# PerformYard vs Small Improvements: which do AI models recommend for performance management, September 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, Performance management. Zero of twelve models named PerformYard first on the direct prompt; zero named Small Improvements. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/performance/performance-management/performyard-vs-small-improvements/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PerformYard | 9% | #2 of 14 | 7% | 28 | 11 of 12 |
| Small Improvements | 7% | #5 of 14 | 9% | 11 | 10 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, Culture Amp, HiBob, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, Culture Amp, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Culture Amp, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: Mitratech Perform)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob, Leapsome)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob, Leapsome)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, HiBob, Leapsome, Paylocity)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Culture Amp)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Betterworks, HiBob, Lattice)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Culture Amp, HiBob, Leapsome, Rippling)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: Engagedly, Paylocity)

## What the models said about PerformYard

- "PerformYard: has limited and complex reporting options." (Llama 4 Maverick, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Verdict: Be cautious if you need flexibility." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Leaders in this category typically include Lattice, Culture Amp, 15Five, Leapsome, and PerformYard." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, scale prompt, first choice)
- "I recommend PerformYard as a top performance review tool" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "My Top Recommendation: PerformYard" (MiniMax M2.5, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Small Improvements

- "Cheapest credible option (but has seat minimums)" (Kimi K2, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "The best performance management software for a company with a limited budget is Small Improvements, which is the cheapest credible performance appraisal software" (Llama 4 Maverick, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Often cited as the best value for money, Small Improvements strikes a balance between robust features and affordability." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Often cited as the cheapest credible option at $3/user/month, making it ideal for small businesses" (Mistral Small, budget 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.