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HR & Recruiting · head to head

15Five vs Cal.com

15Five logo

15Five

HR & Recruiting

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cal.com logo

Cal.com

Scheduling & Booking

Scheduling infrastructure for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cal.com 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; Cal.com free plan limited to single user only
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Cal.com covers Custom booking pages.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and Cal.com actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and Cal.com differ
Attribute15FiveCal.com
Starting price$4/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Mobile app, Browser extension
CategoryHR & RecruitingScheduling & Booking
Founded20112021

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 Cal.com

  • Custom booking pages
  • Team scheduling
  • Collective scheduling
  • Routing forms
  • Webhooks
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook

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 Cal.com
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Cal.com
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot Cal.com
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Cal.com
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Cal.com

Cal.com

  • Schedule meetings and manage availabilitynot 15Five
  • Accept payments via Stripe and PayPalnot 15Five
  • Integrate with Salesforce and HubSpotnot 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

Cal.com

  • Free plan limited to single user only
  • Free plan restricted to 1 user account
  • Teams plan requires yearly billing at $12/user/month
  • Organizations plan requires yearly billing at $28/user/month
  • Free plan lacks team collaboration features

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

Cal.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cal.com review.

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 Cal.com if

  • You need custom booking pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
  • You also want team scheduling.
Cal.com review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or Cal.com better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Cal.com at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Cal.com?
Cal.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for 15Five and Free for Cal.com.
Does 15Five or Cal.com run on more platforms?
15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Cal.com runs on Web, Mobile app, Browser extension.
Can I use Cal.com for free?
Yes. Cal.com 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 Cal.com is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that Cal.com cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Cal.com covers Custom booking pages, Team scheduling, Collective scheduling, Routing forms. Both handle Google Calendar, Outlook.
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Related pages

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