RICE score calculator

Score features and ideas by reach, impact, confidence and effort, see them ranked, and copy the result as a table or CSV. Add as many items as you like.

Free · Runs in your browser · Updated 26 September 2026

RICE score calculator

Enter reach, impact, confidence and effort for each item
ItemReach (people per period)ImpactConfidenceEffort (person-months)ScoreRemove
2,133.3
2,250
450
The first three rows are examples. Replace them with your own.

Ranking

  1. 1Dark mode2,250
  2. 2Onboarding checklist2,133.3
  3. 3Team invitations450

Top item: Dark mode, score 2,250.

The framework

Value per unit of effort.

RICE was described by Intercom’s product team as a simple way to compare ideas that are very different in size.

Score

RICE = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort
What each RICE input means
InputWhat it isScale
ReachHow many people or events the change touches in a periodA number, the same period for every item
ImpactHow much it moves each person it reaches3 massive, 2 high, 1 medium, 0.5 low, 0.25 minimal
ConfidenceHow sure you are about reach and impact100% high, 80% medium, 50% low
EffortWork needed, across the whole teamPerson-months; 0.5 for under a month

Worked example: an item that reaches 2,000 people, with high impact (2), 80% confidence and 4 person-months of effort, scores 2,000 × 2 × 0.8 ÷ 4 = 800. An item reaching 300 people with medium impact, full confidence and 1 person-month scores 300. The first is worth more per month of work.

Using it well

The ranking starts a conversation.

  • Score every item in one sitting with the same people, so the scales mean the same thing throughout.
  • A score does not know about dependencies, deadlines, contracts or strategy. Use it to challenge your instincts, not to overrule them.
  • If an item’s score surprises you, ask which input you disagree with. That disagreement is usually the useful part.
  • Re-score when you learn something. Low confidence is a reason to run a small test first, which raises confidence cheaply.

FAQ

Questions people ask first.

What is a RICE score?
A number that ranks ideas by expected value for the effort. RICE stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort, and the score is Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort. The framework was described by Intercom’s product team.
What period should reach cover?
Any period, as long as every item uses the same one. A common choice is a quarter: how many customers or events the change will touch in that time. Mixing periods makes the scores incomparable.
How do I estimate confidence honestly?
Use 100% only when you have data behind reach and impact, 80% when you have some evidence, and 50% when it is mostly a guess. Low confidence should pull a score down: that is its job. If everything is at 100%, the column is telling you nothing.
Why is effort in person-months?
It is the amount of work one person does in a month, across everyone involved: design, engineering, testing. Use whole numbers, or 0.5 for something under a month. It only has to be consistent, not exact.
Is the CSV safe to open in a spreadsheet?
Yes. Item names that start with =, +, - or @ can be run as formulas by spreadsheet programs, so the CSV puts an apostrophe in front of them and they open as plain text.

From the team behind the tools

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