Organise / Decisions
Pros and Cons List Maker with Weighting
Write down the pros and cons of a decision, give each a weight from 1 to 5 for how much it matters, and see the totals and which way the balance tips. Copy the list to share it; it is saved in your browser.
Pros and Cons List Maker with Weighting: The weights of all the pros are added up, and so are those of the cons; the bar shows their share, and the difference tells you which side is heavier. With pros of 4 and 5 and cons of 3 and 3, the pros total 9 and the cons 6, so the pros outweigh the cons by 3. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- Everyday tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Pros 9
Cons 6
The pros outweigh the cons by 3.
Give each point a weight from 1 (minor) to 5 (decisive); the totals add up the weights on each side. The score is a prompt for thinking, not a verdict: one decisive point can outweigh many small ones. The list is saved in this browser.
Franklin's method
In his letter to Joseph Priestley, Franklin divided a sheet into pros and cons, wrote down points over several days, then struck out a pro and a con of equal weight, or one pro against two lesser cons, until he could see where the balance lay.
When to use a matrix instead
When there are more than two options, scoring each against the same criteria in a weighted decision matrix compares them more fairly.
How to use it
- Write the decision at the top.
- Add pros and cons, and weight each from 1 to 5.
- Read the balance, and copy the list.
Privacy & limitations
The list is saved in this browser only.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Why weight the points?
Ten small advantages can matter less than one big drawback; weights let a decisive point count for more.
Who made pros and cons lists famous?
Benjamin Franklin described the method in a 1772 letter, crossing out pros and cons of equal weight until the balance was clear.
What if the result feels wrong?
That is useful information: a missing point or a wrong weight usually explains it.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required