Prop Firm Software Selection Scorecard
Vendor comparisons become more defensible when the buyer chooses weights before seeing the final sales proposals. This prevents a low headline price or impressive feature demo from overwhelming requirements that matter more operationally.
100-point baseline
| Category | Weight | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge/lifecycle fit | 15 | Live demo against your products |
| Risk engine | 15 | Breach tests, audit evidence |
| Trading/integrations | 15 | Production scope + docs |
| Reliability/support | 15 | SLA, incident/support evidence |
| Total cost at scale | 15 | Written scenario pricing |
| Migration/exit | 10 | Plan, exports, contract |
| Data/security/permissions | 10 | Terms, controls, demo |
| Roadmap/optional features | 5 | Current vs roadmap separated |
Score 0–5 per category
- 0: requirement not supported.
- 1: major gaps/custom dependency.
- 2: partial fit with material workarounds.
- 3: meets baseline.
- 4: strong fit with evidence.
- 5: exceptional fit and contractual/production evidence.
Weighted score = category score ÷ 5 × category weight.
Add knockout criteria separately
A high aggregate score should not rescue a vendor that fails a mandatory requirement. Examples might include required trading platform, data export, specific risk rule, target jurisdiction support or a maximum commercial exposure.
Use different weights for startups and live firms
A startup may weight launch speed and minimum cost more heavily. A 10,000-account operator should increase reliability, migration, support and architecture. The framework is intentionally adjustable.
Evidence confidence modifier
Consider marking every score High, Medium or Low confidence. A feature demonstrated live and written into scope deserves more confidence than a roadmap promise. This avoids false precision in a numerical scorecard.
Do not score provider-reported customer counts as functionality
Scale claims can support diligence, but the buyer still needs architecture and service evidence relevant to its own volume. Likewise, awards and testimonials should not substitute for requirements testing.
Recommended process
- Write requirements and knockout criteria.
- Set weights.
- Collect standardized proposals.
- Run identical demo tests.
- Score independently before negotiation.
- Resolve low-confidence items.
- Update only with new evidence.
Supporting resources: RFP framework, demo checklist, pricing analysis and due diligence guide.
FAQ
Should price be the highest weight?
Only if that reflects your actual business priorities. For a live high-volume firm, reliability or migration risk may deserve more weight.
Can the highest-scoring vendor still be wrong?
Yes. A scorecard structures evidence; it does not replace judgment, contract review or mandatory requirements.