CaptivateIQ vs Xactly:
Which commissions platform helps you stay in control?
When incentive compensation moves from spreadsheets to software, the platform you choose will determine how easily your team can adapt, scale, and maintain trust in every payout.
CaptivateIQ and Xactly both promise automation and visibility, but only one gives you flexibility without legacy overhead or expensive service hours.
The short answer
Xactly was built for the enterprise software era—complex, rigid, and dependent on service teams. CaptivateIQ is the next-generation alternative: intuitive, flexible, and designed for the speed of modern revenue operations.
Companies choose CaptivateIQ when they want full visibility, quick plan adjustments, and predictable costs without the burden of annual reimplementations or $200/hour service fees. Xactly’s aging infrastructure and heavy reliance on consultants make even routine changes time-consuming and costly.
Quick comparison:
CaptivateIQ vs Xactly
Where CaptivateIQ stands apart
CaptivateIQ provides a straightforward pricing model and hands-on support without nickel-and-dime service charges. Customers manage their own plans confidently with help from dedicated experts.
Xactly’s complex architecture drives hidden costs. Customers report paying tens of thousands of dollars annually for professional services just to maintain their instance—plus additional reimplementation fees when plans change. Service rates average $200 per hour, and many issues fall outside standard scopes of work.
CaptivateIQ’s no-code, formula-based interface lets admins create and adjust plans without technical support. Free training ensures users stay self-sufficient, even as plans evolve.
Xactly requires SQL knowledge or certified admins to manage logic and connectors. Companies often rely on costly consultants for updates as simple as adding a new Salesforce field.
CaptivateIQ adapts to any compensation structure—no data reformatting or custom scripts needed. Customers can automate true-ups, adjust quotas, and add hybrid roles without disruption.
Xactly follows a rigid, template-driven model that limits customization. Many customers are forced to alter their incentive strategy to fit the software’s constraints or pay for custom development.
CaptivateIQ’s unified architecture supports rapid feature development and scalability. The platform earned perfect scores for innovation, roadmap, and AI capabilities in The Forrester Wave™: Sales Performance Management Solutions for Incentive Compensation, Q1 2025.
Xactly’s pace of innovation has slowed, and customers often report years of submitted tickets with no feature delivery. The company has focused on acquiring adjacent products—creating a patchwork of disconnected systems that add complexity instead of removing it.
CaptivateIQ provides direct, in-time-zone support and free onboarding resources to help teams stay productive. Customers get answers fast and can manage issues internally.
Xactly charges for most training and support interactions. Many organizations need full-time admins or third-party partners just to manage day-to-day operations.
CaptivateIQ delivers working proofs of concept in days, showing real data and workflows before any contract is signed.
Xactly’s POC process is long, resource-heavy, and typically reserved for large enterprises—leaving most buyers to trust what’s promised instead of seeing it firsthand.
What customers say about CaptivateIQ
Common pitfalls with Xactly
- High service costs for basic plan updates
- Rigid templates that restrict customization
- Long implementation timelines and frequent rework
- Paid training and certified-admin dependencies
- Slower product innovation due to fragmented architecture
- Limited proof-of-concept availability before purchase
CaptivateIQ is built for flexibility
Companies outgrow technical platforms when they need more agility and less complexity
Book a demoWhy scaling teams switch from Xactly to CaptivateIQ
See CaptivateIQ
in action
If you’re evaluating Xactly, see how CaptivateIQ delivers the same enterprise-grade power, without the legacy complexity.
Schedule a walkthrough to see how leading companies automate commissions, adapt fast, and scale with confidence.
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