About Apps Tested
We're a small team of technology journalists who believe app recommendations should come from actual testing — not press releases, not affiliate deals.
Our Story
Apps Tested was founded in 2022 by Mark Sullivan, who spent 12 years reviewing software and consumer technology at PCWorld before growing frustrated with the state of app coverage online. Too many "best app" articles were written by generalists who hadn't used the apps, optimized for affiliate commissions rather than honest assessment.
The premise was simple: build a publication where every ranked app is used by a specialist who understands the category — someone who can tell the difference between a budgeting app that's genuinely better and one that just has better marketing.
Since launch, we've tested more than 500 apps across 10 categories. We update rankings when apps change significantly. We never accept payment for placement.
What Makes Us Different
- Category specialists: Each editor covers a domain they know deeply — Tanya Reeves spent eight years in clinical health technology before joining us. Jason Wu was a financial analyst. Nina Kowalski is a working graphic designer.
- Long-form testing: We use apps for a minimum of two weeks in real scenarios before scoring them. For complex apps like project management tools, we run them alongside live work projects.
- No sponsored content: We do not accept payment for reviews. No developer has editorial input on any article.
- Transparent scoring: Every score is broken down across five criteria: UX/design, feature depth, performance/reliability, value, and support. We show our reasoning.
- Honest negative coverage: We will tell you when a category leader isn't as good as its reputation suggests. We've given top apps scores below 8 when they deserve it.
The Team
Mark Sullivan
Editor-in-Chief
Mark has covered technology and software for 12 years, including a decade at PCWorld where he led app and software coverage. He built Apps Tested to bring proper editorial standards to app recommendations. He covers AI, productivity, and security categories and sets editorial policy.
Priya Desai
Productivity Apps Editor
Priya has tested productivity software professionally for eight years, working as a systems consultant before transitioning to tech journalism. She has an obsessive relationship with to-do apps, calendar tools, and note-taking systems. She has personally tested and abandoned over 40 task managers.
Jason Wu
Finance & Business Apps Editor
Jason spent five years as a financial analyst at a mid-size investment firm before pivoting to technology journalism. He covers personal finance apps, investing platforms, and business productivity tools. He is a certified financial planner and brings a professional perspective to every budgeting and investment app review.
Nina Kowalski
Creative Apps Editor
Nina is a working graphic designer and photographer who also writes about creative technology. She uses the apps she reviews in her actual freelance work, which gives her a practical perspective that hobbyist reviewers can't replicate. She has been shooting and editing photos professionally for eleven years.
Tanya Reeves
Health & Wellness Apps Editor
Reeves has a doctorate in health informatics and spent eight years working on clinical health technology implementations before joining Apps Tested. She evaluates health apps against clinical standards, not just consumer expectations. Her reviews of fitness, nutrition, and mental health apps reflect genuine expertise in the health technology space.
Contact & Corrections
We take accuracy seriously. If you believe a review contains an error or if an app has changed significantly since our last test, please contact us.
Editorial: editorial@appstested.com
Corrections: corrections@appstested.com