Decision Maker
Compare options with weighted criteria, pros, and cons to make better decisions. Add up to 5 options, define what matters most, rate each option, and get a calculated winner. Saves to your browser so you can come back later.
How the Decision Maker Works
This decision-making tool uses a weighted decision matrix to help you compare options objectively. Start by naming your options — the things you are choosing between. Then define the criteria that matter to you, such as cost, quality, convenience, or any factors relevant to your decision. Assign importance weights from 1 to 5 for each criteria. Finally, rate how well each option meets each criteria on a 1 to 5 scale. The tool calculates a weighted score for each option and declares a winner.
Scoring Formula
Option Score = Sum of (Rating x Criteria Weight) for all criteria
Normalized Score = (Raw Score / Maximum Possible Score) x 100
The maximum possible score is the sum of all criteria weights multiplied by 5 (the highest rating). This gives a percentage-based score between 0 and 100 for easy comparison.
When to Use This Tool
The decision maker is ideal for comparing job offers, choosing between products or services, evaluating rental apartments, deciding on vacation destinations, selecting a school or program, or any situation where you need to weigh multiple factors against multiple options. It turns gut feelings into structured analysis without removing your intuition from the process — you still define what matters and how much.
The Pros and Cons Feature
Beyond numerical scoring, you can add pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) as tags for each option. These serve as qualitative notes that the raw numbers might not capture. Sometimes a single dealbreaker con outweighs a high score. The tags appear alongside scores in the results to give you the complete picture for an informed decision.
Tips for Better Decisions
Be honest with your ratings — the tool only works as well as your inputs. Include both practical criteria (cost, time) and emotional criteria (excitement, comfort) for a balanced evaluation. If two options score within 5 points of each other, they are essentially tied — go with your instinct. Weight your criteria carefully — a criteria with weight 5 has five times the impact of one with weight 1. Save your decision to your browser and sleep on it before committing.
Save and Come Back Later
Click "Save to Browser" to store your entire decision setup in localStorage. When you return to this page, your options, criteria, ratings, and pros/cons will be restored automatically. This lets you take time with important decisions without losing your analysis. Data is stored only in your browser — nothing is sent to any server.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the scoring work?
Each option is rated 1-5 on every criteria you define. Each criteria has a weight (1-5) indicating its importance. The score is calculated as the sum of (rating x weight) for all criteria, then normalized to a percentage out of 100. The option with the highest score wins.
Can I save my decision and come back later?
Yes. Click "Save to Browser" to store your entire setup in your browser's localStorage. When you return to this page, all your options, criteria, ratings, and pros/cons will be restored automatically.
How many options and criteria can I add?
You can add up to 5 options and up to 8 criteria. Most decisions work well with 2-3 options and 3-5 criteria. Adding too many factors can make the analysis overly complex.
What are weights and why do they matter?
Weights represent how important each criteria is to your decision. A criteria with weight 5 (most important) has five times the impact on the final score compared to one with weight 1. This ensures your priorities are reflected in the results.
What if two options score the same?
If two options score within a few points of each other, they are essentially tied. Look at the pros and cons tags for qualitative differences, and trust your instinct for the final call. Sometimes sleeping on it helps.
Is my data stored on a server?
No. All data stays in your browser. The tool runs 100% client-side with no server communication. If you save, data is stored in your browser's localStorage only — accessible only on your device.
What are good use cases for this tool?
Comparing job offers, choosing between apartments, deciding on a major purchase, evaluating business strategies, picking a vacation destination, selecting a school or program, or any decision with multiple factors to weigh.