New research: Leading indicators of AI coding agent effectiveness
New research: Leading indicators of AI coding agent effectiveness
Span vs. DX:
The AI-native alternative
DX is rooted in frameworks and standardized measurement. Span grounds every answer in the underlying work, helping operators understand what changed and improve outcomes. See why engineering teams are switching to Span.
Why Span
Built for the way engineering works now
Built for the way engineering works now
Span gives leaders a clearer view of engineering performance and AI impact, without adding more reporting work or requiring every team to follow the same process.
Span gives leaders a clearer view of engineering performance and AI impact, without adding more reporting work or requiring every team to follow the same process.
Prove and improve AI impact
Go beyond high-level AI scores. Connect agent activity and spend to shipped work, then identify the harness, workflow, and codebase changes that improve AI outcomes.
The right view for every role
Give executives, managers, teams, and ICs the context they need. HRIS-grade permissions keep sensitive individual, survey, and trace data controlled.
Prompt-to-prod visibility
Follow AI-assisted work from the agent session through the code and PR it produced. See what drove the outcomes, not only the final score.
Verify every result
Drill from any metric or finding into the PRs, tickets, code, and agent traces behind it. Span gives leaders evidence they can inspect, verify, and trust.
Flexible by design
Adapt Span to your operating model, metrics, workflows, and culture. Our focused co-build approach evolves quickly with how your teams and agents work.
Works without perfect hygiene
Span’s AI inference engine fills gaps when tickets, links, and project structures are incomplete. Get a useful view without forcing more process onto teams.
Prove and improve AI impact
Go beyond high-level AI scores. Connect agent activity and spend to shipped work, then identify the harness, workflow, and codebase changes that improve AI outcomes.
Prompt-to-prod visibility
Follow AI-assisted work from the agent session through the code and PR it produced. See what drove the outcomes, not only the final score.
Flexible by design
Adapt Span to your operating model, metrics, workflows, and culture. Our focused co-build approach evolves quickly with how your teams and agents work.
The right view for every role
Give executives, managers, teams, and ICs the context they need. HRIS-grade permissions keep sensitive individual, survey, and trace data controlled.
Verify every result
Drill from any metric or finding into the PRs, tickets, code, and agent traces behind it. Span gives leaders evidence they can inspect, verify, and trust.
Works without perfect hygiene
Span’s AI inference engine fills gaps when tickets, links, and project structures are incomplete. Get a useful view without forcing more process onto teams.
Prove and improve AI impact
Go beyond high-level AI scores. Connect agent activity and spend to shipped work, then identify the harness, workflow, and codebase changes that improve AI outcomes.
Flexible by design
Adapt Span to your operating model, metrics, workflows, and culture. Our focused co-build approach evolves quickly with how your teams and agents work.
Verify every result
Drill from any metric or finding into the PRs, tickets, code, and agent traces behind it. Span gives leaders evidence they can inspect, verify, and trust.
Prompt-to-prod visibility
Follow AI-assisted work from the agent session through the code and PR it produced. See what drove the outcomes, not only the final score.
The right view for every role
Give executives, managers, teams, and ICs the context they need. HRIS-grade permissions keep sensitive individual, survey, and trace data controlled.
Works without perfect hygiene
Span’s AI inference engine fills gaps when tickets, links, and project structures are incomplete. Get a useful view without forcing more process onto teams.
Detailed Comparison
How Span stacks up against DX
How Span stacks up against DX
Go beyond high-level AI scores. Span connects agent activity to shipped work and outcomes, then surfaces the workflow changes and environment fixes that improve delivery, quality, and cost.
Go beyond high-level AI scores. Span connects agent activity to shipped work and outcomes, then surfaces the workflow changes and environment fixes that improve delivery, quality, and cost.
CAPABILITIES
AI effectiveness & ROI
AI effectiveness & ROI
Workstreams & investment mix
Workstreams & investment mix
AI-native cost capitalization
AI-native cost capitalization
Brag sheets & performance summaries
Brag sheets & performance summaries
Works without perfect data hygiene
Works without perfect data hygiene
Roles & permissions
Roles & permissions
Time to value
Time to value
Pricing
Pricing
Connect full agent traces to code, spend, rework, quality, and delivery outcomes to see what improves AI results
Connect full agent traces to code, spend, rework, quality, and delivery outcomes to see what improves AI results
See where engineering time goes, including unplanned and unlinked work
See where engineering time goes, including unplanned and unlinked work
Automate software capitalization from real activity, even when issue links are incomplete
Automate software capitalization from real activity, even when issue links are incomplete
Generate evidence-backed updates for ICs, managers, and leaders from the work behind each result
Generate evidence-backed updates for ICs, managers, and leaders from the work behind each result
AI inference reconstructs work when tickets, links, labels, and project structures are incomplete
AI inference reconstructs work when tickets, links, labels, and project structures are incomplete
Tailored views for ICs, managers, and leaders, with HRIS-grade controls across sensitive individual, survey, and trace data
Tailored views for ICs, managers, and leaders, with HRIS-grade controls across sensitive individual, survey, and trace data
Customers report getting to value 3–4x faster, with less taxonomy, cleanup, and configuration work
Customers report getting to value 3–4x faster, with less taxonomy, cleanup, and configuration work
$45 per contributor/month. Transparent and predictable
$45 per contributor/month. Transparent and predictable
getdx
Blends observed data with scores, surveys, and modeled assumptions, making impact harder to verify at the source
Blends observed data with scores, surveys, and modeled assumptions, making impact harder to verify at the source
Works when tickets, hierarchies, and configured categories reflect the work
Works when tickets, hierarchies, and configured categories reflect the work
Builds capitalization on structured allocation and configured rules; gaps in project data carry into the result
Builds capitalization on structured allocation and configured rules; gaps in project data carry into the result
Leans more on standardized dashboards, survey findings, and executive reporting
Leans more on standardized dashboards, survey findings, and executive reporting
Broader insights depend on maintained hierarchies, categorization, linked work, and ongoing setup
Broader insights depend on maintained hierarchies, categorization, linked work, and ongoing setup
Enterprise controls, but less consistent governance across raw data, sensitive identities, and trace content
Enterprise controls, but less consistent governance across raw data, sensitive identities, and trace content
Broader rollout can require surveys, endpoint setup, hierarchy maintenance, and module configuration
Broader rollout can require surveys, endpoint setup, hierarchy maintenance, and module configuration
Modular pricing makes the full platform harder to compare and plan for upfront
Modular pricing makes the full platform harder to compare and plan for upfront
The Span Advantage
Why teams choose Span over DX
Why teams choose Span over DX
01
Grounded in the work, not just a score
DX is known for research, surveys, and standardized scores. Span ties every finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions, so leaders can verify the results and act on evidence they trust.
04
Optimize the full agent environment
Span evaluates the session and the harness around the model, showing which prompts, tools, tests, and codebase conditions are limiting results.
02
Built for modern operators
DX is rooted in frameworks and standardized measurement. Span helps operators run engineering: find what changed, trace it to the work, decide what to fix, and measure whether it improved outcomes.
05
Focused partner that moves quickly
DX is now part of Atlassian’s broader suite. Span stays focused on engineering operators and co-builds quickly as AI tools and workflows change.
03
See the work missing from Jira
DX works best when project systems accurately reflect the work. Span reconstructs it from engineering activity when tickets and links are incomplete.
06
Evidence behind every answer
Move from any metric or AI finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions behind it. Span gives leaders the context to verify the result and understand what needs to change.
01
Grounded in the work, not just a score
DX is known for research, surveys, and standardized scores. Span ties every finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions, so leaders can verify the results and act on evidence they trust.
02
Built for modern operators
DX is rooted in frameworks and standardized measurement. Span helps operators run engineering: find what changed, trace it to the work, decide what to fix, and measure whether it improved outcomes.
03
See the work missing from Jira
DX works best when project systems accurately reflect the work. Span reconstructs it from engineering activity when tickets and links are incomplete.
04
Optimize the full agent environment
Span evaluates the session and the harness around the model, showing which prompts, tools, tests, and codebase conditions are limiting results.
05
Focused partner that moves quickly
DX is now part of Atlassian’s broader suite. Span stays focused on engineering operators and co-builds quickly as AI tools and workflows change.
06
Evidence behind every answer
Move from any metric or AI finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions behind it. Span gives leaders the context to verify the result and understand what needs to change.
01
Grounded in the work, not just a score
DX is known for research, surveys, and standardized scores. Span ties every finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions, so leaders can verify the results and act on evidence they trust.
03
See the work missing from Jira
DX works best when project systems accurately reflect the work. Span reconstructs it from engineering activity when tickets and links are incomplete.
05
Focused partner that moves quickly
DX is now part of Atlassian’s broader suite. Span stays focused on engineering operators and co-builds quickly as AI tools and workflows change.
02
Built for modern operators
DX is rooted in frameworks and standardized measurement. Span helps operators run engineering: find what changed, trace it to the work, decide what to fix, and measure whether it improved outcomes.
04
Optimize the full agent environment
Span evaluates the session and the harness around the model, showing which prompts, tools, tests, and codebase conditions are limiting results.
06
Evidence behind every answer
Move from any metric or AI finding to the code, PRs, tickets, and agent sessions behind it. Span gives leaders the context to verify the result and understand what needs to change.
Glossgenius
glossgenius.com
"Span helps us take a more data-driven approach to velocity and gives every team and engineer visibility into how they can improve. We quickly moved the needle by giving teams insight into their working patterns and their own maker time."
Brady Allchin
VP of Engineering
Classpass
classpass.com
"We looked at other products, but ultimately chose Span. It came down to the magic and usability. Span just feels built by engineers who understand how teams actually work."
Henrique Boregio
Director of Engineering
Glossgenius
glossgenius.com
"Span helps us take a more data-driven approach to velocity and gives every team and engineer visibility into how they can improve. We quickly moved the needle by giving teams insight into their working patterns and their own maker time."
Brady Allchin
VP of Engineering
Classpass
classpass.com
"We looked at other products, but ultimately chose Span. It came down to the magic and usability. Span just feels built by engineers who understand how teams actually work."
Henrique Boregio
Director of Engineering
Transparent, predictable pricing
Transparent, predictable pricing
No negotiation games, hidden costs, or surprises.
No negotiation games, hidden costs, or surprises.
$45
contributor/mo
billed annually
Glossgenius
glossgenius.com
"Span helps us take a more data-driven approach to velocity and gives every team and engineer visibility into how they can improve. We quickly moved the needle by giving teams insight into their working patterns and their own maker time."
Brady Allchin
VP of Engineering
Classpass
classpass.com
"We looked at other products, but ultimately chose Span. It came down to the magic and usability. Span just feels built by engineers who understand how teams actually work."
Henrique Boregio
Director of Engineering
Everything you need to unlock engineering excellence
Everything you need to unlock engineering excellence