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

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

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Improvements | 7% | #5 of 14 | 9% | 11 | 10 of 12 |
| Betterworks | 4% | #6 of 14 | 10% | 31 | 12 of 12 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Llama 4 Maverick: betterworks first (first choices: Betterworks, HiBob, Lattice)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, Culture Amp, HiBob, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob, Leapsome)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob, Leapsome)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, Culture Amp, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Betterworks, HiBob)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: Mitratech Perform)
- 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)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Lattice) (alternatives: 15Five, Culture Amp, Leapsome, PerformYard)
- 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 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)

## What the models said about Betterworks

- "Betterworks | Extremely expensive, poor integration across multiple systems, unresponsive customer service" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "The best performance management software for a mid-market B2B company is Lattice, HiBob HRIS, or Betterworks." (Llama 4 Maverick, direct 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.