Form · Evaluation
Software evaluation form template
Built for a team trial: each reviewer records what they tested, how the tool met each requirement and what broke. Security concerns get their own follow-up, and the final recommendation branches so a conditional yes says what the conditions are and a no says why.
Try it live
Try it as a respondent
Every question, and where it leads
The conversation
What a respondent is asked, in order.
You've had time with the tool. Let's capture what you found while it's fresh.
Which software are you evaluating?
Which best describes your part in this evaluation?
Which tasks did you try in it?
Roughly how many hours did you spend testing it?
How well does it meet each requirement?
How easy was it to finish your tasks without help?
How long before you felt productive in it?
What limitations, bugs or workarounds did you run into?
Did anything raise a security, privacy or compliance concern?
What was it? Include where you saw it, so someone can check.
What's your recommendation?
What would need to be true before we adopt it?
What's the main reason against it?
How confident are you in that recommendation?
Any screenshots or notes to attach?
Ends with
Evaluation recorded
The flow
Where each answer leads. Every route here is editable once the form is yours.
Short text
Single select
Long text
Number
Matrix
Opinion scale
Single select
Long text
Yes / No
Long text
Single select
Long text
Long text
Opinion scale
File upload
What this template uses
- Short text
- Single select
- Long text
- Number
- Matrix
- Opinion scale
- Yes / No
- File upload
- 6 branches
Questions to consider
- What are your must-have requirements? Write them as the rows of the grid before anyone starts testing.
- Which tasks should every reviewer try, so the scores are comparable?
- Do you need separate views from daily users, IT and finance, and who weighs them?
- Are you evaluating one tool or several, and will each get its own link?
- Who follows up on a security concern, and how quickly?
How to use the responses
Group responses by tool, then by reviewer role, because a daily user and an IT admin judge the same tool on different things. Any requirement marked "Doesn't meet" by more than one reviewer is worth checking with the vendor before you decide. Read every security concern first. The answers from reviewers who said "adopt it, with conditions" make a good checklist for the contract or rollout plan.
How to customize and share it
- 1Replace the grid rows with your own requirements, keeping each one short enough to judge at a glance.
- 2List the tasks you want tested in the description of the tasks question, so every reviewer covers the same ground.
- 3Send the link at the end of the trial and export the responses to CSV to build your comparison table.
Frequently asked questions
What should a software evaluation form include?
The tasks tested, how well each requirement is met, ease of use, limitations found, any security concerns and a recommendation with reasons. Asking how long the reviewer spent testing helps you weigh their answers.
How do you compare several software options fairly?
Agree the requirements and test tasks before anyone starts, and have every reviewer fill in the same form for each tool. Then compare requirement by requirement rather than on overall impressions.
Who should take part in a software evaluation?
The people who would use it daily, someone who manages them, and someone from IT or security. Finance often wants a say on cost and contract terms too.
Can I use this form for a vendor evaluation?
Yes. Edit the grid rows to cover vendor criteria such as support, contract terms and roadmap, and keep the recommendation question at the end.