Free Software Comparison Scorecard: Weighted Software Evaluation Matrix, Free Trial Test Plan, and a SaaS Vendor Security and Contract Checklist (PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the page

Criteria and weights

What matters for this decision and how much, adding to 100. Agree them before anyone sees a demo.

Scores 1 to 5

Each tool's score on each criterion after a hands-on trial. Excel multiplies by the weight and totals; the highest total wins unless a must-have is missing.

Test tasks

Real jobs your team does every week, run in every tool with real data, and marked pass, partly or fail.

Security and data

Certifications, sign-in security, encryption, where data lives, export and deletion, backups and uptime.

Contract terms

Price, minimum seats, add-ons, contract length, auto-renewal, notice period and limits on price rises.

A simple way to choose software

Write down the problem first: what is slow, error-prone or impossible today, and who is affected. Turn that into criteria and weights in the evaluation matrix, and mark any must-haves; a tool missing one is out. Shortlist three or four tools from reviews and recommendations from businesses like yours. Then run the trials properly, with the trial test plan: the same real tasks in every tool, done by the people who will use it, with real (or realistic) data. Score each criterion after the trials, not after the demos. Finally, check the vendor with the due diligence checklist and compare the price per user next to the scores. For a CRM specifically, use the CRM comparison checklist.

Making free trials count

Trials are usually 14 to 30 days and easy to waste. Start all of them in the same week, and have the test tasks ready on day one. Assign each task to a person and a date. Test the things that will matter in six months, not just the first impressions: importing your data, the reports finance needs, permissions and approvals, the integration with your accounting or other systems, and the mobile app. Write what failed and any workaround in the notes column. In the sample, the budget tool fails the billing tests, and the suite passes almost everything but is too heavy for a twelve-person team, so the simple timer wins.

Security, data and contract checks

Before signing, ask every vendor the same questions. Is there an independent security report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001)? Can you enforce multi-factor sign-in? Where is the data stored, can you export all of it in a standard format, and what happens to it when you cancel? What uptime do they commit to, and how are backups handled? Will your data be used to train AI models, and can you opt out? Then read the contract: minimum seats, add-ons, auto-renewal, the notice period and any limits on price rises. Record the subscription on the subscription tracker with the renewal and notice dates so it doesn't renew by surprise.

Editing the files

Excel works out the weighted scores for up to four tools. Change the criteria and weights for each decision; the same matrix works for project management, accounting, HR, help desk or scheduling software. The test plan and vendor checklist are fillable PDFs and editable in Word and Excel.

Questions

How do I compare software options?

Set weighted criteria and must-haves, shortlist three or four tools, run the same real tasks in each during free trials, score each criterion, check security and contract terms, and compare price next to the scores.

What is a software evaluation matrix?

A table of criteria with weights, scored for each option, where Excel multiplies the scores by the weights and adds them up to give a total for each tool.

What should I ask a SaaS vendor before buying?

About security certifications, MFA and SSO, encryption, data location, export and deletion, uptime and backups, support, privacy terms, use of your data for AI, pricing and contract terms.

What is SOC 2?

An independent audit report on how a service provider manages security and data. A Type II report covers how controls worked over a period of time.

Does the matrix calculate automatically?

Yes. The Excel version calculates the weighted score for each criterion and the total for each tool.