Vendor Comparison Matrix Calculator
Score and compare two vendors using weighted criteria (cost, quality, delivery, support) for data-driven vendor selection.
About this calculator
Picking a vendor on gut feel invites second-guessing later — and disputes if a losing bidder asks how the decision was made. This calculator turns the decision into a weighted scoring model so the reasoning is explicit and repeatable. You rate each vendor 0-10 on quality, delivery, and support, and enter each vendor's annual cost; the calculator converts cost into a comparable 0-10 score by scaling it against 1.5 times the higher of the two costs, so a cheaper vendor scores higher on that dimension without needing you to guess a scale yourself. Your four weights (cost, quality, delivery, support) don't need to sum to exactly 100 — the calculator normalizes whatever you enter so the relative importance is preserved even if your inputs total 90 or 120.
Each vendor's weighted score is the sum of its per-dimension scores times their normalized weights, giving a single comparable number on a 0-10 scale. Alongside the head-to-head score, the calculator reports value-for-money as score points per $1,000 of cost, which can reorder the ranking versus the raw weighted score — a vendor can lose on overall score but win on value if it's dramatically cheaper. Keep in mind the cost-to-score conversion is a simplification: it assumes the higher-cost vendor anchors the scale, so with very lopsided pricing (one vendor 5x the other) the cheaper vendor's cost score can compress toward 10 regardless of how much cheaper it actually is. For high-stakes procurement, treat this as a structured starting point for negotiation and documentation, not a substitute for reference checks or contract review.
Legal Disclaimer
This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.
Inputs
Results
Vendor A weighted score
5.77
Vendor B weighted score
6.05
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter vendor names and scores for each evaluation criterion (price, features, support, reliability).
- Set Weights for each criterion based on your organization's priorities.
- Review Weighted Scores for each vendor.
- Select the vendor with the highest weighted score — or use scores to inform structured negotiations.
- Document your evaluation process — a scored matrix protects against procurement disputes and bias claims.
How the result changes with Vendor A quality score (0-10)
| Vendor A quality score (0-10) | Vendor A weighted score | Vendor B weighted score |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 4.72 | 6.05 |
| 5.25 | 5.24 | 6.05 |
| 10 | 6.67 | 6.05 |
What each input means
- Vendor A annual cost ($)
- Total annual cost for Vendor A's proposal.
- Vendor A quality score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor A's product/service quality. 10 = excellent, 0 = poor.
- Vendor A delivery score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor A's delivery reliability and speed.
- Vendor A support score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor A's customer support and responsiveness.
- Vendor B annual cost ($)
- Total annual cost for Vendor B's proposal.
- Vendor B quality score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor B's product/service quality.
- Vendor B delivery score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor B's delivery reliability and speed.
- Vendor B support score (0-10)
- Rate Vendor B's customer support and responsiveness.
- Weight: Cost (%)
- Importance weighting for cost. All weights are normalized to sum to 100%.
- Weight: Quality (%)
- Importance weighting for quality.
- Weight: Delivery (%)
- Importance weighting for delivery performance.
- Weight: Support (%)
- Importance weighting for support quality.
What each result means
- Vendor A weighted score
- Vendor A's overall weighted score (0-10 scale).
- Vendor B weighted score
- Vendor B's overall weighted score (0-10 scale).
- Score difference (A minus B)
- Positive = Vendor A leads, Negative = Vendor B leads.
- Cost difference ($)
- Vendor A cost minus Vendor B cost. Positive = A is more expensive.
- Vendor A value per $1K
- Score points per $1,000 of cost for Vendor A. Higher = better value.
- Vendor B value per $1K
- Score points per $1,000 of cost for Vendor B. Higher = better value.
- Recommended vendor (1=A, 2=B)
- Vendor with the highest weighted score.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersVendor A annual cost ($) = 50000, Vendor A quality score (0-10) = 7, Vendor A delivery score (0-10) = 8, Vendor A support score (0-10) = 6 = 12 input(s) provided
- Calculate Vendor A weighted scoreVendor A weighted score = vendorACostScore * wCost +5.77 = 5.77
- Calculate Vendor B weighted scoreVendor B weighted score = vendorBCostScore * wCost +6.05 = 6.05
- Calculate Score differenceScore difference = vendorAScore - vendorBScore-0.28 = -0.28
- Calculate Cost differenceCost difference = vendorACost - vendorBCost5000 = $5,000
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my weight percentages get normalized even if they don't add up to 100%?
The calculator sums whatever four weights you enter and divides each one by that total, so relative importance is preserved regardless of whether your inputs total 90, 100, or 120. Entering 35/30/20/15 or 70/60/40/30 produces identical normalized weights and identical results, since only the ratio between them matters.
How does the calculator turn a dollar cost into a 0-10 score comparable to quality, delivery, and support ratings?
It scales each vendor's cost against 1.5 times the higher of the two vendors' costs, so the more expensive vendor scores lower and the cheaper one scores higher on a 0-10 scale. Because the anchor is 1.5x the higher cost rather than a fixed dollar ceiling, the cost score is always relative to whichever vendor you're comparing it against — the same $50,000 quote could score differently depending on what the competing bid was.
Why might one vendor win on weighted score but lose on value-for-money, or vice versa?
Weighted score reflects your stated priorities blended across cost, quality, delivery, and support; value-for-money instead divides that same weighted score by cost per $1,000, which rewards cheaper vendors more heavily regardless of your weighting. A vendor with a slightly lower overall score can still show better value if its price is disproportionately lower than its score deficit.
What happens to the cost score if one vendor's price is dramatically higher than the other's, say 5x?
Because the scaling anchor is 1.5 times the higher-cost vendor, extreme price gaps compress the cheaper vendor's cost score toward its ceiling rather than fully rewarding how much cheaper it is — the model can't distinguish "20% cheaper" from "80% cheaper" once the gap is that lopsided. In those cases, treat cost difference and value-per-$1K as the more informative numbers than the raw cost score.
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