List the options you're choosing between, then the criteria that decide it — each with a weightHow much this criterion counts toward the decision, relative to the others. The numbers are only meaningful next to each other; the percentage shows each one's share of the total.. Rate how well every option meets each one, and the weighted scores say which choice best fits the things you actually care about.
Options to compare
A
B
C
Decision matrix
1 poor5 excellent
Criterion × weightEach criterion carries a weight — how much it counts toward the decision. Each cell is how well an option meets that criterion, 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Contribution = weight × rating.
A
B
C
×23%
2
4
3
×26%
5
3
1
×14%
2
4
5
×20%
5
2
2
×17%
4
3
3
Weighted scoreThe option's weighted total: every criterion's weight × rating, summed down the column. Higher is better.
130
111
90
FitThe weighted score as a share of the best possible — every criterion rated 5. A quick read of how close an option comes to ideal.
74%
63%
51%
Best fit: A · Buy SaaS at 74% — 19 ahead of the runner-up.
Weighted score, ranked
ABuy SaaS
130
BSelf-host OSS
111
CBuild in-house
90
A weighted decision matrix (a Pugh / multi-criteria score) — the numbers are ordinal, only meaningful next to each other