This article will help you quickly compare and evaluate the best OKR software and other OKR tools that will assist your business strategies and goals.
Goal setting is hugely important. According to the 2018 People Management Survey, 58% of workers say they have a problem with managers who don’t “communicate clear expectations.” It was the number one complaint, above even “betrays trust” and “doesn’t listen.” Setting clear, concise goals is simply a must.
Are you looking to align your organizational goals as a team? Do you desire a better communication strategy and require techniques to do so? In this article, I will be comparing software designed to help you with these items.
OKR software is a great way to jumpstart your business in creating ambitious yet attainable company goals and objectives. There are many ways to manually manage your goals, but that can be burdensome and hectic to deal with as the goals and objectives begin to pile up.
To be more effective with your business tasks it is worthwhile to invest your time and efforts in finding an OKR software tool that can better assist your organizational pursuits and increase effective communication and directional success.
To save you time, we have compiled a list of our top 10 OKR software tools to better help track your key objectives. See below.
Top 10 OKR Software
- Profit.co - Best user-friendly interface and UX
- Betterworks - Best OKR for enterprises
- Unlock:OKR - Best for teams implementing OKR for the first time
- Inspire - Best OKRs software for training and support
- Heartpace - Best personal OKR software for individual goal-setting
- Engagedly - Best OKR cloud software available on PC, Android, and Apple devices
- Yaguara - Best profit OKR software for e-retailers
- Simple OKR - Best for work culture research
- Kazoo - Best OKR tracking software for peer-to-peer feedback
OKRs Software Comparison Criteria
What are we looking for when we compare software for review? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): Is it clean and attractive? Does it look and work like modern software? Is item placement intuitive, even for low-tech individuals?
- Usability: Is onboarding new users easy? Does the company offer good tech support, user support, tutorials, and training? Is there an online community/forum around the product?
- Features & Functionality:
- Feedback & review tools: Is it easy for team leads to talk to staff and evaluate their performance? Does it facilitate peer-to-peer communication and encouragement? Is high performance gamified or otherwise made more accessible?
- Goal Maps: Does the tool make it easy to see the higher objectives and how Key Results tie into them? Does the tool do well to align individual responsibilities with greater company goals?
- Employee Voice: Are there features for employee surveys, comments, and insights? Does the tool elevate these voices in a meaningful way?
- Reporting and Insights: Does the tool give real-time reports and insights that can be easily visualized, shared, and analyzed? Are the reports customizable? Are there ready-to-use templates available?
- Integrations: Is it easy to connect with other tools, such as performance management software, talent management software, or employee management systems? Any pre-built integrations? Can you import objectives and goals designed in other software?
- Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
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Overviews Of The Top 10 OKR Tools
Here’s a brief software comparison of each of the OKR tools that are featured on this top 10 list.
- freemium version
- We offer a free trial for 30 days. And also we have a free version, which is free up to 5 users, you can check it on our pricing page - https://www.profit.co/pricing/
- From $7 per user per month
Profit.co - Best user-friendly interface and UX
Profit.co has a robust dashboard with features for tracking metrics and OKRs, as well as task progress.
Profit.co allows you to iterate faster using the Plan-Execute-Engage-Learn cycle every quarter. Users can plan OKRs at the beginning of the quarter, promote high levels of employee engagement using collaborative features, and use a highly structured reflect and reset process. Since Profit.co is easily customizable, you can get started with OKRs easily and add on other modules as you grow.
Profit.co integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Salesforce, HubSpot and several other popular business applications. On top of this, you can develop your custom integrations using the Profit Integration Engine.
Profit.co includes a free plan for up to 5 users and regular pricing is just $7 per user per month.
Pros
- Offers step by step guides and templates
- Facilitates 1 on 1 and departmental review meetings
- Includes OKR coaching and certification
Cons
- Only supports 15 languages
- Feature options may be overwhelming
- Only has 30 integrations, although they have a long list in their roadmap
Betterworks - Best OKR for enterprises
Betterworks handles transparency and alignment well by allowing team members to track cross-functional objectives just as simply as their own. Users can also praise progress and nudge others for updates, which is a huge plus.
Integrations include Google, Microsoft, Slack, Jira, G Suite, Asana, GitHub, Salesforce, Udemy, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, Ultimate Software, ADP, BambooHR, and Oracle.
The design, configuration options, and rollout could be overkill for some organizations. Betterworks is best suited for midsize and enterprise organizations that need to support an organization-wide deployment.
Betterworks costs from $8/user/month. They also offer a demo and free trial.
Pros
- Comprehensive company organization chart
- Helpful conversation/review prompts for managers
- Easy milestone setting within each goal
- Gamification and social tools for engagement
Cons
- No way to rank objectives for sorting purposes
- Additional benchmark data would be useful
Unlock:OKR - Best for teams implementing OKR for the first time
Unlock:OKR’s dashboard provides insights on OKR progress, team member progress, and more.
Pros
- Simple UI, easy to use
- Guaranteed OKR framework implementation
- Coaching for OKR champions available
Cons
- Email integration not built-in
- No way to clone an existing OKR
Inspire - Best OKRs software for training and support
The platform integrates goals and OKRs with continuous performance management, full recognition and feedback capabilities, learning, and leadership development to align and focus leaders, managers, and frontline employees.
You can perform goal-driven 1:1 conversations that address real needs in real time, utilizing built-in collaboration, feedback, and recognition features so your teams plan and stay focused on what’s important and then celebrate their success all in one place.
Features include OKR development, benchmarking and tracking data, SMART goal-setting, goal-focused conversations and execution, as well as timelines and reminders, and vertical and horizontal goal alignment. They also offer a complimentary software orientation or “guided trial,” with multiple how-to videos. Longer pilots or trials are available upon request.
Inspire costs from $5-11/user/month based on number of employees and contract term.
Pros
- Exclusive partnership with global OKRs leader Paul Niven
- Integrated with continuous performance management, feedback and recognition, and more
- Combines science-backed learning and leadership development curricula
Cons
- Operates best using a Chromium browser like Google Chrome
- Geared mostly toward HR and C-suite buyers
- Not full multi-language enabled
Heartpace - Best personal OKR software for individual goal-setting
Comprehensive employee pages organize objectives according to unique individual goals.
Automatic reminders, various templates, and structured evaluations make it a great leader-to-team communication solution. The software elevated user communication and collaboration, scoring them very well in the Feature & Functions – Feedback & Review Tools section of the evaluation criteria.
Integration options include AD Csv Sync, Azure SSO, REST API, ADFS SSO, AD LDAP Sync, and G Suite.
Some minor cons include the inability to set soft goals in a flexible productive way and a bit of a learning curve, particularly for those not familiar with using PM software in their work day.
Heartpace starts at $5.40/user/month and has a free 20-day trial.
Pros
- Great for meeting scheduling and record-keeping
- Helpful, automatic “action needed” reminders
- Free templates for talks, surveys, and evaluations
- Many bonus features, like salary pay gap analysis
Cons
- Only two plan tiers and only one has concrete pricing data
- API, DSM, profiles, and document management are add-ons
Engagedly - Best OKR cloud software available on PC, Android, and Apple devices
Visualize OKRs, competencies, and profile health on any device.
One of the best things about Engagedly is its user interface, which is colorful, organized, modern, logically compartmentalized, and eye-catching. This scored them well in the UX section of the evaluation criteria.
Integrations include ADP, Namely, Bamboo HR, iSolved, Paylocity, Google Suite, Microsoft, OneLogin, Okta, Oracle, HR Cloud, Slack, and Compport.
One con is that smaller companies may struggle with the “anonymous feedback” system, as it seems to count on crowds of data to disguise who said what. There is no built-in tool to hide when something was said or to alter the linguistic structure of conversational tells.
Engagedly starts at $6/user/month and has a free demo.
Pros
- Ability to nominate users to give feedback
- Customizable check-ins and progress indicators
- Great social module for engagement/incentives
- Tools to automate repeated goal settingr
Cons
- No way to generate reports on discontinued/blocked users
- Old posts/reviews aren’t as searchable as they could be
Yaguara - Best profit OKR software for e-retailers
Attach OKRs to e-commerce and profit-centric goals.
One thing Yaguara does really well is unify communication and data so that teams can better converse about goals, set-backs, and progress in a satisfying way. Collaboration is easy and fulfilling.
Integrations include Shopify, Facebook Ads, Klaviyo, Instagram, Google Analytics, Google Ads, Zendesk, Stripe, Mailchimp, Asana, WooCommerce, Quickbooks, Yotpo, Wrike, and Youtube.
Yaguara is one of the more cost-prohibitive tools on this list. It doesn’t help that it is a pay-upfront yearly fee, either; this lost them some marks in the Value for Cost segment of the evaluation schema.
Yaguara starts at $500/month and has both a free trial and a free demo.
Pros
- Great for agile ecommerce teams
- Excellent communication tools
- Pleasant, user-friendly design
Cons
- Live dashboards & reports limited to higher plans
- Custom integrations for Enterprise plan only
Simple OKR - Best for work culture research
360 performance reviews for unlimited users for in-depth culture evaluations.
This tool is very intuitive and matter-of-fact in its visualization of objectives and progress. On a single, simple dashboard, you will see: each major objective bundled with associated key results, the current year and quarter, and progress-as-percentage as well as bar graphs.
Simple OKR does not list any app integrations on its website.
Simple OKR’s lack of transparency around third-party or built-in app integrations lost them marks in the Integrations segment of the evaluation criteria. Every other tool on this list had integration options prominently displayed for easy review.
Simple OKR starts at $49.99/month and has a free 7-day trial.
Pros
- Easy, readable goal progress reports
- Heavy emphasis on objective alignment across users
- Ability to organize objectives into sub-objectives
Cons
- Fixed pricing, only one subscription tier offered
- No third-party software integrations
Kazoo - Best OKR tracking software for peer-to-peer feedback
Peer-to-peer recognition is gamified and incentivized to motivate participation.
Kazoo has a huge number of third-party app integrations and an open API to ensure you can connect what you need, when you need it. This scored them highly in the Integrations section of the evaluation criteria.
Kazoo’s open API can help you integrate your favorite tools, no matter how proprietary they may be. Kazoo HCM and HRIS integrations include SFTP Integrations, ADP, Bamboo HR, Kronos, Namely, Rippling, and SAP SucccessFactors. Kazoo SSO support works with Autho, Microsoft, Google Suite, and OKta.
Lack of pricing transparency is always a con, particularly when every other competing item on this list offers sure details on cost and available trails, demos, and promotions. Additionally, there is nothing to prevent users from handing out “points”/kudos without reason, which can cheapen the experience.
Kazoo offers pricing upon request.
Pros
- Engaging, social media-like activity feed
- Ability to build a custom rewards catalog for incentives
- Great gamification of rewards and challenges
- Employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS) surveys
Cons
- Reports could use more customization options
- Expiration of “recognition points” may incentivize inauthentic use
- Quite a text-heavy tool
Best OKR Software Summary
| Software | Overview | Free Option | Price | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit.co | Read Profit.co features & functionality | Freemium version We offer a free trial for 30 days. And also we have a free version, which is free up to 5 users, you can check it on our pricing page - https://www.profit.co/pricing/ | From $7 per user per month | Check out Profit.co |
Betterworks  | Read Betterworks features & functionality | Not Available | From $8/user/month | Check out Betterworks |
Unlock:OKR  | Read Unlock:OKR features & functionality | Free trial and demo are available | Pricing on request | Check out Unlock:OKR |
Inspire  | Read Inspire features & functionality | Upon request | From $5-11/user/month based on number of employees and contract term | Check out Inspire |
Heartpace  | Read Heartpace features & functionality | 20 days free trial | From $5.40/user/month | Check out Heartpace |
Engagedly  | Read Engagedly features & functionality | Free demo | From $6/user/month | Check out Engagedly |
Yaguara  | Read Yaguara features & functionality | Has both a free trial and a free demo | From $500/month | Check out Yaguara |
Simple OKR  | Read Simple OKR features & functionality | 7 days free trial | From $49.99/month | Check out Simple OKR |
Kazoo  | Read Kazoo features & functionality | Not Available | Upon request | Check out Kazoo |
Other Goal Setting Software
- Timely – Best OKR software tools for time tracking
- PeopleGoal – Best OKR management software for HR departments
- Perdoo – Best free OKR software
- Atiim – Best enterprise OKR software
- Culture Amp – Best OKR for turnover prediction
- 15five – Best for daily and yearly self-reviews
- Ally – Best for teams who would benefit from OKR coaching
- Lattice – Best for third-party integrations
- 7Geese – Best for agile performance reviews
- Leapsone – Best for a customizable review builder
- Small Improvements – Best OKR tool for pulse surveys and weekly check-ins
- Gtmhub – Best OKR for software engineers
- OKR API – Best open source SaaS OKR software
- Workteam – Best OKR CFR software
OKR Software FAQ
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 the results. There is typically one Objective, which is a lofty, qualitative goal on which a group or team is to focus. Then there are KRs, usually three of them, which are quantitative initiatives that point towards the designated Objective.
What is OKR Software?
OKR software (Objective & Key Results software) is a tool used for developing strategy and process objectives that connect both the team and the organization. Results software can be used to build out this strategy and track the objectives involved. You can think of OKR software as an online goal tracker.
What is the difference between OKRs and KPIs?
OKRs vs KPIs—what are they? KPIs are a series of quantitative goals that compartmentalize progress in bite-sized chunks of measurable data (for example, social media impressions or sales conversion). The OKR methodology, on the other hand, is more advanced and ambitious and requires more of a push to achieve the results, though they should still be attainable.
What Do You Think About These OKR Tracking Tools?
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?
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