Every comparison on DuelAI is based on real testing, not press releases or vendor briefings. Here's our methodology.
We Pay for Everything
Every tool we compare, we pay for out of pocket. We test the paid tiers because that's what you'll be using. Free tiers are noted but not the basis of our verdicts.
Standardised Test Prompts
We run each tool through the same set of 50+ prompts across five categories: writing quality, reasoning and logic, coding tasks, research accuracy, and creative tasks. Prompts are version-controlled and rerun when models update.
Real Work Tasks
Beyond benchmark prompts, we use each tool for actual work: writing real blog posts, debugging real code, analysing real documents, and generating real images for real projects. Synthetic tests miss how tools perform under real pressure.
Reader Ratings
The star ratings on each comparison come from real readers voting anonymously. We use Upstash Redis to store ratings and IP-based rate limiting to prevent manipulation. Reader sentiment is a factor in our overall verdict - though not the only one.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on DuelAI are affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. This never influences our verdicts - we've recommended tools that don't have affiliate programs and criticised tools that do.