How the score works.

The process

We identify the systems that a buyer in each industry would realistically shortlist, including specialists and general-purpose platforms. We assess each against five categories whose weights change by industry, using vendor documentation, product demonstrations, published pricing and terms, and the recurring complaint patterns collected in our Complaint Index. Category scores are combined by weight into an overall score out of 100.

A system can appear in several industries with different scores. A system can also be excluded from an industry where it does not compete, which is why AlpacaBOSS is not ranked for restaurants or salons, and why Toast is not ranked for wholesale.

What the score is not

It is not a measure of customer satisfaction, market share or vendor size, and it is not supplied or endorsed by any vendor. It is our assessment of fit for a typical buyer in that industry at the time of publication. Scores are reviewed when products, pricing or terms change materially.

Cost and contract

Cost is weighted between 15 and 25 percent depending on the industry's margins. We score the total cost of ownership and the fairness of the contract, not the headline subscription price.