shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use TheSmartLocal – Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal?

Skip to content - thesmartlocal.com

Depends. This is not software to buy — it is a free, ad-supported Singapore media portal. Read it for local tips; brands can pitch it for sponsored coverage, but there is no published rate card.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources; all treat this as a media portal, none as purchasable software.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo evidence
  • Feature depthNot applicable to media
  • Support qualityNo evidence
  • Security postureNo findings in sources

Pricing

Not disclosed

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Singapore weekend planners
  • Budget travelers hunting deals
  • Parents tracking school dates
  • Brands seeking SG lifestyle PR

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for software or a tool — wrong category entirely
  • Global market research; coverage skews Singapore/Malaysia
  • Teams wanting reviews free of sponsored content

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Brand pitching: no public rate card found; placements appear to run via pitches and guest-post channels

medium

Many listicles are advertorials; check for ad tags before treating coverage as independent review

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Broad, current local coverage: cafes, travel deals, school dates, camping rules
  • Widely cited: referenced by Wikipedia and academic research
  • Long-running publisher with guides back to 2013
  • Brands showcase its coverage as third-party proof

Cons

  • It is a media site, not software — nothing to deploy or subscribe to
  • Sponsored posts are common; dedicated ad archives confirm heavy advertorial mix
  • Focus is Singapore/Malaysia; limited value elsewhere

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/26/2026 - 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x2security x1news x3

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free to read; ad-supported
  • Ease of use. No evidence
  • Feature depth. Not applicable to media
  • Support quality. No evidence
  • Security posture. No findings in sources
  • 2013 Founded earliest archived guide, Oct 2013
  • Free Reader price ad-supported portal
  • 7+ Named authors public author archive pages

Pricing

Free tier: Yes

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Readers treat it as a go-to local recommendations source; no systematic review ratings exist for a media portal.

“One of the best in tampines ! Do suggest if there're better ...”
Facebook group post

Companies that use it

  • LUMOS Projectors⁴
  • Kiztopia
Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources; all treat this as a media portal, none as purchasable software.

Not a product: free SG lifestyle media. Great for local tips; brands can pitch it for coverage, no rate card public.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources; all treat this as a media portal, none as purchasable software.

Sources

  1. TheSmartLocal homepagethesmartlocal.com
    official
  2. Beginner's Guide to TheSmartLocal (2013)thesmartlocal.com
    official
  3. TheSmartLocal security pagethesmartlocal.com
    security
  4. LUMOS Projectors media reviewslumosprojector.com
    review
  5. Facebook group recommendation threadfacebook.com
    review
  6. Ad archives snapshotthesmartlocal294.rssing.com
    news
  7. Guest posting lifestyle directory listingrocketguestposting.com
    news
  8. Changi Airport Wikipedia citationen.wikipedia.org
    news

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