Every service is graded against a fixed set of weighted criteria — fees, security, liquidity, usability and support — each on a 0–10 scale. The overall score is the weighted mean, not an average of opinions.

No. Rankings are set editorially before any commercial relationship is considered. Affiliate links, where present, never change the order or the score.

Each ranking carries a "Last checked" date. We re-verify fees, limits and feature sets at least quarterly, and immediately after any material change from a provider.

Editor’s Choice highlights the three highest overall scores across all categories — the services our desk would recommend to a first-time reader without hesitation.