ICE Score Calculator

A score ranks ideas inside one list. It is not a forecast, and a score from another list cannot be compared with yours.

ICE is a quick first sort. Take the top few ideas and look at them more closely: estimate reach and effort in real units, or test the riskiest assumption.

A low confidence rating is a reason to research. An idea with high impact and low confidence may deserve a cheap test more than a place at the bottom.

• Impact: how much the idea moves the goal. Example: dark mode is a 3, pleasant but hardly changes behaviour.
• Confidence: how much evidence you have. Example: a Slack integration asked for by a few customers is a 4.
• Ease: the opposite of effort, so 10 is the cheapest. Example: dark mode is a 9 when the design system already supports themes.

Score = impact × confidence × ease, from 1 to 1,000. Dark mode in the example: 3 × 9 × 9 = 243.

Some teams average the three ratings instead. When every idea on the list uses the same rule, the order barely changes, but the gaps between ideas do: multiplying rewards ideas that are strong on all three. This page multiplies.

Ideas with equal scores share a rank (3=), and the one entered first is listed first.

Multiply or average?

Both are in use. Multiplying keeps one weak rating from being hidden by two strong ones and spreads the scores out. Averaging is easier to explain. Pick one rule for the whole list; this page multiplies.

ICE or RICE?

ICE is faster and works when you cannot estimate reach. RICE separates reach from impact and uses real units, which makes it better for decisions that matter. Many teams sort with ICE and check the top with RICE.

How do I keep the ratings consistent?

Agree on what 1, 5 and 10 mean before you start (see "How to score 1–10"), and rate all ideas in one sitting. Ratings drift when they are given weeks apart.

What happens with equal scores?

Equal scores share a rank, such as 3=, and the idea entered first is listed first. Break the tie with a discussion, not with a decimal.

How often should I rescore?

Whenever you learn something that changes a rating, and at least when you plan the next period.

Can I trust a score of 243?

Trust the order more than the number. Three ratings from 1 to 10 are opinions; the score helps you compare them, not replace them.

A worked example and the mistakes that break RICE: RICE prioritization explained

• prioritization framework
• RICE scoring

• RICE score calculator

  Ranking a list of ideas by reach, impact, confidence and effort.