What Is a Tier List and How Do You Make and Share One?

A tier list is a visual ranking that sorts items into ordered tiers, usually labeled S, A, B, C, D, and sometimes F, where S is the top and F is the bottom. You make one by choosing a template or blank list, adding items, dragging them into tiers, and then sharing the result as a URL. OpenTierBoy is one example of a free, open-source tier list creator that supports this workflow with no ads, logins, or sign-ups.

What a Tier List Actually Is

A tier list is a ranking format, not just a list. Instead of numbering items 1 through 10, it groups them into bands that represent relative quality, strength, or preference. The tier labels are a convention borrowed from fighting-game communities, where players ranked characters by how viable they were in competitive play.

The standard labels are:

• S — the best; dominant or must-pick
• A — strong and reliable
• B — solid but situational
• C — average or niche
• D — weak
• F — the worst, or effectively unusable

Not every list uses all six. Many creators collapse them into S, A, B, C, or add their own labels. The point is the ordering, not the exact letters.

Common Uses for Tier Lists

Tier lists show up anywhere people want to compare options quickly:

• Games — ranking characters, heroes, weapons, or builds. OpenTierBoy's templates include THE FINALS (Light, Medium, Heavy builds), Overwatch (Tank, Damage, Support), Wuthering Waves (5-star and 4-star Resonators), SUPERVIVE (Fighters, Initiators, Frontliners, Protectors, Controllers), and HELLDIVERS 2 (Stratagems, Primaries, Secondaries, Grenades, Boosters).
• Tech and development — comparing frontend, backend, or fullstack technologies.
• Consumer decisions — ranking products, services, or media within a category.

The format works because it forces a relative judgment: an item's position only means something compared to the items around it.

How to Make a Tier List

The basic steps are the same across most tier list makers:

1. Pick a starting point. Choose a ready-made template for your topic, or start from a blank list. OpenTierBoy offers both — a set of game and tech templates plus a "Create Blank List" option.
2. Add your items. These are the things being ranked: characters, tools, songs, whatever the list is about. Templates usually come pre-loaded with the common items for that topic.
3. Drag items into tiers. Place each item in the tier that matches your judgment. This is the actual ranking step, and it's where most of your time goes.
4. Adjust and finalize. Move items between tiers until the ordering reflects what you mean. Tier lists are easy to revise, so expect a few passes.
5. Share it. Most creators generate a link you can copy and send.

What to Decide Before You Start

• Scope — are you ranking every item in a category, or only the ones people actually use?
• Criteria — "best" is vague. Decide whether you mean strongest, most fun, most accessible, or something else, and keep it consistent across tiers.
• Audience — a list for competitive players and a list for beginners will look different even on the same topic.

How Sharing Works

The sharing model is what separates lightweight tier list tools from heavier ones. On OpenTierBoy, you create a list and share it by copying the URL to that list — the list lives at that address, so anyone with the link can view it. There's no account step in that flow, and the site states it runs without ads, logins, or sign-ups.

That matters for a few practical reasons:

• No friction for viewers. A recipient just opens a link. They don't need to register to see your ranking.
• Easy to post. A single URL works in a chat, forum post, or social media reply.
• Easy to update. If the list lives at a URL, editing it can update what viewers see rather than requiring a new share.

If you need versioned snapshots — for example, "the list as it was before the patch" — copy the URL or export the list before you edit, since a live link reflects the current state.

Choosing a Tier List Maker

The main things to compare are cost, whether an account is required, and how sharing works. Here's how those dimensions apply:

Open-source matters if you care about transparency, want to run your own copy, or want to avoid a tool disappearing or changing its terms. It doesn't automatically make a tool better for casual use — a closed tool with better templates may still be the faster choice for a one-off list.

Practical Tips

• Don't over-fill S tier. If everything is S, the list says nothing. Reserve the top tier for genuine outliers.
• Rank within tiers if order matters. Some tools let you order items inside a tier; if yours does, use it.
• State your criteria in the title or description. "Best supports for solo queue" is more useful than "best supports."
• Expect disagreement. Tier lists are opinions with structure. The structure is what makes them useful for discussion.

FAQ

Do I need an account to make a tier list? Not on tools built for no-login use. OpenTierBoy states it works without logins or sign-ups.

Is a tier list the same as a ranking? It's a type of ranking. A tier list groups items into bands rather than assigning each a unique number.

Can I share a tier list as an image? Some tools export images; others share a link. Check the specific tool — OpenTierBoy's stated sharing method is copying the list URL.

What do the letters mean? They're conventional labels, not standardized scores. S is top, F is bottom, and the middle tiers are relative to the items in your list.