How Bench’s scores are calculated

The full audit trail, recomputed from the verdict data at build time through the same code that produced the leaderboard: verdict × quality × story weight per cell, cells sum to dimension scores, dimensions blend into the PA Score. Every number on the product page is reproducible from this page alone; for why the formula looks like this, see the methodology.

verdict factors: full ×1.0 · partial ×0.6 · disputed ×0.3 · none ×0.0 · n/a excluded from both sides · cell points = weight × quality × factor · cell max = weight × 10

PA Score0/100

Agent-ready 0.0 × 0.30 = 0.00

API quality 0.0 × 0.20 = 0.00

Openness 0.0 × 0.20 = 0.00

Built-in AI 0.0 × 0.15 = 0.00

Automation 0.0 × 0.15 = 0.00

(0.00 + 0.00 + 0.00 + 0.00 + 0.00) ÷ (0.30 + 0.20 + 0.20 + 0.15 + 0.15) = 0.00 ÷ 1.00 = 0.0

Scores are stored to 1 decimal; the product page’s pills round to whole numbers for display. Each dimension below shows the stories, verdicts, and cited evidence behind its number.

Agent-ready0.0/100×0.30 of the PA blend

Outside-in: can YOUR agent reach and drive this product — API, MCP, CLI, headless runs, agent docs.

Point an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docsweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Run the product headlessly / in CI for automationweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Plug MCP servers into this product so it can use their toolsweight 3

n/a — not applicable to this product: excluded from numerator and denominator

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Connect an agent via an official MCP serverweight 3

3 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 30 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Use an official CLIweight 2

n/a — not applicable to this product: excluded from numerator and denominator

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Drive the product through a documented public APIweight 3

3 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 30 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Issue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agentweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Build against official SDKsweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Subscribe to events via webhooksweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Agent-ready = 0.0 ÷ 160 × 100 = 0.0

API quality0.0/100×0.20 of the PA blend

The programmable surface once an agent is there — machine-readable spec, interactive docs, sandbox, versioning discipline.

Explore an interactive API reference with runnable examplesweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Download a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)weight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Test against a sandbox environment without touching production dataweight 1

1 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 10 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Rely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policyweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

API quality = 0.0 ÷ 70 × 100 = 0.0

Openness0.0/100×0.20 of the PA blend

Can you leave, inspect, or self-host — data export, open source, portability.

Do everything through the API that I can do in the UIweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Export all of my data in open formats and leaveweight 3

3 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 30 max

[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/reporting“"Real-time reporting. Access or download your updated income statement or balance sheet at all times" — the client-facing surface is reports and downloads, not a ledger the customer posts to.”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Read the product's source under an open licenseweight 2

n/a — not applicable to this product: excluded from numerator and denominator

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Self-host the core productweight 3

n/a — not applicable to this product: excluded from numerator and denominator

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Openness = 0.0 ÷ 50 × 100 = 0.0

Built-in AI0.0/100×0.15 of the PA blend

Inside-out: how agentic the product itself is for its users — built-in assistants, autonomous features.

Get AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the productweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/automation“Connect all your financial accounts to automate data entry, speed up your books, reduce errors and save time”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/categorization“Accurate transaction categorization, powered by smart automation with instant guidance”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/automation“"Connect all your financial accounts to automate data entry, speed up your books, reduce errors and save time", with "Accurate transaction categorization, powered by smart automation with instant guidance".”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/reporting“Real-time reporting. Access or download your updated income statement or balance sheet at all times”

Set up automations that run autonomously in the backgroundweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Delegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the productweight 3

3 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 30 max

[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works“Effortless messaging with your Bench team for unlimited support or advice, anytime, anywhere”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/automation“Connect all your financial accounts to automate data entry, speed up your books, reduce errors and save time”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/categorization“Accurate transaction categorization, powered by smart automation with instant guidance”
[claimed-docs] https://bench.co“Bench is a human-plus-software service, now under new ownership: "Bench simplifies your small business accounting by combining intuitive software that automates the busywork with real, professional human support" — "Now part of Mainstreet, your one stop business operating system—bookkeeping, taxes, banking and entity formation all in one place."”

Operate the product with natural-language commandsweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[probe] https://www.bench.co/llms.txt“PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/llms.txt”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md“PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.bench.co/how-it-works.md”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/how-it-works“Effortless messaging with your Bench team for unlimited support or advice, anytime, anywhere”

Built-in AI = 0.0 ÷ 90 × 100 = 0.0

Automation0.0/100×0.15 of the PA blend

Depth of automation primitives — rules, scheduling, bulk operations, webhooks.

Perform bulk operations across many items at onceweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/categorization“Accurate transaction categorization, powered by smart automation with instant guidance”
[claimed-docs] https://www.bench.co/automation“"Connect all your financial accounts to automate data entry, speed up your books, reduce errors and save time", with "Accurate transaction categorization, powered by smart automation with instant guidance".”
[probe] https://www.bench.co/openapi.json“PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.bench.co/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/swagger.json, https://www.bench.co/api/openapi.json, https://www.bench.co/.well-known/openapi.json)”

Define rules that trigger actions automatically on eventsweight 3

3 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 30 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Schedule recurring jobs or workflowsweight 2

2 (weight) × 0 (quality) × 0.0 (none) = 0.0 of 20 max

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Version, review, and roll back my automationsweight 1

n/a — not applicable to this product: excluded from numerator and denominator

no evidence cited — the verdict rests on absence of evidence, re-checked on refresh

Automation = 0.0 ÷ 70 × 100 = 0.0