TraitLab Pro vs. Big5 Assessments: Development vs. Hiring
Despite the shared Big Five foundation, these platforms target different buyers. Big5 Assessments is a pre-employment screening tool — quick 6-10 minute assessments designed to sort candidates before you hire them. TraitLab Pro is a development tool — deeper 20-60 minute assessments covering six frameworks, designed to help you understand and grow the people you already have. Big5 Assessments bundles personality with cognitive ability and engagement tests in a single candidate unit. TraitLab Pro bundles Big Five with strengths, working style, interpersonal style, Jungian typology, and Enneagram in a single development credit.
Quick Verdict
Choose TraitLab Pro if you need personality data for coaching, team development, or any purpose beyond candidate screening.
Choose Big5 Assessments if you need a fast, bundled pre-employment screen that combines personality with cognitive and engagement measures.
These platforms serve different purposes
Big5 Assessments is built for pre-employment screening and hiring. TraitLab Pro is built for employee development and coaching. Big5 Assessments optimizes for speed and candidate throughput — its 6-10 minute assessment minimizes drop-off in hiring funnels. TraitLab Pro optimizes for depth — six validated frameworks from a single assessment session. If you are filtering job applicants, you need a hiring tool. If you are investing in the people already on your team, you need a development tool.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Assessment
| TraitLab Pro | Big5 Assessments | |
|---|---|---|
| Personality Model | Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC) | Big Five (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability) |
| Traits/Dimensions Measured | Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology | Big Five traits plus cognitive ability, attitudes, and engagement assessments |
| Scientific Basis | Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments | Based on Big Five model; specific validation details not publicly detailed |
| Customizability | Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option | Fixed assessment battery; all four core assessments included per unit |
Personality Model
TraitLab Pro
Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC)
Big5 Assessments
Big Five (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability)
Traits/Dimensions Measured
TraitLab Pro
Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology
Big5 Assessments
Big Five traits plus cognitive ability, attitudes, and engagement assessments
Scientific Basis
TraitLab Pro
Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments
Big5 Assessments
Based on Big Five model; specific validation details not publicly detailed
Customizability
TraitLab Pro
Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option
Big5 Assessments
Fixed assessment battery; all four core assessments included per unit
Implementation
| TraitLab Pro | Big5 Assessments | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Model | Fully self-serve; free account creation | Demo-based sales model; account setup after discovery call |
| Certification/Training Required | None | None — Quick Start Guides and online tutorials provided |
| Time to First Assessment | Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link) | Same day after discovery call and account setup |
| ATS/HR System Integration | No | Not specified |
| Scalability | Any scale; credit-based, no minimums | Free plan allows up to 5 candidates/month; unlimited subscriptions available |
Setup Model
TraitLab Pro
Fully self-serve; free account creation
Big5 Assessments
Demo-based sales model; account setup after discovery call
Certification/Training Required
TraitLab Pro
None
Big5 Assessments
None — Quick Start Guides and online tutorials provided
Time to First Assessment
TraitLab Pro
Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link)
Big5 Assessments
Same day after discovery call and account setup
ATS/HR System Integration
TraitLab Pro
No
Big5 Assessments
Not specified
Scalability
TraitLab Pro
Any scale; credit-based, no minimums
Big5 Assessments
Free plan allows up to 5 candidates/month; unlimited subscriptions available
User Experience
| TraitLab Pro | Big5 Assessments | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Duration | 10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option | 6-10 minutes |
| Device Support | Mobile and desktop | Online (device details not specified) |
| Question Format | Short multiple choice | Not specified |
| Results Delivery | Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin | Visual reports + PDF; assessment dashboard with sorting and filtering |
| Admin Portal | Yes — view, compare, manage all results | Yes — candidate dashboard with scoring, sorting, and filtering |
Assessment Duration
TraitLab Pro
10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option
Big5 Assessments
6-10 minutes
Device Support
TraitLab Pro
Mobile and desktop
Big5 Assessments
Online (device details not specified)
Question Format
TraitLab Pro
Short multiple choice
Big5 Assessments
Not specified
Results Delivery
TraitLab Pro
Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin
Big5 Assessments
Visual reports + PDF; assessment dashboard with sorting and filtering
Admin Portal
TraitLab Pro
Yes — view, compare, manage all results
Big5 Assessments
Yes — candidate dashboard with scoring, sorting, and filtering
Pricing
| TraitLab Pro | Big5 Assessments | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing | Unit-based pricing; each unit covers one candidate across all core assessments |
| Entry Price | $49/assessment (1 credit) | £500 for 5 units (~£100/unit, ~$125 USD/unit) |
| Volume Price | $24/assessment (100+ credits) | Unlimited subscription available (pricing not public) |
| Annual Minimums/Subscriptions | None | Minimum 5-unit purchase; unlimited subscription option |
| Hidden Costs | None | None apparent; free account manager support included |
| Free Tier/Trial | Free account; credits required for assessments | Free plan: up to 5 candidates/month on core assessments; free trial available |
Pricing Model
TraitLab Pro
Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing
Big5 Assessments
Unit-based pricing; each unit covers one candidate across all core assessments
Entry Price
TraitLab Pro
$49/assessment (1 credit)
Big5 Assessments
£500 for 5 units (~£100/unit, ~$125 USD/unit)
Volume Price
TraitLab Pro
$24/assessment (100+ credits)
Big5 Assessments
Unlimited subscription available (pricing not public)
Annual Minimums/Subscriptions
TraitLab Pro
None
Big5 Assessments
Minimum 5-unit purchase; unlimited subscription option
Hidden Costs
TraitLab Pro
None
Big5 Assessments
None apparent; free account manager support included
Free Tier/Trial
TraitLab Pro
Free account; credits required for assessments
Big5 Assessments
Free plan: up to 5 candidates/month on core assessments; free trial available
Use Case Fit
| TraitLab Pro | Big5 Assessments | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment Screening & Hiring | Not supported | Primary |
| Employee Development & Team Building | Primary | Not a primary focus |
| Leadership Development & Succession Planning | Secondary | Not supported |
| Coaching & Professional Development | Primary | Not supported |
Pre-employment Screening & Hiring
TraitLab Pro
Not supported
Big5 Assessments
Primary
Employee Development & Team Building
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Big5 Assessments
Not a primary focus
Leadership Development & Succession Planning
TraitLab Pro
Secondary
Big5 Assessments
Not supported
Coaching & Professional Development
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Big5 Assessments
Not supported
Key Differences
Big5 Assessments's Advantages
-
Extremely fast assessment (6-10 min vs. 10-60 min) — less friction for candidate screening
-
Free tier allows 5 candidate assessments per month at no cost
-
Each unit includes all four core assessments (personality, cognitive, attitudes, engagement), not just personality
-
Purpose-built hiring dashboard with candidate sorting, sifting, and filtering
TraitLab Pro's Advantages
-
Much broader and deeper personality assessment covering six areas vs. Big Five traits only
-
Self-serve setup with no discovery call required
-
Designed for development and coaching use cases, not just hiring
-
Lower per-assessment cost at volume ($24 vs. ~£100/unit)
-
Established, peer-reviewed frameworks with customizable assessment configuration
Big5 Assessments
Strengths
-
Very fast completion time minimizes candidate drop-off in hiring funnels
-
Bundled assessment battery (personality + cognitive + attitudes + engagement) provides multi-dimensional candidate data
-
Free tier and free trial lower the barrier to trying the platform
-
Dedicated account manager support included at no extra cost
Weaknesses
-
Focused exclusively on pre-employment screening with no development or coaching capabilities
-
High per-unit entry cost (£100/unit) relative to what's measured
-
Requires discovery call and demo before account setup — not truly self-serve
-
Limited to Big Five personality traits without additional frameworks like Enneagram or strengths
The Bottom Line
Both platforms use the Big Five model, but they apply it to different problems. Big5 Assessments packages a quick personality screen with cognitive and engagement tests for candidate selection, starting at roughly $125 per candidate unit. TraitLab Pro delivers a much broader personality assessment across six frameworks at $24-49 per person, but it is not designed for hiring. There is a free tier at Big5 Assessments (5 candidates/month) that makes it easy to trial for hiring use cases. For development and coaching, TraitLab Pro's depth and self-serve access are hard to match.
See What TraitLab Pro Measures
Six validated personality frameworks from a single 20-minute assessment. No certification required.