Software evaluation determines whether a product’s quality fits its intended use, stakeholder needs, and acceptance requirements. It matters because the result informs practical decisions: whether to improve or release software, acquire it, compare it with alternatives, or accept the risks that remain.
Why software evaluation matters
Software is not “good” in the abstract. Its relevant quality depends on what people need it to do and the conditions in which they will use it. ISO defines software quality in relation to satisfying stated and implied needs under specified conditions. That makes evaluation a way to test claims against evidence—not simply a checklist exercise or a score.
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Evaluation helps answer decision-making questions: Does the product support the required tasks? Is it suitable for its intended users and context? Which quality shortfalls or risks remain? Is the evidence strong enough to support release or acquisition? These questions matter because software and software-intensive systems support personal, business, and safety-related goals, and poor fit can carry real consequences. ISO/IEC 25010:2023 describes quality specification and evaluation as ways to establish value and avoid negative consequences.
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- Acquirers use it to compare options against needs and decide whether to buy or adopt a product.
- Quality assurance and control teams use it to define verification and acceptance criteria.
- Independent evaluators examine whether evidence supports product-quality claims.
These audiences are explicitly addressed by ISO/IEC 25041:2012, which ISO reviewed and confirmed in 2024 as remaining current.
Which quality framework should you use?
ISO/IEC 25010:2023 for general product quality
ISO identifies ISO/IEC 25010:2023 as its current product quality model. It defines nine quality characteristics for ICT and software products. The model offers shared terminology and a reference for specifying, measuring, and evaluating product quality throughout the lifecycle. It can inform requirements, evaluation objectives, quality-control criteria, and acceptance criteria.
Use the model to check that your criteria cover the relevant dimensions of quality, not as a requirement to give every characteristic equal weight. The right selection depends on stakeholders, intended use, and the decision at hand.
ISO/IEC 25041:2012 for evaluation guidance
ISO/IEC 25041:2012 provides guidance for developers, acquirers, and independent evaluators, applying the evaluation framework in ISO/IEC 25040. ISO’s listing says the 2012 edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2024 and remains current.
ISO/IEC 20741:2017 for software engineering tools
If you are evaluating or selecting software engineering tools, ISO/IEC 20741:2017 is the more targeted reference. It distinguishes a generic evaluation process and quality characteristics from capability lists specific to a tool area. It is not the main general-purpose quality model for evaluating software products.
Check the edition before citing ISO/IEC 25010
ISO/IEC 25010:2011 is withdrawn; ISO lists the 2023 edition as the current product quality model. Name the edition explicitly when discussing the standard so readers do not mistake the withdrawn 2011 version for the current one. ISO’s listing for the 2011 edition records its withdrawn status.
How to evaluate software quality
- Define the decision and context. State whether you are assessing a release, considering an acquisition, reviewing risk, or comparing products for a particular user group. Specify the intended use and operating conditions.
- Identify stakeholders and needs. Gather the requirements that matter to users, operators, purchasers, and other affected parties. Turn stated and implied needs into explicit quality requirements and acceptance criteria.
- Select relevant quality characteristics. Use ISO/IEC 25010:2023 as a reference, then choose the characteristics that bear on your requirements and use context. Set priorities rather than assuming every characteristic matters equally.
- Choose measures and methods that produce evidence. Match each criterion to an appropriate way to assess it. Record the test conditions, data, methods, and limitations so the findings can be interpreted and, where practical, repeated.
- Judge results against requirements. Compare evidence with the acceptance thresholds you set. Explain trade-offs, identify unmet requirements, and make unresolved risks visible.
- Make the decision explicit. State whether the evidence supports improvement, release, acquisition, or rejection—and what conditions or follow-up actions apply.
The standards provide models and evaluation guidance, not one universal test procedure or a single score that works for every product. Adapt the methods to the product and decision; domain-specific requirements may also apply.
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How to compare software options fairly
For a comparison, derive criteria from the same intended use and stakeholder needs, then apply them consistently across options wherever feasible. Useful comparison axes include:
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- How well it meets the other quality requirements relevant to the target context.
- What evidence exists about quality in actual use, and how that evidence was gathered.
- Whether the results meet the stated acceptance thresholds.
- What lifecycle support implications affect the decision.
- What uncertainties or risks remain after evaluation.
Explain how you prioritize the criteria. A product that scores well on a lower-priority measure may still be a poor choice if it misses a critical requirement. When choosing engineering tools, define the tool area and the capabilities needed for it; ISO/IEC 20741:2017 treats those area-specific capabilities separately from generic quality characteristics and evaluation processes.
Best Value
Evaluation, trustworthiness, and assurance
Quality evaluation can contribute to a judgment about trustworthiness, but trustworthiness is difficult to determine and should not be reduced to a broad claim based on one metric. NIST IR 7755, Toward a Preliminary Framework for Assessing the Trustworthiness of Software (2010), by Elizabeth N. Fong, Charline Cleraux, and Frederick E. Boland Jr., proposed improving metrics and measurement methods so developers and users could analyze, evaluate, and assure software trustworthiness. It is a preliminary framework, not a definitive, current universal certification scheme. Read NIST IR 7755.
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