Ranking method
The number on a card is reproducible. Change the four marks in the JSON and the site recomputes the average. There is no hidden boost for sponsors, because sponsorship is not switched on.
The formula
Score = (ease + power + free tier + community) / 4, rounded to one decimal. Each mark is an integer from 1 to 10. Ties break by power, then by name.
Ease of use: can a newcomer get something on screen. Power: can it carry a real project. Free tier: can you start without paying. Community: are there people and docs when you get stuck.
A free-tier mark of 5 means the plan was not confirmed on the pass dated on the tool. It is not a claim that the product costs money.
What we refuse to score
We do not invent feature lists, benchmark winners, or dollar prices. A pricing model is filled in only when it was confirmed: free, freemium, or open source.
“Best for” is an editorial lane — beginner, intermediate, or pro — so a terminal agent is not ranked as if it were a weekend chat builder.
How an update lands
Edit the tool in data/tools.json, bump updated, and commit. The overall score is not stored. It is calculated at build time so the math cannot drift from the marks.