30 Best OKR Software of 2024: Reviewed & Compared
10 Best OKR Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 30 tools reviewed.
Get free help from our HR software advisors to find your match.
Setting and tracking goals can often feel like a juggling act, with misaligned objectives and unclear progress stalling your team’s success. Without the right tools, the struggle to measure the impact of your efforts will continue.
OKR (Objectives and Key Results) software is here to help. These tools eliminate disjointed goal-setting by providing a clear framework for aligning objectives and tracking key results. However, with so many different options to choose from, finding the right OKR software for your business needs is time-consuming.
In this article, I'll help you simplify your selection process by sharing my insights on the best OKR software to help you streamline your goal-setting process, boost productivity, and ensure everyone is working towards the same vision.
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Best OKR Software: Pricing Comparison Chart
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top OKR software selections to help you find the best OKR tracking software for your budget and business needs.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Deel | Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people | Website |
| ThriveSparrow | From $2/employee/month | Website |
| Tability | From $5/seat/month | Website |
| Synergita | From $5/employee/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Topicflow | From $10/user/month | Website |
| Primalogik | From $159/month | Website |
| PerformYard | From $5-$10/user/month | Website |
| Leapsome | From $8/user/month | Website |
| OKR Board for Jira by Oboard | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Peoplebox | From $7/user/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow to Choose OKR Software
OKR software can help you organize your goals and objectives for each level of your company. To help you figure out which OKR software best fits your needs, keep the following points in mind:
- What problems are you trying to solve? Start by identifying the feature gap you're trying to fill to pinpoint the features and functionality the OKR management tool needs to provide.
- Who are your main users? Consider who will use the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be your senior managers and team leads who need access or your entire staff list. Once that's clear, it's also useful to rank the needs of your different users to identify your key priorities for your OKR software power users, managers, and employees, to ensure they're all met.
- What is your budget? To evaluate cost, do a headcount of your existing workforce, plus your projections for the next 5 to 10 years. Since most OKR tools charge a monthly fee per employee, this will help you proactively estimate your monthly costs.
- Do you require specific software integrations? Clarify whether your new OKR software will replace existing tools, or need to integrate with them. Key integrations to note include performance management systems, employee recognition platforms, or task tracking tools.
- What outcomes are important and how will you measure success? Being clear on your desired outcomes upfront is crucial to avoid wasting valuable time. For example, you may want to increase individual productivity, enhance accountability, and improve teamwork.
- Does the new software satisfy your technical requirements? Consider the software selection alongside your existing workflows and systems. Does the software offer a complimentary OKR app for a more flexible user experience? Will the new software integrate with your work operating system, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace?
Remember, every business is different — don’t assume that an OKR tool will work for your organization just because it's popular.
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Deel
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Rippling
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Willo
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8
Best OKR Software Reviews
Here are my detailed summaries of the best OKR software that made it into my top 10 list, including notes on why I picked them. Each review offers a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each system to help you find the best OKR tool for you.
Deel Engage is a comprehensive platform designed to facilitate employee development, performance management, and goal setting. It integrates key functionalities like OKR tracking, career progression frameworks, and learning management systems. This cohesive approach ensures organizations can effectively align individual and team objectives with broader company goals.
Why I picked Deel: Deel Engage stands out as an OKR software for its comprehensive goal alignment features. The platform allows teams to set clear, measurable objectives that align with the company's overall goals, ensuring everyone works towards the same targets. Integrating OKRs with performance reviews offers a holistic view of employee progress, making it easier to identify areas for improvement and development.
Deel also offers advanced analytics tools that provide valuable insights into goal achievement. Managers can use tools like radar charts, 9-box grids, and skills matrices to track the progress of individual and team objectives in real-time, identify high-potential employees, and address performance issues promptly.
Deel Standout Features and Integrations:
Deel's features include competency-based career progression frameworks that give employees clear growth paths. The AI-driven course creation tools facilitate the rapid development of training programs, ensuring employees are equipped with the skills needed to meet their objectives. Additionally, the centralized competency library organizes the management of skills and levels, aiding in performance reviews and identifying appropriate development pathways.
Integrations include Deel HR, Slack, and other HR systems like Workday, BambooHR, and Personio. Custom integrations are also available.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 360-degree feedback collection
- Integrated learning management system
- Comprehensive performance analytics
Cons:
- Could have more customization options
- Potential learning curve for new users
ThriveSparrow is an employee success platform with goal-setting and performance-tracking tools designed to help your team focus on objectives that matter. With its OKR framework, you can set clear, measurable goals and align them with your broader business vision.
Why I picked ThriveSparrow: I picked ThriveSparrow because of how it enables real-time goal tracking and flexible goal-setting. You can create custom OKRs for different teams and individuals, making it easy to adapt to your unique company needs. The platform automatically updates progress, so you can quickly see how close you are to hitting your targets and adjust if necessary.
It also offers automated goal cycles and instant feedback loops. ThriveSparrow simplifies the process of tracking when goals should be updated or re-evaluated, making it easy for you to keep your team on track. The instant feedback feature also encourages constant communication and improvement, so you can spot areas of success or needed change early on.
ThriveSparrow Standout Features and Integrations:
ThriveSparrow's features include instant notifications for important updates, goal dashboards that give you a bird’s-eye view of progress, team-specific OKR alignment to connect team goals to larger company objectives, and detailed reports to analyze goal outcomes.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Bob, UKG, Gusto, and Square
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Integrated performance management features
- Connects individual goals to organizational missions
- Real-time feedback mechanisms
Cons:
- Lacks advanced features that larger organizations might require
- Initial setup can be challenging for those unfamiliar with OKRs
Tability is an AI-driven platform designed to enhance the process of tracking OKRs, key performance indicators (KPIs), and strategic initiatives. It enhances team productivity by facilitating weekly check-ins, progress updates, and reviews.
Why I picked Tability: The software offers intuitive AI features that simplify goal-setting and monitoring, making it ideal for both new and experienced users. Its AI plan editor and OKR generator help you with the process of creating and managing goals. Additionally, Tability provides customizable templates, performance-tracking analytics, and alignment tools to ensure that team objectives are consistently met.
Tability's alignment feature is also notable, allowing teams to visualize how OKRs interconnect without complex configurations. Its strategy map simplifies comparing dependencies across departments, promoting transparency and collaboration in goal setting.
Tability Standout Features and Integrations:
Tability's features include presentation-ready reports for updates on OKR progress, AI-driven task planning to align initiatives with overall company goals, and daily standups that help remote teams stay synchronized without lengthy meetings.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, OpenAI, Asana, Jira, Trello, ClickUp, Confluence, Notion, Okta, Azure Directory, Freshdesk, Zendesk, Intercom, Airtable, PagerDuty, Typeform, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Stripe, and Salesforce.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- AI-powered goal suggestions
- Good progress tracking features
- Can adapt to different goal frameworks
Cons:
- Navigation could be smoother
- Not ideal for those who require complex goal management
Best combined OKR and continuous performance management software
Synergita provides OKR solutions and tools for agile employee performance management and employee engagement to organizations that strive to achieve high performance-driven growth.
Why I picked Synertiga: Their results-focused OKR solution enables organizations to launch OKRs instantly at the team or organization-wide level. They currently support 350,000 users from 100+ companies around the world, and are a popular choice within the IT/ITES, manufacturing, financial services, pharmaceutical, retail and non-profit sectors.
Synergita Standout Features and Integrations:
Other features within Synergita's software include a goals management matrix, continuous check-ins, 360-degree appraisal feedback, and 1:1 meeting tools. In addition, Synergita includes tools to build a positive workplace culture, including an employee perception survey, a culture score, and an AI-powered sentiment analysis tool that detects tonal sentiments within written feedback.
Their dashboard and reports are also configurable to help you access the people and performance analytics that make the most sense for your organization.
Integrations are available with commonly used HRIS and single sign-on (SSO) applications, including Active Directory, Adrenalin, GreytHR, HiFives, Okta, PrismHR, SAP SuccessFactors, Sage HR, and others. Their software is also iOS and Android accessible, plus they have an API to support additional custom integrations, too.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Includes a functional goal repository & goal mapping features
- You can track goals for unlimited objectives
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Billed annually instead of monthly
Topicflow is a performance management software driven by AI, designed for real-time performance evaluation and continuous improvement, moving beyond traditional annual reviews. It allows managers to set clear and customizable goals using frameworks like OKRs and Smart Goals.
Why I picked Topicflow: I like that it offers customizable frameworks for setting clear goals, such as OKRs and Smart Goals, at various organizational levels. This flexibility allows managers to align daily activities and projects with overarching objectives, ensuring that every team member understands their role in achieving the company's strategic goals. Furthermore, the software’s ability to integrate daily tasks with long-term goals improves organizational alignment and focus, enhancing the goal-setting process.
Topicflow Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include AI-driven performance management, which uses artificial intelligence to prompt timely performance discussions and ensure adherence to company processes. Its rapid assessments enable quick evaluations of performance, manager effectiveness, and employee engagement. Furthermore, its manager dashboard and insights provide managers with detailed insights into team performance.
Integrations include Slack, Google Workspace, Asana, Zoom, Jira, Github, Rippling, BambooHR, Salesforce, Workday, and HubSpot.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Effective for task management and meeting facilitation
- Facilitates clear goal-setting and integrates goals, KPIs, and action items
- AI-powered performance assessment
Cons:
- Only available in English
- Heavily reliance on AI might not be ideal for all management styles
Primalogik is a comprehensive performance management platform designed to assist HR leaders and managers in optimizing employee performance and engagement.
Why I picked Primalogik: The platform provides a user-friendly interface for creating, managing, and monitoring OKRs, ensuring transparency and accountability at every level. It supports individual, team, and company-wide objectives and offers customizable goal templates, allowing organizations to tailor OKRs based on specific business needs and industry requirements.
One standout feature is Primalogik’s ability to break down high-level goals into smaller, actionable steps. This helps users stay on track by clearly defining what needs to be done to achieve each objective. Additionally, the platform offers real-time progress tracking, which allows teams to easily identify areas where they may be falling behind and make adjustments accordingly.
Primalogik Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include performance reviews, 360-degree feedback, employee engagement surveys, customizable surveys, anonymous feedback, reporting and analytics, pulse surveys, and continuous feedback.
Integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Slack, BambooHR, ADP, and Okta.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive feedback tools
- Real-time progress tracking
- Customizable templates for goals, surveys, and performance reviews
Cons:
- Reporting could be more flexible
- No mobile app
Best OKR software for goal-setting + performance management
PerformYard's goal-setting and performance management software provides flexible features for HR and a simple employee experience. With PerformYard, HR teams get the tools they need to build out any goal-setting strategy while your employees get a streamlined experience so they can focus on quality feedback and effective performance discussions.
Why I picked PerformYard: Their software is designed to be a flexible OKR solution. With PerformYard you can customize the software to fit the strategy that's right for your organization: cascading, tagging, check-ins, goal types, and/or scoring.
PerformYard provides a simple employee experience that facilitates effective goal-setting. PerformYard also provides dedicated customer success managers for every customer. From onboarding to employee training, to ongoing support, you'll have someone at your side to help you set up your OKR tracking system successfully.
PerformYard Standout Features and Integrations:
Other standout features for PerformYard include their performance management tools like 360-degree reviews, project-based reviews, customizable rating scales, continuous feedback, and succession planning tools. These work together to help managers prioritize long-term career development plans for their staff, to tap into the future advancement potential of their star employees.
In addition, PerformYard also includes cascading goal structures, goal dependencies, goal owners, timelines, individual OKRs, clear visualization tools, and team-wide visibility.
Integrations are available with most major HRIS/Payroll systems including ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, UKG, Paycom, Workday, and Paylocity.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- You can request performance feedback from external stakeholders
- Their performance module includes modern elements like self-assessments and 360-degree feedback
- Can be customized for enterprise organizations
Cons:
- No free trial or free version available
- Price per user is vague - depends on the number of employees you have
Leapsome is an OKR platform that helps organizations to focus on strategic objectives and enhance their people management processes. Trusted by companies like Spotify, Northvolt, and Babbel, the platform enables a continuous cycle of goals & OKR setting, tracking and reporting at the company, team, and individual level.
Why I picked Leapsome: Their software helps you go beyond simple tracking by sharing and requesting feedback on OKRs at every phase. Stakeholders and actors can leave comments to provide context and discuss the progress of single tasks or entire projects.
It also gives you the ability to relate individual, team, and company goals to one another and generate an OKR tree to easily oversee progress, ownership, and the dependencies on the path to success.
Furthermore, Leapsome comes with features that increase accountability across the organization with goal dashboards and progress timelines which you can update in real-time and filter by owner, contributors, and teams.
Leapsome Standout Features and Integrations:
Leapsome also has other standout features, such as the depth of its performance management features. In addition to its ability to track goals and OKRs, Leapsome includes modern capabilities such as 360-degree feedback and performance reviews designed around key competencies for each role.
Other key features include flexible goal frameworks, recurring goal cycles, team collaboration tools, progress updates, one-on-one meeting tools, performance reviews, goal trees and dependencies, and real-time analytics.
Integrations are available with Personio, BambooHR, HiBob, GSuite, OneLogin, Okta, Active Directory, Slack, Jira Software, Microsoft Teams, and Calendar Apps.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Interface is user-friendly
- Robust self evaluation tools
- Ease of giving feedback to peers
Cons:
- Must enquire to get pricing
- Difficult to set “lower than” goals (cost or time reduction, etc.)
OKR Board for Jira by Oboard is a SaaS product that helps teams and organizations manage their Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) right within their Jira environment. Users can set, track, and align their OKRs with their work in their project management system, so they can stay focused on achieving their goals without having to switch between multiple tools.
Why I picked OKR Board for Jira: For teams and organizations that are already using Jira for their project management needs, or who are looking for an option to combine OKRs and project management, this software is a good choice. The integration allows you to link your OKRs with issues, epics, and projects. This way, you can track how your work is contributing to your OKRs as you progress.
The software offers a flexible and customizable OKR hierarchy, so you can set up your OKRs in a way that makes sense for your organization. You can create multiple levels of objectives and key results, and even group them by teams or departments. It also has powerful reporting and analytics features, so you can track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
OKR Board for Jira Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include annual, quarterly, and monthly OKRs; roadmaps; custom weights; custom levels; private workspaces; and reporting and analytics tools.
Integrations include Jira, Confluence, and Salesforce. The software's REST API allows you to build integrations with other tools and systems if needed.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Bring your OKRs right into your Jira environment
- Simple interface, friendly to any user
- Easy implementation and quick time to value
Cons:
- Lacking in other software integrations
- Not ideal for teams not using Jira
Peoplebox is the next-gen enterprise OKR & performance management platform designed for hyper-growth startups to drive better business growth through OKRs, feedback, 1:1s, reviews, and check-ins. They work with over 500 startups such as HackerRank, Razorpay, SocialBee, Mirriad, Exotel, Dunzo, Khatabook, Plum, and Nova Benefits.
Why I picked Peoplebox: Their software provides a single place where all strategic priorities, goals, and initiatives are always aligned and updated through native integrations with all work tools.
Along with updated goals, it also creates auto-populated review dashboards with the ability to add narratives, action items, and RCA (root cause analysis) details to make your review meetings more effective and actionable. Peoplebox also syncs goal data with 1:1s, check-ins, projects, and performance reviews so you can manage team performance continuously.
Peoplebox Standout Features and Integrations:
Peoplebox's features work together to help organizations bridge the gap between their OKR strategy and their OKR execution. It accomplishes this with automated goal tracking and reviews and the ability to track action items, and hits & misses, with the intention of identifying blockers or bottlenecks before they impact productivity. Other features include OKR management, KPI tracking, productivity check-ins, pre-defined nudges, automated performance reviews, people insights, survey templates, and feedback management.
Integrations are available with a number of tools, including Asana, Google Sheets, Jira, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Slack, Salesforce, and others.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Useful feedback features including performance reviews, 1:1, and Coffee Connect
- Ability to automate reports and launch recurring employee engagement and pulse surveys is helpful
- Business Reviews Dashboard makes it easy to review item status at a glance
- Slack integration and notifications, including the ability to conduct check-ins
- Very easy to use, single page application, Deep integrations with many work tools
Cons:
- Long load times for longer task lists
- Anonymous feedback not available
Other OKR Software
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make it into my top 10 shortlist for the best OKR software, but are still worth taking a closer look at:
- Quantive Results
For creating cross-team alignment on OKRs and KPIs
- Culture Amp
OKR software for customer service & training
- Kallidus Perform
OKR software for team-based performance management
- Inspire
AI-powered professional and holistic OKRs solution
- Weekdone
OKR software with weekly planning for real business results
- PeopleGoal
Employee-led OKRs
- Engagedly
OKR cloud software available on PC, Android, and Apple devices
- Huminos
OKR software for user experience with affordable pricing
- Yaguara
Profit OKR software for e-retailers
- Unlock:OKR
OKR Software with OKR Coaching and OKR Adoption Guarantee
- Kazoo
OKR tracking software for peer-to-peer feedback
- Ally.io
For OKR collaboration
- Simple OKR
For work culture research
- Heartpace
Personal OKR software for individual goal-setting
- Betterworks
OKR for enterprises
- Quantive
For implementing OKRs at scale
- Workboard
For objectives alignment across a company
- monday.com
Customizable OKR template with built-in data visualization tools
- Lattice
OKR software solution with integrations to support OKR progress tracking
- Profit.co
OKR management software for an intuitive user experience
Related HR Software Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- HR software
- Payroll software
- Recruiting software
- Employer of Record services
- Applicant tracking systems
- Workforce management software
Selection Criteria for OKR Software
Selecting the best OKR software hinges on understanding the specific functions that align with common organizational needs and challenges, such as difficulty tracking goal progress, lack of clarity, and misalignment among teams.
To uncover the best OKR tools on the market, I started off by using recent market data to prepare a long list of all the top OKR tracking tools with positive user ratings and a full set of features. I then drilled down into each OKR tool's features and functionality to see how each system compared to the next.
Lastly, to whittle my selections down even further, I used the selection criteria below as a framework for my final selections. That's why all my top choices in this list score well in the criteria below.
Core OKR Software Functionality (25% of total score): First and foremost, all of the OKR software in this list needed to fulfill these basic core functionalities to move to the next phase of my assessment:
- The ability to set clear objectives for individual teams or departments.
- The ability to define each objective with a measurable key result (i.e., a quantifiable metric for each objective).
- Alignment tools that show how individual, team, and department-level objectives contribute to the organization's highest-level goals.
- Some form of data analytics and reporting to help assess performance, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making.
- Built-in communication and collaboration tools or integrations with other communication systems.
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score): To help differentiate one OKR system from another, I also kept a keen eye out for unique features, including:
- Advanced analytics and predictive insights that go beyond basic progress tracking, often by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI).
- Visualization tools to plan and track progress towards milestones, like Gantt charts and Kanban boards, or visual OKR progress reports with analysis drill-downs.
- Robust security measures that go beyond industry standards.
- Mobile app features that surpass basic accessibility, such as offline tracking or voice commands.
Usability (10% of total score): To evaluate the usability of each OKR tool, I considered the following:
- The design of their user interface, menus, and how intuitive it was to access different features.
- The existence of OKR templates to help you start your OKR journey off on the right foot.
- The existence of online communities or forms where you can find answers to common questions independently.
- A good balance between comprehensive features without overcomplicating the OKR management process.
- A dedicated OKR app or a mobile-friendly user interface.
Onboarding (10% of total score): To get a sense of each software provider's customer onboarding process, I considered the following factors:
- Whether the software offers quick setup processes and clear guidance for first-time users.
- The availability of training materials such as videos, tutorials, product tours, or even OKR coaching and training sessions.
- Support for migrating data from previous systems into the new platform.
Customer Support (10% of total score): OKR software can be a bit complex to set up, at least initially, making customer support even more important. To evaluate the level of customer support each vendor offered, I considered the following:
- The availability of multiple support channels, including email, phone, and chat.
- The existence of a self-service knowledge base or community forum to speed up troubleshooting.
- The overall quality, responsiveness, and helpfulness of the support team during onboarding and post-purchase, as inferred from customer reviews.
Value for Price (10% of total score): To gauge the value of each software, I considered the following factors:
- The availability of free trials or demo versions to do a test run on the software before purchasing.
- The existence of transparent pricing models that clearly explain which features are included in each level.
- Tiered pricing plans that cater to different business sizes, from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) up to enterprise-level organizations.
Customer Reviews (10% of total score): Evaluating customer reviews is the final element of my selection process, which helps me understand how well a product performs in the hands of real users. Here are the factors I considered:
- Whether a product has consistently high ratings across multiple review platforms (if they do, this indicates a broad level of user satisfaction).
- Whether any feedback specifically mentions issues with ease of use, customer support responsiveness, or lacking features.
- Specific praises, criticisms, or trends in customer feedback that indicate the software's strengths or areas for improvement.
Using this assessment framework helped me identify the best OKR software that goes beyond basic requirements to offer additional value through unique features, intuitive usability, smooth onboarding, effective support, and overall value for price.
Trends in OKR Software for 2024
As of 2024, OKR software has continued to evolve to meet the needs for enhanced organizational alignment and strategic planning. Here are the most recent trends impacting the OKR software space currently:
- Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Capabilities: AI and ML capabilities are being increasingly integrated into OKR tools to provide predictive analytics, automated goal suggestions, and personalized insights. This trend addresses the need for data-driven decision-making and the customization of objectives to fit the unique context of each team or individual.
- Enhanced Collaboration Tools: There's a noticeable shift towards improving collaboration features within OKR platforms. Real-time chat, integrated task management, and collaborative goal-setting functionalities are evolving rapidly. These features improve both communication and teamwork, which are crucial for remote and hybrid work environments.
- Focus on Mobile Accessibility: Mobile accessibility has become more sophisticated, with apps offering full functionality, offline access, and push notifications for goal updates. This trend reflects the growing demand for on-the-go access to OKR tools, allowing team members to stay connected with their objectives anywhere, anytime.
- Advanced Security Features: As the sensitivity of strategic planning information increases, so does the emphasis on advanced security features. Encryption standards, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with global data protection regulations are becoming more stringent, ensuring that organizational goals and performance data remain secure.
- User Experience (UX) Enhancements: The user interface and overall experience of OKR software are getting significant upgrades to ensure ease of use, minimal onboarding time, and higher engagement rates. Simplified navigation, customizable dashboards, and interactive goal-setting processes are examples of features that have been refined to meet these needs.
These trends in OKR software reflect a broader shift towards more intelligent, collaborative, and user-friendly tools that can adapt to the dynamic needs of modern organizations.
By leveraging advanced technologies and focusing on enhancing user experience, OKR software developers are ensuring that their tools remain indispensable for companies aiming to achieve strategic alignment and operational excellence.
What is OKR Software?
Objectives and key results (OKR) software is a tool that companies use to set and track organizational goals while fostering better transparency, visibility, and goal alignment across all levels of the organization. The OKR software is the framework used to develop the strategy and objectives that connect individual and team goals to top-level organizational objectives. You can use OKR software to build out your initial strategy and track the OKR progress for all the individual objectives involved.
OKR software is a tried-and-true way to improve the alignment between your individual employees and the company's top-level business goals. It does this by creating a transparent and cascading framework that visually shows employees how their own individual OKRs contribute to the company's strategic goals, and vice versa. It's similar to an online goal-tracking tool for all levels of your company.
Features of OKR Software
OKR software is designed to help you set, track, and achieve your company-wide goals. Using OKR management software helps align company-wide objectives across different teams, ensuring everyone moves in the same direction towards achieving the common goals. Here are the most important features to look for in OKR software to ensure your company's success:
- Progress Tracking Tools: Progress tracking is the crux of OKR tools. That's why all the systems in this list have tools to track the progress of team OKRs and individual goals - some with more advanced features than others.
- Cascading Goal Maps: The best OKR software should include tools that visualize how individual and company OKRs tie into higher objectives, such as goal maps, or cascading goal trees. These visualization tools help to align individual responsibilities with greater company goals to give employees a big-picture view of how their daily activities contribute to the company's ultimate success.
- Customizable OKR Templates: Many systems offer a variety of templates to make it easier to set up OKRs that fit the specific requirements of your company, increasing the speed of your software implementation.
- Performance Review Tools: Many OKR platforms link OKR progress with employee performance reviews. This might include tools for one-on-one meetings, or automated goal progress updates. Some systems take things a step further by gamifying goal completion to increase employee motivation for achieving key metrics.
- Feedback Collection Tools: This includes features like employee pulse surveys, 360-degree feedback, and employee engagement tools that monitor the sentiment of feedback to uncover deeper meaning. I assessed these features in detail and noted any peer-to-peer communication features that promote a culture of continuous feedback, such as weekly check-ins and other feedback prompts.
- Collaboration Tools: Collaboration is key to ensuring that everyone is working together towards common goals. Collaboration tools such as task assignments, comments, discussion threads, check-in tools, and integrations with other communication platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email make it easier for team members to easily share updates.
- Notifications & Reminders: Another useful feature is the ability to automate notifications and reminders to ensure your staff stay on top of their OKR-related tasks and deadlines.
- Mobile Accessibility: Modern OKR software should be accessible via mobile apps or a mobile-friendly user interface for accessing OKRs on the go. This type of accessibility ensures your employees can stay updated and engaged, no matter where they are, providing a better employee experience.
- Analytics & Reporting: It's important to monitor your analytics to help you make informed decisions and goal adjustments. OKR software includes built-in reports and tracking dashboards that simplify this process to save you time.
- Security & Data Protection: This set of features includes tools for data encryption, data backup and recovery, two-factor authentication (2FA), role-based access control (RBAC), and regular security compliance checks. These features are essential for protecting sensitive information related to your company's goals and performance.
- Software Integrations: Software integrations can help you make better use of your data by connecting to other systems. Key systems to note include performance management software, talent management software, or employee management systems. If native integrations aren't readily available, an API that supports custom integrations is also super helpful.
Choosing the right OKR software is a strategic decision that can significantly impact the success of your company. Look for these features to ensure the software meets your needs for tracking company-wide goals, prioritizing main objectives, and ensuring goal alignment. The right tool will not only help in setting ambitious goals but also in achieving them by fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Benefits of OKR Software
OKR software is designed to help organizations optimize their goal-setting and tracking processes, enhance alignment across teams, and drive operational success.
By selecting the best OKR software for your needs, you can expect to gain the following benefits:
- Enhanced Goal Alignment and Transparency: OKR software ensures that everyone in the organization understands the company's strategic goals and their role in achieving them. This clarity fosters a sense of purpose and direction, leading to increased engagement and productivity among employees.
- Improved Focus and Prioritization: By clearly defining objectives and key results, OKR software helps teams and individuals focus on the tasks that matter most. This prioritization ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, driving better outcomes for the business.
- Better Communication and Collaboration: OKR software provides a platform for ongoing discussions about goals, progress, challenges, and roadblocks. This enhances collaboration across different levels of the organization, breaking down silos and fostering a culture of teamwork and shared success.
- Real-time Progress Tracking: The ability to monitor progress towards goals in real-time allows for quick adjustments and keeps everyone informed about their achievements or areas needing attention. This immediate feedback loop is crucial for maintaining momentum and ensuring continuous improvement.
- Data-driven Decision Making: Owing to its comprehensive analytics and reporting features, OKR software offers valuable insights into performance trends and areas for improvement. This data-driven approach supports informed decision-making, strategic planning, and strategy execution, aligning efforts with business objectives.
By leveraging the power of OKR software, organizations can enhance their operational efficiency, foster a high-performance culture, and drive sustained growth in an increasingly competitive business environment.
Costs & Pricing for OKR Software
When considering the cost of OKR software, it's important to consider the value you're gaining for your company. If you're running a small business or startup, you may be able to get away with a free version to track small team goals. However, a free plan won't have the same capabilities as a monthly paid offering.
As a software buyer, it's important to understand the variety of available plans, and the differences in features, support, and prices.
Plan Comparison Table for OKR Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic OKR tracking, limited users, access to community support | Startups and small teams looking to experiment with OKRs without a financial commitment |
| Basic | $5-10 per user/month | Enhanced OKR tracking, unlimited OKRs, basic reporting, and email support | Small to medium-sized businesses that need more robust tracking and reporting without breaking the bank |
| Professional | $10-20 per user/month | All Basic features, plus advanced reporting, integration capabilities, and priority email support | Medium to large businesses that require detailed analytics and seamless integration with existing tools |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | All Professional features, plus custom integrations, a dedicated account manager, 24/7 support, and advanced security features | Large enterprises with complex needs and a demand for high-level customization, dedicated support, and top-tier security |
When considering an OKR software plan, it's essential to evaluate the size of your team, the complexity of your goals, and the level of support you anticipate needing. Each plan is designed to cater to different organizational needs, from small startups to large enterprises.
While it's understandable that you may want to start with a free or basic plan initially, there are several reasons why you may want to opt for a more advanced plan to start, including:
- Priority Support and Training: Arguably the most common reason to improve on a free or basic plan is the lack of customer support those plans provide. By upgrading to a more advanced plan, you'll gain access to premium support and training resources, helping your team quickly resolve issues and fully leverage the software’s capabilities. Since OKR tools can be a bit complicated to set up initially, this is definitely worth paying a bit extra for, in my opinion.
- Customizable OKR Frameworks: Basic plans often lack flexibility in customizing OKR frameworks for your specific business needs. By upgrading your plan, you'll gain the ability to tailor the OKR software to fit your unique business model and strategic goals.
- Advanced Goal Alignment Features: To maintain alignment as your company’s objectives evolve, you'll need sophisticated alignment and visualization tools. Since these are often lacking in free or basic plans, you'll need to scale up to unlock this advanced feature.
- Automated Progress Updates: Free or basic plans usually require manual updates, which can be time-consuming or fall through the cracks easily. Higher-priced plans offer automated progress tracking and updates, saving you time and reducing the likelihood of errors.
- Integration with Other Tools: Most free or basic plans don't offer integration abilities, making this another common reason why you might want to opt for a more robust plan. By integrating your OKR management software with other key systems (including project management and internal communication tools), you'll improve your workflows and data synchronization.
Ultimately, it's important to secure a plan that offers the features you require to satisfy your current needs and solve your challenges without exceeding your budget.
OKR Software: Frequently Asked Questions
Still trying to wrap your head around what OKR software is and how it can help your organization? These answers to frequently asked questions are a great place to start:
What are OKRs?
OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results, which are goals and objectives for business planning. The OKR framework helps companies define their objectives, track their progress, and analyze their results.
There is typically one Objective, which is a high-level, qualitative goal that a group or team is focused on. Then there are Key Results, usually three of them, which are quantitative metrics that point towards the designated Objective. By quantifying a specific numerical goal, your organization will be able to objectively measure how successful the team was in reaching it.
OKR software (Objective & Key Results software) is the tool organizations use to develop the strategy and process objectives that connect both the team and the organization. In many ways, OKR software is similar to an online goal tracker that covers all levels of an organization.
What are some examples of popular OKRs?
You’ll want to tailor your OKRs specifically to your own organization, and the specific departments responsible for them. For example, you’ll want to specify your HR team’s OKRs and your Operations team’s OKRs. Here’s some general information to get your creative juices flowing:
An HR manager might work towards an Objective of reducing employee turnover from from 20% to 10%. The corresponding key result would be the turnover metric on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. To achieve a reduction in turnover, the activities could include: increased performance reviews, more team 1:1’s, creating learning and development plans for all employees, offering more employee incentives, etc.
What is the difference between OKRs and KPIs?
OKRs vs KPIs—what are they? Are they just different terms for the same thing? No, they’re not — but they are closely related.
KPIs stand for Key Performance Indicators. They are a series of quantitative goals that compartmentalize progress in bite-sized chunks of measurable data (e.g., social media impressions or sales conversion).
OKRs, on the other hand, are a goal-setting framework. For each goal (or objective), there is a specific metric that will measure whether the team has achieved the goal or not.
The KPI methodology is a straightforward approach to achieving specific goals, and those goals can even be a part of an OKR framework. However, the OKR methodology as a whole is more advanced and ambitious. Typically, OKRs require a big team-wide push to achieve the results, though they should still be attainable.
What's the difference between an OKR and MBO framework?
Management by Objectives, or MBO, describes a process organizations use to connect high-level organizational objectives with individual goals. Once the high-level objectives are determined, managers and employees work together to set individual goals that can contribute to it, which are often measured at the end of a 12 month period. An example of MBO for an organization focused on customer service may include objectives like quicker response times and smoother customer onboarding.
This may sound similar to the OKR framework, however, the difference is rests on the detail how. Even though the objectives in the MBO framework can help achieve the company goal, what’s lacking is the specific way to measure progress: how will the objectives be achieved?
That’s where OKRs come in. The OKR framework builds off on an MBO approach by outlining how, specifically, an objective should be achieved, measured as Key Results. Using the same example, the objectives for the company above could be: reduce the time customers spend on hold by 10% by increasing the number of support staff.
What types of companies have used OKRs successfully?
Many well-known and respected companies have implemented OKRs successfully, especially those dominating the tech sector. Google was one of the first tech giants to get into the OKR arena, starting back in 1999, and all these years later Google (and its parent company Alphabet) still use OKRs even today! Some other company names you’ll immediately recognize include Adobe, Amazon, Dell, Dropbox, Intel, Netflix, Panasonic, Samsung, Yahoo, and many others. However, don’t let this list fool you. The OKR framework can be successfully applied to small businesses as well.
How can you measure the ROI of your OKR software?
Gauging the return on investment of a software can be tricky. But, it makes sense that you would want to quantify the output of a new tool. To measure the ROI of anything means to divide the total value of that thing by its cost. So the question becomes, how do you measure the value of the software? Here are a few factors you could weigh into that calculation:
- Levels of employee alignment around common goals.
- How each department’s roadmap corresponds to your overall OKRs.
- Your ability to track goals through to completion at various company levels.
- Overall OKR management: is it clear who is responsible for setting, monitoring, and reporting on OKRs?
- Time saved through automation, for example with the ability to track OKRs through interactive dashboards.
Ultimately, it will be up to you to define the value you get from your OKR management software. This is something worth considering before you invest—your definition of success is directly related to your goals in employing a software solution in the first place. So be sure you have a measurable framework for what you expect to see.
What's the average setup time for OKR software?
The average setup time for OKR software can vary depending on the complexity of the tool, the size of your organization, and how detailed your objectives and key results are. Some systems offer quick setup options that can get you started in a matter of hours or days, especially if they offer pre-built templates.
For more complex implementations, particularly in large organizations with numerous integrations, the setup could take weeks to months. This process involves not just the technical setup but also aligning your team, training users, and ensuring your OKRs are well-defined and integrated with existing workflows.
To get a better handle on OKR best practices, take a look at our list of the best OKR-focused podcasts for further inspiration.
Are there industry-specific OKR software options?
While most OKR software is designed to be flexible and adaptable across various industries, some solutions offer features tailored to specific sectors, like technology, healthcare, or manufacturing. These specialized tools might include industry-specific templates or integrations with commonly used software in that field. However, the broad applicability of OKRs means that even generalist OKR software can be effectively used across industries by customizing objectives and key results to align with industry-specific goals.
What level of customer support do OKR software companies provide?
The level of customer support for OKR software ranges from self-service resources, like knowledge bases and community forums, to personalized assistance via email, chat, or phone. Some providers, like PerformYard, offer dedicated account managers or access to certified OKR coaches, especially on higher-tier plans. The availability of support can vary; some services provide 24/7 support, while others may have more limited hours.
It’s essential to consider what level of support you’ll need to successfully implement and use the software, including training for your team on best practices for setting and tracking OKRs
How does OKR software support bottom-up and bidirectional goal setting?
OKR software supports bottom-up and bidirectional goal setting by enabling employees to actively contribute to the goal-setting process, rather than just receiving top-down directives. With this approach, employees are empowered to set their own objectives that align with broader company goals, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability. This transparency ensures that individual contributions are visible, and employees understand how their work drives the company’s success, promoting higher levels of engagement.
By facilitating bidirectional goal setting, OKR software creates a continuous feedback loop between employees and leadership. This ongoing communication ensures that goals remain flexible and adaptable to changing priorities while keeping everyone aligned. As employees contribute their insights and adapt their objectives, companies benefit from a more engaged workforce, as well as a clearer path to achieving shared objectives.
Other OKR Tracking and Goal Management Resources
With goal-tracking software already on your mind, I also recommend checking out these other related resources too:
- How to Write SMART Goals (With Examples)
- How to Get Buy-In to Implement OKRs - And Why It's Important to Get Approval
- 10 HR Goals Examples to Make Business Impact
- Putting Organizations on the Path to Success Using the Cascading Goals Method
- 29 HR KPIs to Help You Meet Strategic Goals
- The Real Intent of OKRs – It’s About Purpose, a podcast with Nolan Hout from Unlock OKR
Related Software Reviews
Looking for another type of software to motivate your team members? These other top 10 lists I've prepared are a good place to start:
- Productivity Tracking Software for Hybrid Teams
- Task Management Software for Team Efficiency
- Strategic Planning Software for Planning Ahead
- Note Taking Apps for Boosting Productivity
What's Next?
I hope this article brought you one step closer to finding the right OKR software for you. Have you tried out any goal-tracking software listed above? What goal-setting tools do you use on a daily basis for project management and company objectives? What do you look for in goal management tools? Are there any objective tracking tools or goal software that you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Avoid issues on the way to reaching your goals by making sure your processes are legally compliant with the help of ethics and compliance software. If you're not sure what that is, this article right here can help!
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