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

Frequently asked questions

How is the Relevance Score calculated?
The Relevance Score is the sum of six categories: Web Presence & Maturity (0–30), Community & Traction (0–20), Product Accessibility (0–20), EU & Privacy Commitment (0–15), Ecosystem Coverage (0–15), and Category Relevance (0–15). All signals are pulled from public sources such as RDAP, the GitHub API, homepage HTML and established review platforms.
What counts as a European product?
A product qualifies when it is headquartered in an EU or EEA member state or Switzerland, and its parent entity is EU-majority-owned. Subsidiaries of US or other non-EU companies are excluded even when they operate an EU office.
Can a company pay to raise its Relevance Score?
No. Scores are computed automatically from public data and no product can pay to influence their ranking. The algorithm is deterministic (given the same input data, it always produces the same score) and the underlying rules are published here in full.
How often are scores updated?
Scores are refreshed periodically as public signals change (domain age, GitHub activity, review counts, new alternatives added to the directory). Major refreshes happen roughly monthly; individual records may update more often when we add or correct data.
Why did my product receive a low score?
A low score usually means one of three things: the product is newer and has less public history, it focuses less on public-facing metrics (smaller social presence, no public pricing, limited review-platform presence), or the directory already lists many alternatives in the same niche. The score is a signal of discoverability, not a judgment of product quality.
How do I submit a correction or a new European product?
Every product page links to a submission and correction form. We review submissions manually to confirm EU headquartering and category fit before adding them to the directory.

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.