Every gate opener gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Openers are grouped by gate type, single swing, dual swing and sliding, and the gate size and price scales differ by group where noted.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Gate weight | heaviest gate it is rated for | 20% |
| Gate length | longest gate it is rated for | 15% |
| Safety listing | UL 325 listing | 15% |
| Price | price of the kit | 25% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 25% |
Where the numbers come from
Gate weight and length limits, rated cycles a day, power, safety listing and warranty come from the maker’s manual, spec sheet or product page, or the maker’s own store listing where it publishes nothing else. Prices are checked at Amazon, the maker’s own store and other retailers, and the lowest is used.
The factors
Gate weight is the heaviest gate the maker rates the opener for, per leaf for swing gates, on a log scale. For swing gates 300 lb scores zero and 1,000 lb full marks; for sliding gates 600 lb scores zero and 3,000 lb full marks. Where a maker publishes a chart of weight against length, its headline maximum is used, which usually applies only to a short gate.
Gate length is the longest gate the maker rates the opener for, per leaf for swing gates. For swing gates 10 ft scores zero and 20 ft full marks; for sliding gates 18 ft scores zero and 45 ft full marks.
Safety listing is full marks for an opener the maker states is listed or certified to UL 325, the US safety standard for gate operators, and zero otherwise. An opener whose maker doesn’t state a UL 325 listing is scored as not listed and marked estimated.
Price is the current price of the kit, on a log scale, so each halving of the price counts the same. For single swing openers $900 scores zero and $250 full marks; for dual swing and sliding openers $1,300 scores zero and $350 full marks.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty on the kit: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks. Where a maker covers the motor longer than the rest of the kit, the shorter whole kit warranty is used.
What isn’t scored
Rated cycles a day (few makers publish it), power source, solar panel size, included battery, motor voltage, remotes included, opening time, weight and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exceptions are warranty and safety listing: a maker that doesn’t publish a warranty gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and an opener with no stated UL 325 listing scores zero for safety. Both are marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.