Claims keep their evidence
Facts link to where they came from and show when that source was checked.
Why AltCatalog exists
Software comparisons should show their work.
AltCatalog is for people deciding what software to use next. If price, privacy, missing features, an acquisition, or a shutdown has you looking elsewhere, you should be able to compare the options without taking a ranking on faith.
We started it after seeing too many confident comparison pages with little evidence underneath — including pages published by companies with a stake in the answer.
A catalog you can inspect
Published claims carry a source and checked date. Unconfirmed answers stay visible as “?” instead of becoming a guess. Software may assist research, but only a human moderator can publish a proposed value. The result can still age or be wrong; the point is that you can inspect the evidence, challenge it, and see what changed.
Unknown means unknown
Missing evidence stays “?” instead of quietly becoming a no or an invented answer.
Payment cannot buy rank
Sponsorship buys a labeled placement. It never changes the organic score or order.
How ranking works
Evidence first. Visibility only at the margin.
Alt Score is 90% Verified coverage: sourced yes and partial answers in the category checklist. The remaining 10% is Visibility: relative app-page views on AltCatalog over 30 days. It helps distinguish similarly covered products; it is not a quality rating or proof that anyone switched.
Read the full methodology →
For software companies
Add evidence. Do not control the comparison.
Companies can claim their listing free through a domain email or DNS check, then submit source-backed facts and checklist answers for their own product. A human moderator checks the evidence before anything is published.
Vendors cannot edit competitors, remove accurate criticism, or pay to change their organic rank.
Who is behind AltCatalog?
AltCatalog is an independent TechDocs Studio project operated by Volcanic Labs SLU. We build software too, which is why the boundary is explicit: operator identity, vendor status, billing, and sponsorship are not Alt Score inputs.
The trust policy explains the editorial rules, and each app page links to its public data history and correction path.