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How Stackpick ranks AI tools

Every tool in a use case runs the same standard test, and the score comes from the result. Rankings are never for sale.

The scorecard

Each tool gets a score out of 10:

  • Result quality (50%): did it finish the task, and how good is the output?
  • Speed and effort (20%): time spent and how many fixes were needed.
  • Price for value (20%): cost to run the task.
  • Ease of starting (10%): whether there's a free tier and how fast setup is.

Tools without a published test score show "Test pending" instead of a guessed number, and stay in our current pick order until the test is done.

The standard tests

  • Coding agents: Add email and password login to a small starter app, with tests passing.
  • App builders: From one prompt, build a to-do app with accounts and deploy it.
  • Databases and backend: Set up a users table with login and row-level security, then connect a starter app.
  • Hosting and deploy: Deploy the same Next.js app with a custom domain, and record time to first deploy and monthly cost.
  • AI APIs and models: Run 3 jobs through each API (write a function, pull data out of a PDF, answer support questions), scored for quality, speed and cost.

New tools

A scout checks Product Hunt, GitHub and the web every day for new launches and major releases that help people build software, and lists them under New this week. A tool is only added after we've seen it on a real page.

Money

Some links may be affiliate links, and tool makers can buy a clearly labeled featured spot in the weekly letter or above a ranking (see sponsor spots). Neither changes a ranking, and a paid spot never takes a rank.

Questions people ask

How does Stackpick rank AI tools?

Every tool in a use case runs the same standard test. The score is 50% result quality, 20% speed and effort, 20% price for value and 10% ease of starting. Until a tool's test is done, it shows Test pending and stays in our current pick order.

Can tool makers pay for a higher ranking?

No. Rankings are never for sale. Tool makers can buy a clearly labeled featured spot in the weekly letter, and some links may be affiliate links, but neither changes a ranking.

How often is Stackpick updated?

New tool releases are checked every day and added to New this week. Rankings change when a standard test is published, and every change goes out in the weekly letter.