How Kurums makes money
Kurums is free to read. To keep it that way, we earn revenue in a few clearly defined ways. This page explains exactly how — and, just as importantly, how our revenue is kept separate from our editorial judgments.
The one rule that governs everything: the firewall
Money buys visibility — never a verdict. No brand can pay to earn a Kurums badge, move up a tier, or change a review outcome. Our badge tiers are decided by reviewers against published criteria, and every Recommends and Top Pick decision is confirmed by a second reviewer before it goes live.
A brand that pays us nothing can be a Top Pick. A brand that pays us the most can be merely Verified. That gap is the whole point.
Where our revenue comes from
Display ads
We show contextual ads on our pages through advertising networks. Advertisers cannot influence our reviews, rankings, or which brands earn badges. Ads are labeled and kept separate from editorial content.
Referral partnerships
Some outbound links to brands are affiliate links: if you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These links are marked and never affect a brand's badge tier or ranking. Whether a brand has an affiliate program has zero bearing on our verdict.
Brand partnerships
Brands can pay for enhanced visibility — a richer profile, featured placement, or campaign distribution. Every paid placement is clearly labeled "Partner." Partnership buys presence, not a better review.
How this relates to our badges
Our Trust Program awards three badge tiers — Verified, Recommends, and Top Pick — through independent editorial review. A brand may also be a paying partner and hold a badge, but the two are decided separately: the badge comes from the review, the partnership from a commercial agreement. When a brand is both, we say so on its profile.
If you see a badge, it was earned. If you see "Partner," it was paid for. If you see both, they happened independently — and we've told you.
