TraitLab Pro vs. Saville: Breadth vs. Granularity
Saville Assessment offers the most granular personality measurement on the market: 108 facets across 36 dimensions in its Wave Professional questionnaire, designed by Peter Saville, co-creator of the OPQ/SHL system. That depth is unmatched, but it comes with training requirements, undisclosed setup fees, and a 40-minute assessment. TraitLab Pro takes a different path — six distinct personality frameworks (Big Five, strengths, working style, interpersonal style, Jungian typology, Enneagram) in a single self-serve assessment at $24-49, with no training needed. Saville goes deep within one proprietary framework. TraitLab Pro goes broad across multiple established ones.
Quick Verdict
Choose TraitLab Pro if you want multi-framework personality insights with transparent pricing, self-serve access, and no training requirements.
Choose Saville Assessment if you need the deepest possible personality granularity within a single framework and have the resources for training and platform setup.
These platforms serve different purposes
Saville Assessment serves large organizations needing detailed personality data for both hiring (Wave Focus, 13 minutes) and development (Wave Professional, 40 minutes), delivered through managed services or a client-branded Oasys platform. TraitLab Pro is a self-serve personality assessment for team development and coaching. Saville offers exceptional measurement depth within its proprietary Wave framework. TraitLab Pro offers measurement breadth across six established frameworks. They represent different philosophies: maximum granularity within one model versus integrated coverage across multiple models.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Assessment
| TraitLab Pro | Saville Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Personality Model | Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC) | Proprietary Wave framework — 4 clusters, 12 sections, 36 dimensions, 108 facets |
| Traits/Dimensions Measured | Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology | Wave Professional: 108 facets across 36 dimensions; Wave Focus: shorter version for volume screening |
| Scientific Basis | Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments | Proprietary model designed by Peter Saville (co-creator of OPQ/SHL); detailed technical manuals available |
| Customizability | Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option | Two versions (Professional for depth, Focus for speed); specific items not customizable |
Personality Model
TraitLab Pro
Big Five + established frameworks (Enneagram, Jungian, RIASEC)
Saville Assessment
Proprietary Wave framework — 4 clusters, 12 sections, 36 dimensions, 108 facets
Traits/Dimensions Measured
TraitLab Pro
Customizable: Personality Traits, Strengths, Working Style, Interpersonal Style, Jungian Typology, Enneagram Typology
Saville Assessment
Wave Professional: 108 facets across 36 dimensions; Wave Focus: shorter version for volume screening
Scientific Basis
TraitLab Pro
Peer-reviewed, research-validated instruments
Saville Assessment
Proprietary model designed by Peter Saville (co-creator of OPQ/SHL); detailed technical manuals available
Customizability
TraitLab Pro
Mix-and-match assessment areas; compact 20-min option
Saville Assessment
Two versions (Professional for depth, Focus for speed); specific items not customizable
Implementation
| TraitLab Pro | Saville Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Model | Fully self-serve; free account creation | Two models: managed service (Saville consultants administer) or client-branded Oasys platform |
| Certification/Training Required | None | Training required for many assessments |
| Time to First Assessment | Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link) | Days to weeks (sales engagement, Oasys setup or Bureau service arrangement, training) |
| ATS/HR System Integration | No | Available through Oasys platform |
| Scalability | Any scale; credit-based, no minimums | Pay-per-use with no annual minimums; scales through both service models |
Setup Model
TraitLab Pro
Fully self-serve; free account creation
Saville Assessment
Two models: managed service (Saville consultants administer) or client-branded Oasys platform
Certification/Training Required
TraitLab Pro
None
Saville Assessment
Training required for many assessments
Time to First Assessment
TraitLab Pro
Minutes (sign up, purchase credits, send link)
Saville Assessment
Days to weeks (sales engagement, Oasys setup or Bureau service arrangement, training)
ATS/HR System Integration
TraitLab Pro
No
Saville Assessment
Available through Oasys platform
Scalability
TraitLab Pro
Any scale; credit-based, no minimums
Saville Assessment
Pay-per-use with no annual minimums; scales through both service models
User Experience
| TraitLab Pro | Saville Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Duration | 10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option | Professional: ~40 min; Focus: ~13 min |
| Device Support | Mobile and desktop | Mobile and desktop via Oasys platform |
| Question Format | Short multiple choice | Statements rated on a 9-point scale |
| Results Delivery | Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin | Through Oasys platform; may require trained interpretation |
| Admin Portal | Yes — view, compare, manage all results | Oasys platform (can be client-branded) |
Assessment Duration
TraitLab Pro
10-60 min (customizable); 20 min compact option
Saville Assessment
Professional: ~40 min; Focus: ~13 min
Device Support
TraitLab Pro
Mobile and desktop
Saville Assessment
Mobile and desktop via Oasys platform
Question Format
TraitLab Pro
Short multiple choice
Saville Assessment
Statements rated on a 9-point scale
Results Delivery
TraitLab Pro
Instant, digital, self-serve for both test taker and admin
Saville Assessment
Through Oasys platform; may require trained interpretation
Admin Portal
TraitLab Pro
Yes — view, compare, manage all results
Saville Assessment
Oasys platform (can be client-branded)
Pricing
| TraitLab Pro | Saville Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing | Pay-per-use; no annual license fees |
| Entry Price | $49/assessment (1 credit) | Not publicly disclosed; Oasys setup fee required |
| Volume Price | $24/assessment (100+ credits) | Oasys provides lower per-assessment costs vs. Bureau service |
| Annual Minimums/Subscriptions | None | No annual minimums; setup fee for Oasys |
| Hidden Costs | None | Oasys setup fee (undisclosed); required training courses |
| Free Tier/Trial | Free account; credits required for assessments | Not publicly available |
Pricing Model
TraitLab Pro
Per-assessment credits; transparent, published pricing
Saville Assessment
Pay-per-use; no annual license fees
Entry Price
TraitLab Pro
$49/assessment (1 credit)
Saville Assessment
Not publicly disclosed; Oasys setup fee required
Volume Price
TraitLab Pro
$24/assessment (100+ credits)
Saville Assessment
Oasys provides lower per-assessment costs vs. Bureau service
Annual Minimums/Subscriptions
TraitLab Pro
None
Saville Assessment
No annual minimums; setup fee for Oasys
Hidden Costs
TraitLab Pro
None
Saville Assessment
Oasys setup fee (undisclosed); required training courses
Free Tier/Trial
TraitLab Pro
Free account; credits required for assessments
Saville Assessment
Not publicly available
Use Case Fit
| TraitLab Pro | Saville Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment Screening & Hiring | Not supported | Primary (especially Wave Focus for volume screening) |
| Employee Development & Team Building | Primary | Primary (Wave Professional for development) |
| Leadership Development & Succession Planning | Secondary | Secondary |
| Coaching & Professional Development | Primary | Secondary |
Pre-employment Screening & Hiring
TraitLab Pro
Not supported
Saville Assessment
Primary (especially Wave Focus for volume screening)
Employee Development & Team Building
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Saville Assessment
Primary (Wave Professional for development)
Leadership Development & Succession Planning
TraitLab Pro
Secondary
Saville Assessment
Secondary
Coaching & Professional Development
TraitLab Pro
Primary
Saville Assessment
Secondary
Key Differences
Saville Assessment's Advantages
-
Exceptionally granular assessment — 108 facets across 36 dimensions provide unmatched personality detail
-
Two-version strategy (Professional for depth, Focus for speed) serves both screening and development
-
Client-brandable Oasys platform allows white-label deployment
-
Managed service option for organizations that want consultants to handle administration
-
Founded by Peter Saville, co-creator of OPQ/SHL — deep psychometric credibility
TraitLab Pro's Advantages
-
Transparent, published pricing vs. undisclosed costs requiring sales contact
-
Self-serve setup in minutes with no training requirements vs. mandatory training for many assessments
-
Multiple personality frameworks (Big Five, Enneagram, Jungian, career interests) vs. a single proprietary framework
-
No setup fees — just purchase credits and go
-
Results delivered instantly to both test takers and admins without trained interpretation requirements
-
Accessible to individual practitioners and small organizations without minimum commitments
Saville Assessment
Strengths
-
Deepest personality granularity available (108 facets) — exceptional for detailed development insights
-
Flexible delivery model (managed or self-service) accommodates different organizational capabilities
-
No annual minimums or subscriptions — pay-per-use aligns cost with actual usage
-
Fast screening version (Wave Focus, ~13 min) alongside comprehensive development version
Weaknesses
-
Opaque pricing with undisclosed setup fees makes budgeting difficult
-
Training requirements add time and cost before deployment
-
Proprietary framework — while created by a respected psychometrician, it's not the Big Five
-
40-minute Professional assessment is lengthy and may reduce completion rates
-
9-point rating scale may feel tedious compared to simpler question formats
The Bottom Line
Saville Assessment is a serious psychometric tool built by one of the most respected names in workplace assessment. Its 108-facet Wave Professional questionnaire provides personality detail that no other platform matches — and its pay-per-use pricing (no annual minimums) is more flexible than most enterprise competitors. The barriers are training requirements, undisclosed setup fees, and a proprietary framework rather than the Big Five. TraitLab Pro offers a fundamentally different value: six established personality frameworks in one self-serve assessment, with transparent pricing and zero training. For organizations with psychometric expertise, Saville's granularity is hard to beat. For coaches and teams that want breadth and accessibility, TraitLab Pro is the more practical choice.
See What TraitLab Pro Measures
Six validated personality frameworks from a single 20-minute assessment. No certification required.