Lattice vs Small Improvements (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Small Improvements grades higher than Lattice: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Small Improvements grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lattice
Performance reviews, goals and engagement surveys for HR teams
Small Improvements
Performance reviews, 360 feedback, 1:1s and pulse surveys
Which one is for you
Pick Lattice if
- Fits if you have a sizeable team and want reviews and goals in one place
- Works for HR teams that want engagement surveys and reviews from one vendor
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are a small team, as the minimum annual agreement is $4,000
- Not for you if you want payroll or employee records, as it has neither
- Pricey if you add compensation (+$6 a seat) or Grow (+$4 a seat)
- Watch out: all contracts are billed annually in US dollars, with no self-serve checkout
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Pick Small Improvements if
- Fits if you run reviews for 20 or more people and already have an HR system
- Works for teams that want 360 feedback and 1:1s in one tool
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have fewer than 20 people, since every plan has a user minimum
- Pricey if you need 360 feedback, 1:1s or pulse surveys, which start on Grow at $6
- Watch out: volume discounts start at 200 users on Elevate or 1,000 on Grow
- Too light for HR records, as it syncs with an HR system rather than replacing it
How we grade them
| 1.6GPALatticeWeak | 2.2GPASmall ImprovementsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$4 to $13 per seat a month, but with a $4,000 minimum annual agreement. For 5 people that works out to about $67 a head a month. Compensation adds $6 and Grow $4. | C$3 a user a month is in the cheapest quarter, but the 20-user minimum means at least $60 a month, so one person cannot buy it. Grow at $6 and Elevate at $9 are where 360 feedback and 1:1s sit. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial; pricing leads to a demo or a custom quote. | CA 30-day free trial. The listing does not say whether it needs a card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CReviews, calibration, goals and OKRs, engagement and an AI agent. It has no payroll or core employee records. | CReviews, 360 feedback, objectives, 1:1s, pulse surveys and AI features. Launch covers essential reviews and praise only, and it is not an HRIS. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Review cycles, goals and survey programs have to be built before use. | CNo store rating on record. It syncs with HR systems and needs reviews built before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with 8 integrations on record including Salesforce and Jira. | BWeb only, with Slack, Google Workspace, Okta, BambooHR, Personio, Rippling, Workday and Workable listed. |
| Best for | reviews, goals and engagement for HR teams | performance reviews from $3 a seat, 20 minimum |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Lattice and Small Improvements. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lattice starts at $4 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Small Improvements starts at $3 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Small Improvements starts $1 a month lower. Of the other HR software on the chart, 2 score higher than Lattice for less, and none scores higher than Small Improvements for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Lattice also covers meeting notes and AI agents.
At a glance
| Lattice | Small Improvements | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4 per seat / month for Engagement; Foundations is $13, billed annually | $3 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Lattice | Small Improvements |
| Price read from | lattice.com | small-improvements.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lattice
- The minimum annual agreement is $4,000, and all contracts are billed annually in US dollars.
- Compensation costs $6 more per seat a month and Grow costs $4 more; both are add-ons to a base product.
- It is not a full HR system: it has no payroll or core employee records on the pricing page.
- There is no free plan or self-serve checkout; pricing leads to a demo or a custom quote.
Small Improvements
- Every plan has a minimum user count: 20 users on Launch and Grow, 30 on Elevate.
- 360 feedback, 1:1 meetings and pulse surveys need Grow ($6) or Elevate; Launch covers essential reviews and praise only.
- Volume discounts are offered only for 200 or more active users on Elevate, or 1,000 or more on Grow.
- It is a performance and engagement tool, not an HRIS: it syncs with HR systems such as BambooHR, Personio and Workday instead of replacing them.
Key features
Lattice
- Performance reviews
- Review cycles with calibration, talent reviews, promotions, performance improvement plans and succession planning.
- Goals and OKRs
- Cascading goals with progress updates and reminders, and Salesforce and Jira integrations for pulling in progress.
- Engagement surveys
- Pulse and other surveys, onboarding and exit surveys, eNPS and action planning, with AI analysis of the results.
- Manager tools
- 1:1 meetings, weekly updates, feedback and Q&A boards come with Performance, Goals & OKRs and Engagement.
- Analytics and AI agent
- Workforce analytics and an AI agent that answers questions from company data are part of every base product.
- Compensation and Grow add-ons
- Compensation covers pay bands, benchmarks and cycles; Grow covers competencies, career tracks and development plans.
Small Improvements
- Performance reviews
- Review cycles launch from included templates with automated notifications. Calibration can be added to compare ratings across teams.
- 360 and anytime feedback
- Teammates can be asked for feedback as part of a cycle, and people can also give feedback outside review periods. Both sit on the Grow plan and above.
- Objectives
- Objectives can cascade from company to team to individual, and an AI Objectives Coach helps turn feedback into objectives.
- 1:1 meetings
- Managers and employees share an agenda and track action items between meetings. 1:1s sync with Google Calendar or Office 365.
- Pulse surveys
- Confidential surveys with heatmaps and trend reports to show which teams need attention.
- AI features
- AI drafts and summarizes in several areas, including insights across reviews, and the vendor says any AI feature can be turned off.
Plans
Lattice
Engagement$4
per seat / month, billed annually
Pulse and other surveys, onboarding and exit surveys, action planning, eNPS and AI analysis, with manager tools, analytics and the AI agent.
Goals & OKRs$8
per seat / month, billed annually
Cascading goals, progress updates and reminders, with Salesforce and Jira integrations, plus manager tools, analytics and the AI agent.
Performance$10
per seat / month, billed annually
Reviews, calibration, talent reviews, promotions, PIPs and succession planning, plus manager tools, analytics and the AI agent.
Foundations$13
per seat / month, billed annually
The package the page calls most popular: manager tools, Performance, Goals & OKRs, Analytics, the AI Agent and integrations.
EnterpriseCustom
Pricing varies with seats, complexity and scale; a custom quote comes from the sales team.
Small Improvements
Launch$3
per user / month, billed annually
Essential performance reviews, praise, a company directory, HRIS integrations and Google sign-in. Minimum of 20 users.
Grow$6
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Launch plus 360 and anytime feedback, essential objectives, 1:1 meetings, pulse surveys and the Slack integration. Minimum of 20 users.
Elevate$9
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Grow plus all features, all integrations, all customizations and advanced analytics. Minimum of 30 users.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lattice or Small Improvements?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Small Improvements is cheaper to start with: $3 a month for each person, against $4 a month for each person for Lattice. Lattice starts at $4 per seat / month for Engagement; Foundations is $13, billed annually, and Small Improvements starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Lattice or Small Improvements?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Lattice nor Small Improvements has a free plan. Small Improvements has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.