How Upward365 Compares to Other Performance Management Platforms

Most platforms force you to choose between performance-only tools, engagement-only surveys, or expensive everything-platforms built for enterprise. Upward365 connects performance and engagement insights with real human support—at a price that makes sense for growing companies.

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Comparison by Platform Category

Rather than compare individual vendors feature-by-feature, here's how Upward365 stacks up against the types of platforms you're likely evaluating:

vs. Performance-Only Platforms

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Upward365 Advantage:
Performance and engagement data in one platform. See who's performing well but disengaged before they hand in their resignation. Plus, when you call with a question, a real person answers—not a chatbot.

What They Offer

  • Performance review tools with templates
  • Goal tracking and feedback workflows
  • Reporting on performance metrics

Common Pricing:

~$10-$16

/employee/month, annual contracts

With Upward365
What You Get With Upward365:

Everything they have PLUS:

  • Engagement data to see if high performers are happy or at risk of leaving
  • Connected insights showing the relationship between performance and how people feel
  • The complete employee picture—performance scores won't tell you who's about to quit
  • Real human support when you call, not a chatbot
Upward365 Pricing:
$7

/employee/month (Performance only)

$10

/employee/month (Performance + Engagement), annual contract

vs. HRIS Platforms

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Upward365 Advantage:
Built specifically for 50-2,000 employee companies — not enterprise software scaled down for SMBs. Performance + Engagement together for $10/employee/month with no add-on fees, compared to $15-$30/month for competitors once you factor in the modules you actually need. Transparent pricing with no escalating costs. Straightforward interface that managers actually use. Month-to-month flexibility after your first year. And when you need help at 4pm on a Friday, we answer the phone.

What They Offer

  • Performance management with reviews, goals, and feedback
  • Employee engagement surveys and pulse tools
  • Recognition programs

Common Pricing:

~$11-$22+

per employee/month for performance + engagement combined, with annual contracts required and additional fees for compensation management, learning modules, and advanced analytics. Many teams report total costs of $15-$30/employee/month once necessary add-ons are included.

With Upward 365
What You Get With Upward365:

Everything they have PLUS:

  • Built specifically for 50-2,000 employee companies — not enterprise software scaled down for SMBs
  • Straightforward interface that managers actually use, no weeks-long learning curve
  • Transparent pricing with no escalating costs for added features you don’t need
  • Real human support. When something comes up at 4 PM on a Friday, we answer the phone
  • Connected insights showing the relationship between performance and engagement in one dashboard
  • Year-round context through Flight Checks, Manager Notes, and Uplifts visible during reviews

Upward365 Pricing:
$10

/employee/ month for both Performance + Engagement, annual contract

vs. All-in-One HR Platforms

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Upward365 Advantage:
Performance and engagement are what we do best. We integrate with all-in-one HR platforms so you get specialized tools where it matters most—and support from people who actually know performance management inside and out. When your review cycle breaks, you talk to someone who understands performance reviews, not someone who also handles payroll tickets.

What They Offer

  • Basic performance review templates
  • Simple goal tracking
  • Basic engagement survey tools (if available at all)

Common Pricing:

~$8-$16+

/employee/month for base HRIS, performance management often an additional cost per employee

With Upward 365
What You Get With Upward365:

Everything they have PLUS:

  • Performance and engagement as our core focus—not an afterthought bolted onto
  • Full engagement capabilities built in—Flight Checks, recognition through Uplifts, and continuous pulse insights
  • Year-round context through Flight Checks, Manager Notes, and Uplifts visible during reviews—not just annual snapshots
  • Connected insights showing who's thriving, who's struggling, and who's about to leave
  • Dynamically generated templates that load the right competencies based on department, team, or job title
  • Support from specialists who know performance management inside and out, not generalists juggling payroll tickets and benefits questions
Upward365 Pricing:
$10

/employee/month for Performance + Engagement, integrates with your existing HRIS, annual contract

vs. Free or Low-Cost Tools

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Upward365 Advantage:
Built to scale from day one with both performance and engagement included at every tier. Real human support when you need it, not just help docs. We'd rather solve your problem in 10 minutes on the phone than watch you struggle through a knowledge base for an hour.

What They Offer

  • Free tiers for small teams (usually under 5-10 users)
  • Basic performance review functionality
  • Basic engagement survey functionality
  • Limited or no reporting and analytics

Common Pricing:

Free up to 5-10 sers, then

~$5-$10

/employee/month with limited features

With Upward 365
What You Get With Upward365:

Everything they have PLUS:

  • Features that scale with you—no paywalls as you grow
  • Real human support when you need it, not just help docs and community forums
  • Performance AND engagement in one platform working together, not isolated tools
  • Year-round context visible during reviews through Flight Checks, Manager Notes, and Uplifts
    Connected insights showing the relationship between performance and engagement
  • Dynamically generated templates that load the right competencies for each employee
  • Reporting and analytics that actually help you make decisions
Upward365 Pricing:
$10

/employee/month for full Performance + Engagement capabilities, $4,000 annual minimum

The Features That Set Upward365 Apart

Real Human Support, Not Chatbots or Ticket Queues

Most platforms hand you a help center and wish you luck. We answer the phone. When you email, you hear back the same day—often within hours. When something's urgent, we’re here to help.

After 15+ years serving 1,500+ companies, we learned that great software means nothing if nobody's there when you need help. That's why we built Upward365 with a service-first model: real people, fast responses, and support that actually solves problems instead of escalating them.

Connected Performance + Engagement Insights

Most platforms treat performance and engagement as separate problems. Upward365 shows you the complete picture: who's performing well but disengaged (flight risk), who's highly engaged but needs coaching (growth opportunity), and who's thriving (your superstars to retain).

Modular Pricing That Scales With You

Start with Performance ($7/employee/month) or Engagement ($4/employee/month). Add the other module when ready. Or start with both for $10/employee/month. No forced bundles, no paying for features you don't use.

Year-Round Context Built Into Reviews

History Hub surfaces notes, recognition (Uplifts), and Flight Check responses throughout the year—right inside the review workspace. Managers don't rely on memory or scramble through emails. Everything's there when they need it.

Role-Specific Templates That Scale

Dynamically generated templates load the right competencies based on department, team, or job title. No template sprawl. Marketing managers see marketing competencies. Engineers see engineering competencies. All without creating dozens of separate templates.

Straightforward Annual Contracts

No multi-year lock-ins, no sneaky auto-renewals, no price escalations. Just a simple annual commitment with transparent pricing. We'd rather earn your renewal than trap you into it.

Built by People Who've Been There

15+ years building performance management platforms for 1,500+ companies taught us what works and what doesn't. We built Upward365 with those lessons learned—and we're still here answering questions, not selling and disappearing.

What Makes Upward365's 

Support Different

Why this matters: Performance reviews happen once or twice a year. When something goes wrong during a live review cycle, "we'll get back to you in 2-3 business days" isn't acceptable. We treat your review cycles like they're ours—because when you're under pressure, we want to be the team that answers, not the vendor that disappears.

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Support Feature

Phone support with real humans

Email response time

Founders accessible to customers

Onboarding assistance

Implementation support

Mid-cycle troubleshooting

Training for new admins

Upward365

tickicon Same-day response

tickicon Same day (often within hours)

tickicon Yes

tickicon Included, hands-on

tickicon We walk you through setup step-by-step — not just point you to help docs

tickicon Immediate help when issues come up

tickicon Ongoing, as needed

Most Platforms

Limited or unavailable

24-48 hours or longer

Rarely, if ever

Often extra cost or self-serve only

DIY with help docs

Submit ticket, wait, hope

One-time only or paid add-on

Pricing Comparison by Category

Platform Type Upward365 Performance-Only Platforms Everything Platforms All-in-One HR Platforms Free/Low-Cost Tools
Typical 

Starting Price

(Monthly Per Employee)
$7Performance
$4Engagement
$10Both
 		~$10-12+ ~$11-15+

(for performance + engagement)

 		~$8-10+

base + performance 
add-on

 		~$5-8+

or Free (limited users)
Contract Terms Annual contract, $4,000 annual minimum Annual contracts Annual contracts Annual contracts Monthly or annual
Support Model Real human support, same-day response Email and phone support (response times vary) Tiered support (premium support often costs extra) Generalist support across all HR functions Self-serve help docs, community forums

Pricing Comparison by Category

Performance-Only

~$10-16+
  • cross-icon Annual contracts
  • cross-icon Email and phone support (response times vary)

HRIS Platforms

~$11-22+
  • cross-icon Annual contracts
  • cross-icon Tiered support (premium support often costs extra)

Upward365

$7 Performance
$4 Engagement
$10 Both
  • tick (2) Annual commitment required, but you have flexibility compared to platforms requiring multi-year enterprise agreements.
  • tick (2) Real human support, same-day response, founders accessible

All-in-One HR

~$8-16+
  • cross-icon Annual contracts
  • cross-icon Generalist 
support across all HR functions

Free/Low-Cost Tools

~$5-10+
  • cross-icon Monthly or annual
  • cross-icon Self-serve help docs, community forums

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions When Comparing Platforms

What makes Upward365's support better than other platforms?

Real humans answer the phone, not chatbots. Same-day email responses, often within hours. We treat your review cycles like they're ours—because when something breaks mid-cycle, "we'll get back to you in 2-3 days" isn't good enough.

Can I switch to Upward365 mid-cycle?

Yes. We'll work with you to migrate your review templates, user data, and goals so you don't lose momentum mid-year. And we'll be on the phone with you during the transition to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Do I have to buy both Performance and Engagement modules?

No. Start with one module and add the other when you're ready. Most customers start with both to see the connected insights from day one.

What's included in your support?

Real humans answer when you call or email. No chatbots, no waiting days for responses. Same-day resolution for most issues. Onboarding and implementation support included—not an upsell.

How long does implementation take?

Most customers are up and running within 2-3 weeks, depending on complexity. We handle the heavy lifting—you approve the setup. And we're on the phone with you throughout to make sure it's done right.

What if I'm locked into a contract with my current platform?

We'll work with your timeline. Many customers run Upward365 alongside their existing platform during the transition, then switch fully at renewal. We're flexible because we know switching mid-contract is complicated.

Can I cancel if it's not the right fit?

Yes. We operate on annual commitments (or longer if you choose), but after that you're month-to-month. We'd rather know early if something isn't working so we can fix it.

What if something comes up during a live review cycle?

Call us. We answer. Most issues are resolved same-day, many within the hour. Performance reviews don't wait, and neither do we.

How does Upward365 compare to [Specific Platform Name]?

We're happy to walk you through a side-by-side comparison on a demo call. We'll show you exactly what we do differently and help you determine if we're the right fit. Schedule a demo and bring your questions—we'll answer them honestly.

Ready to See the Difference?

Performance management that reduces manager workload, increases fairness, and gives leaders the insights they need. Built by founders who've spent 15 years getting this right for companies with 50 - 2,000 employees.

Ready to See the Difference?

Performance management that reduces manager workload, increases fairness, and gives leaders the insights they need. Built by founders who've spent 15 years getting this right for companies with 50 - 2,000 employees.