PROMETHEE Calculator Online - Free Multi-Criteria Decision Tool

Use this PROMETHEE calculator online to compare suppliers, projects, software tools, investments or any set of alternatives with several weighted criteria. Enter scores, choose preference functions, set q and p thresholds when needed, and get a PROMETHEE I and PROMETHEE II ranking directly in the browser.

The tool is built for practical multi-criteria decision analysis: define alternatives, configure criteria, adjust weights, test sensitivity and export a decision report. No spreadsheet formulas, no install and no account are required.

PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations) is an outranking method. It compares alternatives pair by pair and shows not only the final ranking, but also where alternatives are strong, weak or genuinely difficult to compare.

PROMETHEE calculator example: supplier selection

Suppose you need to choose the best supplier for the next contract. You may compare four suppliers with criteria such as:

• price, where lower is better;
• product quality, where higher is better;
• delivery reliability, where higher is better;
• support quality, where higher is better.

In this PROMETHEE calculator, you can start from the supplier selection example, adjust the weights and choose how differences should be interpreted. For example, you may decide that a small price difference should be ignored, but a large delivery difference should strongly affect the ranking.

That is where PROMETHEE is useful: it does not treat every difference as equally important. With preference functions and thresholds, you can model the way a real decision maker sees trade-offs.

What this PROMETHEE analysis tool calculates

This online PROMETHEE method calculator helps you:

• rank alternatives with PROMETHEE II using the net flow;
• inspect PROMETHEE I partial ranking and incomparability;
• configure criterion weights and directions;
• choose among the six PROMETHEE preference functions;
• use q and p thresholds for indifference and full preference;
• run live sensitivity analysis by changing weights;
• export the result as HTML/PDF or save the analysis as JSON.

If you only need a fast full ranking and your scores are already numeric, a TOPSIS online calculator may be simpler. If thresholds, pairwise preference or incomparability matter, PROMETHEE is usually the better fit.

PROMETHEE calculator vs Excel template

A PROMETHEE Excel template can work, but it is easy to make mistakes in pairwise comparisons, preference functions, thresholds, weights or net flow formulas. This online calculator keeps the calculation consistent and makes the result easier to audit.

Use this PROMETHEE calculator when you want:

• no spreadsheet formulas;
• automatic weight normalization;
• configurable preference functions;
• clear PROMETHEE I and II outputs;
• live sensitivity analysis;
• exportable reports for documentation.

Use Excel when you need a heavily customized workbook or integration with an existing spreadsheet model.

PROMETHEE vs TOPSIS: which method should you use?

Use PROMETHEE when you need to say: “this difference is too small to matter” or “this alternative is strong in one dimension but weak in another, so it may be incomparable.” Use TOPSIS when you want a faster, easier-to-explain ranking based on distance from an ideal solution. Use an AHP online calculator when the weights themselves need to be elicited from decision makers.

What is PROMETHEE and how does it work?

PROMETHEE compares alternatives pairwise: for each pair (A, B) and each criterion, it computes a preference function P(A, B) ∈ [0, 1] representing how much A is preferred over B on that criterion.

These values are weighted by criterion importance and aggregated across all pairs. The result is three scores per alternative:

The aggregated preference between two alternatives is:

$\pi(A, B) = \sum_{j=1}^{k} w_j \cdot P_j(A, B)$

PROMETHEE I vs PROMETHEE II — what’s the difference?

Both methods start from the same calculations but differ in how they interpret the result:

PROMETHEE II uses the net flow φ to produce a complete linear ranking. Every alternative has a defined position — it is the most direct output for a final decision.

PROMETHEE I compares φ⁺ and φ⁻ separately and only declares superiority when A dominates B in both flows. This produces a partial ranking with three possible relations:

Incomparability is not a flaw — it is information: it tells you the choice between A and B depends on which aspect you prioritize (strength or tolerance for weaknesses).

When to use which:

• Use PROMETHEE II when you need a definitive ranking to present at a final decision point.
• Use PROMETHEE I when the decision is still open and you want to identify which alternatives are genuinely incomparable.
• Use both (the default in this tool) for a complete analysis.

The 6 preference functions

Each criterion can have a different preference function. This is what sets PROMETHEE apart from plain weighted averages: you define how a difference in value translates into preference.

1 — Usual Any positive difference yields maximum preference. Best for qualitative or binary criteria.

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le 0 \\ 1 & d > 0 \end{cases}$

2 — U-shape (parameter: q — indifference threshold) Preference only kicks in if the difference exceeds q. Use when small differences are irrelevant (e.g. minor price variations).

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le q \\ 1 & d > q \end{cases}$

3 — V-shape (parameter: p — full preference threshold) Preference grows linearly from 0 to 1 until p is reached. Good for continuous criteria without an indifference zone.

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le 0 \\ d/p & 0 < d \le p \\ 1 & d > p \end{cases}$

4 — Level (parameters: q, p) Discrete two-level jump: no preference up to q, partial preference (0.5) between q and p, full preference above p.

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le q \\ 0.5 & q < d \le p \\ 1 & d > p \end{cases}$

5 — Linear (parameters: q, p) — most commonly used No preference up to q, linear growth until p, full preference above p. Combines indifference threshold with gradual scaling.

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le q \\ \dfrac{d - q}{p - q} & q < d \le p \\ 1 & d > p \end{cases}$

6 — Gaussian (parameter: σ) Preference grows along a smooth bell curve with no hard cutoff. Ideal for criteria where preference increases progressively.

$P(d) = \begin{cases} 0 & d \le 0 \\ 1 - e^{-d^2 / 2\sigma^2} & d > 0 \end{cases}$

Criterion weights

The weight wj represents the relative importance of each criterion. The tool normalizes weights automatically so that ∑wj = 1. You can use any scale — what matters is the ratio between weights.

A criterion with weight 4 has twice the influence of one with weight 2.

Sensitivity analysis

Sensitivity analysis answers: would the result change if I redistributed the weights?

With the weight sliders you can identify:

• Whether the decision is robust — the winner does not change even with significant weight shifts
• Which criterion has the most reversal power — increasing its weight alone can flip the ranking
• Whether there is a dominant alternative (wins under any reasonable weight configuration) or whether the outcome is sensitive to trade-offs

A robust decision is one where different reasonable priority profiles converge to the same winner.

How to use this tool

1. Choose the method (PROMETHEE I, II, or both)
2. Select a ready-made scenario or click “Custom”
3. Set up alternatives (up to 6) and criteria (up to 6): name, weight, direction, and preference function
4. Enter scores — can be a 1–10 scale, real values, percentages, or months. Use the same scale within each criterion.
5. The ranking appears instantly with φ⁺ / φ⁻ / φ flows and the relations table
6. Use the sliders to explore different weight configurations
7. Export the report as HTML or PDF to document your decision

Decisions you can analyze with this tool

🚗 Consumer & purchases

• which car to buy best value for money, compare car models multi-criteria analysis
• which phone to buy in 2026, best smartphone cost-benefit comparison
• which laptop to buy for work, laptop performance vs price analysis
• buy or rent or finance a home, multi-criteria real estate decision
• which appliance brand to buy, best home appliance analysis
• new car vs used car which is worth it, car purchase decision framework

💼 Career & work

• which job offer to accept, compare multiple job offers multi-criteria
• full-time vs contractor which is better financially, CLT PJ comparison
• remote work or in-office, best work model for productivity
• is it worth switching careers, career change decision framework
• should i start a business or stay employed, entrepreneurship vs employment analysis
• which candidate to hire, multi-criteria candidate selection PROMETHEE
• which franchise to open, best franchise return on investment analysis

💰 Finance & investment

• where to invest money, compare investments risk return liquidity taxation
• pay off debt or invest, what to prioritize first financial decision
• which bank or digital account to choose, best fintech comparison
• which credit card to get, best cashback miles credit card analysis
• PGBL vs VGBL which pension plan to choose, retirement plan comparison
• which loan to take, personal loan vs payroll loan comparison

🎓 Education

• which graduate program to take, MBA vs masters vs bootcamp comparison
• which online course or platform to choose, best e-learning platform comparison
• which college major or university to choose, degree selection framework
• best country for a study abroad program, exchange destination comparison

🚀 Business & technology

• how to choose a supplier or vendor, supplier selection PROMETHEE analysis
• which software tool to use for the team, SaaS platform comparison
• best cloud provider to choose, AWS vs Google Cloud vs Azure PROMETHEE
• which frontend framework to use, React vs Vue vs Angular comparison
• microservices vs monolith architecture decision, system design trade-off analysis
• agile methodology selection, Scrum vs Kanban decision framework

📊 Prioritization & strategy

• how to prioritize product features, what to build first in the product
• OKR prioritization, which goals to focus on for the quarter
• marketing campaign prioritization, where to invest the marketing budget
• hiring decision multi-criteria, which candidate best fits the team

🔬 Academic & research

• PROMETHEE method online free, how to run PROMETHEE I and II analysis
• multi-criteria decision analysis online free, MADM tool no download required
• PROMETHEE sensitivity analysis online, how criterion weights affect rankings
• outranking method case study, PROMETHEE example with preference functions
• decision support system free, weighted scoring model vs PROMETHEE comparison
• operations research decision tool, MCDA software free online

Frequently asked questions

What is a PROMETHEE calculator?

A PROMETHEE calculator is a decision support tool that ranks alternatives in a multi-criteria decision problem. It compares every pair of alternatives, applies criterion weights and preference functions, then calculates positive flow, negative flow and net flow.

What is the difference between PROMETHEE I and PROMETHEE II?

PROMETHEE II gives a complete ranking using the net flow. Every alternative receives one final position. PROMETHEE I is more conservative: it can show that two alternatives are incomparable when the positive and negative flows point in different directions.

When should I use PROMETHEE instead of TOPSIS?

Use PROMETHEE when thresholds matter, small differences should be ignored or incomparability is useful. Use TOPSIS when you already have numeric scores and clear weights and want a simpler ranking by distance from the ideal solution.

Can I use this instead of a PROMETHEE Excel template?

Yes. This tool replaces the most common PROMETHEE spreadsheet workflow: pairwise preference calculations, threshold handling, positive and negative flows, net flow ranking and sensitivity analysis. Excel is still useful when you need a custom model.

What are q and p thresholds?

The q threshold is the indifference threshold: differences up to q are treated as too small to matter. The p threshold is the full-preference threshold: differences at or above p count as complete preference.

How to cite this tool?

For academic papers, reports, or presentations:

APA (7th ed.): UtiliBox. (2026). PROMETHEE Calculator Online - Free Multi-Criteria Decision Tool [Online tool]. https://utiliboxapp.com.br/tools/promethee-analysis/

MLA (9th ed.): “PROMETHEE Calculator Online.” UtiliBox, 2026, utiliboxapp.com.br/tools/promethee-analysis/.