In today's competitive landscape, having the right sales compensation software is not just a luxury—it's a necessity. The effectiveness of your sales team hinges on clear, transparent, and motivating sales compensation plans. Without the right tools, managing sales commissions becomes a labyrinthine task, fraught with calculation errors, process inefficiencies, and demotivated sales teams.
This is where the need for a robust sales compensation solution comes into play. It’s about empowering your sales force, driving performance, and ultimately boosting your bottom line.
CallidusCloud, while once a leader in the sales compensation software market, has faced challenges in recent years due to its lack of innovation and focus on legacy features. Despite its long-standing presence, CallidusCloud has struggled to keep up with the evolving needs of modern sales teams, particularly in terms of user experience and integration capabilities.
Its complex and outdated interface, coupled with limited integration options, has made it difficult for users to navigate and utilize the software effectively.
Furthermore, CallidusCloud's reliance on third-party professional services for implementation and maintenance has proven to be a significant burden on its clients. These vendors often charge exorbitant fees for even the smallest changes, leading to increased costs and delays.
Additionally, the lack of proactive support and responsiveness from these vendors has further frustrated users, who are seeking a more agile and efficient sales compensation solution. In a market that demands innovation, user-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, businesses need a more modern and comprehensive sales compensation platform to meet their evolving needs.
How to Choose an Ideal CallidusCloud Alternative for Your Organization?
Choosing the right sales compensation management software is more than just a technical decision - it's a strategic move that has a direct influence on your sales team's motivation and performance. Also, this decision directly impacts how accurately and happily your sales team gets paid, and how smoothly your business can grow and respond to new market challenges.
So, when you're scouting for the best CallidusCloud alternative, here are 6 key parameters you need to prioritize, to prevent potential disruptions and get the best return on investment.
- Customization Capability: A sales compensation platform should be flexible and allow for self-service. Users should be able to make minor changes to compensation plans or payout adjustments without relying on vendor support.
- Available Integrations: Your new software should play nice with the tools you already use. Seamless integration with CRM, ERP, and HR systems means less hassle, fewer errors, and a smoother flow of information across your business processes.
- Scalability: As your business grows, your software should grow with you. Choose a solution that can handle an increasing load without lagging or crashing, ensuring it supports your expanding team and evolving business strategies.
- Ease of Use: If it’s not user-friendly, it won’t get used for long. Opt for a platform that’s easy to navigate and understand, reducing the training time and making it easier for your team to adopt and use it effectively from day one.
- Real-Time Reporting and Analytics: Instant access to data is a game changer. With real-time analytics, you can make quick, informed decisions that keep your sales strategy sharp and your business ahead of the curve.
- Automated Workflows: Automate the mundane to focus on the meaningful. Software that automates complex commission calculations and workflows saves time, reduces errors, and frees up your team to focus on selling more and better.
Evaluating the right criteria ensures you pick software that not only matches your business goals but also empowers your sales team and supports your growth strategies. It’s all about finding a fit that works seamlessly with your operations, making everyone’s job easier.
Top 10 CallidusCloud Alternatives to Empower Your Sales Commission Process
Now that we’ve outlined the crucial criteria for choosing the right sales commission software, let’s explore the top 10 CallidusCloud alternatives that meet these standards and offer robust features to enhance your sales performance and commission management
1. Everstage
Everstage is a sales compensation management platform for Enterprises and mid-market businesses used by Operations, Finance, and Sales teams around the world. The platform provides key solutions including end-to-end sales compensation automation, accurate commission processing, advanced reporting and analytics, and a delightful payee experience.
Key features of Everstage:
- Sales compensation plan builder with flexibility, and the ability to gather data from multiple sources (eg. CRM, HRMS, Accounting, Data warehouse, etc.)
- Cutting-edge what-if calculator to help payees and managers with advanced payout prediction intelligence
- Completely in-house implementation and support to avoid the risk and costs of third-party services
- Advanced reporting for Finance teams for cost estimation and optimization of budgets and spends, and ASC606 reporting.
Why Everstage is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Payee experience: Everstage integrates into payees’ workflows to provide performance-related information to payees where they are– be it their inbox, Slack or Microsoft Teams, their mobile, or their CRM.
- Crystal: Helps payees visualize the impact of deals in their pipeline on their payouts, and it can be customized based on various deal attributes (eg. deal size, contract duration, etc.)
- Salesforce integration: Everstage sits within Salesforce to help reps avoid multiple logins and get real-time commission information, including Crystal, all inside Salesforce without altering CRM data.
- BI-powered analytics and custom dashboards: Out-of-the-box reports can help leaders and operators get essential insights by combining Everstage metrics with external data for end-to-end context on sales performance, commission spending, and more.
Where Everstage lacks:
- Not ideal for SMBs: Businesses that run a basic sales compensation program supporting a handful of payees will not find considerable value by using Everstage for sales compensation automation.
- Excel users: Everstage does not have an Excel-like user interface which could be challenging for power users of Excel to learn and adapt to the platform.
- Contract management: Everstage integrates with Docusign for contract management leading to businesses that don’t use Docusign to rely on API-based integrations for handling contracts.
2. Performio
Performio is a comprehensive sales compensation software designed to streamline the complex processes of calculating and managing sales commissions. Built for scalability and flexibility, Performio aims to simplify administrative tasks, provide accurate compensation calculations, and offer actionable insights through advanced reporting and analytics.
Key features of Performio:
- Flexible Data Model to adapt to customer’s unique data requirements
- Structured Plan Builder to calculate sales commissions with a few clicks
- Reporting & Insights to understand performance through unique data visualizations
Why Performio is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Commission Automation: Performio reduces calculation errors by automating complex sales comp scenarios and decreasing commission processing time
- Statements & Earnings: Clear view of payouts and breakdown for sales reps to review their commission numbers
- Native iOS and Android support: Detailed earnings are available on mobile devices for reps to access performance data on demand
- Data Management: Ability to transform data from different sources and effectively use them for sales compensation success.
Where Performio lacks:
- Commission Forecasting: Lacks powerful “What-if” commission estimators that are a key aspect of driving sales performance and rep motivation.
- Integrations: Limited native integrations beyond Salesforce and Netsuite, making the implementation process dependent on IT teams.
- Hierarchy Management: Some users find it hard to manage reporting structures and team-level associations.
3. CaptivateIQ
CaptivateIQ is one of leading solutions in commission management, dedicated to automating complex commission processes. It integrates data from multiple sources, providing real-time visibility and advanced analytics. This ensures precise and transparent calculations, motivating sales teams with clear earnings insights.
Key features of CaptivateIQ:
- Automates the entire commission process, from plan management, approvals, dispute resolution, to payroll integration.
- Provides reps with real-time earnings visibility to boost sales motivation.
- Offers role based access control to maintain data integrity.
Why CaptivateIQ is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Real-Time Earnings Insights: Grants sales reps and managers real-time visibility into their earnings and compensation details, boosting transparency and motivation
- Seamless Integrations: Integrates smoothly with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, MySQL, and NetSuite ERP for comprehensive data synchronization
- Incentive Modeling Sandbox: Offers a testing environment to explore different incentive scenarios and develop effective compensation strategies
- Streamlined Approval Workflows: Simplifies payout approvals, ensuring accuracy and saving time by reducing the need for manual checks
Where CaptivateIQ lacks:
- Complex Setup: Users have reported that setting up and customizing CaptivateIQ can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring significant technical expertise and configuration efforts.
- User Interface: Some users find the user interface to be unintuitive and not user-friendly, with a need for more intuitive data presentation and navigation.
- Mobile Access: CaptivateIQ lacks a dedicated mobile app, which can be inconvenient for users who need to access the platform on the go.
- Reporting Features: While the platform offers robust reporting capabilities, some users have found the process of building custom reports to be convoluted and not as flexible as they would like.
4. Spiff
Spiff by Salesforce is a modern sales compensation platform designed to simplify the management of commission plans. With a focus on user experience and real-time transparency, Spiff aims to streamline compensation processes and enhance performance visibility. (Spiff was an addition to Salesforce’s suite of products through acquisition)
Key features of Spiff:
- Spiff Designer for creating complex sales comp plans with ease
- Modern platform with an Engaging UI for sales reps to monitor commissions
- Provide sales teams with real-time visibility into their commission statements
Why Spiff is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Commission Automation: Ability to make changes to compensation plans directly within the platform with a few clicks
- Scalability: Good support for high number of commissionable employees and nuanced sales compensation scenarios such as accelerators and other sales plan structures
- Unique tracing functionality: Ability to avoid inaccuracies in commission statements by effectively tracing commission numbers
- Real-time visibility and transparency: Reps are able to track every single calculation in the system and see how their performance tracks to goal when needed
Where Spiff lacks:
- Product Architecture: Despite being a new-age solution, Spiff’s product is complicated with a front-end and back-end for setting up datasheets and plans.
- Advanced Commission Forecasting: Spiff’s basic version of sales commission forecasting is primitive and does not consider various deal attributes that impact commissions.
- System Language: Some users feel that Spiff’s syntax for setting up sales comp plans poses a challenge, as it requires significant time and effort to learn the system language.
- Roadmap since acquisition: Given the recent Salesforce acquisition of Spiff, users and evaluators can expect a potential slowdown in product development and scalability for their growing sales compensation needs.
5. Varicent
Varicent is a long-standing incumbent in the sales compensation space, focused on automating incentive compensation processes. It helps design, calculate, and manage complex compensation plans, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
Key features of Varicent:
- Offers incentive modeling capabilities that allow businesses to simulate different compensation scenarios and their financial impacts
- Mobile access for sales teams to view their performance and earnings on the go
- Post-pay compensation management capabilities such as adjustments and reconciliations.
- Workflow automations for approvals and dispute resolutions.
Why Varicent is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Incentive Plan Design & Customization: Allows businesses to design and customize incentive plans to meet their specific needs, ensuring that the compensation structures align with their goals.
- Sales Performance Tracking: Provides robust tools to track and analyze sales performance, offering insights that help optimize sales strategies and improve outcomes.
- Quota Management: Facilitates the management and tracking of sales quotas, helping ensure that sales targets are set and monitored effectively.
- Compliance Reporting: Generates detailed compliance reports to meet regulatory requirements and audit needs, ensuring transparency and accountability in compensation processes.
Where Varicent lacks:
- Complexity: The software can be highly complex and requires a significant skill set to manage and build complex comp plans. This complexity can make troubleshooting issues challenging when outcomes don't match expectations.
- User Interface: The usability of Varicent's interface can be problematic, with some users finding it not as intuitive or user-friendly as competing solutions.
- Integration Challenges: Integration with other systems can be difficult, requiring significant effort to align Varicent with existing IT infrastructure and other software applications.
- Support & Implementation: Although customer support is generally rated well, some users feel that it could be more responsive and proactive, particularly when dealing with complex issues. Moreover, outsourced implementation can be time-consuming and may delay the time to value.
6. Xactly Incent
Xactly Incent is a leading sales compensation management software designed to automate and streamline the entire sales compensation process. Launched nearly two decades ago, it is known for its robust capabilities in managing complex compensation structures, enhancing accuracy, and improving compliance.
Key features of Xactly Incent:
- Compensation Configurator to craft complex sales compensation plans with ease
- Customized Incentive Statements to build trust and transparency for sales teams
- Drag-and-Drop Hierarchy Management to manage reporting structures
- Other Sales Performance products as enhanced offerings and add-ons
Why Xactly Incent is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Commission Automation: Automated processes reduce administrative workload and minimize errors in commission calculations.
- Integration: Xactly Incent integrates with numerous CRM and ERP systems, ensuring seamless data flow across platforms.
- Statements & Earnings: Clear view of payouts and breakdown for sales reps to review their commission numbers
- Native iOS and Android support: Detailed earnings are available on mobile devices for reps to access performance data on demand
Where Xactly Incent lacks:
- User Interface: Some users find the interface outdated and not as intuitive as more modern solutions.
- Dependency on Third-Party Services: Xactly Incent often requires third-party professional services for implementation and ongoing management, which can be costly and slow.
- Product Configuration: The platform's extensive features can lead to a steep learning curve and complexity in configuration.
- Reporting Capabilities: While having a basic functionality for sales commission reporting, some users feel that the software’s analytical capabilities haven’t evolved with their evolving requirements.
7. Anaplan
Anaplan is a cloud-based platform that provides a comprehensive suite of planning and performance management solutions, including sales compensation management. The platform aims to help businesses optimize their planning processes and improve decision-making through real-time data and advanced analytics.
Key features of Anaplan:
- Comp plan builder to craft complex sales compensation plans with ease
- Statements to build trust and transparency for sales teams
- Real-time data analytics to provide data on sales performance with dashboards and robust visualizations
- Other Sales Performance products as enhanced offerings and add-ons
Why Anaplan is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Commission Automation: Anaplan reduces administrative errors by automating complex calculations and compensation management processes.
- Plan Modeling: Anaplan provides the flexibility to plan and adapt in ever-changing markets
- Integration: Anaplan integrates with numerous CRM and ERP systems, ensuring seamless data flow across platforms.
- Statements & Earnings: Clear view of payouts and breakdown for sales reps to review their commission numbers
Where Anaplan lacks:
- Product Maturity: As an afterthought product, Anaplan’s sales comp solution was not built from the ground up, thereby leading to limited usability for most sales compensation scenarios.
- Dependency on Third-Party Services: Anaplan often requires third-party professional services for implementation and ongoing management, which can be costly and slow.
- Commission Forecasting: Lacks powerful “What-if” commission estimators that are a key aspect of driving sales performance and rep motivation.
- Reporting Capabilities: Some users feel that while Anaplan provides basic functionality for sales commission reporting, its analytical capabilities have not kept pace with their evolving needs.
8. Commissionly
Commissionly is a cloud-based platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It automates and streamlines the calculation and distribution of sales commissions, enhancing productivity and accuracy while reducing manual effort and errors.
Key features of Commissionly
- Automatically calculates commissions based on various sales metrics and payment structures
- Automates the distribution of reports via email, ensuring timely updates and communication.
- Provides access to commission data and reports on mobile devices, enabling on-the-go management.
Why Commissionly is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design simplifies the management of sales commissions for users without technical expertise.
- Real-Time Reporting: Provides real-time dashboards and customizable reports to monitor sales performance and commission earnings.
- Multi-Currency Support: Handles multiple currencies, making it suitable for international operations.
What Commissionly lacks:
- Customization Constraints: Users have noted frustration with the limited customization options, especially for complex commission structures. As a self-service platform, it lacks the advanced customization capabilities found in enterprise-focused solutions.
- Scalability Issues: Some users feel that QuotaPath doesn't adequately support business growth. The platform appears to struggle with scaling to meet the expanding needs of its clients.
- Limited Direct Integrations: While Commissionly supports various integrations through platforms like Zapier, direct integrations with some CRM and accounting software are limited, which can require additional manual work
9. Palette
Palette is a French sales compensation management platform that focuses on providing flexibility and efficiency in managing commission plans. The platform aims to simplify the compensation process and provide actionable insights to improve sales performance.
Key features of Palette:
- Build sales comp plans from multiple data sources
- Automate commission calculation with commission rules and payout schedules
- Provide monthly statements for sales reps and integrate with HR software for payouts
- Maintain a historic log (a.k.a. Audit trail) for keeping track of calculation logic and completed payouts
Why Palette is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Easy-to-use product: Palette is a simple and straightforward platform designed to build many basic sales comp plans at scale.
- Compare Plans: Design and improve commission plans by comparing the performances of two or more plans simultaneously.
- Templates: Palette provides fundamental sales comp plan templates for roles like Account Executive, Business Development, Customer Success, etc.
- Integrations: Palette integrates with leading CRMs, HRIS, Billing platforms, Accounting tools, and Data warehouses.
Where Palette lacks:
- Commission Forecasting: Missing robust “What-if” commission estimators, which are essential for enhancing sales performance and motivating representatives.
- Enterprise Readiness: Customer reviews indicate that Palette’s sales compensation solution is particularly effective for SMB and mid-market businesses.
- Custom Role-Based Access Controls: Palette does not provide the ability to configure custom roles for usage, leading to higher chances of data leaks and security breaches.
- Commission Transparency: Some users feel that Palette’s dashboards are unintuitive and do not provide a detailed view of their payouts and attainment.
10. Qobra
Qobra is a Europe-based all-in-one sales compensation platform that motivates & aligns revenue teams and is used by various SMB and mid-market businesses in Europe. The platform aims to provide transparency, reduce administrative workload, and enhance performance tracking.
Key features of Qobra:
- Automating commissions with a no-code sales comp plan builder
- Provide visibility to sales reps with real-time access to targets and commission data
- On time payouts through validation workflows involving multiple departments
Why Qobra is a CallidusCloud Alternative:
- Simple Interface: Qobra is great for simple commission calculation processes and providing basic commission information for sales reps.
- Localized product: Well-suited for businesses that have sales teams across multiple geographies with commissions across multiple currencies.
- Integrations: Qobra supports API-led as well as native integrations with leading CRMs, HRIS, and Data warehouses.
- Manual Adjustments/Overrides: Overwrite any synced commission values to handle exceptions during payout cycles.
Where Qobra lacks:
- Commission Forecasting: Missing robust “What-if” commission estimators, which are essential for enhancing sales performance and motivating representatives.
- Enterprise Readiness: Qobra’s sales compensation solution is well suited for SMB and mid-market businesses based on customer reviews.
- Commission Transparency: Some users feel that Qobra’s data is incomplete and statements do not provide complete context around their payouts.
Conclusion
As you evaluate alternatives to CallidusCloud, Everstage presents a formidable option with capabilities that can surpass CallidusCloud’s for sales compensation management.
Everstage provides a seamless, intuitive user experience, robust integrations, and detailed analytics. Its ability to streamline and automate compensation processes makes it ideal for businesses looking to enhance accuracy and productivity.
Choosing the right solution depends on your specific requirements for customization, integration, and usability. Everstage equips you with the tools to optimize incentives, drive sales performance, and reach your revenue goals.
