Report

Should I Use ZDNET?

zdnet.com·Analyzed 1 day ago·9/18/2026·Based on 8 sources

see all latest

Depends

ZDNET is a free tech-news and reviews publication, not software, so there is nothing to buy or deploy.

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

Confidence: Medium

Free

Price

Ad- and affiliate-supported

19 reviews

Trustpilot feedback

Very small sample

1991

Launched

Long-running Ziff Davis brand

Topic verticals

Security, finance, startups, reviews, networking

Value for money

Free; funded by ads and affiliate links

Ease of use

Standard news site; no signup required

Feature depth

Broad coverage, but no tools or data

Pros

Experts test and assess products hands-on^¹
Free to read, no subscription paywall^¹
Strong security coverage: advisories, breaches, patching guidance^⁶
Long-running tech brand owned by Ziff Davis^²
Called top site for IT managers and tech-savvy buyers^³

Cons

Commerce-heavy: 'ZDNET recommends' affiliate deal content throughout^¹
Only 19 Trustpilot ratings — thin independent feedback^³
Some Reddit users say it lost trustworthiness years ago^⁴
Critics call the site messy and of questionable value^⁵

Gotchas

mediumReviews sit alongside affiliate shopping content; 'independently test' disclosures accompany commercial picks
mediumCoverage includes deal-driven posts like Prime Day price roundups — read as promotion, not analysis
lowComments require JavaScript; site experience can degrade with blockers^¹

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

Pricing

Free

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

Security

No known public 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.