That’s right, we made a list of tools to help you clarify what you really want, the products out there that can give it to you – and the ones that will always work best for you. With the constant release of new products everyday on the web, it can seem like a true challenge to find what you need. Especially if you have more niche needs, like open-source software.

Cut down on time wasted looking at poor options (or worse, buying and then regretting the decision) by navigating reviews, questions, and condensed comparisons instead.

Unsure where to start on this journey? We’ll help. Just click through the read more and prepare to be ready.

Slant

Slant is hugely useful in that it easily brings up visual comparisons for you and has a dedicated community base that not only recommends but reviews (with pros and cons). This puts it ahead of some of the other databases/search engines in here.

AlternativeTo

Chances are you’ve already stumbled upon this site in your quest for product searches. It hosts a hefty amount of app and software recommendations, with reviews, screenshots, and specialized tags. The tagging system is probably the most useful when you’re looking for something very specific to the point of there being far and few options. That said, visit any site on this list – and your world will quickly grow.

ProductHunt

While not necessarily meant for comparisons, ProductHunt lends itself to them with user reviews (many of these users being other developers/entrepreneurs), links to similar products, and plenty of great user questions. We hit up ProductHunt even when we’re not necessarily looking for something, but instead just to see what’s new out there. Some people become bored quickly with flurries of new products but ProductHunt keeps it fresh and curated. The only downside we see is the search function is a bit direct, and the tags/categories can easily intimidate new visitors.

StackExchange

Rather than centering on products, StackExchange navigates with questions. For people who aren’t looking for something similar but still different to a product they already have the name of, but instead are looking for any fitting product matching their query, this style is more suited. You’ll have to sift into different communities but it’s an extensive place to start, if you’re still uncertain.

Quora

Another question-and-answer site. Quora has also been used by many as a blog service, so you may find yourself reading through long-form, more formal answers to your questions than on the other sites. Of course, Quora also has the neat and tidy responses that you might prefer, and it has plenty of them. Definitely an upgrade from say, Yahoo Answers, and always a worthwhile node point.

Want to do a real deep-dive?

This is where giant community sites like Reddit come into play. Always be willing to jump through these. And if the sites above didn’t help you, then there’s nothing handier than a quick search. Whether you use Google or … well, whichever alternative (see what we did there?) search engine you have, just plug in some attributes and see what the world has to say.

This is for the adventurous – and also, for those of you with lots of time. If you haven’t already spent enough on these other sites. But hey, the internet is for exploring, and as far as a “last resort” goes, this isn’t so bad.

(By the way, if you’re one of those niche users looking for open-source products… don’t say we didn’t help you at least a bit!)

This is some of what is available for an individual looking for something – but would you rather hand the process over when it comes to your business? We’re here for that, and more than willing to give you the freedom to spend your time in other ways.

Well? What kind of research do you conduct to find the products you need? Which of these sites was most useful for you? Let us know @verarocadigital or in the comments below.