Relevance Score Methodology

Every product in our directory receives a Relevance Score from 0 to 100, computed automatically from publicly available data. The score helps visitors quickly identify well-established European alternatives. Here is exactly how it works.

Scores are relative: they represent how a product compares to all other products in the directory, not an absolute threshold. A score of 90 means the product ranks in the top 10% across all criteria. This ensures established EU leaders are properly recognized while newer alternatives can still show their strengths.

Score Tiers

90
Established
80 – 100
70
Growing
60 – 79
50
Emerging
40 – 59
25
Early Stage
0 – 39

Scoring Categories

The total score is the sum of five categories, each measuring a different aspect of the product.

1. Web Presence & Maturity

0 – 30 pts

How established is this company on the web?

  • Domain age (0-15) Based on domain registration date via RDAP. Older domains score higher, with 15+ year domains receiving maximum credit.
  • Website quality (0-10) Checks HTTPS, response time, meta tags, structured data, and Open Graph tags.
  • Social presence (0-5) Links to Twitter/X, LinkedIn, GitHub, Mastodon, and YouTube found on homepage.

2. Community & Traction

0 – 20 pts

Does the product have an active community and user base?

  • GitHub metrics (0-10) For open-source products: stars, forks, and recent activity via GitHub API.
  • Review platforms (0-10) Presence on Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra. Weighted higher for non-open-source products.
  • Popularity proxy (0-5) Has logo, screenshot, covers multiple alternatives, and listed in multiple categories.

3. Product Accessibility

0 – 20 pts

How easy is it to try and evaluate the product?

  • Free tier (0-5) Whether the product offers a free plan or trial.
  • Open source (0-5) Whether the source code is publicly available.
  • Pricing page (0-5) Whether a public pricing page exists (checked via /pricing or /plans).
  • Documentation (0-5) Whether public documentation or help center exists.

4. EU & Privacy Commitment

0 – 15 pts

How strong is the product's commitment to European data protection?

  • EU country (5) Headquartered in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
  • GDPR signals (0-5) Mentions GDPR on homepage, has a privacy policy page, implements cookie consent.
  • Data sovereignty (0-5) Mentions EU data centers, data residency, or DSGVO compliance.

5. Ecosystem Coverage

0 – 15 pts

How well does the product fit into our directory?

  • Alternatives (0-7) Number of non-EU products this serves as an alternative to.
  • Category breadth (0-3) Number of categories the product is listed in.
  • Listing quality (0-5) Has logo, detailed description, screenshot, and founding year data.

6. Category Relevance

0 – 15 pts

How important is this product relative to its competitors in the directory? Products that are the only European alternative to a major non-EU service are inherently the most relevant in that space.

  • Scarcity (0-10) Fewer EU alternatives to the same non-EU product means higher relevance. Sole alternative: 10 pts.
  • Category size (0-5) Products in smaller, underserved categories receive a boost.

Data Sources

  • • RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol) for domain registration dates
  • • HTTP checks to verify website availability, response time, and page existence
  • • GitHub API for open-source project metrics (stars, forks, activity)
  • • Homepage analysis for social links, GDPR mentions, and structured data
  • • Review platforms (Trustpilot, G2, Capterra) for community presence verification

Transparency & Limitations

Scores are computed automatically from public data and refreshed periodically. No product can pay to influence their score. The algorithm is open and deterministic: given the same input data, it always produces the same score.

The score is not a quality judgment or endorsement. It measures publicly observable signals that correlate with a product's maturity and presence. A lower score may simply mean the product is newer, more niche, or focuses less on public-facing metrics.

We welcome feedback on our methodology. If you believe a score is inaccurate or if you have suggestions for improvement, please get in touch.