AI tools tested on real work, written up honestly
Stack Plulse exists because most AI tool "reviews" are written by people who opened the tool once. I pay for mine and live with them.
I'm the person behind every article on this site. I pay for the subscriptions, run the tools on projects that actually matter to me, and write down what happened — including the parts that went sideways. Nobody sees a post before you do.
What you'll find here
Claude and ChatGPT deep-dives, the MCP servers actually worth installing, AI agents that handle busywork, prompting methods that survive contact with a real deadline, and the occasional piece on getting AI search to cite your writing. If it's on this site, I used it myself first.
How I test
Most pieces here start the same way: I pay for the tool, use it on real work for a few weeks, and keep notes as I go. The Claude vs ChatGPT comparison covers six months of paying for both. The MCP guides exist because I configured the servers myself, broke them a few times, and wrote down the setup steps I wished I'd had. The agent platforms all ran the same workflows so the comparison actually means something.
When I cite a number — a build time, a price, a benchmark — it comes out of my own notes, not a vendor deck. If I can't back a claim from my own use, I say so instead of dressing up someone else's marketing.
How I score
A score on this site answers one question: would I keep paying for this with my own money? A tool that's impressive in a demo but annoying by week three scores lower than a plainer tool that just works every morning.
Corrections
Found something wrong? Email me or open an issue. If you're right, the fix goes up with a note at the bottom of the article. I'd rather be corrected than confident and wrong.
Independence
Nothing on this site is monetized right now — no affiliate links, no sponsored posts, no ads. If that ever changes, it gets disclosed plainly at the top of the article in question. The opinions, for what they're worth, are not for sale.
Get in touch
Found a mistake, want a tool put through its paces, or flat-out disagree with a take? Open an issue on the repository or reach out on X. I read everything, even when I'm slow to reply.