Bottom Line Up Front
- 🏆 Best Overall: Lattice transforms performance reviews from once-a-year anxiety into continuous, meaningful feedback.
- 💬 Best for Weekly Check-Ins: 15Five focuses on lightweight, frequent feedback over heavy formal reviews.
- 🎯 Best for Goal Tracking: Betterworks excels at OKR management and alignment across teams.
Performance reviews used to mean annual panic: dusty spreadsheets, vague feedback, and awkward conversations where both sides wish they were anywhere else. Modern performance management software replaces that with continuous feedback, goal tracking, and data-driven insights.
But with dozens of options (Lattice, 15Five, Culture Amp, Betterworks, BambooHR...), choosing gets overwhelming. We tested the top contenders based on ease of use, feedback quality, and impact on culture.
Detailed Reviews of the Top Performance Management Software
Lattice
Lattice is the gold standard for modern performance management. It combines 360-degree reviews, OKR tracking, 1-on-1 meeting agendas, and engagement surveys in one platform. The UI is beautiful, and it actually makes giving/receiving feedback feel natural.
✅ The Good
- 360-degree feedback with peer reviews
- Continuous feedback (not just annual)
- OKR and goal tracking built-in
- 1-on-1 meeting templates and notes
- Employee engagement surveys
- Praise and recognition tools
- Compensation planning module
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Expensive ($11-15/employee/mo)
- Can feel overwhelming at first
- Requires culture buy-in to succeed
- Limited integrations outside Slack/HRIS
Free trial available
15Five
15Five is built around the idea that meaningful performance management happens weekly, not yearly. Employees answer 3-5 questions every Friday (hence "15 minutes"), giving managers real-time pulse on challenges, wins, and morale.
✅ The Good
- Weekly check-ins (not just annual reviews)
- High-five peer recognition
- 1-on-1 meeting agendas and tracking
- OKR goal tracking
- Manager effectiveness training included
- Engagement surveys and pulse checks
- Slack integration for reminders
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Can feel like homework for employees
- Less robust than Lattice for formal reviews
- Reporting could be better
- No compensation planning tools
BambooHR
BambooHR's performance management is part of their larger HRIS platform. It's not as feature-rich as Lattice or 15Five, but if you're already using BambooHR for HR admin, adding performance reviews makes sense—everything lives in one system.
✅ The Good
- All-in-one HRIS + performance
- Self, peer, and manager reviews
- Goal tracking with progress updates
- Customizable review templates
- Employee satisfaction surveys
- Beautiful, intuitive interface
- Excellent mobile app
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Performance feels like an add-on
- No continuous feedback tools
- OKR features are basic
- More expensive than standalone tools
Betterworks
Betterworks is OKR-first (Objectives and Key Results). It's built for companies that take goal alignment seriously—cascading objectives from CEO to individual contributors, tracking progress weekly, and tying performance reviews to goal achievement.
✅ The Good
- Best-in-class OKR management
- Goal cascading across org levels
- Real-time progress dashboards
- Integrates with project tools (Jira, Asana)
- Continuous conversations feature
- Calibration tools for fair reviews
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Expensive (enterprise pricing)
- Overkill if you don't use OKRs
- Steeper learning curve
- Less focus on culture/engagement
Culture Amp
Culture Amp started as an engagement survey platform and added performance management later. It excels at gathering feedback (anonymous surveys, pulse checks, exit interviews) and has decent performance review tools, but OKR features are weak.
✅ The Good
- Industry-leading engagement surveys
- Anonymous feedback tools
- Exit interview analysis
- Performance reviews with 360 feedback
- People analytics and dashboards
- Research-backed survey templates
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Performance features feel secondary
- OKR tools are basic
- Expensive for full platform
- Can be overwhelming to set up
Leapsome
Leapsome is the European challenger to Lattice and 15Five. It combines performance reviews, OKRs, engagement surveys, and learning management in one platform. Particularly strong for companies that want to integrate performance with employee development.
✅ The Good
- All-in-one: performance, OKRs, surveys, learning
- Strong focus on employee development
- Competency frameworks built-in
- Meeting notes and 1-on-1 tracking
- Praise and recognition tools
- GDPR-compliant (Europe-friendly)
❌ The Not-So-Good
- Less mature than Lattice/15Five
- Smaller customer base (fewer integrations)
- UI can feel cluttered
- Support is slower outside EU hours
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Lattice | 15Five | BambooHR | Betterworks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Most Teams | Weekly Feedback | All-in-One HR | OKR Focus |
| Starting Price | $11/emp/mo | $7/emp/mo | $8-12/emp/mo | $10-15/emp/mo |
| 360 Reviews | ✓ Built-in | Higher tier | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in |
| OKR Tracking | ✓ Strong | ✓ Good | Basic | ✓ Best-in-class |
| Continuous Feedback | ✓ Yes | ✓ Core feature | ❌ No | ✓ Yes |
| Engagement Surveys | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in | ✓ Built-in | Add-on |
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate |
How to Choose the Right Performance Management Software
1. Define Your Performance Philosophy
- Continuous feedback culture? Choose Lattice or 15Five.
- OKR-driven organization? Betterworks is purpose-built for this.
- Traditional annual reviews? BambooHR or basic tools work fine.
- Development-focused? Leapsome includes learning management.
2. Consider Manager Buy-In
The fanciest tool fails if managers don't use it. 15Five's weekly check-ins feel lightweight (15 minutes). Lattice's 1-on-1 templates make conversations easier. Pick something that reduces friction, not adds it.
3. Integration Matters
If you live in Slack, check that the tool integrates well (Lattice, 15Five do). If you already use an HRIS (BambooHR, Rippling), adding performance there keeps everything in one place.
4. Start Simple, Expand Later
Don't implement 360 reviews, OKRs, engagement surveys, and compensation planning all at once. Start with one cycle of manager reviews using Lattice or 15Five, learn what works, then expand.
5. Budget for Time, Not Just Money
Performance management requires admin time: building review cycles, training managers, analyzing results. Factor in 5-10 hours per quarter for a 50-person company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need performance management software, or can I use Google Forms?
You can use Google Forms for small teams (<10), but you'll quickly hit limits: no progress tracking, no reminders, no analytics. Tools like 15Five cost $7/employee/mo—worth it to avoid spreadsheet hell.
What's the difference between OKRs and traditional goals?
OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) are more ambitious and measurable. Traditional goals: "Improve customer satisfaction." OKR version: "Increase NPS from 40 to 60 by Q4." Tools like Betterworks are built for OKR rigor.
How do I get employees to actually give honest feedback?
Culture matters more than tools. Make it safe to criticize (leaders go first, show vulnerability). Tools help: Lattice's anonymous upward feedback and Culture Amp's anonymous surveys create psychological safety.
Should performance reviews be tied to compensation?
Controversial topic. Tying them together can make reviews feel transactional. Some companies (like Adobe) separated them. Lattice offers compensation planning as a separate module—you decide how tightly to link them.
What if my team hates performance reviews?
Shift from "reviews" to "conversations." 15Five's weekly check-ins feel less scary than annual sit-downs. Lattice's praise features and 1-on-1 agendas make feedback ongoing, not a once-a-year surprise.
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