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ZDNET Review

Depends

Should I use ZDNET?

see all latest - zdnet.com

· 1 month ago

ZDNET is a free tech-news and reviews publication, not software, so there is nothing to buy or deploy. Read it for product reviews and security news, but don't treat its affiliate 'recommends' picks as neutral buying advice.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources; most are ZDNET's own articles, with only a handful of independent reviews.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support model; editorial content only
  • Security postureNo public findings on the site itself

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly fees19 reviews
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • IT managers
  • Gadget buyers researching purchases
  • Security and breach news followers
  • Deal and price-drop hunters

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for software — this isn't software
  • Teams wanting vendor-neutral recommendations
  • Enterprises needing analyst-grade research
  • Developers wanting deep technical documentation

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Reviews sit alongside affiliate shopping content; 'independently test' disclosures accompany commercial picks

medium

Coverage includes deal-driven posts like Prime Day price roundups — read as promotion, not analysis

low

Comments require JavaScript; site experience can degrade with blockers

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Experts test and assess products hands-on
  • Free to read, no subscription paywall
  • Strong security coverage: advisories, breaches, patching guidance
  • Long-running tech brand owned by Ziff Davis
  • Called top site for IT managers and tech-savvy buyers

Cons

  • Commerce-heavy: 'ZDNET recommends' affiliate deal content throughout
  • Only 19 Trustpilot ratings — thin independent feedback
  • Some Reddit users say it lost trustworthiness years ago
  • Critics call the site messy and of questionable value

Sources & method

- 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x3security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free; funded by ads and affiliate links
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Standard news site; no signup required
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Broad coverage, but no tools or data
  • Support quality. No support model; editorial content only
  • Security posture. No public findings on the site itself
  • Free Price Ad- and affiliate-supported
  • 19 reviews Trustpilot feedback Very small sample
  • 1991 Launched Long-running Ziff Davis brand
  • 5+ Topic verticals Security, finance, startups, reviews, networking

Pricing

Free

$0

  • All news, reviews, and topic coverage
  • Ad-supported with affiliate links
  • Newsletter available

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Feedback is thin and mixed: praised as a resource for IT managers and tech-savvy buyers, but criticized on Reddit and forums for declining trustworthiness and messy site quality.

“It's the top site for IT managers and tech-savvy bu…”
Trustpilot
“ZDNet hasn't been trustworthy for years now.”
Reddit, r/sysadmin
“ZDNet is a hot mess...”
Thurrott forums
Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources; most are ZDNET's own articles, with only a handful of independent reviews.

Free tech news site, not software: fine for research, but its 'recommends' picks are affiliate-driven.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources; most are ZDNET's own articles, with only a handful of independent reviews.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Reviews - ZDNETzdnet.com
    official
  2. ZDNET - Ziff Davis brand pageziffdavis.com
    official
  3. Trustpilot reviews of zdnet.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  4. ZDNet Is Literally Telling People To Install Malware (r/sysadmin)reddit.com
    review
  5. ZDNet is a hot mess (Thurrott forums)thurrott.com
    review
  6. ZDNET Security topic pagezdnet.com
    security
  7. zdnet.com competitors - SimilarWebsimilarweb.com
    news
  8. ZDNet Alternatives - AlternativeToalternativeto.net
    news

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