A benchmark is what you compare your results with, usually an index. Relative return is the gap: your return minus the benchmark's. Beating an index over a single year proves less than it feels like, because one year contains a lot of luck. A concentrated portfolio will land well above or well below any index in most years simply because it's different — not because it's better or worse.
For the comparison to mean anything, the benchmark has to fit what you hold. A UK dividend portfolio against a global index measures the difference between two strategies, not skill. Returns also need comparing on the same basis, with dividends counted on both sides, and even a fund built to follow an index lags it slightly — its tracking difference. The app doesn't currently compare your portfolio with an index, so a comparison means setting its figures against an index's total return over the same dates yourself.
One good year is a data point, not a verdict.
Educational content only. It is not personal financial advice.