ICE Scoring Model for Feature Prioritization

Prioritize features with the ICE framework: Impact × Confidence × Ease. Simpler than RICE, perfect for agile teams who need faster decisions.

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ProductLift ICE prioritization interface

What is ICE Scoring? The 3 Prioritization Factors

ICE is a prioritization framework that uses three factors to score features objectively

Impact

How much will this feature move the needle? Score 1-10 based on expected improvement to your key metrics or user experience.

Confidence

How certain are you about the impact estimate? Score 1-10 to account for uncertainty. Higher confidence = more reliable scores.

Ease

How simple is this to implement? Score 1-10 based on time, resources, and complexity. Higher ease = faster to ship.

ICE vs RICE: Why Choose the ICE Framework?

The ICE scoring model offers faster prioritization with fewer factors

Before

With ProductLift

Complex RICE scoring with 4 factors

Simple ICE scoring with just 3 factors

Analysis paralysis in prioritization meetings

Quick scoring decisions in minutes

No way to track estimation uncertainty

Built-in confidence scoring

HiPPO decisions (Highest Paid Person's Opinion)

Data-driven prioritization everyone can participate in

The Formula

How to Calculate ICE Score: The Formula

ICE Score = Impact × Confidence × Ease. The ICE framework is simpler than RICE by design. Instead of calculating reach separately, ICE assumes all features target similar user groups. Perfect for teams that want objective prioritization without reach estimation overhead.

Impact: Score 1-10 on expected improvement
Confidence: Score 1-10 on certainty of impact
Ease: Score 1-10 on implementation simplicity
Multiply all three for final ICE score
Max score: 1,000 (10 x 10 x 10)

ICE Scoring Scale: How to Rate Each Factor

Use these guidelines to score Impact, Confidence, and Ease consistently

Impact Scale (1-5)

5 dots = Transformative (game-changing), 4 = High (significant improvement), 3 = Medium, 2 = Low, 1 = Minimal. Think about business metrics and user satisfaction.

Confidence Scale (%)

100% = High confidence (data-backed research), 80% = Medium-high (some evidence), 50% = Medium (educated guess), lower = speculation. Be honest about uncertainty.

Ease Scale (1-5)

5 dots = Quick win (less than 1 week), 4 = Moderate (1-3 weeks), 3 = Medium, 2 = Significant (1-2 months), 1 = Major project. Include design, dev, and testing.

ProductLift ICE scoring AI interface suggesting scores

Score With Context

See Customer Feedback While You Score

ProductLift shows votes and conversion rates right next to each feature as you score. AI can even suggest ICE scores based on your product vision and customer votes - no more guessing.

AI suggests scores based on product vision and votes
Visual ICE graph to see where features sit
Drag and drop to easily reorder priorities
Votes & conversion rate visible for every feature
Visual dot scoring (1-5) for Impact and Ease
Percentage-based Confidence scoring
Automatic ICE score calculation
One-click reorder by score

From Feedback to Shipped Features

ICE prioritization is just one part of the complete ProductLift workflow

Gather Feedback

Collect feature requests from customers. They can vote, comment, and explain why they need each feature.

Prioritize with ICE

Score features using ICE while seeing customer votes. Just 3 factors for fast, objective prioritization.

Build Your Roadmap

Drag prioritized features onto your roadmap. Share publicly or with specific customer groups.

Announce & Notify

Publish changelog when you ship. Voters get notified automatically - closing the feedback loop.

ICE Prioritization Tool vs Excel Templates

Why product teams switch from ICE spreadsheets to dedicated tools

Before

With ProductLift

Manual ICE calculations in spreadsheets

Automatic score calculation as you click

No customer context while scoring

See votes & conversion for every feature

Copy-paste features to roadmap

Drag scored features directly to roadmap

No way to notify customers when you ship

Automatic email notifications to voters

Best ICE Scoring Software Features

Everything you need to implement ICE prioritization for your product backlog

Customer Context

See votes, conversion rates, and customer comments while you score. Know which features your highest-value customers want most.

Switch Frameworks Anytime

Start with ICE, switch to RICE for more precision, or use MoSCoW for release planning. All frameworks available in one dropdown.

Close the Loop

When you ship a feature, voters get notified automatically. Show customers their feedback matters - improve retention and NPS.

Export Anywhere

Export your prioritized list to CSV, sync with Jira, or use the API. Your data isn't locked in.

Trusted by Product Teams Worldwide

Sebastian F.

Entrepreneur

This app will help you connect with your users and gather feedback like never before. The UI is clean and focused. The different pages and forms can be fully customized. Ruben is an amazing developer and entrepreneur with a proven track record. ProductLift is going places and you should get onboard.

Aaron Dye

An excellent product with equally excellent support! Everything just works, and when I had questions, the team was incredibly responsive.

Timothy M.

Product Manager

This tool is literally a needle in a haystack. I was using Frill, and this doesn't even compare. The user interface, the way it lays out — so amazing. Also amazing support team!

Ben

Product Owner

Helped us quickly move away from our antiquated spreadsheet to a user-interactive system. User feedback is now collected in real-time. Support has been super speedy!

Marco

Based in Europe, ideal for privacy-conscious customer interaction. Constant improvements by Ruben together with thorough support make ProductLift a solid and future-proof choice.

Chris R.

Founder

By far the most customizable of all the feedback tools and much better than Feedbear. Developer is super responsive and support has been great. Highly recommend!

ICE Scoring Framework FAQ

What is ICE prioritization?

ICE is a scoring framework for prioritizing features based on three factors: Impact (how much will it improve things), Confidence (how certain are you), and Ease (how simple to implement). Multiply all three for a single score that makes comparing features objective.

What's the difference between ICE and RICE?

ICE has 3 factors (Impact, Confidence, Ease) while RICE has 4 (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort). ICE is simpler and faster, while RICE is more precise when you have good reach data. ICE uses 'Ease' instead of 'Effort' (inverted scale).

When should I use ICE instead of RICE?

Use ICE when features target similar user groups, you don't have detailed reach data, you want faster prioritization sessions, or your team prefers simplicity. Use RICE when reach varies significantly between features and you have the data to estimate it.

How do I score Confidence accurately?

Be honest about what you know. Score 10 when you have data from user research, analytics, or previous launches. Score 5-7 when you have some supporting evidence. Score 1-4 when it's mostly a gut feeling. The Confidence score automatically penalizes speculative features.

What's a good ICE score?

ICE scores range from 1 to 1,000 (10 x 10 x 10 maximum). Scores are relative - compare features within your backlog. A feature scoring 500 is higher priority than one scoring 200. The exact numbers depend on your team's scoring calibration.

Can I combine ICE with other methods?

Yes! Many teams use ICE for quick prioritization, then apply MoSCoW categories for release planning, or use Impact/Effort matrices for visual mapping. ProductLift supports all frameworks in one place.

Free ICE Prioritization Resources

ICE calculator, Excel template, and complete guide

Free ICE Calculator

Calculate ICE scores instantly with our free online calculator.

ICE Excel Template

Download our free ICE template for Excel or Google Sheets.

Complete ICE Guide

Learn everything about ICE prioritization with examples.