Quick Overview
- 1#1: Skills Base - Dedicated skills matrix software for tracking, visualizing, and managing team skills, qualifications, and training needs.
- 2#2: OneModel - Intuitive skills matrix platform for competency mapping, gap analysis, and resource allocation.
- 3#3: SkillDirector - Skills management tool with customizable matrices, assessments, and development planning aligned to business goals.
- 4#4: TalentGuard - AI-powered talent management platform featuring skills ontologies, matrices, and career pathing.
- 5#5: Fuel50 - Skills-based career experience platform with inventory, matching, and matrix visualizations for talent mobility.
- 6#6: Degreed - Learning and upskilling platform with skills framework, ontology, and matrix views for workforce development.
- 7#7: Gloat - AI-driven internal talent marketplace using skills data for opportunity matching and matrix insights.
- 8#8: Eightfold - Deep learning AI platform for talent intelligence with skills graph and matrix-based hiring and development.
- 9#9: Workday - Enterprise HCM suite with Skills Cloud for ontology, assessments, and matrix-driven workforce planning.
- 10#10: SAP SuccessFactors - Comprehensive HR cloud platform with skills management, assessments, and opportunity marketplace matrices.
These tools were ranked based on feature breadth (including customization, AI integration, and business alignment), technical reliability, user-friendliness, and overall value for organizations of all sizes.
Comparison Table
This comparison table examines top skills matrix software tools, aiding businesses in evaluating, tracking, and optimizing employee skills. It includes tools like Skills Base, OneModel, SkillDirector, TalentGuard, Fuel50, and more, breaking down key features, pricing, and usability to help readers identify the right fit for their organization.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skills Base Dedicated skills matrix software for tracking, visualizing, and managing team skills, qualifications, and training needs. | specialized | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 |
| 2 | OneModel Intuitive skills matrix platform for competency mapping, gap analysis, and resource allocation. | specialized | 9.1/10 | 9.4/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.9/10 |
| 3 | SkillDirector Skills management tool with customizable matrices, assessments, and development planning aligned to business goals. | specialized | 8.4/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.6/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 4 | TalentGuard AI-powered talent management platform featuring skills ontologies, matrices, and career pathing. | enterprise | 8.3/10 | 8.8/10 | 7.7/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 5 | Fuel50 Skills-based career experience platform with inventory, matching, and matrix visualizations for talent mobility. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.5/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 6 | Degreed Learning and upskilling platform with skills framework, ontology, and matrix views for workforce development. | enterprise | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 7 | Gloat AI-driven internal talent marketplace using skills data for opportunity matching and matrix insights. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 |
| 8 | Eightfold Deep learning AI platform for talent intelligence with skills graph and matrix-based hiring and development. | general_ai | 8.2/10 | 9.1/10 | 7.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| 9 | Workday Enterprise HCM suite with Skills Cloud for ontology, assessments, and matrix-driven workforce planning. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 9.2/10 | 6.8/10 | 7.3/10 |
| 10 | SAP SuccessFactors Comprehensive HR cloud platform with skills management, assessments, and opportunity marketplace matrices. | enterprise | 8.1/10 | 9.2/10 | 6.7/10 | 7.4/10 |
Dedicated skills matrix software for tracking, visualizing, and managing team skills, qualifications, and training needs.
Intuitive skills matrix platform for competency mapping, gap analysis, and resource allocation.
Skills management tool with customizable matrices, assessments, and development planning aligned to business goals.
AI-powered talent management platform featuring skills ontologies, matrices, and career pathing.
Skills-based career experience platform with inventory, matching, and matrix visualizations for talent mobility.
Learning and upskilling platform with skills framework, ontology, and matrix views for workforce development.
AI-driven internal talent marketplace using skills data for opportunity matching and matrix insights.
Deep learning AI platform for talent intelligence with skills graph and matrix-based hiring and development.
Enterprise HCM suite with Skills Cloud for ontology, assessments, and matrix-driven workforce planning.
Comprehensive HR cloud platform with skills management, assessments, and opportunity marketplace matrices.
Skills Base
specializedDedicated skills matrix software for tracking, visualizing, and managing team skills, qualifications, and training needs.
Interactive, real-time skills matrix with proficiency heatmaps and automated gap identification
Skills Base is a powerful skills management platform that enables organizations to create interactive skills matrices, track employee competencies, certifications, and experience levels across teams. It facilitates skill gap analysis, forecasting future needs, and strategic workforce planning through customizable assessments and visualizations. The software offers robust reporting, integrations with HR tools, and supports both individual and organizational skill development initiatives.
Pros
- Highly customizable skills matrices with drag-and-drop interface
- Advanced gap analysis and skills forecasting tools
- Comprehensive certification and evidence tracking
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly for larger teams
- Steeper learning curve for advanced custom reports
- Limited native mobile app functionality
Best For
Mid-sized to enterprise organizations seeking a scalable solution for strategic skills management and talent development.
Pricing
Starts at $129/month for up to 50 users (Starter plan); Professional and Enterprise plans custom-quoted based on users and features.
OneModel
specializedIntuitive skills matrix platform for competency mapping, gap analysis, and resource allocation.
AI-enhanced skills ontology that dynamically models technical, behavioral, and leadership competencies
OneModel is a comprehensive skills intelligence platform designed to help organizations model, assess, and visualize employee skills through customizable ontologies and matrices. It enables HR teams to identify skill gaps, recommend personalized development paths, and align workforce capabilities with business goals using AI-driven insights. The software supports strategic talent management by integrating skills data with performance reviews and succession planning.
Pros
- Powerful skills ontology builder for custom competency modeling
- Interactive skills matrix visualizations with gap analysis
- AI-powered recommendations for learning and career paths
Cons
- Steep initial setup and configuration time
- Enterprise-focused pricing lacks transparency for smaller teams
- Limited out-of-the-box templates for non-technical users
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises needing advanced, customizable skills management for strategic workforce planning.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing via quote; typically starts at $10-20 per user/month for mid-sized teams.
SkillDirector
specializedSkills management tool with customizable matrices, assessments, and development planning aligned to business goals.
AI-powered Universal Skills Language for standardized, benchmarked skills frameworks across industries
SkillDirector is a robust skills management platform designed to help organizations build and maintain dynamic skills matrices for teams and individuals. It enables comprehensive skills assessments, gap analysis, and visualization through interactive heatmaps and dashboards. The software leverages AI for personalized learning recommendations, career pathing, and succession planning, integrating seamlessly with HRIS and LMS systems.
Pros
- Advanced AI-driven skills ontology and benchmarking
- Highly customizable matrices with heatmaps and gap analysis
- Strong integrations with HR tools and learning platforms
Cons
- Steep initial setup and learning curve for complex configurations
- Enterprise-focused pricing limits accessibility for small teams
- Reporting customization can feel overwhelming for non-experts
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises needing sophisticated skills intelligence for strategic workforce planning and development.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing, typically starting at $15-25 per user/month with annual contracts and volume discounts.
TalentGuard
enterpriseAI-powered talent management platform featuring skills ontologies, matrices, and career pathing.
Universal Skills Ontology, a pre-built, industry-agnostic library of 20,000+ skills for standardized assessment and benchmarking.
TalentGuard is a robust talent management platform centered on skills matrix capabilities, enabling organizations to build comprehensive skills inventories, conduct gap analyses, and visualize workforce competencies through interactive matrices. It integrates skills assessment with performance management, succession planning, and learning recommendations powered by its Universal Skills Ontology. This solution supports enterprise-scale deployment, helping HR teams align skills development with business objectives.
Pros
- Extensive skills ontology and customizable matrices for precise competency mapping
- AI-driven insights for skills gaps, career pathing, and development recommendations
- Strong integrations with HCM, LMS, and ATS systems
Cons
- Steep learning curve for initial setup and configuration
- Enterprise pricing may not suit small to mid-sized organizations
- Reporting dashboards lack some advanced customization options
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises (500+ employees) seeking an integrated skills matrix within a full talent management suite.
Pricing
Custom quote-based pricing; typically starts at $15-25 per user/month for enterprise plans, with discounts for high-volume deployments.
Fuel50
enterpriseSkills-based career experience platform with inventory, matching, and matrix visualizations for talent mobility.
Skills Graph: Interactive visualization of the entire organization's skills landscape powered by a vast proprietary ontology.
Fuel50 is a skills intelligence and talent marketplace platform that maps organizational skills using a proprietary ontology of over 50,000 skills, enabling skills gap analysis and talent matching. It supports internal mobility, career pathing, and development planning through AI-driven insights and visualizations like the Skills Graph. As a skills matrix solution, it excels in dynamic skill profiling across teams but integrates broader talent management features.
Pros
- Proprietary skills ontology with 50,000+ skills for comprehensive mapping
- AI-powered skills inference and talent matching for internal mobility
- Strong integrations with HR systems like Workday and SuccessFactors
Cons
- Complex initial setup and steep learning curve for non-HR experts
- Enterprise-level pricing limits accessibility for SMBs
- Skills matrix visualizations lack some advanced customization options
Best For
Mid-to-large enterprises integrating skills data with talent mobility and career development.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing via quote; typically $15-30 per user/month for mid-sized orgs, with annual contracts.
Degreed
enterpriseLearning and upskilling platform with skills framework, ontology, and matrix views for workforce development.
Degreed's global skills ontology and benchmarking engine, which maps skills hierarchically across 150,000+ items with real-time industry standards
Degreed is a comprehensive skills intelligence and learning experience platform (LXP) that helps organizations build and manage dynamic skills matrices through its extensive skills ontology and benchmarking tools. It enables skill gap analysis, personalized learning paths, and workforce planning by mapping employee skills against global standards. The platform integrates with various content sources and HR systems to support continuous upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
Pros
- Vast proprietary skills ontology with over 150,000 skills and industry benchmarks for accurate gap analysis
- AI-driven personalized recommendations and learning paths tied directly to skills development
- Robust integrations with LMS, HRIS, and content providers for seamless skills tracking
Cons
- Enterprise-level pricing makes it less accessible for small or mid-sized teams
- Steep initial setup curve for customizing skills frameworks and ontologies
- More learning-centric than pure skills matrix visualization tools, with less emphasis on static matrix exports
Best For
Large enterprises and HR teams needing an integrated platform for skills-based talent management and upskilling.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing, typically $15-30 per user per month with annual contracts and minimum user requirements.
Gloat
enterpriseAI-driven internal talent marketplace using skills data for opportunity matching and matrix insights.
AI-powered skills ontology that automatically infers hidden skills and builds a living organizational skills graph
Gloat is an AI-powered talent marketplace platform that builds a dynamic skills matrix by aggregating and inferring employee skills from HR data, resumes, and performance records. It enables organizations to visualize skills gaps, match talent to internal opportunities like gigs and projects, and support career development through personalized recommendations. Primarily designed for large enterprises, it shifts workforce planning from roles to skills, fostering internal mobility and agility.
Pros
- AI-driven skills inference and matching for accurate talent discovery
- Enterprise-scale skills graph with real-time updates
- Strong integration with HRIS like Workday and SuccessFactors
Cons
- Complex setup and onboarding requiring significant IT involvement
- Pricing geared toward large enterprises, less accessible for SMBs
- Overemphasis on talent marketplace may overshadow pure matrix reporting needs
Best For
Large enterprises seeking to integrate skills intelligence with internal talent mobility and agile workforce planning.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing, typically $20-50 per employee per month with minimum contracts for 1,000+ users.
Eightfold
general_aiDeep learning AI platform for talent intelligence with skills graph and matrix-based hiring and development.
Deep learning-based skills inference from unstructured data for automated, accurate skills matrix population
Eightfold.ai is an AI-powered talent intelligence platform focused on skills-based talent management, acquisition, and workforce planning. It leverages deep learning to infer and map skills from unstructured data like resumes and job histories, using a global ontology of over 100,000 skills. The platform enables skills matrix visualization, gap analysis, upskilling recommendations, and internal mobility matching to build agile organizations.
Pros
- Powerful AI-driven skills inference and ontology with 100k+ skills
- Seamless integration with ATS, HCM, and other HR tools
- Robust analytics for skills gaps, career pathing, and workforce planning
Cons
- Enterprise-level pricing inaccessible for SMBs
- Steep implementation and learning curve requiring dedicated support
- Limited customization for non-HR use cases outside talent management
Best For
Large enterprises seeking scalable, AI-native skills-based talent strategies for internal mobility and upskilling.
Pricing
Custom enterprise pricing via sales quote, typically $100K+ annually based on user count and modules.
Workday
enterpriseEnterprise HCM suite with Skills Cloud for ontology, assessments, and matrix-driven workforce planning.
Skills Cloud with AI-powered skill ontology and inference from vast data sources
Workday is a leading enterprise HCM platform with robust skills management capabilities via its Skills Cloud, enabling organizations to build comprehensive skills inventories and matrices. It uses AI to infer skills from employee data, supports skills-based talent matching, development planning, and workforce analytics. While powerful for large-scale deployments, it functions as part of a broader suite rather than a standalone skills matrix tool.
Pros
- AI-driven Skills Cloud for automatic skill inference and ontology management
- Deep integration with HR, recruiting, and performance modules
- Scalable analytics for enterprise-wide skills gap analysis and planning
Cons
- Steep learning curve and complex implementation for non-enterprise users
- Prohibitively expensive for SMBs with custom enterprise pricing
- Overkill for organizations needing only basic skills matrix functionality
Best For
Large enterprises requiring integrated HCM with advanced, AI-powered skills management.
Pricing
Custom enterprise subscription pricing, typically $150-250 per user per year plus implementation fees.
SAP SuccessFactors
enterpriseComprehensive HR cloud platform with skills management, assessments, and opportunity marketplace matrices.
AI-powered Skills Cloud with dynamic ontology and skill inferencing for proactive talent gap identification
SAP SuccessFactors is a comprehensive cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) platform that includes advanced skills management tools for mapping, assessing, and developing employee competencies. It features Skills Cloud, an AI-powered ontology that enables skills gap analysis, inferencing, and alignment with business goals. Integrated across performance, learning, and succession modules, it supports enterprise-scale talent intelligence and visualization in matrix formats.
Pros
- Extensive AI-driven Skills Cloud for automated skill ontology and inferencing
- Deep integration with full HCM suite for holistic talent management
- Robust scalability, security, and compliance for global enterprises
Cons
- Complex implementation and steep learning curve requiring expert configuration
- High enterprise pricing not ideal for small or mid-sized organizations
- Overly broad HCM focus can feel bloated for pure skills matrix needs
Best For
Large enterprises and multinational corporations requiring integrated, scalable skills management within a comprehensive HCM ecosystem.
Pricing
Custom quote-based pricing; typically $10-25 per user/month depending on modules, employee count, and contract length.
Conclusion
The reviewed skills matrix software showcases diverse capabilities, from dedicated tracking and visualizing to AI-driven insights, with Skills Base leading as the top choice, excelling in holistic management. OneModel and SkillDirector follow closely, offering strong alternatives for specific needs like competency mapping or business goal alignment. Collectively, they highlight the importance of aligning tools with organizational priorities for optimal workforce development.
Take the first step to transforming your team's skills management—begin with Skills Base to experience its robust functionality and unlock enhanced efficiency, clarity, and growth.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison