A worked example. An 86 isn’t an opinion — it’s the weighted sum of the criteria below, each scored 0–100 against documented evidence, then rolled up.
The rule that comes first
We take no payment for placement, and affiliate relationships never touch the ordering of a ranking. If a product or operator pays us, it does not appear in a ranking at all. The score is the score.
Two rubrics, one scale
Smarter Ranking runs two wings — a digital lab and a services lab — so we use two rubrics that both resolve to the same 0–100 SR Score. Each criterion is scored against evidence, multiplied by its weight, and summed.
Digital rubric — tools & platforms
- Evidence & testing 30% weight
- Capability vs. claims 25% weight
- Value for money 20% weight
- Support & docs 15% weight
- Transparency 10% weight
Services rubric — operators & providers
- Reliability & track record 30% weight
- Fleet / capability 20% weight
- Price transparency 20% weight
- Licensing & safety 20% weight
- Service breadth 10% weight
What the bands mean
| Band | SR Score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Top pick | 85–100 | Leads its field on the weighted evidence. Few caveats. |
| Strong | 70–84 | Recommendable with clear trade-offs we name. |
| Mixed | 55–69 | Works for specific cases; weak on at least one heavy criterion. |
| Skip | 0–54 | Outscored by cheaper or more reliable options. |
The methodology receipt
Every ranking ends with a receipt: the rubric used, the criteria weights, the evidence we checked, and the date we verified it. If we can’t show the work, we don’t publish the rank. Read the full methodology and the editorial standard, and see any revisions in the corrections log.