Capterra Shortlist Methodology
Current Methodology: June 2024 - Present
Capterra Shortlist identifies the top products in software categories based on a proprietary blend of user ratings and popularity.
Each Capterra Shortlist may include up to 25 products, but no fewer than 10, depending on the number of top-scoring products in a category.
We use exclusive data and trusted reviews from verified software users to build Capterra Shortlist reports so buyers can confidently build theirs.
The Basics
Capterra Shortlist methodology scores products on two dimensions: Ratings and Popularity.
The Ratings component is plotted on the x-axis and considers the overall user ratings of products based on reviews written in the past 24 months. Users rate products on a scale of 1 star (lowest) to 5 stars (highest).
The Popularity component is plotted on the y-axis and considers the average monthly search volume for a standardized set of keywords for each product—derived using a proprietary search methodology—as well as the position of the vendor's domain on the search engine results page (SERP) for each keyword. It also takes into account the number and recency of reviews written for each product in the past 24 months. These measures of user interest and relevance are used as a proxy for product popularity.
Each score (Ratings and Popularity) is weighted and scaled to a value between 1-50.
Data sources include approved user reviews, public data sources, and data from technology vendors. For more information, please refer to Capterra’s Community Guidelines.
Capterra Shortlist reports present the best and most comprehensive view of products’ recent popularity and ratings, using data from a defined timeframe. These reports should, therefore, be used along with other detailed and real-time information available on each product’s profile page for the most up-to-date view of the data.
Inclusion criteria
To be eligible for inclusion in a category, products must meet the following criteria:
Have at least 20 unique product reviews published on Capterra within 24 months of the start of the research process for a given report. Two years of reviews provide a sample that we have determined is large enough and recent enough to be valuable to buyers. The criteria is also set low enough to ensure emerging vendors can be represented.
Show evidence of offering required functionality as demonstrated by publicly available sources, such as the vendor’s website.
Serve North American users, as demonstrated by product reviews submitted from that region.
Be relevant to software buyers across industries or sectors. In other words, they shouldn’t be "niche" solutions that cater exclusively to one specific type of user, as determined by our analysis of user reviews and/or market research.
Achieve a minimum normalized overall user-review rating after application of Capterra Shortlist method for normalizing and weighting review recency (see description under the "Scoring" section).
Achieve a minimum popularity score.
Scoring
To arrive at a final Ratings score per product:
Scores are calculated for the Ratings dimension based on overall average user ratings.
Average product ratings are normalized for recency and volume of reviews.
Scores for each dimension are scaled to a maximum of 50.
Products are represented, included, and/or scored solely based on user ratings and popularity data and independent of any relationship that Capterra has with vendors.
Information for vendors about Capterra Shortlist
External usage guidelines
Providers must abide by Capterra Shortlist External Usage Guidelines when referencing Shortlist content. Except in digital media with character limitations, the following disclaimer MUST appear with any/all Capterra Shortlist reference(s) and graphic use:
Capterra Shortlist report constitutes the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Capterra or its affiliates.
Escalation guidelines
We take the integrity of our research seriously. If you have questions or concerns about Capterra Shortlist content, its methodology, or other issues, contact Capterra Shortlist team at methodologies@gartner.com. Please provide as much detail as possible so we can understand the issues, review your concerns, and take appropriate action.
Corrections
If we discover a data error or omission in a published Shortlist report, we will publish a correction. See our Corrections Page for comprehensive details.
Tentative publication schedule
Please visit our full publication schedule here. Note that this schedule is intended to be used as a guide only and is subject to change at any time at our discretion.
Methodology: January 2021 - May 2024
N.B. In our ongoing effort to improve the user experience of Capterra Shortlist, we’ve made some enhancements to its visual representation, effective July 7, 2023. (The methodology and scoring have not changed.). Specifically, Capterra Shortlist graphic no longer labels its four quadrants, which were previously labeled Top Performers, Emerging Favorites, Established Players, and Noteworthy Products. This better reflects the exclusive nature of the entire Capterra Shortlist and ensures the featured products are the focus of Capterra Shortlist.
The Basics
Capterra Shortlist methodology scores products on two dimensions: Ratings and Popularity.
The Ratings component is plotted on the x-axis and considers the overall user ratings of products based on reviews written in the past 24 months. Users rate products on a scale of 1 star (lowest) to 5 stars (highest).
The Popularity component is plotted on the y-axis and considers the average monthly search volume for a standardized set of keywords for each product—derived by a proprietary search methodology—as well as the position of the vendor’s domain on the search engine results page (SERP) for each keyword. These measures of user interest and relevance are used as a proxy for product popularity.
Each score (Ratings and Popularity) is weighted and scaled to a value between 1-50.
Data sources include approved user reviews, public data sources, and data from technology vendors. For more information, please refer to Capterra’s Community Guidelines.
Capterra Shortlist reports present the best and most comprehensive view of products’ recent popularity and ratings, using data from a defined timeframe. These reports should, therefore, be used along with other detailed and real-time information available on each product’s profile page for the most up-to-date view of the data.
Inclusion criteria
To be eligible for inclusion in a category, products must meet the following criteria:
Product has at least 20 unique product reviews published on Capterra within 24 months of the start of the research process for a given report. Two years of reviews provides a sample that we have determined is large enough and recent enough to be valuable to buyers. The criteria is also set low enough to ensure emerging vendors can be represented.
Product shows evidence of offering required functionality as demonstrated by publicly-available sources, such as the vendor’s website.
Product serves North American users, as demonstrated by product reviews submitted from that region.
Product is relevant to software buyers across industries or sectors—in other words, no "niche" solutions that cater exclusively to one specific type of user, as determined by our analysis of user reviews and/or market research.
Product achieves a minimum normalized overall user-review rating, after application of the Capterra Shortlist method for normalizing and weighting review recency (see description under "Scoring" section).
Product achieves a minimum popularity score.
Scoring
To arrive at a final Rating score per product:
Scores are calculated for the Ratings dimension based on overall average user ratings.
Average product ratings are normalized for recency and volume of reviews.
Scores for each dimension are scaled to a maximum of 50.
Products are represented, included, and/or scored solely based on user ratings and popularity data and independent of any relationship that Capterra has with vendors.
N.B. In January 2020, Capterra Top 20 was rebranded as Capterra Shortlist.
