No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

IBM Kenexa vs PeopleSoft comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Kenexa
Ranking in Benefits Administration
16th
Ranking in Talent Management
17th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.3
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software (10th)
PeopleSoft
Ranking in Benefits Administration
6th
Ranking in Talent Management
6th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
ERP (9th), Activity Based Costing Software (4th), Demand Management (2nd), Talent Acquisition (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Benefits Administration category, the mindshare of IBM Kenexa is 1.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of PeopleSoft is 3.6%, down from 8.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Benefits Administration Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
PeopleSoft3.6%
IBM Kenexa1.8%
Other94.6%
Benefits Administration
 

Featured Reviews

Karan Grover - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Suitable for larger-scale companies aiming to streamline and automate their processes digitally
The deployment of the solution took between six to eight months. When we introduced BrassRing at my company, we encountered several challenges. First, moving data from our old system to BrassRing was tough because it needed reformatting. Second, connecting BrassRing with our HR data was tricky due to manual processes for roles and departments. Third, setting up the workflow in BrassRing was complex. Fourth, configuring user access and approval levels was a detailed task. We also had to manage the change process, including running both old and new systems in parallel, communicating changes, and training users. Lastly, monitoring and reporting were needed to ensure data accuracy and proper system usage once everything was in place. We had a team of six to eight people managing the project from our side during the BrassRing deployment. I'm not sure about the size of the BrassRing team, and we also had our own technical team, which had three to four members. The solution required maintenance, particularly from my side as the administrator. Maintenance responsibilities were divided into two parts: some tasks we, as end-users, could control, while others were the responsibility of the BrassRing team. Payment-related tasks were a regular part of our responsibilities. I wasn't the only person maintaining the solution. There were three power users from Infosys, each responsible for a specific geography. My counterpart managed it in the US, and I, along with my colleague in India, managed it for other geographies.
IanCampbell - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Decades of use have delivered secure, customizable control for public sector operations and finance
I have just completed three assessments: one on inventory demand planning, another on using artificial intelligence to bring supplier contracts in portable document format directly into PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft works both internally as well as with third-party products that integrate seamlessly with PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft operates both from a need-to-know-only basis as well as being able at the same time to do group purchase and realize large quantity purchase discounts. My clients have used marketplaces, and it is really industry-specific whether they use one or not, or if there is even one available. I would rate this product nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We felt like Kenexa was robust enough and dynamic enough that it met our needs, so it didn't make sense for us to disrupt 700 locations and reteach them something."
"BrassRing, the applicant tracking system, has brought a high level of automation, specifically for our mass-volume hourly processes."
"Of all the current talent analytics offerings on the market today, IBM Kenexa Talent Insights is the most comprehensive end-to-end, data-agnostic analytics tool."
"I would definitely and highly recommend the applicant tracking system."
"It allowed for truly global listing for all open positions."
"I think one of the biggest benefits that Kenexa brings is the scalability."
"Scalability is great, as we use the system for everything from a very low-volume, high-touch corporate recruiting model to our tax office, high-volume approach, which is 80-100,000 people each season."
"IBM Kenexa is fairly stable, and we don't have any downtime."
"PeopleSoft is a stable solution and it has a lot of functionality."
"Its user interface is impressive."
"PeopleSoft is an amazing solution. Its users can have total control of the system, including PeopleCode, Application Engine and Component Interface, along with many other tools delivered by PeopleSoft."
"The beauty of using the on-premises solution is having customizations according to business requirements, because business requirements are not always aligned with the out-of-the-box product."
"With the way that my agency uses PeopleSoft, the most valuable feature of it is the ability it gives us to track our contracts and the release against those contracts."
"Once you get the feel of it and learn how to use it, the ease of use and performance are the most valuable features."
"Flexibility in configuration."
"It's great for helping users deal with their supply chain."
 

Cons

"I would not recommend IBM Kenexa to others."
"We have about 50 requests for enhancements in the system right now."
"The price can always be better. Right now, we can only do part of that, but not as much as I want to."
"I think there is some administrative things that could be easier in terms of Workbench and streamlining that process; configuration of different things."
"Technical support was not always great. They tend to push you towards workbench admins or paid support."
"The downside of Kenexa is that they're constantly reinventing, so they have constant releases with new features and upgrades. The downside of that is that they do experience fairly regular issues with stability that they're not always as quick to respond to as we'd like them to."
"IBM Kenexa has a lot of room for improvement. The solution is not advancing anymore in terms of the user experience and in the workflows."
"Once-a-year engagement kind of seems to be a little bit lagging in terms of how we can actually shape and improve organizations, so I was looking forward to understanding a bit more where IBM Kenexa's thinking is going in terms of pulsing with the employee voice and how that kind of integrates and works with tell-it-as-it-is, and the other two applications we have; it's just too early to know."
"PeopleSoft can improve by having proper connectors. It's very difficult to change some interfaces with the other systems."
"The solution's initial setup is not straightforward."
"The product is not intuitive, and finding the right candidate can be arduous."
"On the other hand, the more recent push for standardization precludes customized approaches to certain industry requirements."
"Reports can definitely be improved."
"Services that need improvement include PeopleSoft Query, Pivot Grids, and PeopleSoft Test Framework."
"The problem we have is the customization. We've gone a bit overboard with customization. That’s problematic during upgrades, which is a common problem with PeopleSoft."
"The area that could be improved is the upgrade process, it's not the easiest. Oracle stopped supporting our version. So we have to move either to the cloud or work in a non-supported situation. That was certainly a disadvantage. That's also the reason why we decided not to stay with Oracle. Now we are moving to SAP."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Kenexa was fairly priced. However, in 2019, before I left my previous organization, they significantly increased their pricing. It can be affordable, but their pricing is going up. It is not just licensing; it is how many applicants you have in your system on the database side."
"The licensing cost for PeopleSoft is 3,500 per course and the annual subscription fee is 6,500."
"Yearly payments are to be made toward the licensing costs of PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft is not very expensive, so I feel it is an affordable product."
"There are no additional costs for licensing."
"PeopleSoft has a yearly maintenance fee."
"Check all options before a decision is made."
"The expenses related to the solution are nominal."
"I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten, with ten being expensive."
"The product's cost depends on the number of people in your company or the number of paychecks processed. They charge based on these factors, plus a maintenance fee. I'm not sure about current pricing since Oracle took over."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Benefits Administration solutions are best for your needs.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Comms Service Provider
10%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise28
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise50
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What are the differences between Oracle HCM Cloud and PeopleSoft?
Although both are solutions to manage HR, their differences make each one suitable for different companies. Oracle Cloud HCM is a platform for connecting all human resource processes in your organ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for PeopleSoft?
The pricing is customer-specific, so I am not generally privy to what the pricing for licensing is. However, generally, I think PeopleSoft is certainly cheaper than cloud solutions.
What needs improvement with PeopleSoft?
More delivered artificial intelligence functionality in operations and finance would be helpful.
 

Also Known As

IBM Smarter Workforce, Outstart
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Sweet Spot International (SSI), Leo Burnett Worldwide (LBW), Sika AG, Legacy Health, Apollo Group Inc., Regeneron, Transurban Group, National Health Service, New Zealand Police, Overland Footwear, Yealands, Johnson Controls, Allscripts, Kerry Foods, Masterpet, AMD, Balfour Beatty
BMI Healthcare, Lone Star College System, Jefferson County Public Schools, Griffith University, Los Rios Community College District, Tervita Corporation, INFRA S.A. de C.V., ICF Habitat, Central Washington University, Tech Mahindra Limited, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Stanford Childrens Health
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Kenexa vs. PeopleSoft and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.