Softwr

HR & Recruiting · head to head

15Five vs AI21 Labs

15Five logo

15Five

HR & Recruiting

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AI21 Labs logo

AI21 Labs

AI Tools

Enterprise language AI solutions

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AI21 Labs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; AI21 Labs the free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, AI21 Labs covers Jamba models.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and AI21 Labs actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and AI21 Labs differ
Attribute15FiveAI21 Labs
Starting price$4/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiApi, Cloud
CategoryHR & RecruitingAI Tools
Founded20112017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 15Five

  • Weekly check-ins
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • OKRs & goal tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • High fives recognition
  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Manager effectiveness

Only in AI21 Labs

  • Jamba models
  • Long context
  • RAG engine
  • Writing tools
  • REST API
  • Amazon Bedrock
  • Cloud platforms
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

15Five

  • Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot AI21 Labs
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot AI21 Labs
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot AI21 Labs
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot AI21 Labs
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot AI21 Labs

AI21 Labs

  • Running long-context tasks on the Jamba model familynot 15Five
  • Building and optimising production AI agents with Maestronot 15Five
  • Routing between models to control cost and accuracynot 15Five
  • Long-horizon agentic tasks needing stateful workspacesnot 15Five

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

15Five

  • Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
  • Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
  • Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
  • The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates

AI21 Labs

  • The free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier
  • Jamba Large is $2 per million input tokens and $8 per million output, so output-heavy work costs four times as much as input
  • Volume discounts, private cloud hosting and higher rate limits require a custom plan
  • Standard rate limits are not published

Pricing, plan by plan

15Five

$4/month
  • Engage$4/month
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Action planning
  • Perform$10/month
    • Weekly check-ins
    • 1-on-1s
    • Performance reviews
  • Total Platform$16/month
    • Everything in Engage & Perform
    • Career paths
    • Competencies

AI21 Labs

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Limited usage
    • API access
  • Jamba$0.2/per-million-input-tokens
    • 256K context
    • Hybrid architecture

Which should you pick?

Choose 15Five if

  • You need weekly check-ins.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
15Five review

Choose AI21 Labs if

  • You need jamba models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want long context.
AI21 Labs review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or AI21 Labs better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and AI21 Labs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or AI21 Labs?
AI21 Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for 15Five and Free for AI21 Labs.
Does 15Five or AI21 Labs run on more platforms?
15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. AI21 Labs runs on Api, Cloud.
Can I use AI21 Labs for free?
Yes. AI21 Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 15Five starts at $4/month.
What is 15Five best used for?
15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what AI21 Labs is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that AI21 Labs cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. AI21 Labs covers Jamba models, Long context, RAG engine, Writing tools.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on 15Five

More on AI21 Labs

Keep looking

Other head to heads