Decision Matrix
Weigh the criteria, then rank the options.
Decision Matrix ranks your options by scoring each one against criteria you weight yourself. It shows every weighted contribution, the margin between first and second, and how far one weight would have to move to reverse the order. The grid stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
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Runs entirely on your device. No file or text you enter here is uploaded. How to verify it.
How to use Decision Matrix
- List the options you are choosing between.
- Add each criterion and give it a weight.
- Score every option, then read the ranking and where each score came from.
Questions about Decision Matrix
How do I choose the weights?
Set them by comparison rather than in isolation: if one criterion is worth twice another, give it twice the weight. Only the ratios matter, so a 1 to 5 scale is enough for most decisions. If two criteria end up equal, ask whether you would give up all of one for a little of the other; the answer usually separates them.
I keep adjusting the weights until my favourite wins. Is that cheating?
It is common, and it is information rather than failure. It means your preference is stronger than the criteria you wrote down, which points at a criterion you have not named yet or a decision you have already made. Either write the missing criterion in, or accept that you have decided and stop scoring.
Does the scoring scale change the answer?
Not on its own, as long as you score consistently: 1 to 5 and 1 to 10 give the same ranking for proportional scores. Blank cells do change it, because they are counted as the bottom of the scale rather than as neutral, and the tool warns you how many are still empty.
How firm is the result?
The tool prints the margin between first and second and the single weight change that would reverse them. When a small nudge flips the order, the matrix has told you the two options are genuinely close, which is a useful answer in itself: pick on something the grid does not capture, such as which one you can walk away from later.
Is my matrix saved anywhere?
Only if you tick the box, and then only in this browser's local storage. Nothing is sent anywhere, so a matrix about staff, suppliers or salary offers stays on the machine you typed it on. Untick the box and the stored copy is deleted immediately.
Is Decision Matrix really free, with no limits?
Yes. There is no account, no daily cap, no file-size tier and no watermark, because there is no server cost to recover. The site is funded by clearly disclosed partner recommendations on the Partners page, never by metering the tools.
Are my files or text uploaded when I use Decision Matrix?
No. Everything is processed by JavaScript running in your browser, on your device. You can verify it: open your browser's developer tools, switch to the Network tab, and use the tool. You will see no request carrying your data — because there is nowhere for it to go.