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Decision Matrix
When a choice has several options and several things to weigh — price, quality, location, risk, future potential, personal preference — a decision matrix makes the trade-offs visible instead of keeping them in your head. Fill in the options you are choosing between, decide the criteria that matter, set how important each one is, and score every option from 1 (weak) to 10 (strong).
Worked example
A realistic scenario, already filled in. Open it, then change one number at a time to see what actually moves the result.
Three housing options, scored honestly
A city-centre flat, a suburban flat and a shared house scored on price, space, location, risk, future potential and personal preference. Note how the cheapest option loses once location and space are weighted properly.
Open this example in the tool → The numbers live in the link, so you can bookmark it or send it to someone.
Guides that go with it
What to Do When You Cannot Decide Between Two Options
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You already know the options. That is rarely the problem. The problem is that no option is clearly better, and you have to live with the one you pick. Maybe it is a job offer that pays more but eats y…
Frequently asked questions
Is the option with the highest total always the right choice?
No. The total shows which option best matches the priorities you entered. It cannot price in timing, the people involved or how you feel about it. Use it to make the trade-offs visible, then make the decision yourself.
How should I set the importance weights?
Think of 1 as a nice-to-have and 5 as something that could change your mind on its own. Most criteria belong at 3. If everything is a 5, the weights stop discriminating between the options.
What is the difference between a score and a weight?
The score (1 to 10) says how well an option performs on one criterion. The weight (1 to 5) says how much that criterion matters to you. The weighted result multiplies the two, so a strong score on something you do not care about will not win.
Is anything I type stored?
No. The decision matrix runs entirely in the page you are on, the inputs live in the URL so you can bookmark or share a scenario, and no account is needed.
How is the weighted result calculated?
Each option gets a weighted score: for every criterion its 1–10 score is multiplied by that criterion’s importance (1–5). The option with the highest weighted total is the one that best matches the priorities you typed in — it is not a verdict on what you should do. Adjust weights and scores to explore “what if” scenarios.
Importance runs from 1 (not important) to 5 (critical). Scores run from 1 (weak) to 10 (strong). A criterion marked “less is better” (such as commute, stress or cost of living) is reversed automatically, so giving it a high score never hurts an option.
About this tool. It helps you organize information and make trade-offs visible. It never makes the decision for you — the result only reflects what you entered, and real decisions usually include factors that cannot be scored. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.