This policy explains how GramFile decides what to cover, how we test and check software, what keeps our reviews independent, and how we fix mistakes. It applies to every listing and article on the site.
Our Standards in Brief
- A person reviews every listing, and the software is installed and used before the listing goes live.
- Download links point to the developer’s official source.
- We don’t take payment for coverage, rankings, or badges.
- Version numbers, system requirements, and checksums are confirmed against the official release.
- Material errors are corrected within 48 hours, and corrections are labeled on the page.
- Updates are dated, so readers can see when information was last verified.
What GramFile Covers
GramFile is a software download directory. We cover desktop applications, utilities, media players, productivity tools, system software, Android apps, and OS ISOs for Windows and Linux. We write about what software does, how to get it safely, and whether it is worth your time.
We don’t build hype around products, and we don’t take money to make software sound better than it is.
Who Writes and Reviews Here
Our reviewers and editors have backgrounds in software engineering, design, and medicine, and they are expected to have hands-on experience with the software they cover. We don’t publish from spec sheets or press releases alone. If you write about PotPlayer, you have used PotPlayer. If you cover compression tools, you have run files through them.
Founder Dr. Mohamed Zaki has the final say on what gets published. You can read about everyone on the About GramFile page, and each author page lists their work. Our testing steps are laid out in How We Review Software.
How We Choose What to Cover
We cover software that people search for and install. We weigh four things:
- Relevance: is this something a real user would look for on a download site?
- Safety: can we verify the source and confirm the installer is clean?
- Stability: we prefer stable releases over betas, unless the beta is widely used in practice.
- Platform: Windows is our largest section and most of our audience runs Windows. We also cover macOS, Android, and OS ISOs.
We don’t cover abandonware unless it is historically significant and clearly labeled as such. We don’t cover software with known bundled malware, even if it has been “cleaned up.”
Accuracy Standards
Every page has to be correct on the day it goes live.
- Version numbers are confirmed at the time of writing, from the official developer site rather than third-party sources.
- System requirements are listed as the developer states them. If testing on a different configuration shows a discrepancy, we note it.
- File sizes and checksums match the official release where that information is public.
- Screenshots come from the current version. We re-verify the interface before reusing screenshots across a major version update.
Every download page links to a source we have confirmed. If we can’t confirm that a source is the official one, we don’t link to it. When something changes, we update the page and date the update.
Independence and Commercial Relationships
GramFile earns money from standard display advertising. Advertisers have no say in editorial decisions, and ads can’t appear on download pages in a way that mimics or hides the download button.
- We don’t accept payment for coverage. Software is covered because of an editorial decision, not because a developer asked or paid.
- We don’t inflate ratings. A 3/5 means the software works but has real limitations. A 5/5 means we would recommend it without hesitation to someone with the right use case.
- We don’t bury problems. Known bugs, compatibility issues, and installation quirks go in the main content, not a footnote.
- We have no exclusive relationships with developers and give no preferential treatment in exchange for early access.
Writing Standards
Readers come looking for a specific piece of software. They want to know what it does, whether it suits them, and where to get it safely, so we answer those questions without padding. We write for someone who knows what they are doing: we don’t explain what a media player is, we explain what makes this one worth downloading, or not.
We avoid:
- Words like “powerful,” “robust,” or “industry-leading” unless we can show what they mean in practice
- Feature lists that repeat the developer’s site without adding context
- Restating the same point in different words to fill space
- Introductions that describe what you are about to read instead of starting
Corrections
We make mistakes. When we find one, or a reader reports one, we fix it and note the correction on the page. We don’t edit pages quietly.
If you spot an error, such as a wrong version number, an outdated screenshot, or a broken download link, use the report page. We look at reports within 24 hours, and we correct material errors within 48 hours.
Keeping Pages Current
Software changes. We review our most-visited pages on a rolling schedule, and we update them when a new major version is released or when user reports suggest the information is out of date. Pages that haven’t been reviewed in over 12 months carry a notice, so nobody relies on stale information without knowing it.
Contact
For questions about these standards or coverage inquiries, use the contact page. To report an error or a problem with a download, use the report page.