The pros and cons list: a template, an example, and the fix for its big flaw

Writing down the pros and cons is the oldest decision tool there is, and it is still a good start. Its flaw is that it counts. One serious con and four trivial pros look like a win for the pros.

Updated

The template

OptionProsConsDeal-breaker?
Option A… · … · …… · …Yes / No
Option B… · …… · … · …Yes / No

Write the pros and cons for each option, not for "doing it" against "not doing it" — a decision between two real options is clearer than a yes or no. The last column is the one most lists leave out: if any con is something you cannot live with, the option is out, however long its list of pros.

A worked example: two phones

ProsCons
Phone ABetter camera · brighter screen · lighter · nicer coloursBattery barely lasts a day
Phone BTwo-day battery · cheaperHeavier · average camera · dimmer screen

Counted, Phone A wins four to one. But if you are out all day and cannot charge at work, A's single con is the one that will annoy you every evening — and B is the better phone for you. That is the flaw: a list treats every line as the same size.

The fix: weigh each line

  1. Cross out any option with a deal-breaker.
  2. Give each remaining pro and con a weight from 1 (nice to have) to 5 (decides it).
  3. Add the pros' weights and subtract the cons' for each option.
  4. If the totals are close, the options are close — choose the cheaper or simpler one and stop.

Weighted like that, a pros and cons list becomes a small decision matrix. With more than two options, removing them one at a time is quicker than writing a list for each.

Getting the pros and cons without writing them

The hard part of a list is knowing the facts. compare⁄io researches each option with a live web search and lays out at least ten attributes side by side — including the problems owners most often report, which is where the real cons tend to be. Then ask the chat under the comparison: "list the pros and cons of each, for someone who [your situation]". It answers from the same research, and the sources are listed under the result.

Get the pros and cons of

Questions people ask

How do you make a pros and cons list?

Write each option as a heading, list its pros and its cons beneath, and mark any con you could not live with. Then give each line a weight from 1 to 5 so that a big con counts for more than a small pro.

Is there a pros and cons list generator?

compare⁄io will research the options for you: compare them, then ask the follow-up chat for the pros and cons of each for your situation. Check anything important against the sources it lists.

What is better than a pros and cons list?

A weighted list, or a decision matrix — both let a serious con outweigh several small pros. With many options, eliminating them one at a time works better than either.