How We Score AI Tools
Every tool on AlphaFlowGridAI gets a RadarScore out of 100. That number is not a guess and it is not for sale. This page explains exactly how it is calculated, where our data comes from, and how often we re-check it — so you can judge our judgement.
The Five Dimensions
Each tool is rated 1–10 on five dimensions. These are the same five shown in the “RadarScore breakdown” on every tool page.
| Dimension | What it measures | What a high score means |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | Price vs. what you actually get, compared to direct competitors at the same tier | The tool delivers more capability per dollar than its rivals |
| Ease of use | Setup friction, learning curve, interface clarity | A non-technical user can be productive within minutes |
| AI quality | Accuracy, reasoning, output quality of the underlying models | Best-in-class results for the tool’s primary use case |
| Free tier quality | How genuinely usable the free plan is (not a crippled demo) | Real work can be done without paying |
| Support quality | Documentation, response times, community, reliability | Help is fast, findable and effective when something breaks |
How the Score Is Calculated
The five dimension scores (each 0–10) are combined into the final RadarScore (0–100) using the following weights:
| Dimension | Weight |
|---|---|
| AI quality | 30% |
| Value for money | 25% |
| Ease of use | 20% |
| Free tier quality | 15% |
| Support quality | 10% |
Formula:
RadarScore = (AI quality × 3.0)
+ (Value for money × 2.5)
+ (Ease of use × 2.0)
+ (Free tier quality × 1.5)
+ (Support quality × 1.0)
Example — ChatGPT: (9×3.0) + (9×2.5) + (10×2.0) + (8×1.5) + (7×1.0) = 27 + 22.5 + 20 + 12 + 7 = 88.5, rounded to 88.
Every published RadarScore is the direct output of this formula, rounded to the nearest whole number. There is no hidden adjustment — you can take any tool’s five dimension scores, apply the weights above, and reproduce its RadarScore exactly.
Where Our Data Comes From
For every tool, we draw on:
- Official sources first — the vendor’s own pricing and product pages are the primary source for all prices, tiers and feature claims.
- Hands-on testing — we use each tool for its core use case before scoring AI quality and ease of use.
- Independent reviews & user feedback — to sanity-check support quality and real-world reliability.
Every tool page lists its sources and a “Last verified” date at the bottom.
How Often We Re-Check
AI tool pricing changes constantly. We re-verify each tool’s pricing and key facts at least monthly, and immediately when we learn of a major change (a new tier, a price change, a rename). The “Last verified” date on each page tells you when we last confirmed its data.
Our No-Paid-Placements Policy
- We never sell rankings or RadarScores. A higher score cannot be purchased.
- Sponsored listings, when present, are always clearly labelled as sponsored and do not affect a tool’s RadarScore.
- Affiliate links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. They never influence scores or placement. We link to tools we would recommend regardless.
If you ever spot a number that looks wrong or out of date, tell us — we read every message and correct errors fast.