

While I don't mind the look of the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's dock, it's not a patch on its stylish stablemates, the Roborock Saros 10 and 10R, which both come with black mirrored docks that meld into the background of any room. By contrast, this one is larger in appearance and much more noticeable.

From an operational point of view, the dock itself has proved faultless over the past few weeks with no anomalies to report. Yes, the bin emptying process is quite noisy but it's been powerful enough to always empty the robot's bins even when packed with dog hair. It has also washed and maintained the mops very well leaving no residue behind.

(Image credit: Future)

Is there anything negative to report about the dock? Well I'm not keen on the design of the dock's dust bag container, since its deep and narrow, downward-facing chamber entails having the dust bag hang and bend at the top where it connects with the inlet. When filled with detritus, the weight of it could feasibly cut off airflow into the bag. I should add that I haven't had any issue to date with the emptying process but I still maintain that it's an odd design that appears to go against simple physics. But what do I know?

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: app

• Exceedingly comprehensive
• Well laid out
• Easy to use

The Roborock app is an essential companion that elevates the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's overall cleaning experience from the moment you open it. Cleanly designed and intuitively laid out, this app makes both initial setup and day-to-day control extremely straightforward, whether you're a first-time robot vacuum owner or a seasoned user who requires a plethora of customization options.

Roborock / FutureRoborock / Future

Mapping is mostly accurate, with detailed floor plans that are highly editable, allowing you to label rooms, set no-go zones, define virtual walls and customize cleaning routines with surprising precision. Moreover, the ability to adjust suction power, mopping intensity and cleaning sequences on a per-room basis gives users a level of control that few competitors can match, Dreame notwithstanding.

The Roborock app also supports a raft of scheduling options, self-created routines and multi-level home management, making it easy to tailor cleaning to your lifestyle. Combined with its stable connectivity and regular firmware updates, this app feels genuinely mature and thoughtfully engineered. Which is why it's still my favorite robot app of all.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

A premium robovac (although a step below most flagship models). Advanced specs and features justify the price tag.

4 / 5

Design

Sleek, ultra-slim profile and packed with features. Dock is comprehensive but quite chunky.

4 / 5

Performance

Excellent vacuuming and especially impressive on carpet. Mopping very acceptable but obstacle avoidance a bit underwhelming.

4 / 5

App

The Roborock app is the gold standard for design and features.

4.5 / 5

How I tested the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro

With so many similarly-specced robot vacs on the market, it's becoming quite difficult to detect the differences between them. But in this day and age, specs mean nothing if the bot doesn't perform to the high standards that TechRadar's writers expect.

We always strive to get the best out of the products we review and always push them to the limits of their functionality. In this case I tested the robot vac on different floor types, watched it navigate a room, set up an obstacle course and put it to four performance tests – carpet vacuuming, hard floor vacuuming, general mopping and messy mopping. Half points out of five are then awarded for each category and averaged out for a final score. Five stars are only given to a product that unequivocally impresses on all fronts but four-stars products, too, are absolutely worth investigation.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed February 2026

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: One minute review

Amazfit has been on a hot streak recently. Fresh off the release of the Bip 6 and Active 2, the company has now released the latest version of its most capable outdoor watch, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro. The watch is showcased by the super successful ultrarunner and official commercial partner Ruth Croft, who says that Amazfit “gives her the tools she needs without getting in the way of the run."

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is pitched as a value alternative to premium rugged watches like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. While it costs significantly less, it packs very competitive hardware, making it a compelling option for outdoor athletes and budget-conscious consumers.

With a military-grade (MIL-STD-810H) rating, a titanium bezel, and sapphire crystal glass, the T-Rex 3 Pro is seriously rugged, built to withstand extreme temperatures and is 10 ATM water-resistant, certified for scuba diving up to 45 meters. In addition to its already excellent diving features, the T-Rex 3 Pro has a dedicated dive computer mode like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is also impressively specced, with 3,000 nits of peak brightness to compete with the latest crop of Apple Watches. Beyond that, the watch offers up to 25 days of typical use on a single charge, a very good feat considering Garmin’s battery lives have been creeping downwards. When tracking outdoor activities, it still delivers up to 38 hours of continuous, high-accuracy dual-band GPS (which connects to six satellite systems). This endurance sets it apart and makes it ideal for multi-day treks or ultra-races.

The main trade-off is the software. It runs on Amazfit's proprietary Zepp OS. While Zepp OS is smooth, fast, and feature-rich for health and fitness tracking, it operates on a closed ecosystem. This means there are no major third-party apps, including Spotify, Google Maps, or Strava. There's a lot to commend the T-Rex 3 Pro, but this lack of integration is its most egregious downside.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Price and availability

• $399 USD / £399 UK / $600 AUS
• Incredibly affordable given its rugged qualities
• Cellular connectivity will require upgrading to a more expensive smartwatch

At sub-$400 / £400 / $600 AUS, the T-Rex 3 Pro is an incredibly affordable alternative to the more expensive Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 (the Ultra 3 costs $799 in the US, so the T-Rex 3 Pro is fully half the price). It’s missing a number of features, including ECG support, crash detection, third-party apps and other integrations. If you’re not concerned about this, then the T-Rex 3 Pro delivers an awful lot of smartwatch for not a lot of money.

Value score 5/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Design

• Rugged and premium build
• High-end AMOLED display
• Two size options

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is a rugged and outdoors-focused smartwatch that embraces a deliberately chunky and robust aesthetic. You could even call it a delightful homage to the classic digital sports watch, the Casio G-Shock.

The overall design aesthetic is probably more reminiscent of the Garmin Fenix 8 series, with both watches boasting circular, rugged designs and a blend of physical buttons (four on the Amazfit, five on the Garmin) and touchscreen operation. Personally I don't think you can beat the tactile experience of physical buttons.

The fiber-reinforced polymer case is combined with a Grade 5 titanium bezel and buttons for a tough yet lightweight construction. The case contains a high-resolution 1.5-inch AMOLED display that is capable of an impressive 3,000 nits. As a result, I had absolutely no problems using it out in direct sunlight. The display is inset slightly and protected by scratch-resistant sapphire glass.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

In addition to everything you'd expect from a typical smartwatch, the T-Rex 3 Pro features a built-in LED flashlight located at the top of the case, just like the best Garmin watches. This offers adjustable brightness and a dual-color mode, with the red light designed to preserve night vision during camping or late-night navigation.

While the T-Rex line used to be one-size-fits-all, and that size was huge, the Pro 3 introduces a second option. As a result, you can now choose from the original 48mm model (tested and photographed) and a more compact alternative 44mm model. The latter retains the rugged titanium/polymer build but fits much better on smaller wrists or under jacket sleeves.

Design Score: 4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Features

• 180 sports modes including skiing
• 10ATM water resistance
• NFC enabled

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro offers an extensive set of features covering over 180 sports but with a distinct leaning towards more adventurous activities, including skiing and snowshoeing. The ski mapping feature enables users to find their nearest ski resort and navigate with detailed maps. According to Amazfit, these maps include "cable cars, color-coded slopes, and clear route guidance for groomed runs as well as off-piste, backcountry, or telemark routes."

While taking part in icy-cold endeavors you'll be glad to know that the T-Rex 3 Pro is resistant to temperatures as low as -40℃ and includes a smart Low Temperature Mode that keeps vital software functions of the watch operational in environments as cold as -30℃.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

If you're planning on showing the water who's boss, then the 10 ATM water-resistance capabilities will come in handy. That means the watch is certified for diving to a depth of 45m and therefore ready for all your freediving and scuba diving excursions.

Tracking is taken care of by the new BioTracker sensor that delivers highly accurate heart-rate tracking even in challenging outdoor conditions. For pro-grade precision, the watch can also be paired with an Amazfit Helio Strap.

When you fancy a coffee or high-protein shake while on the slopes or on a long run, the inclusion of Zepp Pay takes advantage of NFC technology so you don't need to go rifling through your stuff in search of your phone or bank card. Up to eight bank cards can be stored with password-protected contactless payment, keeping your transactions secure.

Features Score: 4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Performance

• Excellent health and activity tracking
• Fantastic battery life
• Poorly implemented AI assistant

The T-Rex 3 Pro performs well when it comes to health and fitness tracking. I tested it alongside the more expensive and trusted Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and found it reported very similar health metrics, including measuring heart rate to within a single beat. It also measured the same 96 percent reading for blood oxygen, which is very impressive considering the Watch Ultimate 2 features a dedicated X-Tap sensor for accurate readings.

I used my normal cycle route to test the GPS accuracy of the T-Rex Pro. This route includes both rural and built-up environments, which makes it an ideal test for GPS performance. GPS locking was almost instant, even when still in my house. GPS lock was maintained throughout the 4km ride, with no dropouts experienced. I compared the distance on both the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and onthegomap.com and found that the watch was within an impressive 50m of both, a statistically insignificant 1.25% difference.

The watch also delivers exceptional battery performance, lasting 9 to 10 days in my testing even with the Always-On Display and continuous health tracking active, which would qualify as ‘heavy use’. For those prioritizing longevity, disabling the AOD stretches performance to nearly 3 weeks. During high-accuracy GPS tracking, the battery proves its rugged credentials by draining only about 3% per hour, making it a reliable companion for multi-day adventures.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

I’ve tested a few Amazfit watches now but haven’t yet delved deep into the Zepp Flow AI functionality. Getting hold of the T-Rex 3 Pro provided the ideal opportunity to change that. Zepp Flow is a conversational AI assistant and one of the first tools of its kind for smartwatches. I’ve always found navigating through smartwatch menus a bit laborious, and so I was eager to see if Amazfit was able to deliver a more intuitive hands-free experience.

After checking online for some of the commonly accepted commands, I began by saying, “I want to go for a run.” Zepp Flow recognised my words perfectly and immediately launched the run activity. There was no need to select “Go” as the activity began straight away. With my impressed face on, I then asked Zepp Flow if it will rain this afternoon. The watch responded with “I cannot provide weather information for past times” even though it was only 1.30pm.

A little more unsure than I was after launching the run activity, I set about seeing if Zepp Flow could help me access the watch’s smart features. I therefore gave the device access to my contacts and asked it to call my wife. Unfortunately, it kept thinking that I was saying Hutton rather than Hatton. I understand that these misunderstandings can happen, but rather than asking me to say it again or “Did you mean Hutton” it just stopped listening, end of conversation.

I find that if my experience of an AI assistant stutters a few times, then I quickly stop using it, and that was very much the case with Zepp Flow. Alongside a lack of third-party apps, I was left a little disappointed by the limited smartwatch features on offer.

Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

At this price point it doesn’t get much better than this.

5/5

Design

A solid titanium-built case featuring a 3,000-nit display and pro-dive durability.

4/5

Features

A set of impressive features aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.

4/5

Performance

Highly accurate health and fitness tracking, but Zepp Flow lets the watch down.

4/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want a rugged build and great battery life on a budget

At sub-$400/£400, the T-Rex 3 Pro offers a very impressive set of specs.

Specialized outdoor and safety utilities

With advanced navigation, a built-in speaker and microphone, and an integrated flashlight, you'll have everything you need when you need it most.

Don't buy it if...

You need cellular connectivity (LTE)

For that you’ll need to upgrade to something like the Garmin Fenix 8.

You rely on third-party app integration

As is the case with all Amazfit watches, you won’t find the likes of Spotify, Google Maps, or WhatsApp.

Also consider

Garmin Fenix 8

This is the ultimate watch for adventure enthusiasts, with a smorgasbord of hardware and software features and a battery that lasts for weeks.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 8 reviewView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

A powerhouse of a wearable, adding 5G, satellite connectivity and new screen technology to an already-winning formula. The Low Power Mode can stretch its runtime to a remarkable 72 hours, and its fitness metrics are accurate against a leading chest-mounted heart rate monitor. 

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

During my month-long testing of the T-Rex 3 Pro, I took part in a range of different activities, including cycling, running, football, aerobics, and more. Unfortunately I didn’t have a skiing holiday planned during the testing phase, so I wasn’t able to try out the dedicated skiing features. There were plenty of other features to keep me occupied, though, including health tracking, water resistance, Zepp Flow, messaging, and battery life.

First reviewed: February 2026

DXRacer Martian Pro: One-minute review

I knew the DXRacer Martian Pro would be one of the best gaming chairs I've ever sat in, and three months with it have only confirmed my suspicions.

Why did I know this?

I tried a similar chair at CES 2025 – one that can heat you up and cool you down thanks to built-in tech, and I have genuinely thought about it every week since then – and the Martian Pro somehow also takes things up another notch with an in-built massager too, increasing its comfortable gaming chair credentials further still.

When it’s a cold day, you can turn on the seat heater to warm you up, the fan to cool you down, and the massager to relax you. I promise it’s as great as it sounds

What’s more, despite all these technological features, it still feels soft and comfortable for long working days and gaming sessions thanks to plenty of cushioning, a 4D lumbar airbag you can tune perfectly to your needs, and a magnetic headrest you can position perfectly every time. Did I mention the 4D armrest,s too?

All that’s to say, this gaming chair not only hits the essentials, but it also puts the cherry on top for a superbly comfortable experience.

(Image credit: Future)

My only gripe is that it’s useless without charge – the electronic recliner will power off too, leaving you stuck in one position with no way to change it. This is easily solved if you’re always near a plug for the power cable, or willing to charge the battery for wireless use, but the latter can be a little tedious (especially as the battery can drain fast) – so think twice about this chair if sockets are at a premium.

DXRacer Martian Pro: Price and availability

• Costs $899 / £580
• Premium features justify premium price
• Only available in one color at the time of reviewing

The DXRacer Martian Pro will set you back $899 / £580 (Australian pricing isn’t available at the time of reviewing) and can be picked up from the DXRacer store.

This price, especially the US cost, puts it into the higher tier of gaming chairs, which makes sense given that this chair is enhanced with various technological goodies.

These upgrades make it an attractive offering over less technologically impressive alternatives if you have the cash to splash, but if you’re on a budget, you can get by with less flashy alternatives.

(Image credit: Future)DXRacer Martian Pro: Specs

Price

$899 / £580

Dimensions

49.6 x 27.6 x 21.9in / 126 x 70 x 56cm

Max user weight

275lbs / 125kg

Min seat height

17.7in / 45cm

Seat width

22in / 56cm

Warranty

2 years

DXRacer Martian Pro: Design and aesthetics

• Classic black look with minimalistic accents
• Premium feel
• Some noticeable branding

The DXRacer Martian Pro comes in one design: black with red arrow accents.

It’s certainly not as loud design-wise as my trusty Spider-Man themed seat, and it definitely sits towards the professional end of gaming chairs, but it’s not a plain design either, if that is essential for your needs.

The fabric choice is a faux leather that feels premium to the touch, and is easy to wipe clean, with the accents being stitched on in red. Though I’d be careful not to spill anything too much on the chair, as the seat and backrest have some mesh elements (to help with airflow from the heater and ventilation) that I wouldn’t want to pour a lot of liquid on.

(Image credit: Future)

As for the armrests, they feature the 4D adjustments we expect from gaming chairs worth their salt – they can be moved up/down, pulled in/out, pushed forward/backward, and can tilt left/right to provide the ideal position.

Once you’ve set your armrests’ stance, they’ll then lock into place securely.

The side controls that adjust the backrest tilt and the airbag lumbar support are plasticky and feel a little less premium than the actual chair itself, but they don’t ruin the overall aesthetic experience delivered by DXRacers’ Martian Pro.

DXRacer Martian Pro: Comfort and adjustability

• Plenty of adjustment options
• Built in heater, fan and massager
• Cushiony despite the gizmos

Even ignoring the massaging and heating enhancement, the DXRacer Martian Pro chair has a full range of comfort and adjustment options.

Firstly, using a control on the side of the chair you have the ability to recline the backrest gradually from further forward than you’d want to about as close to horizontal as possible without this chair becoming a bed – though with the back massager active this ultra recline supremely relaxing to the extent you could drift off (definitely, totally, assuredly not speaking from experience).

Then there’s the 4D armrests I mentioned above, and of course, the height adjustments you’d expect from a standard office chair.

The seat is a good size too, with enough room to sit comfortably cross-legged when I want.

Though for the lumbar support, I’d maybe knock a point off simply because the airbag design can be a little more finicky to adjust compared to a traditional pillow. The advantage is that once set, you don’t need to worry about it slipping out of place, but finding the comfiest position took more time than I’d have liked.

(Image credit: Future)

Your neck pillow, on the other hand, is much easier to get right. The magnetic attachment makes it supremely easy to find the exact right spot for it on the headrest, while holding it securely in place once you’ve made your placement decision.

But of course I can’t not devote some space to the heating, cooling, and the massager.

Starting with that third one, the massager is activated by pressing the M-button on the side of the chair and can swap between different modes by pressing it again, or switched off by holding the button down.

The massage is delivered by in-built actuators – four pairs (one for your right and one for your left) which start at your lower back and end around your shoulder blades – and while its isn’t especially intense, it can provide some much-needed relaxation during a stressful gaming session, or your work day.

Just note, it can be a little noisy.

Now for the heating and ventilation. These are built into the seat and activated via two buttons found below the right armrest – one for each option. Long pressing once activates the heating/cooling, then quick pressing it changes the setting between three strengths – long pressing again turns it off.

I was surprised by how quickly the heating kicks into gear even at the lowest setting, and over the colder months when I’ve been testing this chair, it has provided me with some much needed warmth. The fan is also great for cooling you down, and I expect I’ll be relying on it plenty come the summer.

Despite being jam-packed with electric gizmos, the chair feels pretty darn comfy. I use it all day, every day for work and enjoy every moment – and not simply because of the heater and the massager.

(Image credit: Future)DXRacer Martian Pro: Assembly

• All required tools included in the box
• A little heavy thanks to electrical components
• Can be built alone, but would recommend getting a friend

Putting the DXRacer Martian Pro together was fairly straightforward. I was able to assemble it all on my own using just what came in the box, thanks to the clear instructions.

However, given the inclusion of massaging and heating components, this can make parts of the chair a little heavier than normal, so having an assistant to aid your construction is advisable, as it should make the process even smoother.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the DXRacer Martian ProBuy it if…

You want great comfort
With a full suite of adjustment controls and a built-in massager, this gaming chair is the complete comfort package.

You need to feel toasty/cool
The heater and fan are so useful and effective in this seat, and definitely make this seat an easy pick for me over a lot of the competition.

You’re after something for work and play
While it boasts a couple of red accents, this black gaming chair looks appropriate for both your home office and at your gaming station.

Don’t buy it if…

You have no spare plugs near your chair
You can use this chair wirelessly, but it is a major battery sink, and when it’s out of charge, it loses quite a lot of functionality, including the ability to recline. Sitting near a constant power source is therefore advised.

You’re after something affordable
I’d say this DXRacer chair is solid value, but it’s still quite pricey, which makes it a tough buy if you’re looking to stick to a low-ish budget.

Also consider

DX Racer Martian Pro

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

AndaSeat Kaiser 3E XL

Price

$899 / £580

$549 / £469 / AU$799

$389 (around £290 / AU$580)

Dimensions

49.6 x 27.6 x 21.9in / 126 x 70 x 56cm

51.2 x 27.6 x 19.3in / 130 x 70 x 49cm

54.3 x 29.1 x 29.1in / 138.0 x 74.0 x 74.0 cm

Max user weight

275lbs / 125kg

285lbs / 130kg

395lb / 180kg

Min seat height

17.7in / 45cm

17.7in / 450mm

18.1in / 460mm

Seat width

22in / 56cm

18.5in / 470mm

21.1in / 535mm

Warranty

2 years

3 years

3-years

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
This popular gaming chair is a strong alternative without any tech bells and whistles. It’s comfortable with plenty of adjustment options. Importantly, it's a lot cheaper than the Martian Pro too.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 review

AndaSeat Kaiser 3E XL
We called this one of the best value gaming chairs you can buy today in our review, thanks to its style, lack of gimmicks, and comfortable shape. It misses out on bells and whistles, but could be a solid pick-up if you're on a budget.

For more information, check out our full AndaSeat Kaiser 3E XL review

How I tested the DXRacer Martian Pro

I tested the DXRacer Martian Pro over a few months of UK Winter, giving me plenty of reason to use the in-built heater. It was my work office chair every day I worked from home during that time, and I also used it for PC and handheld gaming most days as well.

I also compared it to a handful of other gaming chairs we’ve tested, and of course, my trusty Spider-Man Anda Seat seat.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF: One-minute review

OK, let's try to get one thing clear. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is brand new. It's a super-fast 27-inch OLED gaming monitor that runs at an epic 500Hz refresh rate. It's brighter than previous Samsung 27 inchers. But it doesn't actually sport Samsung's very latest OLED panel technology.

Indeed, the whole narrative around the various generations of Samsung's QD-OLED technology has gotten very complicated of late. In some ways, it's easier to say what this monitor is not than what it is.

With that in mind, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF lacks a couple of the very latest QD-OLED panel features. First, it doesn't have the so-called RGB-stripe subpixel structure. And it lacks the new panel filter that reduces the purple-tint problem in ambient light.

We'll get to the implications of those shortly. But for now, what we're dealing with here is a 27-inch 1440p OLED monitor with a very high refresh rate that will appeal to gamers who value speed above almost, but not quite, all else.

(Image credit: Future)

If it's sheer speed you demand, look no further than the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF. The combination of 500Hz refresh and the usual OLED upside of incredible pixel speed makes for a sizzling gaming experience. This monitor is seriously fast.

It's also punchy thanks to updated QD-OLED panel technology. However, this isn't actually Samsung's very latest tech and that does show in a few areas. The non-standard triangular subpixel structure slightly compromises sharpness, while the QD-OLED purple-tint problem in bright ambient light remains.

More particular to this monitor are disappointing SDR calibration, a lack of USB-C connectivity and somewhat lofty price point. All of which means this isn't an automatic choice for those seeking a 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor. But for esports addicts and other speed freaks, it will still be hard to overlook.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $799 / £699 / AU$1,699
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

At $799 in the US, £699 in the UK and $1,699 in Australia, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is pretty steep for a mere 27-inch 1440p monitor.

At this price point you can choose from all manner of LCD monitors (many featured in our best monitors buying guide) up to 49 inches, offering all kinds of resolutions and aspect ratios from 4K and beyond.

Of course, this is an OLED gaming monitor, and they all come with a price premium. However, even in that context, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF isn't exactly cheap. We've seen 27-inch OLEDs below $500 now and then, albeit not models that run at 500Hz.

• Value: 3 / 5

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF: SpecsAcer Predator X32 X Specifications

Screen size

27-inch

Resolution

2560 x 1440

Panel technology

Samsung QD-OLED

Refresh rate

500Hz

Response time

0.03ms

HDR

DisplayHDR 400 True Black

Brightness

300 nits full screen, 1,000 nits peak HDR 1.5% APL

Connectivity

HDMI 2.1 x2, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-A hub

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF: Design

• Slim bezels
• Compact base
• Large power supply brick

If you liked the look of Samsung's previous Odyssey gaming monitors, you're going to love the new Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF. Because it's a dead ringer in design terms.

For the most part, that's good news. This is a slick-looking and well constructed monitor with a modern vibe, thanks to slim bezels on all four sides of its QD-OLED display panel.

It also offers decent ergonomics with both height and tilt adjustment and a reasonably compact stand base that doesn't take up too much desktop space. The main blot on the ergonomic and design copybook, therefore, is the massive external power supply brick.

(Image credit: Future)

No doubt it helps to keep the chassis of the monitor slim, but it does make cable management and general tidiness that bit trickier. Speaking of cables, notable by its absence is support for a USB-C input cable.

You do get HDMI and DisplayPort, both of which support the full 500Hz refresh rate. And, yes, this is unambiguously a gaming monitor, so USB-C is that bit less relevant. But at this price point, you'd have thought Samsung might have thrown it in, anyway. That way you can easily, say, share this monitor between your gaming desktop and a work laptop.

(Image credit: Future)

• Design: 4 / 5

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF: Performance

• Extremely fast
• Vibrant colors
• Limited SDR presets

The headline feature of the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is its 500Hz refresh rate. Combined with the incredible response speed of all OLEDs, which the monitor industry pretty much universally rates at 0.03ms, and you have a recipe for incredible speed.

That's very much the subjective experience, too. This thing is hella quick, with remarkably little motion blur and essentially no discernible input lag. Put simply, esports fans who play online shooters and appreciate this kind of speed will love this thing.

Of course, the most serious of esports aficionados will probably still favour an even higher refresh rate and smaller 1080p monitor. So, the question then becomes, how is this monitor for everyone else?

(Image credit: Future)

Well, with a 2560 by 1440 native resolution, the pixel density is moderate at best compared to a 4K panel of the same size. So, this isn't the crispest or sharpest of displays. That's slightly exacerbated by the panel's triangular rather than RGB-stripe subpixel structure. If you like sharp fonts, this isn't the display for you.

It also suffers from the usual purple tint in bright ambient light that all QD-OLED displays suffer. Well, all bar a new generation of panels, but that tech isn't used here. Then there's the matte anti-glare coating. Sure, it reduces reflectivity. But it also robs this monitor of that sense of inky, almost infinite contrast that glossy OLED monitors deliver in the right circumstances.

Make no mistake, this is still a punchy, vibrant display, as indicated by an increased full-screen brightness rating of 300 nits. By way of example, there's a dark indoor scene in Cyberpunk 2077 involving sizzling arcs of electricity leaping across the screen. And it's absolutely stunning. That's perfect per-pixel lighting, OLED style, for you. No LCD monitor comes close. But with a glossy coating, it would have been even more incredible.

The Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF's factory calibration in SDR mode could be a lot better, too. The OSD doesn't actually offer the usual sRGB or DCI-P3 color presets, and none of the various modes that are offered deliver a properly balanced SDR experience. They're all overly warm in terms of color temperature, and are also oversaturated.

In mitigation, SDR content is actually really nicely calibrated in HDR mode. So, you can actually just run this thing in HDR mode for everything. But the SDR calibration and preset limitations are a little odd.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF?Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF scorecard

Value

At around $799, the Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is pretty expensive even for a 27-inch OLED monitor. But then if you want a 500Hz OLED, good luck finding one much cheaper.

3 / 5

Design

Samsung's usual Odyssey design and build quality features again, which is generally good. But at this price point, the lack of USB-C connectivity is disappointing.

4 / 5

Performance

There's no questioning the incredible speed of the Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF. But the resolution is mediocre and the 27-inch experience isn't exactly cinematic.

4 / 5

Final score

The Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is a bit of a niche offering. If you want the ultimate in OLED speed, however, it absolutely delivers.

4. / 5

Buy the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF if...

You want the ultimate in speed
The Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is ridiculously fast thanks to the combination of 500Hz refresh and 0.03ms response.

You want awesome HDR
Thanks to OLED's perfect per-pixel lighting, the Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF has far better HDR performance than any LCD monitor, including mini-LED models.

Don't buy it if...

You want lots of pixels
With a native resolution of 2560 by 1440, the Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF isn't exactly a high-DPI monitor. That's OK for games, less so for everything else.

You want cinematic thrills
At this price point you have plenty of options if you want a really immersive, cinematic experience. At just 27 inches, this is a modestly-sized monitor for the money.

• Originally reviewed in February 2026

It’s finally here; after a tumultuous few years of will-they-won’t-they development, Edmund McMillen (The Binding of Isaac’s creator) and his frequent collaborator Tyler Glaiel (for The End is Nigh and Aether) are finally ready to share their latest creation – Mewgenics.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC and Steam Deck
Available on: PC via. Steam
Release date: February 10, 2026

Mewgenics is a game that does exactly what it says on the tin – its core mechanic is selective cat breeding – but if you’re looking for a life simulator, that it is not. Instead, you’ll march your army of superpowered pussycats through harsh battlefields (read: sewers, junkyards, and other such dismal settings), fight your way through turn-based encounters against grotesque foes, and develop winning formulas that will eventually lead your feline friends to victory.

It’s a surprisingly compelling and complex game, offering ample collectible items, a healthy number of achievements, and plenty of replayability. If you spent the 2010s haunting the virtual halls of Newgrounds or playing titles like The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy, you’ll feel the warm embrace of nostalgia, but you won’t get bored quickly thanks to the creative ways Mewgenics plays with the roguelite formula. It’s unforgiving, in places, and won’t always let you take the easy route, but it’s great fun the whole way through.

That same strength could be a weakness for some players; the raunchy humor, slightly monstrous art style, and energetic dialogue might register as dated to some. Stripped away from its tone, however, the game still stands as a thoroughly enjoyable, well-paced, and amply versatile addition to your Steam library. Plus, it’s Steam Deck compatible, where it feels right at home.

No purr-lace like home

(Image credit: Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)

Welcome to Boon County, where the cats are cute, the real estate market is booming, and both of those statements are only half true. In this rundown part of town lies your humble home, a shack-like property inhabited by your collection of cats. From these modest beginnings shall spring forth legend, however, because it’s here you’ll collect, breed, and care for a cat army.

That means ensuring there’s enough food, cleaning up their waste (and, er... corpses, occasionally), decorating your home, and shopping for both supplies and in-level items. You can also prune the genetic pool by shipping off cats to allies you’ll meet along the way to unlock various features and perks, so from the get-go, there’s plenty of macro management to dig your teeth into.

Along that vein, it’s important not to underestimate the importance of this hub; even in the early game, the cats you keep around shape the outcomes of the battles to come, whether that’s due to the mutations and stats they carry or because they have a penchant for infighting and can leave permanent injuries on one another.

When you’ve had your fill of cat care and it’s time to end the day, your cats can choose to fight each other or mate, leaving you with new messes to clean up. Later in the game, it’s possible to steer these interactions a little more by seconding your cats in groups as you gain new rooms for your shack. I had great fun selectively breeding in some mutations that I found especially cute, even if they did come at the detriment of some of my cats; I can’t help it, their goofy little snaggle teeth are irresistible.

New strays will also arrive each day, offering an easy way to fill out your party when you’re low on soldiers, or the gene pool is getting too slim. Over time, though, stockpiles will run low, and at that point, you can venture out with four cats of your choice to battle foes and bring home vital supplies like food and money; and here’s where the meat of the game begins.

I can’t fight this feline anymore

(Image credit: Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)

Upon selecting your chosen warriors, you’ll be able to assign them to one of four classes to begin with; this increases to more than 12 over time, each with unique abilities and passives that you’ll curate over the course of your travels; those, too, can be passed on to descendants. There are over 1,200 abilities and passive traits in the game, so no two runs will play the same – this variation made the game pretty hard to put down.

There are seven stats each cat will come pre-loaded with: strength (melee and damage), dexterity (range and damage), constitution (HP and regeneration), intelligence (mana regeneration), speed (initiative and movement), charisma (max mana), and luck (chance-based events like critical rolls).

Based on these, certain classes will align better with different cats, but the further you get in the game, and the more chaotic your approach to breeding has been, the more often you’ll find yourself with some pretty busted combinations.

I managed to score a necromancer carrying many cleric traits, loaded it up with a bunch of perks for healing, and created the most monstrously good wham-bulance (high damage, high heal) since I discovered the Soraka/Yuumi bottom lane combination in League of Legends. A niche reference point, but if you know, you know.

After equipping any items you may have to boost stats and grant new abilities to your kitties, it’s time to head out on the road, where you’ll face enemies ranging from zombie kitties to strange psychic eldritch beasts, tom cats to bomb-lobbing mousers, and beyond in randomized battle encounters.

There’s a fantastic range of enemies to fight (over 200), each with their own abilities and behaviours; a personal favorite is a pair of giant shark cats, which I realised all too late can devour your brave soldiers in one bite – and there’s no coming back from this particular death.

Best bit

One of my Clerics picked up a passive that effectively made it dyslexic, swapping around letters and numbers in their abilities. Confusing, yes, but as a dyslexic person myself, utterly hilarious.

Outside of perma-death situations (which there are quite a few of!), enemies will down your teammates, and their fainted bodies can take damage three times before exploding into chunks of bone and meat.

This is more than just an inconvenience in-fight; each time one of your cats becomes downed, it will pick up conditions like injuries and jinxes. Sure, they’ll heal up a little at the end of combat, but these injuries limit their stats for the rest of the run, and items or abilities that cure these conditions are few and far between.

Speaking of which, in between battles, you’ll pick up various items (of which there are over 900) and face different encounters. In these encounters, a random party member will choose from different stat-based options, and, based on your stat points, a probability-based outcome decides if the interaction helps or hinders your crew.

The luck element of the game is often cruel, and there’s no room for sentimentality with your party; your front-line soldiers will die sometimes, and when that happens, you run the risk of losing everything you gained in the process.

A game that keeps on giving

(Image credit: Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)

There are multiple pathways to travel, starting with the Alley and branching off to the Sewer and Graveyard. These lead on to the Caves and the Junkyard, respectively, and that’s just in the first act. Later, you’ll unlock more roads to travel with their own challenges. For example, in the Desert, the extreme heat leads to health loss over time unless you keep your cats cool and watered.

Survive a run, and you’ll be able to take your newly buffed up cats back home, where they’ll retire (likely into your selective breeding programme) and no longer be able to go out on battles – with a few exceptions.

All the above is basically just a precursor to the game in its entirety; I’ve played a solid 30 hours, and I’m still only 20% of the way through. There’s a reported over 200 hours of gameplay, so I’ve no concerns about tiring too quickly of Mewgenics. I’d assume that’s before you factor in unlockable achievements, too, meaning much like The Binding of Isaac, I expect superfans to see hours well into the thousands worth of kitty cat combat.

(Image credit: Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)

It helps that the game has excellent music, consistently great art, and some really well-designed levels. Some of the boss fight song lyrics had me chuckling even as my ill-fated kitties erupted into a spray of body parts and blood, and the rest of the soundtrack has enough pace and variation to keep me locked in to the addictive gameplay loop.

Every time I’ve sat down to play, I’ve unlocked some fresh hell for my cats to endure – one of the latest is a monstrous doomsday cat called Guillotina, who turns up at my cats’ home every week or so to fight retired cats.

The chaos is almost certain to continue amplifying as I delve further into the world of these calamitous kitties, and while I don’t know if it will have such a broad appeal as the comparatively simple The Binding of Isaac, I hope long-time fans of it and other creative roguelikes in the genre will give it its due. I certainly intend to!

Should you play Mewgenics?Play it if...

You loved The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy
Lovers of the grotesque roguelikes of yore, rejoice; Mewgenics is the game for you. It has its own twist, but I think even players who aren’t typically tactical play fans will get a real kick out of it.

You enjoy strategizing around the long game
While the runs themselves are immersive, it’s important in Mewgenics to consider the greater impact of your choices; does losing certain cats risk your gene pool? Are they carrying items you might want for future runs? Is there enough food on the table back at home?

Don't play it if...

You’re prone to developing emotional attachments to pixels
These cats are not for loving; they’re for lobbing onto a battlefield and keeping alive long enough to breed and reap the rewards. That didn’t stop me from growing attached, and it stung each time a cat I particularly liked passed on.

You’re faint of heart
If you don’t want to see cats humping, exploding, and fighting, I’m surprised you made it this far in the review. Though you can alter how graphic certain parts of the game are in the settings.

Accessibility features

Mewgenics is hit-or-miss with accessibility; there are no subtitle adjustments, difficulty adjustments or colorblind settings, but text boxes are pretty large by default and you can change the size of UI elements like the status bar, tooltip size and adjust the noise and grain and flicker levels. The controls are mappable, too. Some more work could be done here; a clearer font and colorblind settings wouldn’t go amiss, but hopefully that’s something we see in a later update.

My cleric developed a form of dyslexia, and as a dyslexic it took me a second too long to realize it wasn't just my own reading comprehension behind my confusion. (Image credit: Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)How I reviewed Mewgenics

I spent over 30 hours in Mewgenics, covering the first act and most of the second as well as some side quests; enough to get a good sense of the gameplay, though I’m sure there’s plenty still to come as the game goes on.

I played on both my gaming laptop (Dell’s Alienware M16 R1) and my Steam Deck paired with my Corsair Void v2 MAX Wireless gaming headset, and it played wonderfully on both.

First reviewed January-February 2026

SpyFu helps marketing professionals, SEO experts, and business owners with deep insights into the SEO industry. At its core, SpyFu specializes in competitor analysis and helps find those keywords that competitors are ranking for, along with the ads they have run on Google AdWords. This key feature helps identify lucrative keywords and ad strategies that can be adopted or improved. Plus, SpyFu offers detailed SEO audits and even tracks keyword rankings over time to optimize website content effectively. 

And if that’s not enough, it also offers backlink analysis which gives you insights into the quality and quantity of backlinks leading to a competitor's site. This comprehensive approach not only helps in understanding competitors' SEO strategies but also in identifying opportunities for improving your ranking and traffic. Our team at Tech Radar did extensive research on this tool and went deep with its features and capabilities to test its limits. 

In this article, you’ll find the A to Z of SpyFu and we’ll also give our take on whether this is the right tool for you or not. We’ll also cover the pricing, use case, support, and many other important metrics of this tool in this guide. 

• You can sign up to SpyFu here.

SpyFu: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: SpyFu)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Starting rate (paid monthly)

Basic

$29/month

$39/month

Pro + AI

$89/month

$119/month

Team/Agency

$187/month

$249/month

SpyFu offers three pricing tiers designed to accommodate different business needs. The Basic plan starts at $29 per month when paid annually and includes 10,000 row search results, 100 domain overview PDFs, six months of historical data, and tracking for 5,000 weekly keyword rankings. This makes it ideal for individuals and small businesses just starting with competitor research.

The Pro + AI plan costs $89 per month annually and unlocks unlimited searches, unlimited data exports, over 10 years of historical data, and 15,000 weekly tracked keywords. You also get API access, custom branded reporting, and access to RivalFlow AI for one website. We found this plan offers the best value for growing businesses and SEO professionals.

The Team/Agency plan runs $187 per month annually and includes everything in Pro + AI, plus support for five user accounts, 50,000 weekly tracked keywords, and RivalFlow AI for 10 websites. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test the platform risk-free.

SpyFu: FeaturesAI tools and features

SpyFu has added several AI-powered features to set it apart from traditional SEO tools. The most notable is RivalFlow AI, an AI-driven content optimization tool that analyzes your pages against higher-ranking competitors to identify content gaps. It doesn't just point out what's missing, it generates new copy that you can add to your existing pages. This helps you answer questions your content currently misses, which can boost your rankings in both traditional search and AI-powered search results.

You'll also get access to SpyFu's ChatGPT integration through SpyFu GPT. This custom GPT streams SpyFu's entire API directly into ChatGPT, letting you access real keyword data, domain statistics, and competitor insights without leaving the ChatGPT interface. This solves a major problem with using ChatGPT for SEO work since the AI no longer has to make up keyword data, which it often got wrong before.

The platform also includes AI Brand Monitoring through SpyGPT. This tool searches through millions of ChatGPT responses to show you where your brand gets mentioned, where competitors appear instead of you, and what questions people ask that trigger these mentions. As AI search becomes more prominent, knowing how LLMs talk about your brand gives you an edge in optimizing your content strategy.

These AI features are integrated into the Pro + AI and Team/Agency plans. The Basic plan includes limited ChatGPT integration (3 chats only) but doesn't include RivalFlow or full AI brand monitoring capabilities.

Competitor analysis and insights 

(Image credit: SpyFu)

SpyFu's competitor analysis tool pinpoints the details of your competitor's various SEO strategies. This includes actionable data on profitable keywords, search strategies, ad variations, and even their backlink sources. Plus, you can gain access to detailed metrics on thousands of keywords per competitor. Not only that, but you can also uncover high-level metrics and details such as seasonal variations in search volume, the profitability of keywords based on estimated clicks and CPC, and the potential ROI of targeting specific keywords. 

During our tests, we loved how SpyFu generated the search rankings for specific keywords. Under this, it delivers a detailed view of the keywords driving traffic to competitor sites, including long-tail keywords that may be less obvious targets. Along with this, tracking the changes in SERP position further assists this process and even offers a timeline of competitors' SEO wins and highlights potential vulnerabilities in their strategies. 

If that’s not enough, you can gain insight into your competitor's marketing strategies through historical data, which offers a deep report about your competitors' PPC strategies over time, including changes in messaging, targeting, and budget allocation. Additionally, it also reveals where competitors are getting their backlinks from. All of this identifies potential high-value sites for your own backlink efforts and offers insights into the types of content and partnerships that could enhance your site’s authority.

Keyword research and tracking

(Image credit: SpyFu)

SpyFu's keyword research and tracking capabilities are quite accurate and among the best, we have tried so far. It offers insights into keyword difficulty, expected click-through rate (CTR) for organic versus paid search, and the distribution of searches across devices. This helps you form strategies that are both effective and efficient in targeting the right audience. 

Plus, you can also view up to a decade of keyword performance data, which can help you identify emerging trends and avoid declining ones. This historical perspective can guide your content strategy and keyword selection well ahead of the competition. We even love how we get near real-time feedback on the impact of SEO efforts as SpyFu’s rank tracking updates daily. This lets you set alerts for significant ranking changes and maintain your competitive edge.

Backlink analysis and domain comparisons

(Image credit: SpyFu)

In terms of backlink analysis and domain comparisons, SpyFu excels by offering a detailed look at the quantity and quality of backlinks. These include insights into the domain authority of linking sites and the context of each backlink. This helps you prioritize efforts to secure backlinks that will have the most significant impact on your SEO. 

Moreover, SpyFu also gives detailed comparisons against competitors’ domains. This reveals gaps and opportunities in competitors' keyword strategies, backlink profiles, and ad spending so you can strategically decide where to focus your resources for the best return on investment.

Reporting and strategic planning

Finally, SpyFu's reporting and strategic planning tools are designed to process complex data into actionable insights. These customizable reports help you identify your SEO and PPC performance, competitor comparisons, and market analysis. Apart from that, exporting detailed datasets presents a further analysis in external tools or integration with in-house data. This makes SpyFu an essential tool for businesses aiming to blend its insights with other market intelligence or financial data for strategic planning. 

SpyFu: Interface and in-use

SpyFu's interface is user-friendly and efficient and caters to seasoned SEO professionals and newcomers. Its clean, intuitive dashboard provides easy accessibility to its features. Plus, the menu makes its key features easily accessible with just a few clicks.

We are also big fans of how the platform offers detailed insights through visualizations such as graphs, charts, and tables. These visual aids are not just decorative but are designed to present complex information easily. This makes it easier to get actionable insights without feeling overwhelmed by raw data.

Another commendable feature of SpyFu's design is its responsive interface. The platform performs consistently across various devices and screen sizes, so you can access vital SEO and PPC insights whether you're at the desk or on the move.

SpyFu: Support

SpyFu's customer support impressed us with its highly responsive, knowledgeable, and comprehensive approach. It blends multiple support channels, including email, phone, and live chat, so you can get immediate and convenient assistance whenever you want it. 

It's worth mentioning that the support team is an expert in both the platform and wider digital marketing strategies. This means you can receive technical support and actionable strategic advice to enhance your overall marketing efforts. 

For those who want to navigate common challenges independently, SpyFu also offers support through tutorials, FAQs, and case studies. In fact, it even has a community forum and multiple social media pages where you can exchange insights and strategies and learn from the experiences of other digital marketers.

SpyFu: The competition

When it comes to competitive intelligence and keyword research capabilities, SpyFu is one of the best tools in the digital marketing community. With its Basic monthly plan priced at $39 and the Pro + AI plan at $89, it is a cost-effective option for both beginners and seasoned marketers. It lets you go deep into SEO and PPC without the financial burden often associated with similar platforms.

For instance, platforms like SEMrush and Ahrefs start their pricing at $119.95 and $99/ month for their base plans. However, these can quickly escalate based on usage and the need for additional features. This makes SpyFu a more attractive option for those requiring comprehensive analytics on a tighter budget.

Moreover, SpyFu's offerings go beyond just cost savings. It specializes in delivering deep analyses of competitors' SEO and PPC strategies. Many tools only touch this niche superficially. 

We also noticed that SEMrush and Ahrefs provide a broad spectrum of SEO, content marketing, and backlink analysis tools. On the other hand, SpyFu is mainly focused on competitive intelligence, which lets you uncover actionable insights and strategies to improve your marketing efforts. Hence, If you prioritize strategic overviews and competitor insights over a broader array of SEO tools, SkyFu can be the ideal choice for you.

Its subscription plans also deserve mention for their flexibility. Many digital marketing tools lock you into annual contracts or complex tiered systems, but that's not true with SpyFu. Its subscription model helps you scale up or down based on immediate needs, so you don't have to pay more than you need at any given time. In contrast, SEMrush and Ahrefs require upfront payment, which deters smaller businesses or individual consultants who don't prefer long-term financial commitments.

Lastly, SpyFu's user-centric design and straightforward interface cater to a broad audience. It doesn’t have a steep learning curve as more comprehensive tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs have due to their technical depth. Therefore, you can quickly leverage SpyFu to gain competitive insights even with limited SEO knowledge.

SpyFu: Final verdict

Having thoroughly reviewed SpyFu, we found it exceptional as an SEO and PPC analysis tool. Its focus on competitor intelligence, keyword research, and affordable pricing model stand out, making it an attractive option compared to its higher-priced competitors.

We are also impressed with its user-friendly interface, which accommodates both beginners and seasoned experts. Plus, the flexibility of monthly subscriptions helps you adapt your plans based on changing needs.

Overall, SpyFu might not offer the broad variety of digital marketing tools found in more expensive platforms like SEMrush or Ahrefs. However, it excels in its niche, providing targeted, actionable insights that can significantly impact a business's online visibility and marketing success. If that sounds like something you want to achieve, you should get your hands on SpyFu as soon as possible.

We've also featured the best content marketing tools.

Majestic SEO offers a suite of SEO tools that focus on backlink analysis. It is widely used for its huge index of the web that lets you explore your websites’ and web pages’ backlink profiles. All these tools are vital for understanding how websites are interconnected through links and can be pivotal in developing SEO strategies.

If you're interested in learning more about Majestic SEO’s features, usability, and impact on SEO results, you've come to the right place. We'll explore its extensive range of functions, evaluate its user-friendly interface, and assess its effectiveness in boosting your website's search engine rankings. Let's get started with our in-depth review of the platform and see if it's the ideal choice for your website.

• You can sign up for Majestic SEO Tools here.

Majestic SEO: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Majestic)

Plan

Starting Rate (paid annually)

Starting Rate (paid monthly)

Lite

$41.67/month

$49.99/month

Pro

$83.33/month

$99.99/month

API (100M units)

$333.33/month

$399.99/month

API (300M units)

$666.66/month

$799.99/month

API (1B units)

$1333.33/month

$1599.99/month

Majestic's pricing structure starts at $49.99/month for the Lite package and scales up to $399.99/month for API access with 100 million analysis units. You can save money by paying annually, too - Lite drops to $41.67/month and Pro falls to $83.33/month.

The Lite plan works well if you're running a small operation or just getting started with backlink analysis. You'll get access to the Fresh Index, which updates several times daily, plus essential tools like Site Explorer, Keyword Generator, and Trust Flow metrics. It supports one user and includes 1 million analyzable backlinks with 5,000 analysis depth. The plan caps you at 60 report units per month, which should cover basic campaign tracking and keyword list management.

Step up to Pro at $99.99/month (or $83.33/month annually) and you'll unlock the Historic Index alongside the Fresh Index. This tier adds comparison tools, flow metric history, backlink tracking over time, and access to experimental features. You also get 20 million analyzable backlinks, 30,000 analysis depth, and 300 report units monthly. Pro still includes just one user account, but you can share campaigns and set up email alerts for link changes.

The API plan targets agencies and developers who need maximum power. At $399.99/month for 100 million analysis units (or $333.33/month annually), you get everything from Pro plus full API access to integrate Majestic's data into your own platforms. This tier supports 5 users, a major upgrade from the single-user limitation on other plans. You can scale up to 300 million (10 users) or even 1 billion analysis units (20 users), with scalable pricing options depending on your usage.

All plans include a 7-day money-back guarantee for new customers, though this applies only to first-time Lite and Pro subscribers. Payment options include credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers for annual Pro and API plans.

Majestic SEO: Features

Let's dive into the key features of Majestic SEO and see what makes it a go-to choice for improving your website's search rankings. 

Site Explorer

(Image credit: Majestic SEO)

By using this feature, you can see how well a website is doing with its backlinks. Basically, Site Explorer examines the links, giving detailed reports on the number and quality of backlinks, the variety of linking domains, and their original source. With this feature, understanding how links are set up on your website and your competitors' websites becomes super easy.

Site Explorer also shows how a website's backlink profile has changed over time. This is to help those users who want to track link-building progress and spot trends. Users can even find specific types of links, like educational or government links, which can be super helpful with niche marketing strategies.

Trust Flow and Citation Flow

Trust Flow and Citation Flow are different measurements that evaluate the trustworthiness and impact of web pages based on their inbound links. Trust Flow assesses a page's credibility by examining the caliber of links that direct to it.  It operates on the premise that links from reputable and authoritative sites contribute more positively to a site's trustworthiness than links from lesser-known or potentially dubious sources.

On the contrary, Citation Flow measures a URL's influence by counting the number of sites linked to it. This indicates the popularity of a page based on the number of inbound links, regardless of their quality. While a high Citation Flow can come from links from any site, including low-quality ones, such as third-party movie streaming sites, it can still be harmful if the linking sites have low Trust Flow.

These metrics can work together to boost a page's impact, but calculating them can be a tough task. That’s why accurate measurement and enhancement of Trust and Citation Flow become important for better SERP rankings. Majestic does that for you and calculates these metrics using unique algorithms.

In a nutshell, Citation Flow is determined by the number of links a page receives without considering the link’s quality. Meanwhile, the Trust Flow is influenced by the quality and trustworthiness of the links. In the end, it boils down to understanding and optimizing these metrics for improving a page's search engine ranking and online presence.

Link Context

(Image credit: Majestic SEO)

We were amazed by how this tool examines the content and the context in which these links are placed. By understanding the types of content that link to a site and the context of these links, users can gain insights into how their site is perceived. This also lets users do a detailed evaluation of link quality, as links surrounded by relevant, high-quality content are generally more valuable. It further categorizes links based on their location on the page, such as main content, sidebars, footers, and more. 

Keyword Checker

What sets Majestic's Keyword Checker apart is its integration with the platform's extensive backlink database. This means that users can not only see how popular a keyword is but also how effective it is at attracting quality backlinks and driving web traffic. It gives users a clear picture of which keywords are performing well in real-world situations, helping them optimize their content. On top of that, it also presents different metrics like search volume, frequency of appearance in Majestic's database, and keyword competitiveness.

Plus, the tool also presents insights into how keyword trends have changed over time. This historical context is crucial for adapting to evolving search behaviors and staying competitive. By understanding this factor, you can ensure that your content doesn't lose its relevance and remains effective in reaching its target audience in the long run.

Author Explorer (Beta)

With the E-E-A-T update, Google has been emphasizing more strongly on demonstrated expertise, as do AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Majestic now offers Author Explorer (Beta) as a Pro+ feature. This tool analyzes author profiles and their backlink attributions, which could be very handy for tracking content authority.

Majestic SEO: Interface and in-use

Majestic SEO's user interface stands out for its clarity and efficiency, making it accessible to users of all skill levels. The design focuses on simplifying the complex data of backlink analysis, ensuring that information is easy to find and understand. Navigation is intuitive, with clear labels and a logical layout that guides users seamlessly through its features.

Whether you're exploring detailed reports or tracking your site's Trust Flow and Citation Flow, the interface minimizes confusion and maximizes productivity. Its dashboard provides a quick overview of key metrics at a glance, while advanced features are just a few clicks away. This balance between depth and usability makes Majestic SEO a user-friendly tool for conducting thorough SEO and backlink analysis without the need for extensive technical knowledge.

While the interface of Majestic SEO is user-friendly and efficient, there's some room for improvement. On top of it, there are occasional inconsistencies in the reporting of link indexing dates, with older links sometimes appearing as newly indexed. Additionally, the backlink history charts offered by Majestic can at times, present confusing data. That said, It remains a dependable option, even with its limitations. It is particularly valuable for professionals looking for thorough backlink analysis. 

Majestic SEO: Support

Majestic makes it easy to get help with a variety of support options. You can find various services to help you navigate efficiently in the Tools section. If you have any questions about your account or billing, Majestic's support team will assist you. Additionally, the FAQs section is updated regularly to provide quick solutions to common issues. There is also a glossary to explain important SEO terms related to Majestic. And for those who prefer visual learning, the “How To” videos section offers helpful tutorials. Along with this, users and developers who use the API pack can access detailed guides in the API Reference Guide to better understand and utilize Majestic's tools. 

Majestic SEO: The competition

The size of Majestic’s link connection database sets it apart from alternative SEO tools such as Serpstat, which is similarly priced, making it likely that Majestic will produce more accurate results when analyzing your site. Majestic also easily beats out more basic SEO tools such as SEO Spider and Yoast SEO which aren’t capable of producing the kind of detailed insights that this product can.

Majestic SEO: Final verdict

Overall, Majestic SEO is a great tool for link analysis. It has a great set of features for SEO experts and website owners to improve their link's profile. Be it the Site Explorer, Backlink Checker, or even the Keyword Checker, it delivers accurate data that is both valuable and super helpful. 

By using its many tools and metrics, you can improve your site’s performance in competitive spaces, and considering the value it provides, we feel the pricing reflects good value for money.

That said, Majestic SEO is not an AI-forward all-in-one toolkit like Semrush or Ahrefs. Their capabilities are fine-tuned for link analysis and there have been no new AI feature roll-outs as of now. If you're looking for a one-stop SEO solution that helps with more than link-building and competitor research, this might not be it.

• We've featured the best online marketing tools here.

Moz was originally founded in 2004 and is currently one of the most popular brands in SEO. It offers a complete suite of tools that help website owners and search marketing experts boost their traffic through different features, including keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, link building, page optimization insights, etc. 

It's widely popular among the SEO community for both its paid and free tools. In fact, its metrics are so respected and widely accepted that it has become a vital criterion for analyzing websites.

In this Moz Pro review, we will take a close look at its extensive features and scrutinize its best and worst parts. We will also cover its pricing plans, free and paid products, and rate their usefulness. So, let’s get started.

• You can sign up to Moz Pro here.

Moz Pro: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Moz)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Starting rate (paid monthly)

Starter

$39/month

$49/month

Standard

$79/month

$99/month

Medium

$143/month

$179/month

Large

$239/month

$299/month

Enterprise

Contact sales

Contact sales

Moz Pro offers five pricing tiers designed to accommodate businesses at different stages of growth. It also provides a 20% discount when you commit to annual billing, making it more cost-effective for long-term users.

The Starter plan begins at $49 per month ($39 monthly when billed annually). It's perfect for solopreneurs or small businesses managing a single website, with support for 50 tracked keywords, 20,000 pages crawled weekly, and access to Moz AI tools, MozBar Premium, and basic SEO features. If you're just dipping your toes into professional SEO, this entry point offers solid value.

For small businesses requiring more robust capabilities, the Standard plan costs $99 per month ($79 annually). This tier supports three websites, tracks 300 keywords, crawls 400,000 pages per week, and includes backlink analysis plus unlimited scheduled reports. It's the natural starting point for most small businesses with established online presence.

The Medium plan at $179 per month ($143 annually) represents Moz's most popular option. It accommodates growing teams with 10 websites, 1,500 tracked keywords, 2 million pages crawled weekly, three user seats, branded reports, and report templates. We've found this tier hits the sweet spot for agencies and mid-sized companies.

Large businesses and agencies benefit from the Large plan at $299 per month ($239 annually). This package includes 25 websites, 3,000 keywords, 5 million crawled pages weekly, and all Medium plan features with substantially higher data limits.

At the top end, there's a custom enterprise plan that delivers the platform's most advanced features, suitable for larger agencies and in-house marketing teams managing extensive portfolios.

Moz offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscriptions, allowing you to test the platform's full feature set before fully committing.

Moz Pro: Features

Moz AI

Moz Pro has integrated artificial intelligence throughout its platform to enhance SEO analysis and decision-making. All subscription plans now include access to Moz AI tools, which leverage machine learning to provide more accurate and actionable insights.

The platform's AI-powered keyword suggestions help you discover relevant opportunities based on search behavior patterns and industry trends. Rather than simply showing raw search volume data, Moz's AI analyzes semantic relationships and user intent to surface keywords that align with your content strategy. This two-layer approach combines a machine learning classification model with a rules-based system to deliver particularly granular intent metrics.

Brand Authority Score is another AI-driven feature that measures your domain's strength and credibility. It continuously analyzes various signals to help you understand how your brand stacks up against competitors in search results.

The Keyword Explorer tool uses AI to cluster related terms and identify content gaps that your competitors might be missing. This saves considerable time during the research phase, as the system automatically organizes keywords by topic and semantic relevance. You can also use AI-powered SERP analysis to understand which content formats and approaches are currently winning for your target keywords.

Keyword Research and Analysis

Moz offers a very in-depth keyword research and analysis feature. With a vast database of over 500 million keyword suggestions and comprehensive metrics like search volume, difficulty score, and SERP analysis, you can effortlessly identify promising keywords for your projects. The platform's Keyword Explorer tool is particularly impressive as it provides valuable insights to steer your SEO strategy. Furthermore, by monitoring keyword rankings over time, you can assess the effectiveness of your strategy and make the necessary changes.

Site Audits and Performance Monitoring

Moz's website checker carefully examines your site, pinpointing problems ranging from major errors to small flaws that can be improved. It looks at crawlability, HTTPS status, and page loading speed and gives you a list of problems ranked by their impact on your site's SEO. The performance tracker keeps an eye on your site's condition and alerts you if a new issue arises. This helps you stay proactive while monitoring your website’s progress.

Backlink Analysis and Link Building

Backlinks are the backbone of SEO, and MozPro's backlink analysis tools are probably among the best in the industry. We've used the platform to find really good opportunities for backlinks and check the strength of our current backlinks. 

You can even use Moz's backlink analysis tools to review your link profile, spot and disavow damaging links, and uncover new link-building chances. Similarly, Link Explorer provides details on the strength and quality of backlinks, helping you create a strong link profile.

Rank Tracking and Reporting

It goes without saying how crucial it is to monitor your website's search engine ranking. Moz Pro stands out in this aspect by providing accurate keyword ranking monitoring, tracking changes over time, and offering valuable insights into your website's visibility and performance. Additionally, Moz’s reporting functionality shines bright with its customization and in-depth metrics. With this, you can create reports focusing on specific keyword groups, time frames, or competitors. 

Moz Pro: ProductsMoz Pro

(Image credit: Moz Pro)

Moz Pro improves keyword research, site audits, and rank tracking. It provides valuable information about backlink profiles and competitor strategies, along with tools for optimizing pages and creating custom reports. With its extensive keyword database, Moz Pro helps you with strategic planning and prioritizing efforts for maximum return on investment. Plus, its useability goes well with both beginners and professionals, thanks to its educational resources and excellent customer support. Overall, as an SEO tool, it boosts your website’s visibility and drives organic traffic with actionable insights and features. 

Moz Local

(Image credit: Moz Pro)

If you're looking for a tool to manage your local SEO and boost your business's online presence, then Moz Local might be what you need. With this tool, you can create and handle your business listings on Google, Facebook, and other platforms effortlessly. It has many useful features like Continuous Listings Sync, Automatic Duplicate Removal, and Profile Optimization. Moreover, Moz Local offers a Review Management System to track and respond to reviews from one convenient dashboard. It also provides detailed reports and insights to monitor your business's online performance. 

STAT

(Image credit: Moz Pro)

STAT by Moz helps you stay ahead of your competition. It gives you detailed information about search engine results and lets you track your rankings daily. With STAT, you can monitor an unlimited number of keywords and competitor sites worldwide. Plus, the customizable alerts help you keep up with the latest trends. Starting at $720 per month for 6,000 keywords, STAT might suit agencies dealing with big projects. With that in mind, you should also consider looking at its other features like tracking local and mobile search results, expert support, and an easy-to-use API. 

Moz API

(Image credit: Moz Pro)

Moz designed this tool specifically to help out the developers, SEO & PR agencies, enterprise marketing teams, app developers, and mergers & acquisitions professionals. It gives you access to Moz's huge index of over 44 trillion links. With this API, you can get all sorts of detailed link data, like a number of linking root domains, anchor texts of URLs, and even the number of followed, unfollowed, and external links. On top of that, the Moz API also delivers smart metrics related to Domain Authority (DA )and Page Authority (PA). These metrics help you figure out the value and ranking potential of a domain or brand. What we love about Moz’s API is that it’s really versatile. You can build SEO or inbound marketing tools, add link metrics to websites, or even gather internal intelligence for making important strategic decisions. 

Moz Data

(Image credit: Moz Pro)

Moz Data offers a wide range of tools, APIs, and custom solutions to enhance SEO and AI models. It includes a large link index and a growing database of keywords and search engine results (SERPs). Along with that, it provides access to over 45.5 trillion links, 8.7 trillion URLs, and over a billion domains. 

Additionally, Moz Data offers about 1.25 billion monthly keyword volumes and over 800 million keyword suggestions. Pair this with the insights you get into more than 25 billion historical SERPs and 440 million new SERPs each month, and you’re all set to maximise the output. Digital marketers, AI developers, digital PR experts, and  M&A specialists who analyze markets and competitors find such data important for optimizing content and SEO strategies.

Free SEO Products

Moz Pro has a great set of free SEO tools that can help improve different parts of your content strategy. You can use Domain Analysis to see important SEO metrics like Domain Authority and top pages. Plus, you can explore over 1.25 billion keywords with Keyword Explorer to find the right keywords that can bring more traffic to your website. Similarly, Link Explorer gives you access to over 40 trillion links for detailed backlink data. Along with that, the Competitive Research feature helps you understand your competition in organic search. 

Moz offers a range of free tools that can take your SEO game to a whole different level. These tools are top-notch when it comes to analyzing links, tracking rankings, scoring keyword difficulty, optimizing local searches, and much more. Let's take a quick look at the free SEO tools provided by Moz.

• Domain Analysis: Get valuable SEO insights such as Domain Authority (DA), top pages, and more for any domain.
• Keyword Explorer: Discover and prioritize the best keywords for your website using Moz's extensive keyword database.
• Link Explorer: Uncover content and link building opportunities, and compare your site to competitors for effective link building.
• MozBar: A Chrome extension that allows you to analyze search, social, and page metrics of any website you visit.
• My Online Presence: Evaluate how your business appears on local search engines and directories, and enhance it with Moz Local.
• Free Domain Analysis: Instantly access SEO metrics like top pages, ranking keywords, and competitive analysis for any website.
• MozCast: Keep track of Google algorithm changes and monitor day-to-day fluctuations.

Moz Pro: Interface and in-use

Moz Pro's dashboard layout may not be as intuitive as SemRush or Ahrefs, but it still lets you assess website performance and identify areas for improvement quickly. Its Menu offers a wide range of features and options, but it is organized and easy to navigate. When you log in, you will find a customizable dashboard that gives you an overview of your projects, key metrics, and direct access to various SEO tools. Meanwhile, when you set up a new project, Moz provides helpful tips for selecting search engines and keywords.

Moz's suite includes specialized tools for keyword research, link analysis, site audits, and rank tracking, each with a user-friendly interface for managing and analyzing data. Furthermore, it goes on to integrate educational resources into the tool interface, giving you immediate access to learning materials to enhance your SEO strategies.

Moz Pro: Support

Moz offers highly informative resources covering every area of the service. If you’re new to SEO marketing, start with the Beginner’s Guide to SEO. From there, it’s easy to learn more in the SEO Learning Center which has guides available organized around twelve topic areas, or by posting questions in the Moz community which connects you with 500K+ digital marketers.

If you need some more help, you can also contact the support team directly via the help portal through the website. Moz has teams in Seattle and Vancouver, but the hours of operation or the response time is not listed. Unfortunately, there’s currently no option for either direct phone, direct email, or live chat support.

Moz Pro: The competition

With many platforms focused on a certain area of SEO, Moz Pro brings to the table a deep range of functions for keyword and competitor research, SEO crawling, backlink profiles, and more. It’s really one of the most comprehensive services for any company interested in SEO marketing.

Alternatively, this depth does contribute to a steeper learning curve than some others. If you’re new to SEO and especially with relatively small-scale needs, a more targeted and affordable service could be the better option.

Moz Pro: Final verdict

Moz Pro is an excellent SEO tool for businesses looking to enhance their online presence. It offers a wide range of features similar to SpyFu, Majestic, KWFinder, etc. Although softwares like SpyFu may be more user-friendly, Moz Pro stands out with its renowned and valuable metrics, making it a preferred choice for marketers. Plus, its USP is offering many free tools that have created a long-standing reputation of Moz in the SEO industry.   

In 2026, theme parks are a massive part of society. There are attractions all over the globe, competing to build the biggest and best rides to entertain thrill-seekers. They've become so successful that even Disney’s newest CEO comes from a park background, solidifying their importance in modern culture.

But back in 1955, the idea of a large-scale theme park like Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was seen as ridiculous, impossible, even. Such a feat had never been attempted before, and many people thought Walt Disney's dream was simply that, and could never be realized.

It's genuinely fascinating to watch all this unfold through Disney+'s new documentary Disneyland Handcrafted. I've been to a couple of Disney parks in my life, and I'll admit I might take them for granted at times. But imagine being there to witness the first-ever Disney park, built in just over a year? It's a remarkable achievement, and it's no wonder it's gone down in history.

I loved witnessing so many iconic attractions from start to finish, like the water ride Jungle Cruise and Mark Twain, which, at the time, was the first functional steamboat built in the US in 50 years.

There are some anxiety-inducing moments, too, as workers are seen climbing to great heights without the safety equipment we have today. The construction site for Disneyland looked nothing like modern-day ones, and it's so special to have all this archive footage preserving the process.

Disneyland Handcrafted is a love letter to Walt Disney's ambition and to the way he embraced television to spread the word about his theme park. He gave progress reports and marketed its development in a way that was groundbreaking back then, leveraging new technologies and ideas.

So many people worked hard to build Disneyland, from its attractions to Sleeping Beauty's castle, a huge structure that I'm constantly in awe of even now. Immersion was everything to make Disneyland a success; without an effective theme, it would've all fallen apart.

But Walt's team of designers, builders, and more were able to bring it all together, including the first iteration of Main Street, an iconic Disney-themed land, which resembles American small towns during the early 20th century.

Even though it's all laid out in front of us, it still seems unbelievable that they were even able to pull all this off. It's an incredibly hopeful documentary that proves how far determination and hard work can take you, even if people around you doubt you can do it.

Disneyland Handcrafted is sure to give you a new appreciation for theme parks, even beyond the Disney umbrella. So much work goes into funding, design, marketing, and building attractions.

Disneyland's opening was not perfect, as they ran into issues such as a plumber's strike, which forced a choice between working water fountains and toilets, leaving guests without drinking water. But the fact that it even existed back then is monumental, and improvements were made based on the all-important first visit. Over time, it's gotten even better, blossoming into the park we know and love today.

There are a few small issues with Disneyland Handcrafted. It doesn't provide a complete timeline or a deep dive into certain areas, as its short runtime limits it. However, there is enough to keep you engaged and plenty of new things to uncover, which may encourage you to go off and read more about it.

Walt himself doesn't appear much either, beyond important television broadcasts, which could disappoint some fans. But personally, I did enjoy the fact that it focused on all the people who worked hard on the Anaheim site every day, lifting heavy equipment and following blueprints that probably felt overwhelming at first. Together as a community, they really did build something beautiful.

Disney+ is home to plenty of great behind-the-scenes looks at the parks. We Call It Imagineering focuses on how Disney Parks are designed and built in the modern day, taking you behind the scenes of the biggest attractions and new ideas.

There's plenty to explore, and as a huge fan of Disney movies and parks, it's incredible getting to see the process and how it's changed over time. Disneyland Handcrafted is a must-watch for anyone keen to see where it all began, and it's streaming now on Disney+ and YouTube.

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GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: 30-second review

Out of the box, the GeekBook X14 Pro instantly strikes you as a premium laptop, with the magnesium alloy build not only contributing to the lightweight and robust design of this 14-inch laptop, but also giving it the unmistakable look and style of many other premium laptops of this size, most notably the MacBook Air and Microsoft Surface machines.

While it is lightweight and sleek, Geekom have ensured there is a decent amount of connectivity. If you're a business user, the fact that it has two USB4 and a full-size HDMI 2.1 port means it’s easy to connect to networks and other accessories, and any larger display. If the number of connectivity options isn’t enough for you, then in the box alongside the laptop is a hub that boosts the connection options and includes a dedicated LAN port.

The internal processing power is also impressive, and the fact that the small machine features one of the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processors, coupled with Arc graphics and an integrated NPU, means it's AI-ready and a perfect option if you rely on Copilot to help with your productivity.

One of the other key features here is the 2.8K OLED display, which is relatively bright at 450 nits, although with its glossy surface, reflections in brighter environments can be a bit of an issue.

Overall performance is exceptionally good, and opening up Microsoft’s main productivity apps, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, proves how well-tuned this machine is for day-to-day office work. If you want to touch on some creativity, then the 2TB SSD offers plenty of storage capacity for small projects, and this is backed up by the CPU and GPU power, which is more than capable of handling 1080p and 4K video. Through the test, I was able to put together a short video shot on a Sony A7 Mark V without too many issues. However, during the editing process, it is worth noting that as the production reached about five minutes, the machine took a little longer to process the footage and edit in DaVinci Resolve.

Switching down to an application such as CapCut, again with 4K video shot on the iPhone 15 Pro, the laptop is more than capable of swiftly enabling all edits as well as supplying effects and templates with ease.

Taking a look at photo editing and Lightroom, again, this is a machine that, while small and lightweight, is more than powerful enough to handle both of those applications. In Photoshop, using Generative Expand as well as some of the generation tools that are native to that application, the AI enhancements offered through the integrated MPU helped to speed up the image generation process.

Finally, when it came to looking at games, once again, this small laptop was extremely impressive. Taking a look firstly at DiRT Rally, it was able to cope with the graphics without too many issues, and I was able to do a few laps of various courses, although the fans did kick in trying to keep the small machine nice and cool.

Likewise, pushing the GPU a little bit further with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, again, the machine was able to cope with settings reduced. When the fans did kick in, the design seemed to be sufficient to keep that fan noise down to a bare minimum. However, you could really feel the heat building up.

Geekom GeekBook X14 Pro: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $1249 RRP
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Geekom and Amazon.com

At present, the GeekBook X14 Pro is available directly from the Geekom website, where the Core Ultra 5 model discounted to $1049 and the Core Ultra 9 model is $1249 at the time of review.

Both models are also available for the same price at Amazon.com here.

Right now, the laptop looks to only be available in the US.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: Specs

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 125H / Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
Graphics: Intel Arc integrated
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5x
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Left Ports: 2× USB4, 1× USB-A 3.2 Gen2, HDMI 2.1
Right Ports: USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 3.5mm combo jack, microSD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4
Audio: DTS:X Ultra stereo speakers
Camera: 1080p with privacy shutter
Size: 312 x 215 x 16.9 mm, 999g
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: 65W GaN USB-C charger, user manual

GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: Design

The GeekBook X14 Pro has been designed as a premium 14-inch laptop, and the magnesium alloy casing certainly reinforces that. From the moment you lift the machine out of the box, the matte silver finish is reminiscent of the MacBook Pro machines, with a slight wedge-like design that enables a bit more ventilation towards the back.

When it comes to size and weight, the laptop weighs in at 1030g, although the list weight is just under 1KG, and measures 312mm by 215mm by 20mm. The wedge shape makes this in line with the small MacBooks and Microsoft Surface.

The laptop is left minimalistic, just with the GEEKOM logo. Flipping over to the base, you have three large rubber feet to help keep it nice and secure when placed on a desktop.

Taking a look firstly at the left-hand side of the machine, you have the HDMI 2.1 port and two USB4 ports of the Type-C design. On the right-hand side, you have a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (labelled 5GB/s), a 3.5mm headphone combo port and a camera on/off slide switch to disable the webcam.

When it comes to power, this is all provided through a 65W PD GaN fast charger, which is USB-C to USB-C, so if you don't have the proprietary charger with you, you can use others to give this laptop a charging boost.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Opening up the machine, you’re presented with the 14-inch OLED display at a resolution of 2880 x 1800. This display is capable of showing 100% DCI-P3 colour at 450 nits of brightness, with a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate, which is good for creativity as well as gaming and multimedia.

When it comes to the keyboard, it is of a decent size, although not full-size. GEEKOM have really thought about the layout, with backspace, enter and shift keys on the right side being a little larger than the other keys. The cursor keys also give you two-thirds left and right, and half-sized up and down keys, making it quite easy to navigate through documents.

The touchpad is also a decent size, measuring 120 x 71 mm, and supports multi-gesture control. It's made of Mylar, ensuring that it has a good, long life and is perfect for day-to-day use.

• Design: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: Features

The premium looks of the GeekBook X14 Pro give you some idea of the quality of the electronics within, and the small machine features one of the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPUs. This is coupled with Intel Arc graphics and an integrated NPU.

One of the other big selling points is the high-resolution 2.8K OLED display, capable of displaying the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 100% with a 120Hz refresh rate and brightness up to 450 nits.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 mobile processor offers 16 cores, 22 threads, 24MB onboard cache, and a 5.1GHz turbo boost. This is more than sufficient for a workflow of most creativity apps and top-level games. I’ll be using Indiana Jone and the Great Circle to test this out later.

The Intel graphics are similarly impressive with the Xe-LPG architecture that enables XeSS upscaling, support for DirectX 12.1, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This allows you to play far more power-intensive games than you'd expect from a laptop of this size. For creatives, there is AV1 and H.265/HEVC support for video, and it's also AI-ready for graphics, which I was able to test using the Adobe Creative Suite.

The GeekBook X14 is one of a growing number of new laptop releases that feature an NPU alongside the Intel CPU and GPU. This enables greater hardware processing for AI, so if you utilise Copilot or some of the AI features within applications, then this NPU will help speed up the process.

Inside, there's a relatively large 72Wh battery that will last up to 16 hours for light use and can be fast-charged using the 65W GaN adapter. It also supports USB-C charging, so even if you don’t have your charger with you, you should be able to find some other way to charge.

The laptop also supports USB4, enabling ultra-fast transfer rates as well as connectivity to networks and high-resolution external displays without too many issues. One of the features that really caught my eye was the inclusion of a full-sized HDMI port, so it's easy to connect to a display when giving presentations.

As well as the wired connectivity features, Wi-Fi 6E offers fast networking and transfer rates. Whilst there is no wired network port, GEEKOM have gone to the effort of including a slimline USB4 hub in the box, which gives you a standard network connector as well as additional ports. This is a great addition that enables you to keep the laptop nice and slim but expand the ports if and when you need.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• Features: 4.5 / 5

GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: PerformanceBenchmark scores

Benchmark Results:
CrystalDiskMark Read: 6994.18 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 6188.09 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 12,600
Geekbench CPU Single: 2,382
Geekbench GPU: 30,577
PCMark Overall: 7,536
Cinebench CPU Multi: 12,133
Cinebench CPU Single: 1,700
Fire Strike Overall: 7,513
Fire Strike Graphics: 8,107
Fire Strike Physics: 23,448
Fire Strike Combined: 2,925
Time Spy Overall: 3,780
Time Spy Graphics: 3,427
Time Spy CPU: 9,087
Wild Life Overall: 23,102
Steel Nomad Overall: 701
Windows Experience Overall: 8.2

Getting started with the latest Windows laptops just involves running through the last few setup screens of Windows 11, and in this case, the Pro release. Whether you're doing this yourself or have an IT team handling it, the process is relatively quick and easy, with the usual registration of existing Microsoft or Google accounts before the main Windows 11 Pro interface opens up.

In this test, I started off with some of the Microsoft productivity applications as well as browsing the internet, putting together a slide presentation on darkroom photography for a course I’m presently running. Windows 11 Pro was able to handle Microsoft Word and PowerPoint with absolutely no issues, and as I added to Excel sheets on development times and chemical mixture ratios, it was able to handle relatively large slides and images. What stood out here was that 2.8K resolution screen, which just enables a little bit more real estate when it comes to handling Excel, which is a huge advantage even on this relatively small 14-inch screen.

The bezel around that 14-inch screen is also very slight, so you get maximum coverage. Whilst the screen looks good, bright and very clear, with good tonal graduation and overall quality, it was apparent from the outset that it has slightly more reflection than some of the laptops I’ve looked at recently, including the far more expensive ASUS ExpertBook. But still, considering this is almost £1000 cheaper, it holds up extremely well, as long as you're not in a bright location where screen reflections could make it a little tricky to see what you're doing.

As expected from most Windows laptops these days, the ability to handle Microsoft applications goes without saying. If you're looking for a straightforward, powerful laptop for general day-to-day business processing, then the GeekBook X14 Pro is a superb option.

However, I had to push this a little further. Having now used quite a few machines with the new Intel Core Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 CPUs, I was keen to see how good it was at handling DaVinci Resolve with some straight 4K video footage shot on the Sony A7 Mark V. This 4K footage isn't the highest bitrate, but it is good standard quality video you'd use for YouTube or social media content. DaVinci Resolve was able to handle a five-minute edit without too many issues, and the large 2TB SSD offered fast transfer rates, both read and write, around 6000 MB/s, while the USB4 connectivity enabled me to connect to a fast SSD, allowing smooth editing. This surpassed what I thought it would be capable of.

Where it did start to struggle was when effects were applied, and the fans kicked in to keep everything cool. There was a little lag on render times, but as long as you dragged the footage into the timeline, waited a second or two to settle and render, and then made the edit, the process was relatively smooth.

Switching in DaVinci Resolve to 4K video shot on the iPhone 15 Pro and opening that in CapCut, the experience improved further. CapCut is a far more lightweight video editor and much better suited to a small machine like this. It handled the 4K footage without issue, and as effects and templates were applied, there were no problems with slowdown. While once again you could feel the heat building up, it was able to stay on top of thermal throttling, enabling fast and smooth edits and uploads.
While I was initially worried that the machine is limited to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, with no option to upgrade, through the review process, this proved more than enough, not only for day-to-day office use but also for relatively light video editing work.

Switching over to stills imaging and looking at Lightroom and Photoshop, again, this small machine was able to handle both without issue. Lightroom catalogues were created and adjustments made in both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC at speed, showing that it’s a great option if you are a photographer looking for a very lightweight yet powerful small laptop. Likewise, Photoshop ran exceptionally well, and with AI enhancements like Generative Expand and image generation, the onboard processing made the experience relatively quick.

Finally, I loaded up a couple of games to see how it could handle them. Starting off with DiRT Rally, that CPU and GPU combo was far more powerful than the game required. I didn’t push the graphics, and the gameplay was smooth. However, the keyboard wasn’t the greatest for gaming; the keys lacked the responsiveness you’d want, so switching over to a dedicated controller is, as ever, a far better idea.

Then, really pushing the system, I loaded up Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The graphics quality needed to be lowered to get decent gameplay, and even then, you could feel a little stutter as the machine warmed up. But ultimately, the game was playable, really highlighting the leap forward these mobile CPU and GPU combos have made in the last year.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

For creative applications, I was impressed across the board. Whilst there was a little bit of a delay and waiting in DaVinci Resolve, it could handle pretty much anything I threw at it. My one issue was that I couldn’t quite get the hang of the trackpad; it wasn’t as responsive as many others, and the double-click on the left corner wasn’t as precise as I would’ve hoped.

There was also a feeling of slight lightness to the keyboard, and it didn’t have that precision of key press that I find with some of the more premium models. But then again, considering the price, you’re paying for the quality and speed of performance rather than the precision of the keyboard and trackpad.

Whilst the screen proved to be of decent quality with good tonal graduation and a relatively bright 450 nits of brightness, I did find the surface just a little overly reflective. It’s an issue in cafés, but if you’re sat in an office or on a train, that should be absolutely fine, just make sure you’re not sat with your back to a bright window.

Audio quality was also better than expected. With DTSX built in, the small speakers were able to produce a decent sound, not quite as deep and full-bodied as you’d get from a MacBook Pro or Microsoft Surface, but you’d only notice if you had those machines side-by-side.

Overall, if you’re looking for a very decent, premium-styled 14-inch Windows laptop for work and some light creative and gaming use, then the GeekBook X14 Pro is a superb option.

Should I buy the GEEKOM GeekBook X14 Pro?

Value

Considering that this is a powerful laptop for around the $1000 / £1000 price mark, it’s extremely impressive

4.5

Design

Good quality outer shell and design, let down slightly by the trackpad and lightweight keyboard

4

Features

Good range of features, with the power of the CPU, GPU and MPU really standing out

4.5

Performance

Able to handle all productivity and light-to-medium creative and gaming tasks 

4.5

Overall

A relatively cheap premium laptop that will suit those who require power in a lightweight and relatively robust form

4.5

Buy it if...

You want lightweight portable power
This is a good Windows laptop that's as light as a tablet but strong enough for real work on the go.

OLED display matters
If you’re a content creator, the 2.8K OLED screen and colour fidelity are definitely a big advantage.

Don't buy it if...

You need upgrade options
If you're the type who wants to swap out RAM or storage later, the soldered design isn’t for you.

You like to relax with gaming
Integrated Arc graphics are solid, but not meant for high-end 1440p/4K gaming—although they do pretty well.

For more productivity machines, we've reviewed the best business laptops around.

Notta Memo: 30-second review

The Notta Memo is another AI-enhanced voice recorder that enables you to record voice memos, record meetings and calls for the purpose of AI transcription, though not in real time, but almost. The style of design is slim and compact with MagSafe mounting, so it’s easily attachable to the back of your iPhone. For other manufacturer phones, there’s a magnetic ring in the box, so even if you're using an Android , you can still easily connect the Notta Memo neatly in place.

From the outset, the ease of use of the Notta Memo stands out, with a single button press to start and stop recording. A switch on the left side of the screen lets you switch between voice calls on your mobile and recording meetings or voice memos. That combination of a button press and a physical switch on the device itself is a really nice touch, letting you quickly access options without having to delve into an app or on-device screens.

Throughout the review process, I utilised the Notta Memo in lectures, meetings, and during phone calls, and in different situations, from a crowded and noisy classroom, through to phone calls in a busy café and meetings in a far quieter office. Each time, the Notta Memo impressed me. It was able to isolate all speakers nicely and cleanly. Again, what I really came to like was the physical switch on the device, enabling me to quickly switch between recording phone calls and live meetings, making it intuitive and like an integral part of the phone.

The one thing that was a little bit irritating was that, to utilise the Notta Memo, you need to first register the app and the device. You can use the AI offline, and the audio recording feature lets you record phone calls or meetings with a single tap, but for the AI features, the core of what this device is about, registration, is needed.

Whilst you can perform basic functionality such as audio recording, the device needs to be online to access transcription, AI summary, chat, language translation, and app sync and export of your recordings. Essentially, it becomes no more than a dictaphone without the app or internet connection.

One of the other smaller issues that I had with the Notta Memo is that once again, it uses a magnetic proprietary charging and data cable, which means that if you do leave home without that cable, you can't use a MagSafe charger or a more standard USB option to give it a boost in power. But then, because of the device's slim profile, fitting into a USB socket would be slightly counterintuitive.

As it goes, the Notta Memo is definitely a step up from the already-impressive AI-enhanced voice recorders I've seen. It's just a shame that an internet connection is still required even for the most basic of grip processes.

Notta Memo: Price and availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

• How much does it cost? From $149 / £139
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Online retailers such as Amazon

At present, the Notta Memo is available for $149 on Amazon.com and £139 at Amazon.co.uk.

• Value: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Specs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Languages: 58 supported
Microphones: 4 MEMS + 1 bone conduction
Battery: 30 h recording / 28 days standby
Storage: 32 GB
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Charging: Magnetic cable
Display: Small status screen
Accessories: Leather MagSafe case, ring adapter, charging cable

Notta Memo: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The style of these AI-enhanced voice recorders is quite generic, all being about credit card size and ultra-slim so they can easily attach to the back of your mobile phone through some sort of MagSafe connection. For the Notta Memo, it comes in its own leather magnetic wallet, which it neatly slips into before attaching it to the back of your phone.

If, however, you're using an Android phone that doesn't have MagSafe capabilities, the company has included a magnetic ring in the box that simply sticks to the back of your phone or phone case, enabling easy connectivity.

Before starting the Notta Memo, the device needs a good charge, and here a magnetic charger cable is used. This is proprietary to the system and will only fit one way round, but again keeps the sleek, low-profile design of the Notta Memo. You just need to ensure you take it with you, as you won't be able to use any MagSafe or USB-C charger to top it up if it runs out of power, which, from reviewing a few of these devices now, I would personally have preferred.

When it comes to physical size and design, it measures 86.1 x 55.1 x 3.5 mm, essentially the same size as a credit card, just slightly thicker. Weight-wise, and again given the technology it contains, a weight of 28 g is impressive. On top of that, you do have to think about the leather wallet, but it doesn't add much to the unit and does let you easily attach it to the back of your phone, so it's always there, ready to use.

On the device, it’s very simple. On the front, it has a really beautiful, tactile texture, and, of course, it's extremely thin. At the top, there's a small switch that lets you record phone calls or meetings. Next to this is a 1-inch screen that shows which mode you're in, and to the right is the record-on/off button. So again, very minimalistic and simple.

Aside from the design and build's visual and physical features, there are 4 MEMS microphones and 1 bone-conduction microphone built in, which help the Notta Memo capture some of the clearest audio of any AI recording device I've looked at so far.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Notta Memo is an AI-enhanced voice recorder that records audio in real time, transcribes it into text, and lets it be saved, interrogated, or summarised in a multitude of formats. This obviously gives you a quicker way to cover meeting notes than traditional data, and you can type simple human questions into the search box after a meeting to ask and clarify what was said. It's an extremely useful tool for anyone in business who often takes phone calls or meetings and needs a transcription to check over later.

Obviously, this in itself is impressive, but the Notta Memo, like many others, goes a step further. It has a companion app with templates to help you create summaries, identify and differentiate between speakers, and create action lists you can utilise later.

These AI voice recorders are improving rapidly, and Notta Memo can transcribe live audio and translate it simultaneously. So if you do find yourself in a multilingual conversation, you can record the audio, translate it almost live, and converse with people in different languages, although you can't just use your Notta Memo alone, and you will need the companion mobile app. While this sounds great, it isn’t quite the live transcription and translation, but it is handy.

That app ties the Notta Memo features together, not only enabling all the advanced AI voice recorder options but also letting you create summaries from a list of templates or export the audio, transcription, or translation so you can send it to other parties.

One of the big features of this AI voice recorder is that it has four highly tuned MEMS microphones, which are very good at picking out the voice from background noise, including busy conversations, even in a crowded café. This means that it picks up not only the vocals but who is talking and is able to differentiate and label voice one and voice two (or more), so once you're looking through the note, you can tell who has said what.

Like many AI voice recorders, there’s a physical switch on the front so that you can switch between the microphone modes. This switches the pickup from being used to pick up people talking in the same room (say, in a meeting), and then, if a call comes through, you can quickly switch to a bone-conduction microphone to pick up the audio from the phone conversation.

The hardware is impressive, though very minimalistic, but it's the app where all the processing happens, enabling real-time transcription and translation, as well as an AI summary and AI chat, so you can ask the app about the conversations you have recorded. These AI features are impressive and, alongside the chat, transcription and translation, there are also 30+ smart templates that you can use to summarise meetings, create sales pitches and far more.

However, it is worth noting that for many advanced features, you will need to pay an additional subscription fee in addition to the device's cost. However, unlike some others, the starter plan is free, offering 300 minutes of AI transcription per month, a good number of reusable AI templates, and AI chat and real-time transcription speaker identification.

• Features: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

My first introduction to one of these AI recorders was about a year ago, and at the time, the potential was obvious; the ability to record meeting audio that you can then listen back to for reference has been common place for years, but these AI audio recorders take it a step further.

A transcription of what was said by who is only the surface of the abilities, but then the transcription can be formatted so that you can search, summarise and reformat for different purposes. The fact that you can have it as a document or a PDF just adds to its usability. The fact that you can now use a chatbot to discuss and question the meeting transcription afterwards is an invaluable business asset.

From this point of view, the Notta Memo makes a lot of sense. Before I go into how it was to use it, it’s worth pointing out that Notta already has quite a substantial presence in the AI voice recording market, with a standalone app for your mobile phone. So, initially, you might think: why spend almost £200/$200 on a dedicated piece of hardware if you can just get by with your mobile phone?

The simple answer to this is pure convenience. Firstly, having a hardware device with 32 GB of internal storage means you won't fill up your phone's storage with voice recordings. Once you use these AI apps, you realise how useful they are and how quickly they fill up your phone with multiple recordings, especially since a few meetings last only half an hour.

The other point is that with the Notta Memo attached to the back of your phone, it’s always there, ready to use. Whilst it's normally just a quick swipe up on your phone, you still need to launch the app. Here, with the Notta Memo, if you make a call, you simply slide the switch to the call position and press the button. It's all a very natural movement, and you know that you're going to capture everything that was said. Likewise, if you're in a meeting, you can place your phone screen down, tap the button again (making sure the switch is in the right place), and the meeting will be recorded, ready for transcription later.

So really think of the hardware as convenience, firstly for the storage it provides, and then for the quick access to the buttons and of course battery life. It’s just quick and easy to use, making it far more intuitive than digging through your phone for that app. I also found that when I tried to use the app in a meeting, I was always asked what it was and what it would do. Whereas with the piece of hardware on the back doing exactly the same thing, you can simply say it’s a digital recorder, and everyone seems perfectly happy with it, especially when they see the consolidated notes at the end and the easily organised action points that would usually take a while to type up after a meeting has finished.

During the test, I used the Memo in three main areas. The first was during a photography evening class, where I taught black-and-white photography. Whilst the students already had PDF slide notes, additional information often comes up through the night, most importantly, questions about the process of film or print development that arise as the evening progresses. Whilst they do try to make a note of these in a notebook, there are often one or two points that slip through.

But here, with Notta Memo, at the end of the evening, I was able to save the transcription and ask it to pull out a series of Q&As, and it listed them out perfectly. I was able to copy and paste these into an email and send them to all the participants of the evening as a handy addition to the lecture. What impressed me here was that it cut out all the additional chitchat that happened through the night. I was able to use the AI to pull out all the relevant information for the evening and summarise it so I could easily pass it on.

In the next test, I had a small editorial meeting. I needed to speak to a couple of writers and the editor about a few projects I have going on, as well as the logistics of moving certain cameras from one location to another. Here, Notta Memo really came into its own, able to separate the individual speakers and create action points for each. This saved us time while we were taking notes. Having a unified summary made all the difference, so we were all looking at the same interpretation of the meeting rather than walking away with slightly different thoughts. Essentially, the action points were clear and assigned to each individual.

The final test was the phone pickup, again, a simple, straightforward conversation with a colleague about a new 3D printer and a few issues I was having, which they had already sorted out with the manufacturer. Through that conversation, they walked me through the network connectivity step by step. Whilst I was furiously writing notes, just knowing I had that conversation recorded and could ask it questions later on was a huge help, especially as there was so much information to take on board.

What’s even more impressive is that I had to do this conversation in a busy café in Salisbury. Whilst the noise wasn’t drowning out the call, there were a few times when I found it difficult to fully make out what was being said. However, with the live transcription also happening, I could read what was being said, although I will say there was a good five-second delay between the speaker telling me a procedure and those words appearing on the screen.

This time delay varies depending on the strength of your mobile phone's connection, and at all times, all transcription, translation, and templates require a good network connection to work. Later on, I was taking some memo notes whilst on a dog walk using the Notta Memo. I wanted to quickly summarise those notes so that I could send them on to a colleague. However, because there was no internet connection, all I could do at that time was voice record, then translate it once the connection came back in.

Throughout the test, I attempted to use the Memo for a couple of days in between charges. The battery life seemed exceptional. However, once again, it has a proprietary charger, and I always find this can be a bit of an issue, especially when you forget to take that charger with you. Although it might add a little bulk to part of the device, I'm sure it could have been designed so that a USB cable could be inserted rather than the magnetic connection at the back. It might not be quite as convenient for the design, but it would certainly be more handy and usable for anyone who travels frequently.

32GB might not sound like a lot of storage, but when it comes to transcription and audio voice recording, that’s actually quite a great deal. Through the course of this review, I must’ve recorded some 20 hours’ worth of audio, which all sat perfectly happily within the Notta Memo. What I like here is that you can sync that audio with the Notta Cloud, so if you need to access that note and you don’t have the Notta Memo with you, you can log in online and find everything there.

Whilst I have used quite a few of these AI voice recorders, I will say that the depth of the Notta app and its online presence are greater. My one issue with this, as with some of the other recent AI-enhanced devices and applications that I've used, is the overuse of emojis and cartoon characters, such as waving cats, which just doesn’t seem very professional or businesslike in a business-focused device.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Notta Memo is an exceptionally impressive AI voice recorder, and if you're looking for a dedicated device to complement your mobile phone so you're not filling it up with voice recordings and can also access it quickly whenever a call or meeting happens, then it's a superb option.

I like that you can either use it live, connected via Bluetooth to the app, or, if you're not with your phone and just want to take the recorder, record the vocals and have the transcription applied to those recordings later.

The app is one of the most comprehensive that I've seen. The transcription speed is superb. My only quibble with the app and the online presence is that some of the light-hearted aspects, such as clapping cats and caricatures that randomly appear at different points, just don't feel very professional compared with some other options.

However, that's in stark contrast to the power it actually has, and compared with many of the other AI transcription and, for that matter, translation options, it is extremely powerful. What also gives it the edge is not only the pure accuracy of that transcription, but the fact that you get a decent amount of transcription for free. Obviously, you need to pay for the hardware, but unlike other devices, you can get by for most general use without paying an additional monthly subscription.

AI voice recorders are in their infancy, and whilst many people will see the benefits, it isn't until you start to use one in your day-to-day life that you realise just how useful they are. Just having one in a meeting to record the audio so you can quickly summarise it afterwards is invaluable. And when you're making phone calls, especially to colleagues, having that recording firstly to listen back to, but also to quickly type into a chat and ask to summarise that phone call, is again extremely useful.

At present, I don't really know anyone other than myself who has started using one of these AI voice recorders, but every time I show someone one of these iterations, they need very little explanation as to why they're so useful. Soon, I'm sure they'll become commonplace, attached to the backs of people's mobile phones, ready to aid people in their busy lives alongside AI-enhanced apps we have yet to imagine.

Should I buy a Notta Memo?

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Value

Under £200/$200 for a slimline device that essentially does what your mobile phone can do with an app may sound expensive — until you start using it. Then its convenience becomes apparent.

4/5

Design

The slimline design and MagSafe connection let it sit on the back of your phone, ready for use whenever you need it. Just a shame it uses a proprietary charger.

4/5

Features

The ease of recording with the switch, screen, and button makes it extremely easy to interact with, and the fully featured app, which includes templates, makes it one of the most feature-packed AI recorders yet. 

4.5/5

Performance

Transcription accuracy across the test — in the lecture theatre, café, and a quieter meeting room — was almost 100%.

5/5

Overall

Slim, stylish, and easy to use with superb accuracy. Once you start to use one of these devices, there really is no going back.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need meeting notes.
If you're in a meeting and need to take the minutes, this audio recorder will quickly summarise everything that's been said, who said it, and create action points.

You need to quickly translate.
If you're off to a trade show anywhere in the world, and you know you're going to be in situations where you'll be talking to people in a variety of languages, even if the translation isn't live, it is certainly fast.

Don't buy it if...

You only take notes occasionally.
While the idea of a dedicated hardware device might be appealing, most of the features can be found through the standard Notta app, which is a software download with a subscription for both iOS and Android devices.

You're worried about privacy.
You can make audio recordings offline and take notes, but to use all features, you must be logged in to the ecosystem to enable online transcription, translation, and other features.

For more note-taking tools, we reviewed the best speech-to-text apps around.

Specs

Type: color laser printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: USB Host

Print speed: 33ppm

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 600x600dpi; 38,400x600dpi (enhanced)

Memory: 512MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4 x set-up cartridges (1,200 black, 1,000 color pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 421 x 427 x 288 mm (WxDxH)/36lb/16.3kg

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw (or 4202dw in the UK) is an office-oriented color laser printer capable of fast high-volume printing. It improves significantly on the HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw with faster print speeds, increased paper and toner capacity and an upgradable modular design.

This makes it well-suited to a busy workgroup of around ten people, but I’m sure its slick and relatively compact design will also appeal to home-based workers. For me, the enhanced black print quality is an attraction, while its somewhat expensive toner cartridges aren’t, so let’s see how it performs overall.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Design and build

(Image credit: HP // Future)

Crisp corners, strict symmetry and refreshing blue panels ensure the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw stands out from all the other off-white office printers. It’s compact enough to share your desk at home and its modular design can be expanded with the addition of a 550-sheet paper tray to suit a growing business.

The blue drawer at the bottom can hold up to 250 sheets of Letter or A4 paper, the standard amount, while the blue panel above reveals a 50-sheet multi-purpose tray, which is more useful than the usual single sheet. The output tray on top is also deeper than most, holding up to 150 sheets.

To access the toner cartridges, you press a button on the side of the printer to make that blue panel hinge all the way open. Another tiny flap on top of the printer hides a handy USB Host port. Always a welcome feature. All other ports are hidden on the rear panel.

Despite being a fairly costly step up from the HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw, there’s still no touchscreen, just a four-line LCD with a rotary dial beneath it. Some users might like this retro design choice, but I found it annoying. Overall, I think the design and build quality inspires confidence.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Features & specifications

(Image credit: HP // Future)

HP has endowed this mid-price printer with plenty of features and a pretty high specification. It can duplex print, of course, and has dual-band Wi-Fi 5 with AirPrint and Mopria compatibility. There’s a USB Host port in addition to the usual square USB-B port and HP has even-thrown in a USB-A to USB-B data cable.

It has wide media compatibility with 33 choices appearing on the menu when you come to identify the type of paper you loaded. It can take any size sheet up to letter, legal or A4 with the heaviest paper it can handle being 200 g/m² which is actually fairly thin card. It has HP’s Wolf Pro Security software built in and an adequate 512MB memory.

The print speed is given as 33 or 35ppm (pages per minute) depending whether printing on Letter or A4 paper and that was broadly confirmed by my testing. That’s about equal to the Xerox C320, but slower than HP’s black and white printers.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw can take large cartridges capable of holding enough toner for up to 7,500 black and white pages and can be expanded to hold up to 850 sheets of paper if you buy the extra paper tray. That kind of capacity should meet the needs of any SME (small to medium enterprise) and HP suggests a monthly duty cycle of up to 50,000 pages.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Setup and operation

(Image credit: HP // Future)

With the set-up cartridges already pre-loaded, this printer is almost ready to print out of the box. The setup guide runs to 5 pages, but you won’t need it. Just load your paper, turn on and follow the on-screen prompts. I found that initiation took longer than usual because of the dial interface. Like a safe cracker, you need to turn it this way and that to enter every letter of your wi-fi password. Unlike some of HP’s printers, there’s no inbuilt Bluetooth to hand the setup of this printer straight to the HP Smart app on your mobile device.

The next model up in this series is the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301dw multifunction printer, which does have a touchscreen, and I can see HP’s logic. A single-function device doesn’t have enough settings to justify the expense of a touchscreen. But that doesn’t stop most rival printers at this price having one.

The free HP Smart app for Android or iOS gives you an alternative to the dial interface, but you’ll still need to scroll through the paper types at the machine each time you switch media.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Performance

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw performed very well in my tests, achieving strong print quality in all categories, but most notably with text documents. Black text on plain paper looks especially dark and crisp with unusually sharp definition.

This must be down to HP’s 6-bit resolution enhancement technology (RET) which has the effect of boosting the native 600x600dpi engine to a claimed 38,400x600 in best black mode. Basically, with 64 levels of gray (6-bit), the printer is multiplying 600 dots x 64 to give you 38,400 dots.

Mixed color documents also look impressive, thanks to the vivid nature of HP’s LaserJet toner. It’s applied evenly too, so there’s less of that banding you see when shading blocks of black or solid color. Photographs also fare well here, especially when I switched to laser photo paper.

Laser photo paper is only slightly heavier and glossier than regular paper, which is one reason lasers aren’t as good as inkjets when it comes to photos. The other reason is you can always see the dots that make up the 600x600 dpi laser photo and that’s still the case here. Even so, this laser printer is better than most and certainly good enough for printing eye-catching images on brochures and handouts.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Consumables

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The consumables cost for the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is competitive for monochrome prints, but slightly higher than average for color prints. And there’s only a limited amount of pre-loaded toner. It ships with four setup cartridges which should yield up to 1,200 black or 1,000 color pages, which is about half the toner you get in HP’s standard carts.

The extra high-yield carts, however, can deliver up to 7,500 and 2,200 black and color pages respectively and it’s these expensive carts that give the lowest cost per page (CPP). With the black cartridges having a much higher yield than color, but small difference in price, you have monochrome pages with a pretty good CCP of around two and half cents and color pages costing more than 15 cents.

HP uses software to block any cartridge without a genuine HP chip, so I wouldn’t recommend buying cheaper third-party toner. Given the high quality of its monochrome output in particular, the answer is to buy this printer if you print predominantly in black and white.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Maintenance

(Image credit: HP // Future)

Like other low-maintenance laser printers, the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw combines the optical drum with the toner cartridge, so drum replacement is not a consideration. On the downside, it explains why the cost of its cartridges is relatively high.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw: Final verdictHP // FutureHP // FutureHP // FutureHP // Future

There’s a lot to like about the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw. Its slick and compact design, the rapid duplex print rate and the enhanced black print quality for a start. Having two paper inputs is very convenient, while the option to add a third is sensible future-proofing for a growing business.

I’m not so keen on the rotary dial interface — I would have preferred a touchscreen — and it’s a pity it can’t handle paper heavier than 200 g/m². A bigger concern is the relatively high cost of HP’s color cartridges, but that still doesn’t put me off.

The high quality of its black and white output and the more competitive price of its black toner make this an ideal printer for anyone who needs to print a high volume of predominantly monochrome pages.

For more top-rated options, check out my guides to the best home printers and the best laser printers I've tested.

Ahrefs is a leading SEO tool with tried-and-true features like keyword research, rank tracking, backlink tracking, content research, and site audit capabilities. It remains one of the most powerful SEO platforms available in 2026, now enhanced with cutting-edge AI features for content optimization and brand visibility tracking.

While the pricing is premium and AI tools require additional investment, the platform's industry-leading backlink index, rich keyword database, and innovative use of AI make it a great choice for serious SEO professionals — even though there are a few caveats.

Let's get into more of that now.

• You can sign up to Ahrefs here.

Ahrefs: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Plan

Starting rate (paid annually)

Stating rate (paid monthly)

Starter

$29/month

$29/month

Lite

$129/month

$108/month

Standard

$249/month

$208/month

Advanced

$449/month

$374/month

Enterprise

$1,499/month

$1,499/month

Ahrefs has fully revamped its pricing structure for 2026, now offering five subscription tiers plus several optional add-ons to meet diverse user needs. All plans include access to core tools like Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit, with higher tiers offering increased limits, historical data access, and advanced features.

Starter Plan ($29/mo): The newest addition to Ahrefs' lineup, the Starter plan provides entry-level access to Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit with 100 credits per month. This plan is ideal for individuals testing Ahrefs or running small-scale projects. Note that this plan only supports monthly renewal and doesn't allow purchasing additional credits or users.

Lite Plan ($129/mo): Ahrefs' Lite plan costs $129/mo ($108/mo if billed yearly) and remains ideal for solo marketers, freelancers, and small businesses. It supports up to 5 projects with 6 months of historical data and allows tracking of 750 keywords. Users get 500 credits per month and 100,000 crawl credits for site audits. The plan includes 1 user with the option to add up to 2 more at $40/mo each.

Standard Plan ($249/mo): The Standard plan is priced at $249/mo ($208/mo if billed yearly) and caters to freelance SEOs and marketing consultants. It supports 20 projects with 2 years of historical data and unlimited monthly credits. Keyword tracking increases to 2,000 keywords with 500,000 crawl credits per month. Additional features include Portfolios, Content Explorer, and Batch Analysis. The plan includes 1 user with the option to add up to 5 more at $60/mo each.

Advanced Plan ($449/mo): The Advanced plan costs $449/mo (or $374/mo, if billed annually) and is designed for SEO agencies and larger marketing teams. It supports 50 projects with 5 years of historical data and includes all Standard features plus Looker Studio integration and advanced Site Explorer capabilities. Keyword tracking extends to 5,000 keywords with 1.5 million crawl credits per month. The plan includes 1 user with the option to add up to 10 more at $80/mo each.

Enterprise Plan ($1,499/mo): The Enterprise plan has increased from $999/mo to $1,499/mo and requires an annual commitment. It's designed for large enterprises with custom needs, supporting up to 100 projects with unlimited historical data. The plan includes 3 users (with unlimited additional users at $100/mo each) and allows tracking of 10,000+ keywords with 5+ million crawl credits. Exclusive features include API access, SSO, audit logs, and advanced security controls.

All plans now include the new Social Media Manager feature in beta. Ahrefs also offers a free Webmaster Tools plan with limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit, perfect for website owners who want to monitor their own sites without a full subscription.

Optional Addons:

Brand Radar AI: Starting at $199/month

AI Content Helper: $99/month

Content Kit: $299/month

Report Builder: $99/month

Project Boost Pro: $20/month per project

Project Boost Max: $200/month per project

• We've featured the best onpage SEO tools.

Ahrefs: FeaturesAI Tools

Ahrefs has significantly expanded its AI capabilities in 2025-2026, introducing several features that help marketers optimize content, track brand visibility in AI search results, and automate repetitive SEO tasks. These AI-powered tools represent a major evolution in how the platform addresses the changing landscape of search and content discovery.

Brand Radar AI stands as Ahrefs' most ambitious AI feature, tracking how brands appear across major AI platforms including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude. With a database exceeding 239 million prompts, Brand Radar monitors brand mentions, analyzes share of voice against competitors, identifies topic gaps where competitors appear but you don't, and correlates AI citations with web mentions from Ahrefs' massive index.

AI Content Helper ($99/month as an add-on) transforms content optimization by analyzing your draft against top-ranking pages and identifying topical coverage gaps. Rather than focusing on keyword density, it uses AI to identify core topics for your target keyword and scores how well your content covers those topics in real-time as you write. The tool provides color-coded sentence analysis showing which subtopics are covered, word-for-word recommendations for improving topic depth, and an integrated AI chat assistant that can provide feedback, brainstorm ideas, and help refine your writing.

AI Content Grader (available only for Enterprise customers) serves as a lighter version of Content Helper, assessing topic coverage of your content versus the top three SERP competitors using a traffic light grading system. This tool is particularly useful for quickly evaluating existing content and planning updates without the full content creation workflow.

Beyond these flagship tools, Ahrefs has embedded AI throughout its platform. AI Keyword Suggestions in Keywords Explorer help brainstorm lateral keyword opportunities your competitors may have overlooked. AI Search Intent Analysis goes beyond traditional intent categories (informational, navigational, transactional, commercial) to provide granular breakdowns showing exactly what percentage of traffic goes to each specific intent type. AI Keyword Translator automatically translates keyword lists into 40+ languages while preserving local dialect nuances, making international SEO research significantly faster.

Finally, the upcoming Patches feature will use AI to automatically fix simple technical SEO issues on your website with one click, eliminating the need for developer involvement for common problems like missing meta tags or broken schema markup. The platform also includes AI detection in Site Audit, which can identify pages with AI-generated content, and an "Ask AI" feature throughout the interface that helps with specific tasks like rephrasing content, generating alternatives, or explaining data.

 Site Explorer

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

The Site Explorer is a powerful tool for analyzing a website's SEO performance. It presents insights into organic search traffic, backlink profiles, and paid search activities. Apart from its core purpose, Site Explorer presents several advanced features that help in the analysis and strategic planning of SEO experts.

For example, if you want to analyze your competitors' best-performing web pages, you can do it under “Top Pages.” This tool goes through a specific website and lists down the top-performing pages that are getting the most traffic. Through this, you can create several strategies for targeting the right keywords and ranking along your competitor's popular articles.

Our next favorite feature is the "Outgoing Links" report which presents a list of where a site is sending its traffic through external links. This can help in identifying potential partnership opportunities for your website or even ensuring that outbound links are to reputable and relevant sites, which is super important for maintaining a site’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

Apart from that, Site Explorer's "Content Gap" tool lets you compare your site's keyword profile against those of your competitors. It simply identifies keywords for which your competitors rank but your site does not. This is such a useful tool that even the talented SEO experts at TechRadar use it.

The fun doesn’t end here. You also get an "Internal Backlinks" report, which analyzes the internal link structure of a website and helps in optimizing site architecture for better crawl ability and distributing link equity effectively across pages. Lastly, it also provides a "Broken Links" report, identifying both broken inbound and outbound links. Fixing these links can improve user experience and site health. 

 Keywords Explorer

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer not only excels in providing detailed keyword metrics and suggestions but also offers several other features that enhance keyword research and strategy development. For instance, it includes a "Keyword Difficulty" score, which helps users quickly assess how challenging it might be to rank for a specific keyword based on the strength of the current top-ranking pages. This score is calculated using a variety of factors, including the number and quality of backlinks pointing to the top-ranking pages, making it a reliable indicator of the effort required to compete.

It further helps you understand the reader behavior with the "Clicks" data, which estimates the total number of clicks that the search results for a keyword receive. This metric is super useful as it goes beyond mere search volume to give an idea of actual traffic potential, considering factors like SERP features that might affect the click-through rate for organic listings.

Additionally, Keywords Explorer offers a "Return Rate" metric, which measures how often people search for a keyword again. This insight is valuable for identifying keywords that could bring recurring traffic to your site.

We also tested its SERP analysis features that show the presence of features like featured snippets, site links, and image packs in the search results for a keyword, providing pointers on how to optimize content to achieve these high-visibility positions. And to top it all, Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer even integrates with other tools available on the platform. This helps you transition from keyword research to site audit or content exploration, making it a great solution for anyone looking to enhance their SEO and content marketing efforts with data-driven insights.

Site Audit

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Probably this feature is like that doctor who tells you what’s wrong with your website in terms of SEO. Site Audit scans your entire site to find out everything from technical SEO problems to content-related issues. Plus, it doesn't just highlight what's wrong, but it also delivers actionable tips to easily fix those issues.

To test it, we gave it a sample site and it got back to us with various helpful insights such as broken links, missing alt tags, slow-loading pages, and much more. It even categorized issues into errors, warnings, and notices based on their potential impact on our SEO, making it easier to prioritize fixes. What we loved even more is the visual representation of data, through charts and graphs, which gives a clear perspective of the current condition of the website.

The competitor analysis feature is another key component, offering the ability to track competitors' backlink growth and keyword rankings. This competitive intelligence can inform strategic decisions and help users stay ahead in their niche.

Additionally, if you want to track your competitor's backlinks and keyword ranking, you can use the Competitor Analysis feature. It gives a detailed insight into your peer's SEO strategies and helps you in staying ahead in your niche.

Rank Tracker

(Image credit: Ahrefs )

If you want to monitor your website's ranking for targeted keywords on the SERP, you can use the Rank Tracker feature present in Ahrefs. It's particularly useful for tracking the effectiveness of your SEO strategies and understanding how changes in your website or external factors influence your rankings.

First off, Rank Tracker can help you track your website’s ranking positions across different search engines and locations, presenting insights into how well your pages perform in various regions. This is crucial for businesses targeting a global audience or aiming to improve their local SEO. It further provides updates on ranking positions, showing whether your site’s rankings for specific keywords have improved, declined, or remained stable over time.

It further helps you level up your SEO game by offering visibility and traffic forecasts based on your ranking positions. These projections can help you estimate the potential traffic you might gain from improving your rankings for certain keywords, making it easier to prioritize SEO tasks. Not just that, you can see which keywords trigger special search results like featured snippets, local packs, or knowledge panels. 

 Content Explorer

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Content Explorer focuses on analyzing the performance of your website’s content across different topics and niches. It guides users on content creation, outreach, and strategy decisions by explaining what content resonates with your readers and earning backlinks for your site. As you open the tool, you need to enter the website to analyze its content. Once searched, it provides many insights about the content, including the referring domains, page traffic and its value, URL Rating, organic keywords, and social shares. 

What makes it even easier to understand is the graphical representation of the metrics along with the timeline to help you further understand the behavior of your website’s specific content. While we ran a scan for one of our sites, it gave us the entire data along with useful metrics. We even sorted the list in various formats like relevance, domain rating, Twitter shares, and date, which made the list even more helpful. 

After doing the proper analysis, we even tried exporting the list for other team members, and Ahrefs did it seamlessly in a .CSV format, where we also had the option to choose the number of rows we wanted. Plus, if you run a website with multiple languages, you can further analyze the content based on different languages, giving a good summary of the website’s content map.

• We've featured the best rank checking tools.

Ahrefs: Interface and in-use

Like a lot of software these days, Ahrefs is used through a web browser, and we like the robust online interface, however it has no dedicated desktop program or smartphone app. The web app puts a ton of information into each page, with explanations for important features available via convenient info-bubbles. You can rely on The Dashboard to give you an overview of your projects, with each of the five core components having its own landing page. Finally, most elements provide more info via clickable links making them interactive for greater insights into the many graphs, charts, and metrics. 

Ahrefs: Support

If there’s one thing that Ahrefs does best besides SEO, it might be its customer support. It offers support access 24/7 via email, which is helpful for technical issues that require longer conversations and screenshots. For quick fixes and general queries, live chat is available during business hours.

We have had multiple occasions to verify Ahrefs' support quality here at Techradar. Most recently, we asked them about their link intersecting feature, and within minutes, a team member assisted us with it. 

(Image credit: Ahrefs)

Moreover, the platform's Help Center is packed with detailed articles, guides, and FAQs for self-service assistance, while a collection of tutorial videos and webinars provides visual learning options for users at all levels. 

Ahrefs also has an active online community for peer support and hosts sessions for direct feedback to the development team. This comprehensive support ecosystem helps you navigate the platform's features, resolve issues promptly, and maximize your SEO efforts.

Ahrefs: The competition

Ahrefs provides similar functionality to other major SEO tools like SEMrush and Moz, and they all offer similar price points for basic plans. Historically Ahrefs has been the more expensive option, recent pricing updates have made it more in line with its competitors.

Carefully consider which features and data limits work best for your budget, because different products prioritize different features at different price points. SEMrush’s basic plan, for example,  offers 10 times the page crawls as Ahrefs’, but no API access or historical data, unlike the latter. 

• We've featured the best keyword research tools.

Ahrefs: Final verdict

If your primary focus is building a robust backlink strategy, conducting detailed site audits, and diving deep into competitive analysis, Ahrefs is a clear winner. Its extensive backlink database and detailed site audit reports offer valuable insights for improving your website's SEO performance.

Ahrefs' strength in finding your competitors' strategies through its Site Explorer and Keywords Explorer tools can give you a real competitive edge in your SEO game. And with the new AI tools, their feature-heavy toolset is more accessible than ever.

For businesses and professionals prioritizing link building and detailed analytics on backlinks, along with a strong toolset for keyword research and site audits, Ahrefs provides an equally comprehensive solution. Its user interface is designed to accommodate both seasoned SEO experts and those new to SEO, which makes it a versatile choice for many.

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Semrush was launched in 2008 by a group of IT and SEO specialists to make the digital competition fair and transparent. Today, it's one of the most popular and powerful platforms used by marketers to grow their website’s traffic and keep up with the SEO industry.

It offers a wide range of features, including keyword research, competitive analysis, site audit, on-page SEO checker, and many more. With the introduction of Semrush One, it has also added complete visibility tracking across AI search engines like ChatGPT and Gemini. In this detailed review, we’ll cover Semrush’s core features, pricing plans, use cases, and much more.

• Sign up for an exclusive 14-day free PRO trial here

SemRush: Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Semrush)

Plan

Starting Rate (paid annually)

Starting Rate (paid monthly)

Pro

$117.33/month

$139/month

Guru

$208.33/month

$249/month

Business

$416.66/month

$499/month

Semrush One Starter

$165.83/month

$199/month

Semrush One Pro+

$248.17/month

$299/month

Semrush One Advanced

$455.67/month

$549/month

Semrush underwent a significant evolution in October 2025 with the launch of Semrush One, which fundamentally changed how the platform approaches search visibility. The company now offers two main product lines: the Classic SEO Toolkit and the bundled Semrush One platform.

SEO Classic

The Pro Plan now costs $139.95/month (or $116.16/month billed annually), representing a $10 increase from previous pricing. This entry-level plan is ideal for freelancers, startups, and in-house marketers managing up to 5 projects. You can track up to 500 keywords, generate 10,000 results per report, and access 3,000 reports daily. The plan includes essential SEO, PPC, and research tools, covering keyword research, website audits, backlink analysis, competitor analysis, and advertising tools.

The Guru Plan remains at $249.95/month ($208.33/month annually) and targets agencies and mid-sized businesses. This tier includes everything in Pro plus the Content Marketing Toolkit, historical data access (12 months), multi-location and device tracking, and Looker Studio integration. You can manage up to 15 projects, track 1,500 keywords, and generate 30,000 results per report. This plan has become particularly popular among growing marketing teams needing more robust data analysis.

The Business Plan stays at $499.95/month ($416.66/month annually) for large agencies and enterprises. It expands to 40 projects, 5,000 tracked keywords, and 50,000 results per report. Exclusive features include Share of Voice metrics, extended limits, API access, PLA (Product Listing Ads) analytics, and free migration from third-party tools. This tier is designed for organizations with extensive marketing operations requiring deep data insights.

Semrush One

Semrush One represents a major strategic shift, bundling the Classic SEO Toolkit with the AI Visibility Toolkit into a unified platform. This integration addresses the evolving search landscape where AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, and Perplexity are reshaping how users discover information.

The Starter Plan ($199/month or $165.83/month annually) combines the equivalent of Semrush Pro with AI visibility tracking. You can monitor up to 5 websites, track 50 prompts daily across major AI platforms, and monitor 500 keywords. This plan saves $40/month compared to purchasing Pro ($139.95) and AI Visibility Toolkit ($99) separately.

The Pro+ Plan ($299/month or $249.17/month annually) includes all Starter features plus historical data, monitoring for up to 15 websites, 100 tracked prompts, and 1,500 keywords for daily tracking. This tier particularly appeals to growing agencies managing multiple clients.

The Advanced Plan ($549/month or $457.50/month annually) offers comprehensive capabilities for large agencies, including API data integration, MCP (Model Context Protocol) access, free migration from third-party tools, monitoring for 40 websites, 5,000 keywords, and 200 prompts daily.

AI Visibility Toolkit

Available separately at $99/month per domain, this toolkit can be added to existing Classic SEO subscriptions. However, purchasing Semrush One provides better value and integration. The toolkit tracks brand mentions and visibility across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini, and other AI platforms. Additional domains cost $99/month each, and extra users require $99/month per seat. Prompt tracking can be extended at $60/month for 50 additional prompts.

ContentShake AI

This AI-powered content creation tool is available as a standalone subscription at $60/month or included within higher-tier plans. It generates SEO-optimized articles, provides topic ideas, creates outlines, and publishes content directly to platforms. The tool supports seven languages and integrates Semrush's competitive data with AI writing capabilities.

Additional costs

Semrush plans are designed for single users. Additional user seats cost extra: Pro plans add users at one rate, while higher tiers have different pricing structures. The platform also offers various add-ons including Base Report ($10/month) and Pro Report (pricing varies) for enhanced integrations. The AI Writer Chrome Extension is free with limited features (50 rewrites/month for non-subscribers).

All plans include a 14-day free trial for new users (7 days for some toolkits), though Semrush has implemented a strict refund policy limited to seven days after purchase for annual subscriptions only, available as a one-time offer.

SemRush: FeaturesAI tools

Semrush has aggressively expanded its AI capabilities, transforming from a traditional SEO platform into a comprehensive AI-powered marketing suite. The platform now offers multiple AI-driven tools addressing content creation, visibility tracking, and optimization across both traditional search engines and emerging AI platforms.

ContentShake AI represents Semrush's flagship content creation tool, combining ChatGPT's generative capabilities with real-time SEO data from Semrush's extensive database. Unlike standalone AI writing tools, ContentShake AI leverages Semrush's competitive intelligence, analyzing top-ranking content to generate articles optimized for both search engines and user engagement.

ContentShake AI also generates royalty-free AI images and supports seven languages including English (American and British), French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch. You can customize tone of voice, readability level, and brand style, with the platform maintaining consistency across all generated content.

Content Toolkit encompasses multiple AI-powered features beyond ContentShake. The AI Article Generator creates data-driven content for both Google and AI search engines, AI Search Optimizer helps make content visible across traditional search results (Google) and AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Semrush's Content Repurposing feature uses AI to transform website content into shareable assets for social media, email campaigns, and other channels. Topic Finder analyzes Semrush data to suggest trending content ideas while the SEO Brief Generator creates structured outlines for readers and search algorithms.

AI Visibility Toolkit addresses the paradigm shift toward AI-powered search experiences. Launched as a standalone product in early 2025 and integrated into Semrush One in October 2025, this toolkit monitors brand presence across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI platforms.

Visibility Overview provides an AI Visibility Score showing how frequently and prominently your brand appears in AI-generated responses compared to competitors. Brand Performance Analysis tracks how AI platforms describe your brand, identifying which content they cite and whether mentions are positive, neutral, or negative. Semrush also offers the AI Readiness Audit, which checks technical and structural issues that could block AI systems across 25+ on-page factors.

Keyword research tools

(Image credit: SemRush)

SemRush does in-depth keyword research and offers tons of details, including search volumes that often stretch into millions for high-traffic terms, user intent classifications (informational, commercial, navigational, transactional), and competitive density scores on a scale from 0 to 1.0. This is crucial to tweak your SEO strategy to match your audience's behavior precisely.

Plus, its competitive analysis doesn't just skim the surface but goes deep. By analyzing your competitors' organic search metrics, SemRush finds out not just the keywords they're ranking for but also delivers a visibility score that reflects their prominence on SERPs. This is instrumental in identifying not just any keywords but the right ones that can improve your SERP positioning.

The tool's keyword magic feature is also pretty impressive, as it offers over two million keyword ideas from a single seed keyword. This vast pool of suggestions opens up avenues for content strategy expansion and reveals less obvious yet potentially lucrative keyword opportunities.

We also love SemRush’s Gap analysis feature which takes a comparative approach and directly contrasts your keyword profile with up to five competitors. It's not merely about volume but it dives into keyword difficulty scores and SERP features occupied by competitors. This comparison explains strategic gaps in your SEO approach and offers a roadmap to prioritize efforts on keywords where you can realistically outperform your rivals.

Moreover, if you’re looking for “not provided” keywords, SemRush also integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console to bring such keywords to light and present a complete picture of your organic search landscape. This integration is super-friendly for bridging the gap between estimated search data and actual visitor behavior on your site.

Again, SemRush is designed to help you out with extensive tasks. For this, you get to manage and segment up to 2,000 keywords under the Keyword Manager. This feature is particularly useful for large-scale campaigns or agencies managing multiple clients.

Content optimization tools 

(Image credit: Semrush)

SemRush content optimization tools analyze and provide recommendations on keyword usage to make your content more SEO-friendly. They not only identify which keywords to use but also mention the number of times to use them. This is guided by insights acquired from your competitor's performance.

Plus, you can integrate Semrush into your Google Docs, WordPress, and even MS Word account. It offers extensive writing assistant tools that use AI to brief you on important metrics about your content, including its formatting, SEO optimization, tips to improve readability, and many more. They do this by evaluating your content for factors like sentence length, complexity, and overall structure and offering suggestions to enhance readability. This is crucial, as accessible content tends to perform better in terms of user engagement and search engine rankings. The best part? You get all this live along with your writing tools. This saves a lot of your time during editing and improves your content significantly. And, if you use a separate tool for plagiarism checking, SemRush will also solve that issue, as it has its own originality checker. The tool scans a vast database, flagging potential duplicates so you can maintain the uniqueness of your content, which is critical for ranking purposes.

PPC keyword research tools 

(Image credit: Semrush)

SemRush's PPC Keyword Research Tools present highly searched terms to niche long-tail keywords, with volumes varying from a few searches per month to several thousand. This information helps you identify both high-traffic and low-competition opportunities.

Cost-per-click (CPC) analysis is another area where these tools deliver extensive data. CPC values can range from as low as $0.05 in less competitive niches to over $50 for highly competitive terms. This insight helps you make informed decisions on budget allocation and bidding strategies.

We’re also big fans of Semrush’s competitive analysis feature, which points out rivals’ strategies and reveals opportunities for optimization and outperforming competitors. This insight includes data on competitors' ad spend, the keywords they are bidding on, and their past ad performance. By gaining this information, you can identify gaps in their strategy and take an upper hand.

Lastly, you also gain access to localized data with Semrush. This helps you improve the relevance of ads in specific demographics and regions to increase your engagement rates and the overall efficiency of PPC campaigns.

On-[age and technical SEO

(Image credit: Semrush)

Semrush's Site Audit tool is designed to crawl websites in detail by simulating search engine crawling behaviors. While doing this, it pinpoints and prioritizes on-site issues, covering more than 130 checks for SEO health, including HTTPS security protocols, core web vitals, and issues like duplicate content.

Among the On-Page and Technical SEO tools, the On-Page SEO Checker is our favorite, as it goes beyond keyword optimization. Utilizing Semrush's extensive dataset, it provides tailored recommendations by analyzing SERP positions, backlink profiles, and content quality. Plus, it predicts how much traffic you might get and compares your site with competitors.

Also, if you face difficulty deciding what to include in your article, the SEO Content Template tool can be of great use to you. It generates content creation blueprints by analyzing top-performing pages for selected keywords. Moreover, It advises on text length, backlink sources, and multimedia inclusion tailored to Google's SERP features preferences.

Link building and backlink analysis 

(Image credit: Semrush)

Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool examines websites' backlink profiles by identifying link-building patterns and pointing out opportunities for growth. It does this by separating links by type, attributes, and quality. Besides this, it also tracks how backlink profiles change over time to understand patterns on how these links are won.

We all know how harmful backlinks can affect SEO health. Keeping that in mind, SemRush also offers a Backlink Audit feature that identifies potentially harmful backlinks. This process involves integrating with Google Search Console to evaluate link quality using over 45 different toxic markers. With this, you can easily manage and reject harmful links directly on the platform.

Its link-building tools further help to simplify your outreach process. It suggests potential link-building opportunities based on competitor backlink profiles and keyword priorities. We also love how Semrush manages outreach campaigns and evaluates the authority and relevance of suggested sites. Also, the way it organizes prospects by campaign for the efficient execution of targeted link-building strategies greatly streamlines the process.

SemRush: Interface and in-use

SemRush’s interface is user-friendly and effective, so whether you're a beginner or an experienced digital marketer, you won't have issues navigating its extensive toolset. The dashboard is also neatly organized, so you have tools for SEO, PPC, and content marketing at your fingertips. What we love the most about this setup is the ease with which we can switch between tasks.

Though the platform's broad range of features might initially confuse a beginner, this variety showcases SemRush's strength as a vast digital marketing tool. Overall, SemRush offers a mix of complexity and user-friendliness and delivers a powerful resource for diverse digital marketing activities.

SemRush: Support

(Image credit: SEMRush)

SemRush offers multiple support options to help you fully utilize its capabilities. If you're new to the platform or want to improve your understanding of its features, you can schedule a session with an expert. These experts walk you through the platform and demonstrate how to make the most of its extensive features.

For those considering an upgrade or needing a solution for their specific requirements, the sales team is always available to assist and guide you through the different options to find the perfect fit for your needs.

SemRush also caters to users who prefer to explore and learn independently. It offers many self-help resources, including user manuals, instructional videos, and FAQs. These materials are designed to help users navigate the platform and address any questions they may have.

SemRush: The competition

SEMRush is broadly aligned with competing SEO services in terms of both pricing and the feature set. For example, Moz Pro, one of its top competitors, has roughly comparable subscriptions (although a lower entry tier) at the price points of $99, $179, $249, and $599 per month, with each upgrade adding higher limits and new features.

Also, keep in mind that some platforms have more affordable plans than either SEMRush or Moz Pro. For those who don’t need everything included in the Pro subscription, or if $120 per month is over your budget, then consider a service with a lower barrier to entry.

SemRush: Final verdict

If you’re looking for an SEO tool to enhance your website’s SEO, PPC, and content strategies, SemRush is probably among the top options. While we did face a learning curve to use its comprehensive features, its interface is remarkably user-friendly. We appreciate the supportive resources and expert guidance SemRush provided, as it helps maximize the investment.

The plans offered by SemRush are also designed to accommodate the needs of all businesses, whether a small team or an enterprise. Despite the plans being costly, the substantial value SemRush adds to online marketing efforts justifies the price, making it an excellent investment if you're looking to boost your website.

• You can signup to SEMRush here.

Centr: One minute review

Not many fitness apps have the name of a bona fide Hollywood star on them. Chris Hemsworth, the actor who plays Thor, puts his money where his muscles are with Centr, a holistic workout app that manages just about every aspect of your fitness journey. The app packs content on food to helping you plan rest days, and, of course, the exercise sessions themselves, and it does a pretty great job across all aspects.

There are daily workout classes accessible within the app, as well as self-guided workout plans that incorporate both strength training and cardio, with ratios based on your chosen goal. I was impressed with is the diversity of workouts on offer; while I’ve primarily used Fitbod over the last couple of years, that particular app essentially just keeps rotating exercises and workouts forever, with no real plan outside of the user setting a goal.

That made Centr’s way of working, with exercise plans spanning days and weeks, much easier for me to stick to, especially as it does a great job of layering in rest days or active recovery. Centr can work with the equipment you have, whether that’s bodyweight-only exercises, a full gym, or anywhere in between, and the whole app feels thoughtfully designed so that it’s easy to switch out exercises or substitute in different weight amounts.

Aside from workouts, there’s a really impressive recipe section that made me want to invest more in meal plans, and mindfulness tools for winding down after a hard day’s work. One of my favorite features is that your plan is viewable online via the Centr website, making it easier to plot your progress or prepare included recipes on your laptop.

The rub is that all of this comes at a high price, at least if you’re paying monthly. $30 a month will be a tough pill to swallow for many more casual users, but you can save a ton by going for the $139.99 / £114.99 / AU$360 annual plan. There is a free trial, but you can only enjoy that for a week, so be sure to make the most out of it.

For those looking for a holistic fitness and wellbeing tool, Centr will tick a lot of boxes. Not only is it packed with features, but the app is much easier to navigate than some rivals that do less.

(Image credit: Centr)Centr: Price and availability

• Monthly cost is high at $29.99 / £19.66 / $29.99 per month
• Annual plan considerably lowers costs to $11.67 / £9.58 / AU$13.33 per month
• iOS and Android

Centr is available worldwide on the App Store and Play Store, meaning it’s ideal for both iOS and Android users.

It works out to $29.99 / £19.66 / $29.99 per month, which is more than many of its rivals like Fitbod or PUSH, but paying for a year brings that down to $11.67 / £9.58 / AU$13.33 per month, a sizeable drop.

Centr: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Pricey per month, meaning annual membership is the only real way to go.

4/5

Design

The initial quiz is handy for setting things up, and the app is easy to use.

5/5

Features

Wide variety of programs (including equipment-free options), mindfulness and even recipes.

5/5

Performance

No body scan workouts, but very detailed instructions and very easy to follow as a result.

4.5/5

Centr: Should I buy?

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

You want more than just workouts

Centr incorporates mindfulness tools and recipes, meaning there’s more than just planning and tracking workouts included.

You want to build muscle sustainably

Because it factors in rest days and longer-tail workout regimens, Centr is an ideal choice for anyone looking to build sustainable muscle.

Don't buy it if...

You want to focus on workouts alone

There are cheaper alternatives that don’t have meal plans and other optional inclusions, meaning you can focus your budget elsewhere.

You want a cheap workout app

Even with all of those features, Centr is expensive, costing twice what you can get from the likes of PUSH or Fitbod.

Also consider

Centr

Fitbod

Push

Platforms

iOS/Android

iOS/Android

iOS/Android

Price

$29.99 per month, $120 annually

$15.99 per month, $95.99 annually

$15.49 per month, $89.99 annually

Devices

iPhone, Android phone, Apple Watch

iPhone, Android phone, Apple Watch

iPhone, Android phone

Guided Content

No

No

Yes

Video Content

Yes

Yes

Tes

Fitbod

Fitbod is more squarely focused on tracking weight exercises, but has an easy-to-use interface with great video tutorials for each one.

Read our full Fitbod review

PUSH

PUSH is all about building muscle, and leans on the tried and true progressive overload technique to keep you pushing ever further.

Read our full PUSH review

How I tested

I took Centr to the gym over the course of three weeks, working out with the app installed on my iPhone 15 Pro Max and then an iPhone 17 Pro Max. I also used the web interface to more easily read the recipe guides.

Fluance Ri91: Two-minute review

The Fluance Ri91 floorstanding speakers are the third pair of Fluance's line-up that I’ve reviewed here at TechRadar with each model sounding better than the last – I don't mind sharing that this testing has turned me into a bit of a fan.

The Fluance Ri91 represent a modernized addition to the competitors for our list of the best stereo speakers – like the Fluance Ri71, they are a step up for the company since they include support for Bluetooth including aptX, plus an HDMI ARC input. Add in the reasonable price for what they are, and they're very tempting indeed.

There are issues with the Fluance Ri91, but they're minimal. Sure, the sound is a bit mid-focused, but most people looking for pleasing audio will appreciate this fact (and they sound great overall anyway). The lack of a phono preamp isn't a dealbreaker, and is easily remedied if needed.

The only real concern I have is about build quality, because the original pair of these speakers I received had an issue with the HDMI port (quite a major one: it didn’t work).

That said, the Fluance Ri91 speakers come with a warranty, and the replacement pair the company sent presented no issue during review.

Considering how expensive floorstanding speakers can get, I think these speakers at $799 (about £640 / AU$1,270) are very easy to recommend for any music lover or budding audiophile.

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Price and release date

• $799 (about £640 / AU$1,270)
• Released in March 2025

Being the big brother of the Fluance Ri71 I recently reviewed, the Fluance Ri91 is appropriately a bit more expensive, but thoroughly reasonable at $799 (about £640 / AU$1,270).

While the Fluance Ri71 is available in both the US and UK, the Ri91 reviewed here seems to only be available in the US.

At least these floorstanding speakers are available through a number of retailers like Amazon, Macy’s, and Walmart, as well as directly from the brand itself.

Fluance Ri91 review: Specs

Dimensions

41.73 x 8.5 x 10.24 inches / 106.0 x 21.6 x 26.0 cm

Weight

Active Speaker: 41.89 lb (19 kg) Passive Speaker: 40.79 lb (18.5 kg)

Active or passive

Active

Subwoofer

No (has sub out)

Frequency response

40Hz - 30kHz

Dolby Atmos / DTS:X enabled

No

Maximum output

150 watts

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Features

• Comes with HDMI ARC input
• Bluetooth supports aptX HD
• Doesn’t come with phono preamp or Wi-Fi streaming

The feature set of these sorts of speakers – even active ones – is going to be pretty limited compared to what you find in the best soundbars, despite the addition of an HDMI port. But that’s because they’re not trying to do the same thing. The features here are focused on convenience and helping getting the best stereo sound possible.

Regarding convenience, it first should be noted that the Fluance Ri91 are an active set of floorstanding speakers, meaning that they don’t need an external receiver for power or connections. Also on the convenience front is the HDMI-ARC input, which is new for Fluance on the Ri91 and the Ri71 bookshelf speakers that were released at the same time.

There's Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD support for wireless streaming, with the allowing transmission of higher-res audio. That’s greatly appreciated for those using hi-fi-level streaming services – but not that there's no Wi-Fi, or for the highest-res support, except for wiring in the old-fashioned way.

These speakers pump out 150 watts of class D power using two 6.5-inch woven glass drivers and a 28x35mm AMT in place of a traditional tweeter. There’s no subwoofer, but there is a bass port at the bottom of each speaker cabinet.

All the connectivity is on the back of the active speaker, which is the right one by default, though you can hold the mute button down for three seconds and switch the configuration. Besides the ARC-supported HDMI port, there are also two RCA inputs, and a subwoofer out, along with the speaker wire hookups.

Lastly, while you can (and should) connect one of the best turntables to these speakers, the Fluance Ri91 do not come with a built-in phono preamp, so you’ll need to make sure your record player has one built in (or get an external one) to make sure the signal going to the speaker is loud enough.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Sound quality

• Sound great when turned up and a little muffled when not
• Somewhat mid-focused
• Better for music than for movies

The Fluance Ri91 sound very good. And for any audiophiles out there, they sound like what you would expect from floorstanding speakers that cost about $800. They’re not going to wipe the floor with speakers that cost the price of a new car, but they’re good enough to blow away people that are not in the audiophile world, or are new to it.

I played all sorts of artists to test them, from John Coltrane to Kendrick Lamar to Smashing Pumpkins. I also listened to music from the ’60s and ’70s. After all my listening, a few things became clear.

First, as somewhat behemoth speakers, they don’t really come alive until you turn the volume up, in some instances even sounding a tiny bit muffled when lower. Also, when I was initially listening at lower volumes, I felt like I wasn’t getting a lot of low end. Turning them up fixed all these issues.

The sound was expansive when loud, with plenty of low-end, though you might want to add a sub if you listen to a lot of Hip Hop or EDM, as some songs didn’t translate as well. The high-end was clear and detailed, and the mid-range was rich, though it is a bit upfront.

Unfortunately, there’s no EQ for the mids, so you have to turn up the treble and bass a little if that bothers you (I prefer to cut the mids a bit when dealing with this problem, but obviously couldn't here).

I also used the Fluance Ri91 for some movie watching and gaming. The sound quality is there, but being a more traditional stereo setup makes this not as ideal for the immersive home theater experience.

With music, I can feel the wide stereo soundstage with accurate imaging when the speakers are correctly set up. With movies, it can feel a little one dimensional, especially at lower volumes.

Now, that’s not to detract from the Fluance Ri91, as they shine for a more traditional listening experience, and that’s what they’re really meant for. They do work well enough for movies and gaming, but using them right after testing a surround-sound system really highlights that these are speakers for listening to music first.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Design

• Tall and hefty as floorstanders
• Good connections and controls on one speaker
• Has EQ controls on remote

The Fluance Ri91 are fairly imposing, standing at just under 42 inches tall. And with a weight of about 40 lbs per speaker, they’re hefty as well. It’s a good thing that they look good (available in walnut, black, or white) since these aren’t the kind of speakers you can tuck away discreetly.

There’s a Bluetooth pairing button on the back, and two additional controls on the active speaker, one being the power switch. The other is a volume dial that sits atop the back of the speaker that can also be pressed in to change inputs.

But you’re more likely to use the included remote for any adjusting. The remote is pretty straight forward with all the usual stuff like volume controls, power, input, etc. But it also includes a Treble and Bass Boost and Cut that’s helpful for fine tuning the audio a little bit.

My only real issue with the Fluance Ri91 are some concerns about quality assurance. Not only were the styrofoam packing the speakers came in disintegrating, but the HDMI input didn’t work in my first pair, so I had to request another test unit.

The speakers were promptly replaced for me, and come with a two-year warranty for regular buyers.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Setup and usability

• Setup is simple and straightforward
• Positioning the speakers takes some time but is worth it
• Using them is fairly intuitive

The functional setup of the Fluance Ri91 is very straightforward. Take each speaker out of the box, connect the active one to power, and connect the two speakers together with the included speaker wire. Then pop in the batteries for the remote and connect whatever sources you want. Flip the power switch and you’re good to go.

Of course, you should correctly set up the speakers to get the best sound and that can take a little time (and a measuring tape) – I found that you needed to be careful with positioning them next to walls. But it doesn’t take that long and it’s worth it.

Using the Fluance Ri91 is just as simple. The included remote is not all that complicated, and the color-coded LED indicator on the active speaker not only lets me know what source I’m on, but will flash when certain settings are reached, such as the mid, low, or high point for EQ settings.

• Setup and usability score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: James Holland)Fluance Ri91 review: Value

• These are Fluance’s most expensive speakers
• Some other quality options at the same price
• The Ri91 are more feature-heavy than the competition

It's interesting to compare the Fluance Ri91 with the company’s previous floorstanding entry, the Ai81, which is a little cheaper at $599, versus to $799 for the Ri91. The Ri91 replaces the silk dome tweeter of the Ai81 with an AMT one, not to mention also includes an HDMI port.

Interestingly, the Ai81 reaches down to 30Hz instead of 40Hz like the Ri91, so does have a little more bass without adding a subwoofer. On the flipside, the Ri91’s 30kHz upper range is more impressive than the 20kHz of the Ai81 and is something I value more than the deeper bass.

Since Fluance generally fits into that budget-premium range, the Fluance Ri91’s price tag is about what one would expect. They’re not in the thousands like most boutique audio brands, but have some competition at the same price, such as the Q Acoustics M40 HD. The Q Acoustics were a little more expensive when released in 2024, but go for the same amount now, not to mention are also available in the UK and Australia.

Plus, the two products stack up fairly well against each other, though the Fluance Ri91 do include an HDMI port, 50 more watts of power, and a wider frequency response, probably thanks in part to those AMT tweeters.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Fluance Ri91 speakers?Score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The feature set is pretty good for this type of speaker, including aptX. No, phono preamp or Wi-Fi streaming, though.

4.5 / 5

Sound quality

While not ideal for TV, these speakers sound great, particularly when turned up.

4 / 5

Design

Good port selection and imposing look only held back by build quality concerns.

4 / 5

Setup and Usability

Easy to set up and use, though one should make sure to spend some time on speaker placement.

5 / 5

Value

The price is very good for floorstanders, especially considering the feature set.

4.5 / 5

Buy them if…

You want loud and expansive, impressive sounding audio
These speakers sound really good when they’re really loud. If your criteria is loud and good, then get the Fluance Ri91.

You need extra connectivity
The included HDMI ARC port and aptX HD over Bluetooth support is something that sets these speakers apart, especially from other models at this price point.

You can’t quite justify audiophile prices
Audiophile speakers can get really expensive. These sound good while still staying under a grand. That’s pretty good for a new pair of floorstanding speakers.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re in a small space
These speakers are a bit underwhelming at low volume (and they take up a lot of space), so if you have limited space, go for the Ri71 instead.

You want pristine, neutral audio
These speakers sound very good, but are not the right pick for anyone looking for very neutral sounding audio.

Fluance Ri91 review: Also consider

Q Acoustics M40 HD
Like the Ri91, these sound massive. They also bridge the gap between big speakers and not needing a lot of space as they’re a bit smaller than the Ri91 making them a good alternative if you don’t have a big space.

Read our full Q Acoustics M40 HD review

Kanto Ren
The Kanto Ren has it all in terms of connectivity – USB-C, HDMI, Bluetooth 5.3. Plus it comes in interesting colors, though it will pick up every fingerprint. It’s lovely with a full, robust sound. However, the bass can get a little flabby.

Read our full Kanto Ren review

How I tested the Fluance Ri91

• Used regularly for a few weeks
• Listened to all kinds of audio
• Tested the various controls and ports

I used the Fluance Ri91 for a few weeks at home, listening to all sorts of genres of music – Hip Hop, EDM, Top 40 Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Folk, among others – to get a better feel for these speakers. They were also tested with some TV and computer games. I tested the various controls and ports as well.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

• First reviewed: February 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee