Who Paid for That 'Best Of' List?

Last verified: September 26, 2026, against each company's own pages. Prices and wording change often, so check the source before you rely on a number.

On Clutch's directory pages, order is for sale. Clutch's help center says "Our directories are sorted based on sponsorship and then by Clutch rank." Sponsors come first, ranked by tier. Next come "Clutch Verified companies that are not sponsoring that particular page," then "all non-verified and non-sponsor companies."

Clutch runs a second view that it says is not for sale. Its help center says "Our leaders' matrices showcase the top companies based solely on their Clutch rank." So the answer depends on which Clutch page you are reading. A directory page puts sponsors first. A Leaders Matrix, by Clutch's account, does not.

The notice on the category page is one line: "We may earn a fee for some placements."

The same line appears across Clutch categories. Its software development directory, titled "Top Custom Software Development Companies", says "We verify reviews and evaluate companies so you can choose with confidence. We may earn a fee for some placements." So Clutch reviews and the order of companies are two different things: the client reviews may be checked, while the order on a directory page is shaped by sponsorship.

Treat the order of a directory page as information about who paid, and the client reviews as information about the work. Then take the time to check both.

Match the services, too. Clutch runs separate directories for services such as digital marketing and custom software development, and a firm that is strong in one may not be strong in design or development work. Take the time to ask each agency which services it delivers itself, how long a project like yours takes, and who you will talk to by phone while the work is underway.

DesignRush sells memberships at $200, $300 and $500 a month, each with a 1 year minimum. At the Premium price, one year is a $6,000 investment. Its membership page lists "A Top 10 Ranking in Our Agency Directory" as a feature and says a member can "secure a dynamic top 10 position in your location or niche/category for a year."

On its Florida digital marketing page, DesignRush says "Sponsored listings pay for a placement that appears above organic positions." It says the organic order comes from "five factors: top services, reviews, portfolio, awards/press, and team expertise," and that sponsorship does not change star ratings or reviews.

GoodFirms sells positions #1 through #15 at the top of category pages, starting at $300 a month. It says every sponsored slot is labeled "Sponsored" and that ads never change "where the algorithm naturally places a firm." The paid slots still sit above the list you came to read.

Semrush's agency directory works differently. Semrush sells a listing itself for $90 a month. Semrush says a listed agency's Agency Score "takes into account your own website's performance as well as your Semrush Academy certification status," and its tips for a better score include passing Semrush Academy exams and running Semrush's Site Audit tool. On the Florida list page we checked, we did not find a statement that listed agencies pay.

Expertise.com says it selects businesses first and sells advertising after. In its words: "Once a provider has passed our review & selection process, they may choose to advertise on the page to increase their visibility to new potential customers." It does not publish prices.

Angi's FAQ says its revenue comes partly from "service professionals, who pay to advertise services on Angi." To become Angi Approved and advertise, a business with reviews must keep "an average rating of 3 stars or higher." Angi says Approved pros are "listed above other service providers" in search, and that advertising does not change ratings or reviews.

HomeAdvisor sells leads to service pros. In 2023 the FTC approved a final order against HomeAdvisor over how it marketed those leads.

The BBB charges accreditation dues. Its FAQ says "Accreditation dues do not buy a rating, and they do not remove a complaint." It says ratings come from "a business's complaint history, how it responds to complaints, how transparent it is about its practices, and any licensing or government action against it."

The FTC's Endorsement Guides (16 CFR 255.4, Example 3) describe a review site that "accepts money from manufacturers in exchange for higher rankings." The FTC's view: "Regardless of whether the website makes express claims of objectivity or independence, such paid-for rankings are deceptive and the website operator is liable for the deception."

A label does not fix it. The same example says a disclosure of the payments "would be inadequate because the payments actually determine the headphones' relative rankings." A company that pays for the higher spot "may also be held liable."

It also covers favoritism without cash. A method that ranks sellers higher "because of those relationships" with the site owner "is also misleading."

Separate ads are a different case. In 2013 the FTC told search engines, including sites focused on local business, that "failing to clearly and prominently distinguish advertising from natural search results could be a deceptive practice." Whether a labeled sponsored block above a list counts as a ranking or as an ad is a legal question the FTC example does not settle for any one site.

The FTC's review rule adds one more line. Under 16 CFR 465.6, a business may not falsely claim that a site it "controls, owns, or operates provides independent reviews or opinions" about businesses in its own category.

LendEDU (FTC, 2020). LendEDU said its ratings "are completely objective and not influenced by compensation in any way." The FTC alleged it "sold its rankings to the highest bidder." Per the FTC, LendEDU's CEO told one lender it "could retake the top spot by paying LendEDU $9.50 per click," and the complaint alleges LendEDU offered another lender "the #3 position for a payment of $16 per click." The FTC also alleged that about 90 percent of 126 Trustpilot reviews were written by LendEDU staff and people close to them. LendEDU settled for $350,000.

HomeAdvisor (FTC, 2023). The FTC charged that HomeAdvisor made "false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims about the quality and source of the leads" it sold. The final order, approved April 21, 2023, requires HomeAdvisor to pay up to $7.2 million and bars false or misleading claims about its leads.

Angi (Vermont Attorney General, 2025). In an October 13, 2025 settlement, Angi agreed to stop using "Angi Certified Pro" and any term "that implies a governmental credential," and to pay Vermont $100,000. The Attorney General's office said "Angi itself does not have a certification process and cannot confer, or vouch for, credentials of contractors using its platform."

Directories sell visibility to agencies that want to grow, and most paid lists leave clues. It is worth checking for these before you trust the order.

L3ad.io sells nothing: no listings, placements, badges, reports or leads. No business can pay to get on a list, move up, or earn a badge.

The method is public. Lists are built from public records, like Florida state license records, and anyone can check the inputs. L3ad.io does not rank marketing, advertising, SEO or web design businesses.

Spot a factual error? It gets fixed and noted on the list it affects.