SOFTWARE EVALUATION CHECKLIST FOR FREELANCERS
Indie Work Stack

Write the answer before starting a free trial.

THE JOB
[ ] What specific problem should this tool solve?
[ ] What happens today when that problem is not solved?
[ ] Who will use the tool?
[ ] How often will they use it?
[ ] What result would make the tool worth keeping?

REQUIRED WORKFLOW
[ ] What starts the workflow?
[ ] What are the essential steps?
[ ] What information must be recorded?
[ ] What must happen automatically?
[ ] What can remain manual?
[ ] Which existing tools must connect to it?

COST
[ ] What is the monthly price at today's usage?
[ ] What causes the price to increase?
[ ] Are essential features limited to a higher plan?
[ ] Is there a setup, migration, or training cost?
[ ] Can the subscription be changed or cancelled easily?

DATA AND EXIT
[ ] Can contacts, content, and reports be exported?
[ ] Which export formats are available?
[ ] Can data be deleted?
[ ] What must be rebuilt if you leave?
[ ] Is there a practical backup process?

TRIAL TEST
[ ] Use real sample data that contains no sensitive client information.
[ ] Complete one entire workflow from start to finish.
[ ] Test the most important integration.
[ ] Ask the future user to complete the workflow without help.
[ ] Record every confusing or manual step.
[ ] Check support documentation for unresolved questions.

DECISION
[ ] Does the tool solve the defined job?
[ ] Can the workflow be maintained every week?
[ ] Are the limits acceptable for the next 12 months?
[ ] Is the improvement worth the total cost?
[ ] What date will you review the decision?

Decision: KEEP / REJECT / TEST LONGER
Review date:
Notes:

Guide:
https://seiyafromjapan.github.io/indie-work-stack/software-evaluation-checklist.html