A veteran tech publication that hands-on tests gadgets with a published ethics statement, while earning affiliate commissions on the products it recommends.
What it's really for A consumer-tech outlet; hands-on reviews monetized by ads and affiliate links.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about its 1-100 editor reviews of gadgets, not everything the site does.
High Scoring Confidence Checked against primary sources. We are confident in the facts and the grade here.
Advertisers and affiliate retail partners (e.g., Amazon and other stores) pay Engadget most, and by its own ethics statement paying does not buy editorial placement or scores, though it does earn affiliate commissions on purchases readers make.
Source →- Operating since
- 2004 (22 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- Engadget makes money through display advertising and affiliate commissions earned when readers buy products through its links.
- What they do
- Engadget publishes editor-written, hands-on reviews of consumer electronics and gadgets, scored on a 1-100 scale by its editorial team.
- What to watch for
- It earns a commission when you buy through its links, and review units are typically supplied free by the manufacturers being reviewed, so the business is intertwined with the products it covers even though Engadget says coverage is not influenced by advertisers.
- Composite score
- 3.70 / 5.00 → grade B+
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- Products receive scores on a 1-100 scale determined solely by the editorial team with no outside influence; Engadget states 'We do not let advertisers or affiliate partners influence our coverage.' Companies typically provide hardware free of charge for testing and units are usually returned afterward. Source: Engadget - Why you can trust Engadget (How we test and ethics statement) →
- Engadget was founded in March 2004 by Peter Rojas; ownership passed through Weblogs Inc., AOL, Verizon Media and Yahoo, and on March 3, 2026 it was reported Yahoo would sell Engadget to Static Media. The site monetizes via advertising and affiliate revenue. Source: Engadget - Wikipedia →
- Engadget's reviews are built off thorough research, benchmark testing, real-world use and expert knowledge; some stories include affiliate links and if you buy through one of these links they may earn a commission. Source: Gadget Review - Is Engadget Reliable? →