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Looking for a Gartner alternative for HRIS? OutSail offers affordable HR tech research, expert vendor matching, and real guidance tailored to mid-market companies.
If you're a mid-market company shopping for HR technology, you've probably heard someone suggest: "Check what Gartner says." It's sound advice—Gartner is the gold standard in technology research, with decades of credibility and deep market analysis.
There's just one problem: Gartner's research services aren't designed for companies like yours. They're designed for enterprise organizations with dedicated procurement teams, substantial research budgets, and purchasing decisions that span multiple quarters.
For mid-market companies—those with 200-2,000 employees—Gartner's model creates a frustrating paradox: the organizations that need vendor intelligence the most are the ones least able to access it.
This is where OutSail comes in. We've built an HR tech advisory service specifically designed for mid-market buyers who need Gartner-quality insights without enterprise-level pricing or generalist coverage.
Let's explore the real differences between these two approaches and why one might be right for your next HRIS selection.
Gartner operates on an annual subscription model. Companies pay five-figure to six-figure fees for access to research reports, analyst inquiries, and market intelligence. Typical annual contracts range from $30,000 to $ 100,000 or more, depending on the scope of coverage and the number of users.
For a Fortune 500 company evaluating software across multiple departments and geographies, this investment makes sense. Spread across dozens of buying decisions annually, the per-decision cost becomes reasonable.
But here's what this model means for mid-market companies:
You're a 500-person company looking to replace your HRIS. You contact Gartner for research access. The annual subscription fee might be $50,000. You're making one software decision this year—maybe two if you also tackle ATS or performance management.
Suddenly, you're paying $50,000 for insights on a purchasing decision that might be $80,000-$150,000 annually. The research budget rivals the software budget. For most mid-market companies, this math doesn't work.
OutSail operates on a completely different principle: you pay nothing upfront, nothing during the selection process, and nothing if you don't make a purchase.
We're compensated by software vendors when you successfully select and sign a contract. This means:
For mid-market companies, this removes the biggest barrier to accessing expert intelligence: the upfront financial commitment.
Gartner covers technology across every industry and function imaginable: cybersecurity, ERP systems, cloud infrastructure, marketing automation, supply chain software, customer service platforms, and yes, HR technology.
This breadth is Gartner's strength for enterprise buyers who need intelligence across many domains. A VP of IT at a Fortune 1000 company might reference Gartner research for a dozen different technology categories throughout the year.
But this generalist approach creates trade-offs:
OutSail does one thing: HR technology advisory for mid-market companies. We don't cover CRM systems or cybersecurity tools. We focus exclusively on HRIS, ATS, performance management, benefits administration, payroll, and related HR tech categories.
This specialization creates distinct advantages:
Mid-market buyers face distinct challenges that require different support than enterprise organizations:
A mid-market company may spend $100,000 to $300,000 annually on HRIS software. This is a material budget line—but it's not enough to justify hiring a dedicated HR tech analyst or paying for enterprise research subscriptions.
Yet the decision is no less important. The wrong HRIS choice impacts every employee, hampers HR efficiency, and becomes painful to reverse. Mid-market companies need expert guidance, but it must be accessible.
Enterprise buyers often have procurement specialists, IT teams dedicated to integration work, and change management professionals to support rollout. Mid-market companies typically don't.
The Head of HR is often wearing multiple hats: recruiter, benefits administrator, HRIS project lead, and strategic advisor. They need guidance that's practical and hands-on, not just strategic reports to interpret.
Mid-market companies move faster than enterprises. When leadership decides it's time for new HR software, the expectation is often "select and implement within 6 months," not "complete research phase by Q3 and maybe select by the end of the year."
This requires research support that's immediately accessible and actionable, not subscription-based access that takes weeks to provision.
Enterprise buyers have procurement power—vendors court them aggressively. Mid-market buyers have less leverage, which means negotiation expertise becomes more valuable.
They need advisors who know the market rates for companies their size, what's negotiable, and how to structure contracts favorably without the procurement muscle of enterprise buyers.
Our HRIS Landscape Report provides comprehensive market intelligence at no cost. You'll get:
This report alone provides more actionable HRIS intelligence than most mid-market companies could gather on their own—and it's completely free.
Through our Vendor Shortlisting service, we assess your specific needs and match you with the 3-4 best-fit vendors for your situation.
This isn't generic research—it's tailored analysis based on your company size, industry, technical environment, growth plans, and HR priorities. We eliminate the 80% of vendors that aren't right for you, so you can focus on the 20% that are.
And remember: this costs you nothing unless you make a selection.
We don't just point you toward vendors and wish you luck. We guide you through:
This level of support bridges the gap between research reports and real-world execution—exactly what mid-market companies need.
Scenario 1: Enterprise with Multiple Annual Purchases A 10,000-person company evaluating HR tech, sales tools, IT infrastructure, and security solutions throughout the year. The $75,000 annual Gartner subscription pays for itself across multiple buying decisions and departments.
Scenario 2: Board-Level Due Diligence A public company where board members or institutional investors expect to see "What does Gartner say?" in every technology business case. The Gartner brand provides institutional credibility that influences approval.
Scenario 3: Established Research Teams Organizations with dedicated research and procurement functions who know how to extract maximum value from Gartner subscriptions and have the expertise to translate reports into action.
Scenario 1: Mid-Market First-Time HRIS Buyer A 400-person company moving from spreadsheets and basic tools to their first true HRIS. They need hands-on guidance, not research reports. Zero upfront cost removes the barrier to getting expert help.
Scenario 2: Growing Company Outgrowing Current System A 800-person company that's scaled beyond their startup HRIS. They need to select a more robust platform but don't have internal expertise. They want an advisor who'll stay with them through negotiation and implementation.
Scenario 3: HR Leader Without Procurement Support A Head of HR who owns the software selection but doesn't have dedicated procurement, IT project management, or vendor analysis teams. They need operational support, not just strategic insight.
Scenario 4: Cost-Conscious Selection Any mid-market company where spending $30,000-$50,000 on research for a single software decision doesn't pencil out financially—which is most of them.
Price isn't the only barrier Gartner creates for mid-market buyers. The subscription model also creates friction around timing and agility.
Imagine you're not planning an HRIS purchase this year. Why would you pay for research access you won't use? But then in Q3, your CEO announces a growth plan that requires better HR systems. Now you need intelligence fast—but getting a Gartner subscription provisioned might take weeks.
With OutSail, there's no timing problem. Start working with us the moment you're ready. No subscription to activate, no contracts to negotiate upfront, no coordination with procurement.
Mid-market companies need flexibility. Maybe you start researching HRIS platforms, then realize you need to tackle ATS first. Or your budget gets delayed, and the project moves to next quarter.
With subscription-based research, you're paying regardless of whether your project moves forward. With OutSail's utilization model, you only engage costs when you're actively selecting and successfully choosing a vendor.
This flexibility is particularly valuable for mid-market companies where budgets and priorities shift more dynamically than in enterprise environments.
For too long, mid-market companies have faced an unfair choice: pay enterprise prices for research you can't fully utilize, or navigate the HR tech market alone.
Gartner built an incredible research institution—but they built it for enterprises, priced it for enterprises, and optimized it for enterprise concerns. There's no shame in acknowledging that their model doesn't serve every buyer equally.
OutSail exists to serve the companies Gartner's model leaves behind: mid-market organizations that need expert HR tech intelligence but need it to be accessible, specialized, and free until they're ready to buy.
If you're a mid-market company beginning your HRIS search and want expert guidance without enterprise pricing, we're here to help.
Find Your Match with OutSail's Vendor Shortlisting and discover the 3-4 HRIS vendors perfectly aligned with your company's needs, size, and growth trajectory.
No subscription fees. No upfront costs. No payment unless you successfully select a vendor.
Just expert HR tech intelligence built specifically for companies like yours—accessible when you need it, free until you buy it, and specialized in the one area that matters for your current decision.
Because mid-market companies shouldn't have to pay enterprise prices for the intelligence they deserve.
