Top 10 BEST Performance Review Software Of 2023 [Free & Paid]

Review and comparison of top Performance Review Software to help you choose the best Online Performance Review Software as per your requirements:

It is imperative for both HR and non-HR managers to have a clear picture of how their hired personnel are performing at all times. Their duties do not end after successfully recruiting staff for specific roles. Their performance has to be monitored consistently throughout their time in the organization to determine key strengths and areas of improvement.

Employee Performance Review Software

Performance Review Software

Managers need to know who the top performers in the organization are, how efficient a particular employee is in executing assigned tasks, and ultimately determine whether the concerned employee is a perfect fit for the role or not.

This is why performance reviews are so important. There used to be a time when managers scoffed at the idea of sifting through a year’s worth of employee data to conduct performance appraisals. Fortunately, this task has become relatively more convenient today because of a plethora of advanced performance review software at our disposal.

Having an effective performance review system not only helps organizations identify the strengths and weaknesses of their manpower, but also provides employees with meaningful feedback from almost everyone in the organization, thus helping them improve their performance.

Some of the best performance review tools come with features that facilitate customized performance reviews for both teams and individual employees. They ensure no employee misses out on evaluations with automated emails that remind raters to provide their feedback on time. They also help users identify biases if any, compare performances, and present the data they collect in visually appealing reports.

In this article, we will look at tools that deliver an effective performance review experience to both employees and the organization. We will look into the features that stand out, the price they offer, and ultimately leave the final decision up to you.

Pro-Tips:

  1. A user-friendly interface with modern aesthetics is a must and cannot be compromised when opting for performance review software. It must be easy to set up and operate once deployed.
  2. It should facilitate a consistent feedback structure, thus making it easier for everyone in the organization to rate and review an employee’s performance.
  3. It should provide its users with data-rich reports that help managers with quick insight into the employee’s core competencies, development areas, top performers in a team, and much more.
  4. Software that allows integration with other useful applications is a huge plus.
  5. Finally, do not exceed your budget on these tools. Ensure pricing plans mentioned by the software are clear and flexible.
Fact-Check: In a survey conducted by Cezanne HR, it was reported that most performance reviews (almost 42%) were documented in printed form. On the contrary, only 20.7% of those surveyed had their reviews documented by an HR software system.

survey conducted by Cezanne HR

According to Gallup, traditional performance review systems can cost large organizations anywhere between $2.4 million to $30 million per 10000 employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q #1) What does a performance review include?

Answer: A useful performance review will include feedback on communication, problem-solving, quality of work, teamwork, attendance, and much more.

Q #2) Can a performance review software really help with employee development?

Answer: A performance management system that provides employees with constant and timely feedback from every concerned party in the organization is bound to help employees improve over time.

Q #3) Can performance review software help improve company culture?

Answer: Yes, a performance review software that is effectively combined with an organization’s internal communication and training system can do wonders in building a great company culture. Managers can use this software to create a culture of appreciation and recognition by providing feedback in real-time.

Q #4) Can performance review software improve productivity?

Answer: Most performance review software helps you set goals for employees to accomplish, and acquaint you with tools to track progress in real-time. By ensuring managers and employees achieve objectives that are aligned with the goals of an organization, they help in considerably improving productivity levels.

Q #5) What are the bare minimum features you should demand from a performance review software?

Answer: Do not compromise on a simple and straightforward interface. The software should also be compatible across all known devices and be safe to use. Make sure they use a reputable hosting company to keep your data safe and secure.

Suggested Reading =>> Best Talent Management System (TMS)

=> Contact us to suggest your listing here.

List of Best Performance Review Software

Here is the list of popular Employee Performance Review Software:

  1. PerformYard
  2. Trakstar
  3. Reviewsnap
  4. Bambee
  5. ClearCompany
  6. Synergita
  7. BambooHR
  8. Lattice
  9. Small Improvements
  10. AssessTEAM
  11. CRG EmPerform
  12. Eloomi
  13. Hibob
  14. Kissflow HR Cloud

Comparing Some Best Performance Review Tools

NameBest ForFees Ratings
PerformYardCustomized performance review processes.Starts from $5-$10 per employee per monthStar_rating_5_of_5
TrakstarPersonalized performance reviews and getting real-time actionable insightsContact for PricingStar_rating_5_of_5
ReviewsnapA simple, customizable, and automated performance management platform.Quote-based pricing modelStar_rating_5_of_5
Bambee2-Way Feedback SystemStarting at $99/monthStar_rating_5_of_5
ClearCompanyCreate, automate and manage performance reviewsQuote-basedStar_rating_4.5_of_5
SynergitaProvides best-in-class continuous performance management, employee engagement and OKR solutions to build high performing teams.Basic: $5/user/monthStar_rating_5_of_5
BambooHRFull-Service HR managementContact for PricingStar_rating_4.5_of_5
LatticeGetting insight on competencies and growth plans for employee developmentContact for pricingStar_rating_4_of_5
Small ImprovementsEmployee Development with Pulse Surveys$5/month/user–Starter Pack
$7/month/user–Feedback/Performance Suite.
Billed annually
Star_rating_4.5_of_5
AssessTEAMPerformance Management and Productivity Analysis$1 per person per month-Basic plan
$2 per person per month-Premium
$3 per person per month-Enterprise plan
Star_rating_4_of_5
Comparing Some of the Best Performance Review Software

Let us review the performance review software for small companies below.

#1) PerformYard

Best for customized performance review processes.

PerformYard

PerformYard’s performance review software provides flexible features for HR and a simple employee experience. HR and non-HR managers have the freedom with PerformYard to dictate the appropriate review schedule and format to best meet the needs of their organization. An effective review system is not one size fits all.

With PerformYard, both managers and employees receive automated email reminders to facilitate timely completion of a review cycle, which allows HR to focus less time on admin and more time on People.

PerformYard’s system promotes buy-in across the organization by providing employees with a streamlined, intuitive review platform that focuses on timely, actionable feedback while eliminating burdensome steps inherent in manual review processes.

PerformYard also provides dedicated customer success managers for every customer to manage them from onboarding, to employee trainings, to ongoing support regardless of organization size.

Features:

  • Fully customizable review forms and check-in cadences.
  • Dedicated customer success manager to all customers regardless of size.
  • Automated email notifications for upcoming and overdue review steps.
  • Integrates with most major HRIS/Payroll systems including ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, UKG, Paycom, Workday, and Paylocity.

Price: From $5-$10 per employee per month.


#2) Trakstar

Best for personalized performance reviews and getting real-time actionable insights.

Trakstar

Trakstar is a fully automated cloud-based performance management solution that simplifies the employee review process. It helps an organization customize performance reviews for both teams and individual employees, which gives the process a personalized appeal.

By displaying review action items and sending automatic email reminders, Trakstar ensures raters are notified regularly to provide timely employee reviews. The software facilitates real-time 360-degree feedback, which makes it easier for employees to receive constructive feedback from every concerned party in the organization.

The software also provides users with valuable insights in the form of comprehensive and visually arresting reports and analytics. The reports harbor real-time data that helps one identify core employee strengths and areas of improvement. The reports can identify rater biases, find top performers, compare employee performances, and review the performance history of an employee.

The software also allows users to set objectives and track their progress in real-time. Moreover, the tool also features a self-review system that allows employees to add or edit their own information.

Features:

  • Fully automated and cloud-based
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Notes, check-ins, and automatic email reminders
  • Real-time reporting with actionable insights
  • Set and track objectives in real-time

Verdict: With customizable templates and tons of automated features, Trakstar provides businesses with a performance review software that considerably simplifies the evaluation process. Its real-time reporting and 360-degree feedback capabilities are major standouts. This is software that implements a consistent employee review process that serves both the organization and its employee’s interests.

Free Demo Available

Price: Pricing based upon the number of employees an organization harbors. The more employees a business has, the less it pays per employee. You can contact Trakstar to know more about how much it will cost you.


#3) Reviewsnap

Best for a simple, customizable, and automated performance management platform.

Reviewsnap

Reviewsnap is an online performance management platform with capabilities of performance reviews, 360-Degree feedback, performance notes, goal setting, and reporting. Its statistical snapshot capabilities will help you with identifying the strengths and weaknesses of individuals, departments, and an organization.

Features:

  • Reviewsnap provides the features of goal setting and tracking.
  • It gives you access in real-time to the raw data as well as graphical data.
  • The tool will help you with locating and retaining high performers.

Verdict: Reviewsnap provides real-time performance management. It saves time and increases employee engagement. Reviewsnap helps with recognizing underutilized employees.

Price: Reviewsnap follows a quote-based pricing model. You can request a live demo.


#4) Bambee

Best for a 2-Way Feedback System.

Bambee

With Bambee, you get the assistance of an expert HR professional who makes sure both the company and employees are protected with up-to-date HR policies. Bambee truly excels with regard to its performance review capabilities. Each employee’s performance is assessed and presented to the employer in the form of report cards.

The employer can refer to this report card and determine how productive an employee is at accomplishing his/her designated goal. Employers can use an open communication channel to give praise or feedback to employees. The staff also get a platform to openly voice their opinions as well. This 2-way feedback system is what makes Bambee a truly special performance review platform.

Features:

  • HR Auditing
  • Craft Custom HR Policies
  • Employee Training
  • Assess Employee performance via comprehensive report cards

Verdict: Bambee makes it to our list because of its comprehensive performance review system. Employers get access to data that allows them to determine their staff’s productivity whereas employees get an open platform to voice their opinions regarding their work culture as well.

Price: Starting at $99/month


#5) ClearCompany

Best for create, automate and manage performance reviews.

Clear Company

ClearCompany is a full-service HR management solution that privileges the creation, management, and complete automation of the performance review process. The software can be used to set up periodical reviews that gather data on both veteran employees and new hires.

The software comes with a 360-degree feature that allows everyone in the organization to share their feedback with an employee. It also provides managers with comprehensive performance metrics that share insight on core strengths, areas of improvement, and top as well as underperformers in the company.

Features:

  • Customize and automate performance reviews
  • 360-Degree feedback
  • Data-rich reporting and analysis
  • Goals setting and complete progress tracking

Verdict: ClearCompany should satisfy managers who want their HR management software to also perform robust employee evaluations. It simplifies the review process by fully automating it and providing users with configurable templates to customize workflows according to their preferences.

Free Demo Available

Price: Contact for pricing


#6) Synergita

Best for providing best-in-class continuous performance management, employee engagement, and OKR solutions to build high-performing teams.

Synergita

Synergita provides agile employee performance management, employee engagement, and OKR solutions to organizations that thrive to achieve high performance-driven growth.

350,000 users from 100+ companies across the globe including IT/ITES, Manufacturing, Pharma, Financial Services/FinTech, Retail and Non-Profit sectors trust Synergita for their employee performance management, engagement, and OKR.

Features:

  • AI-powered sentiment analysis to conserve and nurture a positive feedback culture across the organization.
  • A lightweight, result-focused OKR solution enables organizations to launch OKR instantly to specific functional teams or across organizations.
  • Deep functionality such as matrix goal management, Continuous check-ins, 360-degree appraisal feedback, 1-1 meetings, Smart promotion management delivers complete automation of digital transformation of performance.
  • Culture scores to measure adherence to company culture by employees across the organization.
  • Configurable dashboards and reports to help you get insightful people and performance analytics.

Price: Basic: $5/user/month


#7) BambooHR

Best for full-service HR management.

BambooHR

Designing a robust performance review process is just one of the many functions this end-to-end HR management software performs. BambooHR helps businesses get an accurate insight into their workforce. The software facilitates peer reviews, which means all stakeholders get to participate in the review process and give their honest feedback on an employee’s performance.

It presents users with detailed performance reports that help identify high and underperforming employees, compares employee performance, and tracks progress throughout their time in the organization in real-time.

The software also allows managers to set goals and monitor their progress with review notes built into the reports. These visual reports can be employed to find areas of improvement, identify core issues and even prevent mistakes before they occur.

Features:

  • Peer reviews
  • Timely feedback due to notes and automatic email reminders
  • Goal setting and tracking
  • Visually arresting performance reports

Verdict: BambooHR delivers an advanced performance review process in combination with all of its other HR management features. It helps companies draw out comprehensive performance reports that give a clear picture of an employee’s performance. It can be used to provide employees with consistent feedback and particularly excels with regards to setting and tracking goals in real-time.

Price: Free trial available, revealed upon contact

Website: BambooHR


#8) Lattice

Best for getting insight on competencies and growth plans for employee development.

Lattice

Lattice is an intuitive performance management platform that strongly emphasizes employee development with the help of a well-defined appraisal process. The software presents managers with actionable insights that convey the key strengths and areas where employees need to improve.

It helps users create customized reviews and get constructive feedback from peers and managers alike. It also facilitates goal setting to find out how employees fare while trying to accomplish it.

Apart from peer and manager feedback, the software also offers a system that promotes self-review. Team reviews specific to a particular project can also be created, separate from the traditional org chart.

Features:

  • 360-degree feedback
  • Project-based reviews
  • Set and track goals
  • Self-review

Verdict: Lattice is a performance management tool that emphasizes simplicity, thanks to its ability to set up automated customized reviews. It is fairly easy to get actionable insights on your employee’s performance using lattice while also encouraging everyone in the organization to participate in the review process.

Free Demo Available

Price: Request for pricing

Website: Lattice


#9) Small Improvements

Best for employee development with pulse surveys.

Small Improvements

Small Improvement is another great performance management tool to be introduced in recent years. It delivers a robust performance review experience with multiple useful features. It features a 360-degree feedback feature that facilitates all-around feedback, automated notifications to ensure employees get the feedback they deserve on time, and goal setting to track employees’ progress in real-time.

The software scores major brownie points with its ability to conduct organization-wide pulse surveys. These surveys help gather data that really helps improve an employee’s performance. The tool also supports integration with other tools like Gmail and Slack to really enhance the employee review experience.

Features:

  • Pulse surveys
  • 1:1 meetings for quick feedback
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Goals setting

Verdict: Small Improvements brings together a number of sought-after features that simplify the review process and promote employee development. Its ability to conduct pulse surveys and enable 360-degree feedback alone makes it a worthy contender on this list. It is also reasonably priced and will cater to small and medium businesses alike.

3-minute demo available

Price: $5/month/user–Starter Pack, $7/month/user–Feedback/Performance Suite. Billed annually.

Website: Small Improvements


#10) AssessTEAM

Best for online performance review software for small companies.

AssessTEAM

AssessTEAM is a cloud-based Performance Management Software that helps organizations devise a competent employee review process. It comes with over 1000 in-built performance indicators that make the job of HR managers simple when undertaking an arduous evaluation process.

It facilitates automated email reminders to ensure raters respond to questions posed by employees on time. It is also simple to set project objectives and track the profitability and productivity of that project in real-time. As such, managers are instantly informed if projects are at risk.

AssessTEAM also helps employees track their timesheets by pre-set intervals. These timesheets can be managed in the cloud or with the help of AssessTEAM’s mobile app.

Features:

  • 1000 professionally built performance indicators
  • Real-time productivity analysis
  • Manage and track employee timesheets
  • Automated email reminders, check-ins, and notes

Verdict: AssessTEAM comes packed with features that will satisfy managers who seek a robust and advanced performance evaluation experience. This is a tool designed by professionals to make the review process more comprehensive for employees and organizations alike. Its ability to analyze the productivity of a team or project in real-time is enough to earn this tool a coveted position on this list.

Free Demo Available

Price: $1 per person per month-basic plan, $2 per person per month- premium, $3 per person per month – Enterprise plan

Website: AssessTEAM


#11) CRG emPerform

Best for affordable and end-to-end performance management.

CRG emPerform

CRG emPerform is a flexible performance management software that works towards aligning employee and organization goals. It features a 360-degree feedback mechanism that helps employees gather feedback from almost everyone in the organization. It also provides an advanced goal-setting system that helps managers assign and track objectives assigned to employees in real-time.

It presents users with real-time actionable insights that clarify improvement areas, identify top performers, and compare different employees pertaining to their productivity. CRG emPerform also facilitates compensation planning to keep employees motivated with fair rewards.

Features:

  • 360-Degree feedback
  • Real-time reporting and analytics
  • Goal setting and management
  • Succession planning

Verdict: CRG emPerform enables a multi-user rating system and promotes year-round feedback to ensure employees are accurately evaluated and provided with the most appropriate review of their performance. It harbors all the features managers need to ensure a complete and simple performance review experience at a cheaper annual subscription fee.

Free Demo Available

Price: Custom price quote revealed upon request

Website: CRG emPerform


#12) Eloomi

Best for design visually arresting appraisal reports with ready-made templates.

Eloomi

Eloomi is widely known for offering an exhaustive list of ready-made templates that assist in designing some of the best-looking performance appraisal reports. That being said, these reports also contain rich data that the software intuitively gathers with its robust performance review features.

You get all the expected features like 360-Degree feedback and automated checklists to ensure peers and managers can share their feedback with an employee on a regular basis. The software also helps managers set objectives which it tracks in real-time to get an actual sense of the employee’s productivity levels.

Features:

  • Tons of ready-made templates
  • Data-rich and visually arresting reporting and analysis
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Goals setting and management

Verdict: Eloomi is a visually pleasing performance review software that should be tried for its ability to produce impressive reports. It is easy to set up and operate. Apart from this, it comes with all the features that are essential for an employee review tool to be deemed competent.

Price: Contact for pricing

Website: Eloomi


#13) Hibob

Best for dynamic performance management.

Hibob

Hibob provides users with a dynamic performance management solution that facilitates easy setup and an even easier review process. It presents easily configurable review cycles that readily comply with your organization’s way of conducting performance reviews.

With Hibob, reviewers can stay anonymous while sharing their feedback. It also comes with automated reminders that ensure feedbacks are consistent and on time. It features a 360-degree feedback system that lets you gather reviews from everyone in the organization. It can also be deployed to set actionable goals that improve the relationship between managers and employees.

Features:

  • Set actionable goals
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Run seamless performance cycles
  • Generate comprehensive reports

Verdict: Hibob is an end-to-end HR management solution that earns its place on this list due to its ability to set up seamless performance cycles. It is highly customizable and performs every aspect of its employee review process with spectacular finesse.

Free Demo Available

Price: Custom pricing plan

Website: Hibob


#14) Kissflow HR Cloud

Best for cloud-based fully customizable performance management.

Kissflow HR Cloud

Kissflow is a completely customizable cloud-based performance review solution. It can be customized dramatically to cater to your specific business needs. It presents managers with a bird’s-eye view of key employee performance metrics such as KPIs, timelines, and more from its intuitive dashboard.

It allows you to set a custom training plan to improve an employee’s performance over a given period of time. The software also provides imperative performance review features such as objective settings, 360-degree feedback, and more.

Features:

  • Highly customizable workflows
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Setting smart objectives
  • Set custom training plans

Verdict: Kissflow HR cloud can effectively identify, reward, and retain employees with its intuitive performance review system. Everything one anticipates from the software of such nature can be found in Kissflow. In hindsight, it works efficiently in the best interest of both organizations and employees.

Free Demo Available

Price: Contact for pricing

Website: Kissflow HR Cloud


Other Performance Review Software

#15) Namely

Best for customizable and flexible performance reviews.

Namely is a tool one must seek to perform flexible and customizable employee reviews. It enables goal setting and presents reports that contain actionable insights. The software can be used to get a clear picture of an employee’s performance with regards to strengths and weaknesses. The software also enables a multi-rater system by helping employees get timely feedback from their peers and managers alike.

Free Demo Available

Price: Contact for pricing

Website: Namely


#16) Lanteria HR

Best for full-service HR Management for medium and large companies.

Highly customizable and populated with tons of useful features, Lanteria HR is an impressive performance review tool. It can be used to create a collaborative performance review process wherein everyone participates in the review experience. It empowers users with automated reminders, notifications, and workflows to ensure a smooth review process.

Free Demo Available

Price: Custom pricing for medium and large companies

Website: Lanteria HR


Conclusion

More organizations recognize the merits associated with robust performance review software today. As we shift from the traditional methods to their relatively advanced alternatives, conducting performance reviews has only become far more flexible, customizable, and automated. Such solutions are essential if an organization seeks to identify underperformers and devise strategies to retain proficient employees.

All the above tools help organizations accomplish this goal with a ton of features that considerably simplify the employee performance review process. Rest assured, one can expect a consistently functioning review system that aligns a company’s goals with that of its employees.

As for our recommendation, for an end-to-end online performance review software with robust reporting and analytical abilities, look no further than Trakstar. If you are seeking a full-service HR management solution with performance review as one of its key features then opts for Bamboo HR instead.

Also Read =>> How to ask for promotion in the appraisal

Research Process:

  • We spent 13 hours researching and writing this article so you can have summarized and insightful information on what performance review software best suits you.
  • Total employee performance review software researched – 25
  • Total employee performance review software shortlisted – 12
=> Contact us to suggest your listing here.