This paper proposes a quality assessment of focusing criteria for imaging in digital off-axis holography. In the literature, several refocus criteria have been proposed in the past to get the best refocus distance in digital holography. As a general rule, the best focusing plane is determined by the reconstruction distance for which the criterion function presents a maximum or a minimum. To evaluate the robustness of these criteria, 13 criteria are compared with application on both amplitude and phase objects from off-axis holographic data. Simulation and experimental results lead to define a general rule and to exhibit the most robust criteria for accurate and rapid refocusing in digital holography.