How we rateFind a service

Advertiser disclosure: Paperwork Hero is free to use. We may earn a commission when you sign up through our links. It never changes our scores. How we make money

Our methodology

How we rate: the Hero Score

Every service on Paperwork Hero gets one score from 1 to 5, built from the same four criteria and tested by people who actually complete the task. Here’s exactly how it works, and what can’t change it.

The four things we score

30%
Speed
How long it takes from starting to having your document in hand, including waits for appointments or a notary.
25%
Total cost
The service fee plus every government fee: the number you’ll actually pay, not the headline price.
20%
Coverage
Which states, documents and situations the service can handle, including tricky cases.
25%
Trust & support
Security and ID checks, refund policy, transparency about fees, and how fast a real person answers.

How we test

1
We complete the task
Wherever possible, a member of our team goes through the service with a real document, from sign-up to finished result.
2
We check against official sources
Fees, forms and processing times are verified against the issuing agency, such as travel.state.gov or ssa.gov.
3
An expert reviews it
A credentialed reviewer, such as a commissioned notary, checks every review for accuracy before it’s published.
4
We re-test on a schedule
Money pages are refreshed at least monthly, and processing times weekly. Every page shows when it was last updated.

What the score means

4.5 – 5.0
Excellent
4.0 – 4.4
Very good
3.5 – 3.9
Good, with trade-offs
Below 3.5
Not recommended
What can’t change a score
Commissions, advertising and partnerships play no part in the Hero Score. Partners never see a score before it’s published and can’t pay to change it. Government routes aren’t scored, but we always list them so you can compare. Read more in how we make money.