SoftwareDuel

15Five vs Lever

A head-to-head comparison to help you pick the right tool

15Five

15Five is a continuous performance management platform focused on weekly check-ins, OKRs, and employee engagement. It helps managers stay connected with their teams through structured feedback and recognition tools. 15Five is popular with remote and distributed teams that need async communication tools.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Lever

Lever is a talent acquisition suite that combines an ATS with a built-in CRM for proactive talent sourcing. It helps recruiting teams build talent pipelines, nurture candidates over time, and convert passive candidates into hires. Lever is ideal for companies that treat recruiting as a relationship-building process.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

  • Simple and intuitive weekly check-in format that drives adoption
  • Strong OKR and goal-setting tools
  • Excellent manager training and coaching resources
  • Good engagement survey tools with benchmarking

Cons

  • Limited HR functionality beyond performance and engagement
  • No payroll or benefits administration
  • Reporting could be more advanced for data-driven HR teams

Pros

  • Built-in CRM for nurturing passive candidates over time
  • Clean, intuitive interface with good candidate experience
  • Strong collaboration tools for hiring teams
  • Good analytics for pipeline and recruiter performance

Cons

  • Pricing is not transparent and requires a sales conversation
  • Reporting is less advanced than Greenhouse for data-heavy teams
  • Limited integrations compared to some ATS competitors

Our Take

Choose 15Five if companies focused on employee engagement and performance. Choose Lever if growing companies focused on talent pipeline building.

Best For

Companies focused on employee engagement and performance

Best For

Growing companies focused on talent pipeline building