Commissioned evaluations
If you’re a vendor and you want Indie Bench to evaluate your tool, you can commission a slot. Here’s exactly how it works.
What a commission gets you
- Priority in the evaluation queue. Without a commission, a tool joins the queue and gets evaluated when it gets evaluated. A commission moves you to the next available slot.
- The same evaluation we’d publish anyway. Scored under the same rubric, with the same weighting, against the same task suite, by the same operator.
- A “commissioned” badge on the evaluation page, with this commission policy linked. Readers see exactly what was bought and what wasn’t.
- An advance copy 48 hours before publication. You can flag factual errors or methodological misapplications; you cannot influence the verdict or the score.
What a commission does not get you
- A positive verdict. If we score your tool 42/100 under our rubric, we publish 42/100.
- Influence over weighting or methodology. The rubric is published, versioned, and stable.
- Removal of the evaluation if you don’t like the result. Commissioned evaluations are published regardless of verdict.
- Off-the-record discussion. Everything we observe during the evaluation may appear on the page.
Pricing
Pricing is per evaluation, paid before evaluation begins, non-refundable. Current rates:
| Tier | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $500 | Next available slot (~2–4 weeks) |
| Expedited | $1,500 | Within 7 days |
| Re-evaluation (after major release) | $300 | Next available slot |
Prices may rise as the queue gets longer. Commissions purchased at the listed price are honoured at that price.
How to commission
Email hello@indiebench.dev
with subject line “Commission”, the tool you want evaluated,
the rubric you want it scored under
(IB-CODE-2026.1 for coding tools;
other rubrics in development), and the tier. We’ll reply with
invoice details and a slot date.
Why this exists
Most AI tool review sites either accept paid placements without disclosing them, or refuse all commercial relationships and then go bankrupt. Both failure modes hurt readers. The commissioned-but-independent model lets Indie Bench sustain itself without compromising the verdicts — and it lets you, the reader, see exactly what the commercial relationship is when you read an evaluation.
If you spot a case where you think a commission affected a verdict, tell us. We will investigate, publicly explain what we find, and correct the page if needed.