Start by the number of options
The most direct difference between these tools is how many options they handle.
- Two options: a coin flip is fastest — one click and you have a result.
- Two to six options: dice work well, since the pips map naturally onto option numbers.
- Any number of options, all needing to be visible: use the wheel, which shows every option on screen at once.
- A run of numbers: use the random number generator, which lets you set a range and a count.
- Picking people from a list: use the Draw Tube, which accepts a pasted list and won't pick the same person twice.
Then by the occasion
If you're deciding quickly on your own, the lighter the tool the better — a coin flip or a dice roll gives a result in two seconds.
If it's a few people together, or you need to cast to a crowd, the wheel has more ceremony: everyone can watch the pointer spin, and the result is hard to dispute.
For occasions that need a sense of fairness, like a lucky draw or a roll call, the Draw Tube or the lottery tool fits better, since the list can be shown in advance and the draw is visible on the spot.
How the probabilities differ
There's a difference here that's easy to overlook. The wheel splits into equal slices by the number of options, so each option has the same chance; a coin flip is even on both sides; but the sum of two dice is not evenly distributed — 7 is most likely (6/36), while 2 and 12 are least likely (1/36 each).
So if you need every outcome to be equally likely, don't sum multiple dice — use the wheel or the random number generator. If you just want to set an order or form groups, the dice's uneven distribution doesn't matter.
When not to use a random tool
When the consequences of the options differ greatly, a random tool isn't the right fit.
The test is simple: if you choose wrong, can you bear the consequences? Picking the wrong takeout at worst means one bad meal, but decisions involving money, health, legal matters or other people's interests need information gathering and professional opinion, not a random draw.
What random tools are genuinely good at is another kind of situation: the options are actually about equal, you've weighed them for ages, and thinking more won't bring new information. That's when it helps you land the decision.