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RICE Score Calculator (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)

Score and compare two product ideas with the RICE prioritization framework — reach × impact × confidence ÷ effort — and see which feature should go first on the roadmap.

Feature A — reach

Feature A — impact

Feature A — confidence

Feature A — effort (person-months)

Feature B — reach

Feature B — impact

Feature B — confidence

Feature B — effort (person-months)

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How it works

RICE score = Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort · Impact: 3 massive, 2 high, 1 medium, 0.5 low, 0.25 minimal · Confidence: 100% high, 80% medium, 50% low · Effort in person-months

RICE is the prioritization framework Sean McBride introduced at Intercom: estimate how many people a project reaches in a period, how much it moves each of them, how sure you are of those numbers and how many person-months it costs. The score is total expected impact per unit of work, so a modest feature that is cheap and widely used can outrank a big bet. Use the same reach period and the same effort unit for every idea you compare.

Worked example

Feature A reaches 2,000 users a quarter with high impact (2) at 80% confidence and takes 4 person-months: 2,000 × 2 × 0.8 ÷ 4 = 800. Feature B reaches 5,000 users with medium impact (1) at 50% confidence and takes 2 person-months: 5,000 × 1 × 0.5 ÷ 2 = 1,250. Feature B ranks first, scoring 1.56× feature A.

Sources: Intercom — RICE: simple prioritization for product managers

Frequently asked questions

How is the RICE score calculated?

Multiply reach by impact and by confidence (as a decimal), then divide by effort. 2,000 users × impact 2 × 80% ÷ 4 person-months = 800.

What scale does impact use in RICE?

Intercom’s scale is 3 for massive, 2 for high, 1 for medium, 0.5 for low and 0.25 for minimal impact per person reached. Keep the same scale across all ideas.

What is the difference between RICE and ICE?

ICE scores impact, confidence and ease, usually each from 1 to 10, and multiplies or averages them. RICE separates reach from impact and divides by effort in person-months, so it is less subjective for products with measurable usage.

Should I always build the highest RICE score first?

Use it as a starting point. Dependencies, strategic bets, legal requirements and bugs can justify overriding the ranking — RICE is there to make those trade-offs explicit, not to replace judgement.

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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.