- ✓We rank for readers, never for advertisers — no one can pay for a higher position.
- ✓Everything is judged for Ireland: prices in euro, Irish availability, and the rules that apply here.
- ✓We lead with the catch — when something is free, when an official route is better, and the small print.
- ✓Every score traces to one maintained dataset, re-checked as prices and features change.
Our principles
These are the commitments that don’t change from one category to the next. Whether we’re comparing VPNs today or broadband, mobile and energy tomorrow, the same six rules apply.
We earn from some affiliate links, but a commission can never buy a higher ranking or a better score. We routinely recommend free and official options that pay us nothing.
Every comparison is built for people here — prices in euro, Irish availability and servers, and the Irish providers, rights deals and rules that actually apply.
We lead with the catch, not the hype. We’ll tell you when something is free, when the official route is better, or when the price jumps at renewal.
Every figure and score lives in one maintained dataset, so the same number appears on every page — and when it changes, it changes everywhere at once.
We use the products ourselves, then cross-check every claim against independent audits, regulators, court records and official sources — never marketing copy.
Prices, features and rights deals change constantly. We re-check and re-score, and every page shows the date it was last reviewed.
How our scores work
Every product earns a set of weighted sub-scores across the criteria that matter for its category, combined into a single overall rating out of 10. The weighting reflects what people in Ireland actually care about — for a VPN, that means speed and reliable Irish-streaming count for more than a long feature list.
On top of the numbers, we hand out a few editorial awards — Editor’s choice, Best value and the like. Those are judgement calls, but they’re always anchored to the same evidence as the scores.
A score isn’t a vibe. It’s the sum of measured, verifiable criteria — and because it lives in one dataset, the same figure appears on every page that mentions that product.
How we test, by category
The principles are universal; the tests are specific. Here’s what we measure in each category — starting with the one that’s live, and the ones we’re building next.
Our live category. We judge every VPN on what actually matters to someone in Ireland — and the score you see is built from exactly these tests.
- Speed. Real throughput on Irish lines, on the fastest modern protocols, measured for everyday 4K, downloads and gaming.
- Streaming. Whether it reliably unblocks the services Irish users want — RTÉ Player, Virgin, TG4, BBC iPlayer, Netflix and the rest.
- Privacy & no-logs. Independent audits, the legal jurisdiction, RAM-only servers and any real-world court tests of the no-logs claim.
- Ease of use. How quickly a first-timer can install, connect and forget it — across phone, computer and TV.
- Server network. Global reach and, crucially, genuine physical servers in Ireland for a real Irish IP.
- Support. Whether help is there when you need it — 24/7 live chat, clear guides and response quality.
- Value. What you actually pay in euro over the term, the renewal price, the device count and the money-back guarantee.
Coming soon. We’ll rate Irish providers on the things that decide a good connection — not just the headline “up to” speed.
- Speed & reliability. Real-world download and upload, and how the line holds up at peak times.
- Coverage by Eircode. What’s actually available at your address — fibre, cable or copper.
- Price & contract. The in-contract price, what it jumps to after, set-up fees and contract length.
- Customer service. Install times, fault handling, and how providers treat you when something breaks.
Coming soon. Bill-pay and prepay plans rated for real Irish use.
- Plan & data. Allowances, the truth behind “unlimited”, and the genuine monthly cost.
- Network coverage. How each network performs across Ireland — town and country.
- Roaming. EU roaming and the rates beyond it.
- Value. What you pay against what you actually get.
Coming soon. Electricity and gas plans compared honestly, on total cost.
- Unit rates & standing charges. The numbers that decide your bill — not just the discount.
- Green tariffs. Genuinely renewable plans, clearly flagged.
- Discounts & exit fees. The first-year discount, what happens after, and the cost to leave.
- Switching. How easy it is to move, and the savings on offer.
How we make money — and why it doesn’t bias us
matched.ie is free to use, so the site is funded by affiliate commissions: when you buy through some of our outbound links, we may earn a fee — at no extra cost to you. That’s the whole business model, and we’re upfront about it.
Here’s the line that matters: a commission never buys a better ranking. The order is set by the scores, full stop. We regularly send you toward options that earn us nothing — telling you the Six Nations is free-to-air, that GAA+ is the official way to watch the GAA abroad, or that a cheaper plan beats the one that pays us more. If a recommendation and a commission ever pull in different directions, the recommendation wins.
How we keep it current
A comparison is only as good as the day it was written — prices rise, features ship, and broadcast rights change hands mid-season. So we treat every page as a living document: we track pricing continuously, re-score when something material changes, and stamp each page with the date it was last reviewed.
- Live data. Prices, device limits and key features come from one maintained dataset, not a number typed into prose months ago.
- Event-driven re-scoring. A new audit, a price change or a rights deal triggers a fresh look — not a fixed annual cycle.
- Dated and accountable. Every page shows when it was last reviewed, so you know how fresh it is.
Corrections & contact
We’d rather be right than first. If you spot an out-of-date price, a broken detail or anything that reads wrong, tell us and we’ll fix it quickly — and credit the catch where it helps. You can reach the editorial team through our contact page.
Independent, Ireland-first, and honest about the catch — including how we get paid. That’s the whole methodology.