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How Nitrokey’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 Score17/100

Agent-ready 33.6 × 0.30 = 10.08

API quality 0.0 × 0.20 = 0.00

Openness 23.5 × 0.20 = 4.70

Built-in AI n/a — excluded, its ×0.15 weight renormalized away

Automation 0.0 × 0.15 = 0.00

(10.08 + 0.00 + 4.70 + 0.00) ÷ (0.30 + 0.20 + 0.20 + 0.15) = 14.78 ÷ 0.85 = 17.4 — weights renormalized over the scored components

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-ready33.6/100×0.30 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://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txtPROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txt
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/.mdPROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/.md
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)

Run the product headlessly / in CI for automationweight 2

2 (weight) × 4 (quality) × 0.6 (partial) = 4.8 of 20 max

  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/official CLI documented at https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).

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

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

Use an official CLIweight 2

2 (weight) × 8 (quality) × 1.0 (full) = 16.0 of 20 max

  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/official CLI documented at https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).

Drive the product through a documented public APIweight 3

3 (weight) × 5 (quality) × 0.6 (partial) = 9.0 of 30 max

  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/official CLI documented at https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txtPROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txt
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/.mdPROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/.md
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)

Issue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agentweight 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

Build against official SDKsweight 2

2 (weight) × 6 (quality) × 0.6 (partial) = 7.2 of 20 max

  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/official CLI documented at https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).
  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareThe Nitrokey 3 firmware is written in Rust. It uses the Trussed firmware framework and is developed in collaboration with SoloKeys
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txtPROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txt
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)

Subscribe to events via webhooksweight 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

Agent-ready = 37.0 ÷ 110 × 100 = 33.6

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://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txtPROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txt
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/.mdPROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/.md
  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation

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://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)

Test against a sandbox environment without touching production dataweight 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

Rely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policyweight 2

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

  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txtPROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.nitrokey.com/llms.txt
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).
  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation

API quality = 0.0 ÷ 60 × 100 = 0.0

Openness23.5/100×0.20 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) × 4 (quality) × 0.6 (partial) = 4.8 of 20 max

  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/official CLI documented at https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.jsonPROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.nitrokey.com/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/swagger.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/api/openapi.json, https://docs.nitrokey.com/.well-known/openapi.json)

Export all of my data in open formats and leaveweight 3

3 (weight) × 3 (quality) × 0.3 (disputed) = 2.7 of 30 max

  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareThis software is fully open source.
  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareAll software, unless otherwise noted, is dual licensed under Apache 2.0 and MIT license.
  • [community] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24294307I'm currently using both Nitrokeys and YubiHSMs on a client project. Nitrokeys can't do Ed25519, stuck with NSA Suite B for ECC. Attestation certs can't be exported via PKCS#11, must use custom vendor shell; baked-in cert is RSA2048 in a non-standard ASN.1 container format.

Read the product's source under an open licenseweight 2

2 (weight) × 8 (quality) × 1.0 (full) = 16.0 of 20 max

  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareThis software is fully open source.
  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareThe Nitrokey 3 firmware is written in Rust. It uses the Trussed firmware framework and is developed in collaboration with SoloKeys
  • [github] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmwareAll software, unless otherwise noted, is dual licensed under Apache 2.0 and MIT license.
  • [probe] https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmware/releasesPROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey 3 firmware is open source in Rust WITH tagged, installable releases — https://github.com/Nitrokey/nitrokey-3-firmware/releases/latest resolves keylessly to /releases/tag/v1.8.3, and the docs ship a dedicated firmware-update guide. The direct contrast to sealed, non-updatable closed firmware.

Self-host the core productweight 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

Openness = 23.5 ÷ 100 × 100 = 23.5

Built-in AIn/a×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

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

Set up automations that run autonomously in the backgroundweight 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

Delegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the 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

Operate the product with natural-language commandsweight 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

every cell n/a — unscored (not zero), excluded from the blend

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://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/nitropy - Nitrokey Documentation
  • [claimed-docs] https://docs.nitrokey.com/Nitrokey Provisioning for Entra ID
  • [probe] https://docs.nitrokey.com/software/nitropy/PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): Nitrokey's official nitropy CLI installs keylessly from PyPI and identifies itself — `uvx --from pynitrokey nitropy version` → 'Command line tool to interact with Nitrokey devices' / 0.13.0. The official Python SDK also resolves on PyPI (nitrokey 0.4.2).

Define rules that trigger actions automatically on eventsweight 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

Schedule recurring jobs or workflowsweight 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

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 ÷ 20 × 100 = 0.0