Decision Matrix

When to use it

Use it when you're picking between three or more options that each have several things going for and against them — a home, a job offer, a vendor, a school — and you keep flip-flopping because you're comparing them one feature at a time instead of as a whole.

When it's the wrong tool

Don't use it when you only have two options and one obviously dominates the other, or when your criteria themselves are the real disagreement — if you and a partner can't agree on how much to weight commute versus space, the matrix won't settle that fight, it'll just relocate it into the weight column. It also breaks down if you pad the criteria list past what actually matters, since junk categories dilute a score that should be driven by three or four real priorities.

An example

A small team is choosing between three office spaces. They set four criteria — rent, commute for staff, natural light, and lease length — and weight commute heaviest since half the team relies on transit. Space A has the best light but a brutal commute for most of the team. Space B is dark but cheap and central. Space C is a compromise on everything. Once weighted, B wins clearly, even though A would have won on a simple show of hands.

How it works

1. List your options and the criteria you'll judge them by.
2. Weight each criterion by how much it matters to this decision.
3. Rate every option against every criterion.
4. Read the totals — then sanity-check the winner against your gut.

The tool below is free and needs no account. Nothing you type leaves your browser unless you save it.

Prefer to train the thinking behind these instead of reaching for a tool each time? The frameworks are explained free, and one drill takes about a minute.