Requester: James Lee (james@zabaca.com) Research Date: 2026-01-28 Request: Identify real competitors to Lattice, the HR/people management software platform

TL;DR - Top 4 Real Competitors

CompetitorBest ForKey DifferentiatorPrice
LeapsomeIntegrated HR + Learning + PerformanceNative LMS, HRIS, superior to Lattice’s discontinued HRIS$3-8/user/mo
15FiveSMBs & fast implementationSpark AI reviews, lower cost, better for 50-500 person companies$4-16/user/mo
Culture AmpEngagement & culture insightsResearch-backed methodology, superior engagement analytics~$25-37/user/year
BambooHRAll-in-one HRIS + PayrollIntegrated payroll & time tracking (Lattice doesn’t have this)$12-22/user/mo

Executive Summary

Lattice’s competitive position is shifting. In November 2025, Lattice announced it will discontinue HRIS and payroll products by July 2026, refocusing exclusively on performance management. This creates significant opportunities for competitors, particularly those with integrated HRIS/payroll capabilities.

Real competitors exist across 3 distinct segments:

  1. Performance Management Specialists: 15Five, Leapsome (performance modules), Culture Amp (engagement-focused performance)
  2. Integrated HR Platforms: Leapsome, BambooHR (offer performance + HRIS + other HR functions)
  3. Engagement & Culture Platforms: Culture Amp (more specialized for engagement analytics than pure performance)

Key Finding: As of 2026, Leapsome is the most direct competitor—it offers comparable or superior performance management PLUS the HRIS/Learning capabilities that Lattice is abandoning. 15Five is the strongest challenger for mid-market companies prioritizing ease of use and AI-assisted reviews.

Detailed Competitor Profiles

1. Leapsome ⭐ Primary Competitor

Overview: All-in-one people enablement platform integrating HRIS, learning management, performance management, and talent development. Founded to help organizations align performance, learning, and engagement in a unified system.

Key Features:

  • Customizable 360-degree performance reviews with flexible cycles
  • AI-powered review creation and feedback generation
  • Goals & OKRs with real-time progress tracking
  • Native LMS (Learning Management System) - major differentiator
  • Comprehensive HRIS: employee records, absence/PTO management, payroll prep
  • Employee engagement surveys and sentiment analysis
  • Compensation management with Mercer data integration
  • AI Copilot for policy questions and automation
  • Global support: 38 languages

Target Market:

  • Mid-market to enterprise organizations (50-5,000 employees)
  • Customers include Spotify, Unity, Finelap, AboutYou

Pricing:

  • $3-8 per user per month (billed annually)
  • Typical range: $8-15 per user per month with full features
  • Multi-module and volume discounts available
  • No setup fees
  • Implementation typically 1-4 weeks

vs Lattice - Key Advantages:

  1. Integrated LMS - Leapsome includes native learning management; Lattice requires third-party integrations
  2. Broader HRIS - Leapsome has comprehensive HRIS (time/PTO/attendance); Lattice discontinuing HRIS by July 2026
  3. Better reporting - Leapsome scores 9.1 vs Lattice 8.6 on reporting and analytics
  4. Global ready - 38 languages vs Lattice’s 18+
  5. Integrated compensation - Leapsome includes compensation tools vs Lattice discontinuing this
  6. Lower starting price - 8-10+/user/mo

vs Lattice - Lattice Advantages:

  • Deeper OKR specialization for large enterprises
  • Established enterprise brand recognition
  • Simpler, more focused tool if only performance management needed

G2 Rating: 4.9/5 stars | Customer Base: 1,750+ organizations including major brands

Verdict: True and primary competitor. Leapsome is positioned to capture Lattice customers who also need HRIS and learning management capabilities. As Lattice discontinues HRIS (July 2026), Leapsome’s integrated platform becomes increasingly attractive.

2. 15Five - Strong SMB Challenger

Overview: Continuous performance management platform focused on small to mid-sized organizations with AI-assisted reviews, continuous feedback, and strong reporting. 3,400+ companies use 15Five.

Key Features:

  • AI-Assisted Reviews (Spark AI) - synthesizes feedback, generates objective review drafts
  • 360-degree performance reviews with customizable cycles
  • Continuous feedback tools (weekly check-ins, pulse ratings)
  • Goal & OKR tracking
  • Engagement surveys and pulse checks
  • HR Outcomes Dashboard focused on retention risk and engagement
  • Kona AI Coach (add-on) - joins 1:1 meetings
  • Integrated Learning & Development - L&D courses and progression tracking
  • Manager training content

Target Market:

  • Small to mid-sized businesses (100-2,500 employees; most common 50-200)
  • Companies prioritizing ease of implementation and fast ROI
  • 65% of customers are 10,000+ employees but strongest in SMB segment

Pricing:

  • Engage Plan: $4/user/month (engagement surveys & feedback)
  • Perform Plan: $11/user/month (performance, reviews, goals, career planning)
  • Total Platform Plan: $16/user/month (all features + manager training)
  • Annual billing required; scales by seat count

vs Lattice - Key Advantages:

  1. Spark AI excellence - Superior AI for review drafting, reduces bias and manager workload
  2. Lower pricing - 8-10+/user/mo
  3. Better for mid-market - Lightweight, fast deployment vs Lattice’s enterprise complexity
  4. L&D integration - Built-in learning courses (Lattice doesn’t offer this)
  5. Faster implementation - Better HRIS integrations, quicker setup
  6. Higher customer ratings - 3.94/5 on G2 vs Lattice’s 3.24/5
  7. Better for agile teams - Purpose-built for speed and simplicity

vs Lattice - Lattice Advantages:

  • More comprehensive HRIS (though being discontinued)
  • Deeper compensation management
  • Better for large enterprises (1000+ employees)

G2 Rating: 3.94/5 stars | Customer Base: 3,400+ companies

Verdict: Strong mid-market competitor. 15Five wins against Lattice primarily through better AI review capabilities, lower cost, and faster implementation for organizations 50-500 people. Best positioned to capture customers frustrated with Lattice’s implementation complexity.

3. Culture Amp - Engagement-First Competitor

Overview: Market-leading employee experience platform evolved from anonymous feedback survey company. Used by 25 million people globally. Focuses on collecting, analyzing, and acting on employee feedback to improve culture and performance.

Key Features:

  • Customizable engagement surveys and pulse checks (core strength)
  • Anonymous feedback collection
  • Advanced analytics and visual dashboards
  • eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) and benchmarking
  • Performance reviews and feedback collection (Perform Module)
  • Career development and growth planning (Develop Module)
  • Skills Coach with micro-learning
  • Real-time, actionable insights with AI-powered analysis
  • Slack/Microsoft Teams integration

Target Market:

  • Mid-market to enterprise organizations (1,000-5,000 employees most common)
  • Also serves 100-249 and 500-999 employee organizations
  • Industries: Technology, Professional Services, Healthcare, Finance

Pricing:

  • Structure: All products billed annually, not monthly
  • Per-user cost estimated: ~2-3/user/month)
  • Official pricing NOT public; must contact sales for custom quotes
  • Typical annual costs: 45,000+ depending on org size

vs Lattice - Key Advantages:

  1. Engagement-first approach - Culture Amp specializes in engagement; Lattice focuses on performance
  2. Superior benchmarking - Research-backed survey methodology with industry benchmarking
  3. Deeper engagement analytics - More advanced sentiment analysis and pattern discovery
  4. Mid-market optimized - Better suited for 1,000-5,000 employee organizations
  5. Research-backed science - Uses proven best practices for survey design and feedback

vs Lattice - Lattice Advantages:

  • Better performance management specialization
  • More comprehensive HRIS (though discontinuing)
  • Lower cost structure
  • Better OKR capabilities
  • More enterprise-friendly

G2 Rating: Strong ratings | Customer Base: Used by 25 million+ people globally

Verdict: Legitimate but different competitor. Culture Amp and Lattice serve different organizational priorities. Culture Amp wins where engagement/culture analytics are priorities. Lattice wins where performance management and OKRs are priorities. They can coexist in same organization.

4. BambooHR - All-in-One HRIS Competitor

Overview: Comprehensive HRIS platform for small to mid-sized businesses, integrating employee data, performance management, payroll, time tracking, and benefits in one system. Serves 29,000+ companies across 150+ countries.

Key Features:

  • Centralized employee records and data management
  • Onboarding workflows and employee lifecycle management
  • Integrated payroll processing (major differentiator)
  • Time and attendance tracking
  • PTO and leave management
  • 360-degree performance reviews with customizable cycles
  • One-on-one meeting management
  • Continuous feedback tools
  • Benefits administration
  • Employee engagement surveys with eNPS
  • Advanced analytics dashboards (Elite tier)
  • Social intranet for internal communications
  • 125+ business tool integrations

Target Market:

  • Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs): 25-1,000 employees (most common 100-2,000)
  • Remote and distributed teams
  • Growing businesses needing integrated HR management
  • 29,000+ customers including Fitbit, FreshBooks, Squarespace, Klout

Pricing:

  • For companies ≤25 employees: $250/month flat rate
  • Standard: $12-22 per employee per month
  • Plans: Core, Pro, Elite
  • Pricing decreases with company size (volume discounts)
  • 7-day free trial available

vs Lattice - Key Advantages:

  1. Integrated payroll & time tracking - BambooHR has native payroll; Lattice does NOT
  2. True all-in-one HRIS - Centralizes HR, payroll, time, benefits; Lattice discontinuing HRIS
  3. Better for payroll-heavy organizations - Only choice if integrated payroll required
  4. More integrations - 125+ business tool integrations
  5. Better for SMBs - Purpose-built for 25-1,000 person companies
  6. Ease of administration - Highly rated for administrative task simplicity
  7. Better for distributed/remote teams - Purpose-built for remote management

vs Lattice - Lattice Advantages:

  • Advanced OKR management (requires third-party integrations in BambooHR)
  • Career development tools (growth paths, competency matrices)
  • More flexible review cycles (monthly, quarterly, continuous)
  • Better for performance culture specialization
  • Superior performance management UX

G2 Rating: 4.5-4.7/5 stars | Customer Base: 29,000+ companies

Verdict: Legitimate but different competitor. BambooHR wins for organizations needing integrated HRIS and payroll. BambooHR is primarily a general HRIS platform competing with ADP/Gusto as much as with Lattice. Positioned to capture Lattice customers after HRIS discontinuation (July 2026).

Feature Comparison Table

FeatureLatticeLeapsome15FiveCulture AmpBambooHR
Performance Reviews✅✅✅✅✅
360-Degree Feedback✅✅✅✅✅
Goals & OKRs✅✅✅✅Limited❌ (integration)
Engagement Surveys✅✅✅✅✅✅
HRIS✅ (discontinued July 2026)✅❌❌✅
Payroll Integration❌ (discontinued)✅❌❌✅✅
Learning Management❌✅✅✅ (limited)❌
Career Development✅✅✅✅❌
AI-Assisted Reviews✅✅✅✅✅❌
Compensation Mgmt✅ (discontinued)✅❌❌✅ (Pro/Elite)
Integrations Count~30ManyMany~50+~125
Mobile App✅✅✅✅✅
Price (per user/mo)$8-10+$3-8$4-16~$2-3$12-22
Target Company SizeEnterprise (500+)Mid-market (50-5K)SMB (50-500)Mid-market (1K-5K)SMB (25-1K)

Competitive Landscape Analysis

Market Shifts (2026)

  1. Lattice’s HRIS Exit Creates Vacuum - July 2026 discontinuation of HRIS and payroll means Lattice customers needing these functions must migrate. Leapsome and BambooHR positioned to capture these customers.

  2. AI-Driven Performance Enablement - Competitors emphasizing AI in reviews (15Five’s Spark AI, Leapsome’s AI Copilot) are differentiating. Lattice has AI Agent but 15Five’s Spark AI rated superior.

  3. Integrated vs Specialized - Market bifurcating:

    • Integrated platforms (Leapsome, BambooHR) winning where organizations want one vendor
    • Specialized platforms (15Five, Culture Amp) winning on ease of use and specific strengths

  4. SMB/Mid-Market Saturation - 15Five and Culture Amp winning SMB/mid-market because Lattice positioned as enterprise tool

Competitive Threats to Lattice

ThreatFromSeverity
HRIS discontinuation exitLeapsome, BambooHR🔴 High - existing customers must choose alternative
Better AI reviews15Five (Spark AI)🟡 Medium - affects new customer consideration
Lower pricing15Five, Leapsome🟡 Medium - price-sensitive SMBs choosing alternatives
Integrated platform modelLeapsome🔴 High - Lattice becoming “performance only”
Engagement specializationCulture Amp🟢 Low - different market segment
All-in-one HRISBambooHR🔴 High - for payroll-dependent orgs

Recommendation

Lattice’s Competitive Position (2026)

Lattice remains strong but narrowing:

  • ✅ Best for: Large enterprises (1000+ employees) prioritizing performance culture and OKRs
  • ✅ Strengths: Performance management specialization, flexible review cycles, enterprise brand
  • ❌ Vulnerabilities: HRIS discontinuation, higher cost, perceived complexity

For James Lee’s Evaluation

If evaluating for organization needs:

  1. Organization needs integrated HRIS + performance: → Choose Leapsome (comparable or better performance management, HRIS included)

  2. Organization prioritizes ease/cost (50-500 people): → Choose 15Five (lower cost, superior AI reviews, faster implementation)

  3. Organization prioritizes engagement insights: → Choose Culture Amp (research-backed methodology, best-in-class benchmarking)

  4. Organization needs payroll + HR in one system: → Choose BambooHR (only integrated payroll option)

  5. Organization is large enterprise with performance focus: → Lattice remains competitive (though narrowing as HRIS exits)

Real Competitors Summary

Top 4 real competitors to Lattice:

  1. Leapsome - Most direct challenger (integrated HR + performance + learning)
  2. 15Five - Strongest in SMB market (better AI, lower cost, faster)
  3. BambooHR - Captures organizations needing payroll + HR integration
  4. Culture Amp - Captures engagement-first organizations (different market segment)

Conclusion

Lattice has real, capable competitors in 2026. The November 2025 HRIS discontinuation announcement significantly strengthens competitors’ positions, particularly Leapsome (which fills the HRIS gap) and BambooHR (for payroll-dependent organizations).

Key competitive realities:

  • Lattice is no longer an “all-in-one” platform as HRIS phases out
  • Leapsome offers comparable or superior performance management PLUS integrated HRIS and learning
  • 15Five wins on value, ease of use, and AI for mid-market segment
  • BambooHR wins for organizations requiring integrated payroll
  • Culture Amp wins on engagement analytics (different priority than pure performance)

For prospective Lattice customers: Legitimate alternatives exist that may better serve specific needs. Evaluation should consider whether organization needs integrated HRIS/payroll (→ Leapsome or BambooHR), prioritizes ease/cost (→ 15Five), or focuses on engagement (→ Culture Amp).

Next Steps (for James)

To further evaluate competitors:

  1. Leapsome evaluation - Request demo emphasizing HRIS + learning integration capabilities
  2. 15Five comparison - Try free trial focusing on Spark AI review capabilities
  3. BambooHR assessment - If payroll integration is priority, request payroll module demo
  4. Culture Amp briefing - If engagement analytics is key, request benchmarking demo
  5. Lattice reality check - Clarify whether HRIS discontinuation affects your use case

Decision factors:

  • Company size and growth trajectory
  • HRIS/payroll integration requirements
  • Performance vs engagement priority
  • Budget constraints
  • Implementation timeline needs

Research completed: 2026-01-28 Competitors analyzed: 4 primary (Leapsome, 15Five, Culture Amp, BambooHR) + market context Sources: Product documentation, pricing pages, G2 reviews, market analysis, competitive comparisons