Quick answer
Bought reviews are public ratings posted by people who didn't genuinely use your product, meant to make it look better. Tester feedback is private, detailed input from real people who used your product, meant to make it actually better. Bought reviews break platform rules and tell you nothing; tester feedback is allowed and shows you what to fix.
Two ways to spend the same budget
Imagine you have a small budget before launching an app or a new website. One option is to spend it on a batch of five-star reviews. The other is to spend it on a group of real users who try the product for a few days and tell you honestly what works and what doesn't.
Both cost roughly the same kind of money. The outcomes could not be more different.
Side-by-side comparison
| Bought reviews | Real tester feedback | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes it | People paid to post, usually without using the product | People who actually use the product under clear instructions |
| Where it goes | Public: Google, Play Store, marketplaces | Private: to you, the business |
| What it contains | Short, generic praise | Steps, screenshots, bugs, confusion points, suggestions |
| Allowed by platforms | No | Yes |
| Legal risk | Can be a misleading or unfair trade practice | None when done properly |
| What you learn | Nothing | What to fix before real customers find it |
| Long-term effect on rating | Often deleted; mismatch causes angry real reviews | Better product leads to better genuine reviews |
Why feedback beats praise
A review saying "Great app, 5 stars!" gives you nothing to act on. A tester report saying "On a Redmi phone with Android 13, the OTP screen freezes after I switch to SMS and come back" gives you a bug you can fix today — and that bug might otherwise have produced dozens of one-star reviews.
Good feedback is specific, reproducible and honest. Our guide on what makes user feedback useful explains how to ask for it.
Where genuine reviews come from
Public reviews should come from real customers after a real experience. The fastest honest route to more of them is:
- Test with real users before launch, and fix what they find.
- Launch a product that works on the devices your customers use.
- Ask customers for a review at a good moment, using official tools.
- Reply to every review and keep improving.
That is slower than buying a batch, but every review you get this way stays, and your rating reflects what customers will actually experience.
How TestLancer keeps the two separate
We keep testing and reviewing strictly apart. On TestLancer, feedback from testers is private to the business. Businesses can't require testers to post reviews or ratings, and we don't sell reviews, ratings, installs or engagement. Our reputation service only works with reviews from a business's real customers. Read our Trust & Safety page for the full rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is paying testers the same as paying for reviews?
No. Testers are paid for the work of testing and reporting privately, whatever their opinion. Paying for reviews means paying for public praise. The first is normal practice; the second breaks platform rules.
Can a tester post a review after testing?
If a tester later chooses to review something they genuinely used, it must reflect their own experience and follow that platform's rules. It can never be a condition of a paid task.
How many testers do I need?
It depends on your goal. A usability study can learn a lot from a handful of people; device coverage and closed testing need more. See our pricing page for how campaigns are scoped.