Review Methodology
Our reviews and comparisons explain what each platform offers, who it suits and where to take care, using the same criteria and evidence rules every time.
Last updated
Comparison criteria
Every platform comparison uses the same criteria, so readers can compare like with like across pages:
| Criterion | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Target audience | Who the platform says it serves |
| Supplier discovery | Search, filters, requirement posting, quote requests |
| Catalogue functionality | Fields sellers can show: specs, price, MOQ, media |
| Enquiry and lead features | Enquiries, RFQs, BuyLeads, allocation rules |
| Pricing transparency | Whether prices or package scope are published |
| Business tools | Dashboards, CRM, payments, shipping |
| Buyer and seller suitability | Which kinds of businesses each suits |
| Verification | Badges and what they require |
| Scale | Reported enquiries, sellers, listings, visitors |
| Strengths and limitations | What stands out, and where to take care |
| Sources and dates | When and where we checked |
Evidence types
Sources are labelled on every page:
- Official: the platform's own website, help pages, FAQs or app listing. Reliable for what a feature is meant to do, not for how well it performs in every case.
- Company filing: annual reports, results releases, exchange filings and investor material.
- Independent: news and analyst coverage.
- Reference: encyclopaedic summaries, used as pointers to primary sources.
- Third-party, unconfirmed: blogs or vendors. Shown only with a caveat.
Platform features versus seller performance
A platform can be legitimate and well run while individual sellers on it vary in quality, and a feature can exist without producing the same results in every category. We describe platform functionality from documentation and keep that separate from claims about outcomes, which depend on the seller, category, city, competition and how quickly enquiries are handled.
How we handle company figures
Companies report different things. IndiaMART reports platform-level business enquiries and paying suppliers; Just Dial reports company-wide visitors, listings and paid campaigns that are mostly local search; TradeIndia's figures come from its own app listing. We quote each with its source and date, explain what it measures, and avoid comparing figures that measure different things.
Why we do not publish scores or star ratings
A score implies a measurement. We have not run controlled, repeatable tests of lead volume, lead quality or buyer outcomes across platforms, and results vary sharply by category. Publishing a number without that evidence would mislead. Instead we give readers a method, such as a 90-day side-by-side test with a lead log, to produce their own evidence. If we develop a reproducible test, we will publish the method alongside the results.
"Best" questions
For questions like "best B2B marketplace in India", we give a shortlist and a method rather than a single winner, because the right answer depends on business category, buyers, budget, lead quality and goals. When we state a view, for example that JD Mart is a strong first test for domestic wholesalers wanting escrow and quote comparison, we label it as our view and explain the reasoning.
Research dates and updates
All platform facts on the site were last checked on the date shown on each page. Plans, prices and fees change, so confirm current terms on the official site before buying. We re-check pages after results releases and new product announcements. See the editorial policy and corrections policy.
How you can test platforms yourself
Shortlist two platforms
Use our comparisons to pick two whose model fits your business.
Use identical catalogues
Same products, same detail, same prices on both.
Same response standard
The same person replies to both, at the same speed.
One lead log
Source, product, quantity, city, reply time, qualified yes/no, outcome.
Decide at 90 days
Compare cost per order against gross profit per order.