# Risely vs BetterUp: which do AI models recommend for coaching platforms, September 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Coaching platforms. Zero of twelve models named Risely first on the direct prompt; zero named BetterUp. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/learning/coaching-platforms/risely-vs-betterup/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risely | 4% | #6 of 10 | 11% | 18 | 9 of 12 |
| BetterUp | 2% | #7 of 10 | 55% | 38 | 11 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: BetterUp, CoachHub, Growthspace, Torch)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Boon Health) (alternatives: BetterUp, CoachHub, Exec, Growthspace, Torch)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Boon Health) (alternatives: CoachHub, Exec, Growthspace, Risely, Torch)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: Torch) (alternatives: Avoma)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Exec, Growthspace) (alternatives: Boon Health, Torch)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Exec) (alternatives: Boon Health, Growthspace, Torch)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Exec, Growthspace) (alternatives: Boon Health, Torch)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither named (first choices: Boon Health, Growthspace) (alternatives: CoachHub, Torch)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Boon Health) (alternatives: Exec, Growthspace, Torch)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Boon Health) (alternatives: Exec, Growthspace, Hone, Torch)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Boon Health, Growthspace) (alternatives: CoachHub, Exec, Torch)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Boon Health, Growthspace) (alternatives: Exec, Lattice, Torch)

## What the models said about Risely

- "Under ~50 employees: Boon, Risely (lightweight, AI)... one built for startups may not scale to your needs." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, scale prompt, soft negative)
- "Valence/Risely are AI-only, which may be limiting" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, paraphrase prompt, soft negative)
- "Choose Rocky.ai or Risely if you want to provide on-demand, automated individual coaching to employees at the lowest possible monthly rate." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, budget prompt, first choice)
- "For the tightest budgets: Start with Risely's free trial or Boon's usage-based model" (Kimi K2, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Offers public, tiered pricing ($59/user/month for individual...) It provides AI-augmented coaching at an accessible price point" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, alternative)

## What the models said about BetterUp

- "Avoid per-seat enterprise platforms — BetterUp ($500–$2,000/seat/year) ... charge for every employee whether they use it or not" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid per-seat pricing from larger platforms (BetterUp, CoachHub) as they can be prohibitively expensive" (MiniMax M2.5, direct prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid premium platforms like BetterUp ($300-$1,000+ per employee) unless absolutely necessary" (MiniMax M2.5, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Better Alternatives: Use directories specifically designed for professional coaching, such as ICF Credential Registry, BetterUp, or iCoachWorld." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, negative prompt, first choice)
- "Choose BetterUp if: You need the largest coach network and want a proven, research-backed platform for broad workforce development." (Kimi K2, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "As the pioneer of the digital enterprise coaching space, BetterUp has the largest global network of vetted human coaches." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all twelve models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.