Kriko

Before you buy

The listing tells half the story.

Kriko shows what is known to go wrong with the exact product you are looking at. Every finding keeps its source.

Download Kriko for Windows Get the browser extension GitHub

Free · Open source · No account

The Kriko panel for an invented e-bike. It lists four things to check, from a battery that fades down to a minor display note.
An invented e-bike in the real panel.

01How it works

Three steps, on the page you are reading.

  1. 01

    Open a product page.

    Kriko reads the page on your computer and looks that exact product up in your catalogs. Nothing leaves your computer.

    The Kriko panel open beside an invented e-bike listing. It lists four things to check.
  2. 02

    Read what to check.

    Each finding says how serious it is, how well it is supported and what to ask. Open one to see its source.

    One finding opened. It explains that the battery loses range after two winters, names the source and suggests what to ask the seller.
  3. 03

    Compare, then decide.

    Add the products you are torn between. The panel counts what is known to go wrong with each, and the app lines them up side by side.

    The Kriko panel with a shortlist of three invented e-bikes. Each row counts its serious, to-check and minor findings.

02The app

Where the findings are kept.

The Windows app keeps every check on your computer, lines your shortlist up side by side and answers your follow-up questions with sources. The panel in your browser is the way in.

The Kriko app comparing three invented e-bikes side by side. A finding that more than one bike shares is marked, and each finding shows how well it is supported.
Three invented e-bikes, side by side. A finding that two of them share is marked, and each one says how well it is supported.
The Kriko app showing one check for an invented e-bike. It lists four findings, each marked Solid, Partial or Thin, with the sources of the first one opened.
One check, opened. Each finding says how serious it is and how well it is supported. Open one to see its sources.
The Kriko app's start screen. A box reads Ask about a product, with three recent checks below it.
Ask about a product in your own words, with the agent you chose. Every check you have run is kept below.

Every product here is invented, and so is every finding. The app is in English for now.

03Examples

Four invented products, in the real panel.

Nothing here is real, not the products and not the findings. They only show how the panel reads. Real findings link to a real source.

  • New · Robot vacuum

    The Kriko panel for an invented robot vacuum. Findings include a side-brush motor that fails and schedules that need a cloud account.

    Robot vacuum R

    A brush motor that gives up and an app that wants an account.

  • Used · Phone

    The Kriko panel for an invented used phone. Findings include a fingerprint sensor that stops after a screen repair and battery health below 80 percent.

    Phone P, 128 GB

    A screen repair that can end the fingerprint sensor.

  • Used · Washing machine

    The Kriko panel for an invented used washing machine. Findings include a drum bearing that grows loud and a door seal that grows mould.

    Washing machine W

    A bearing that grows loud and a seal that grows mould.

  • New · Cordless drill

    The Kriko panel for an invented cordless drill. Findings include battery contacts that overheat and a chuck that slips under load.

    Cordless drill D

    Contacts that overheat and a chuck that lets go.

The panel is in English for now. The Turkish site describes it in Turkish.

04Catalogs

Know the model before you buy.

A catalog is one product category, written down with its sources. The Cars catalog covers engines, gearboxes, electrics and bodywork, in English and Turkish. Install one from Catalogs in the app and lookups work offline.

05Quick look

No catalog? Ask your agent.

Quick look sends the agent you chose to research a product no catalog covers, and keeps the sources. It needs an internet connection. If it finds nothing, Kriko says so. It never says a product is fine.

The research card for an invented air fryer. A quick look found three things to know, with the number of pages read.

06Install

Four steps, once.

  1. 01

    Install the app.

    Download the Windows installer and open Kriko. It needs no administrator rights. The first-start setup walks you through the rest.

  2. 02

    Add knowledge.

    Open Catalogs, choose Find release catalogs and install one. You can also research without one.

  3. 03

    Add Kriko to your browser.

    Install Kriko from the Chrome Web Store in Chrome, Edge or Brave. The store handles updates. Keep the desktop app running; the extension needs it to work.

  4. 04

    Open a listing.

    Keep Kriko running, open a product page and press Alt + K or the toolbar button. Read the findings and follow the sources.

Kriko for Windows

For 64-bit Windows. It installs for the current user and needs no administrator rights.

Download the installer

The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows may show a SmartScreen warning. Choose More info, then Run anyway.

Prefer a portable version? Choose the .zip.

On macOS or Linux? See the source build options.

Read the source on GitHub.

07Questions

Your data, the cost and the limits.

Where does my research live?

On your computer. Catalogs, history, your shortlist and settings stay with you, and there is no account to create. Online research sends your question and the pages it read to the provider you choose. Read the privacy policy for every case.

What is the catch?

Kriko is free and open source under the MIT license. Catalog lookups need no key. If you choose a paid AI provider for research, that provider bills your own account.

Can I check new products too?

Yes. New and used products both have problems that are easy to miss: owner reports, repair findings and concerns that only affect one variant. Quick look researches beyond your installed catalogs with your chosen agent.

What if a concern is not confirmed?

A report can point at something worth checking without proving a defect. Follow the pages behind it, compare the explanations and see what is still unanswered. You decide what the evidence means for your purchase.