SkillsDB Compare: Lightcastskillsdb.com
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SkillsDBvsLightcast

Lightcast maps the external labor market. SkillsDB maps your internal workforce — what skills your people actually have today, and how to develop them.

Quick Verdict
Skills-First Methodology
Custom Competency Frameworks
Proficiency Assessment
Gap Analysis
Interactive Skills Matrix
18
Years in skills intelligence
F500
Enterprise customer base
SOC2
Type II certified + GDPR compliant
30+
Countries served
Worldwide
Major languages supported
Side by Side

Feature Comparison

Skills-First Methodology
SkillsDB
Assess, analyze, develop, track
Lightcast
Skills taxonomy and market demand analysis
Custom Competency Frameworks
SkillsDB
Build in your org’s language
Lightcast
Standardized skills taxonomy from market data
Proficiency Assessment
SkillsDB
Manager + self-assessment with benchmarks
Lightcast
No internal assessment — external data only
Gap Analysis
SkillsDB
Real-time gap visualization with radar charts
Lightcast
Supply/demand gap analysis at market level
Interactive Skills Matrix
SkillsDB
Live, filterable matrix across entire org
Lightcast
No employee-level skills view
Career Pathways
SkillsDB
Skill-based progression with visible requirements
Lightcast
Career pathway data from market transitions
Labor Market Data
SkillsDB
Focused on internal workforce
Lightcast
2.5B job postings, 800M profiles, 160+ countries
Compensation Benchmarking
SkillsDB
Not a compensation tool
Lightcast
Comprehensive salary and compensation data
Learning Plan Integration
SkillsDB
Plans tied to specific skill gaps
Lightcast
No learning or development features
Certification Tracking
SkillsDB
Full lifecycle with expiry alerts
Lightcast
Not a core feature
API & Integrations
SkillsDB
Full GraphQL API, SSO, SCIM
Lightcast
Data APIs, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks
Security & Compliance
SkillsDB
SOC2 Type II, GDPR
Lightcast
Enterprise-grade data security
Overview

About Lightcast

Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass) is the global standard in labor market intelligence. Their platform aggregates data from 2.5 billion job postings, 800 million career profiles, and 100+ government sources across 160+ countries. Lightcast provides skills taxonomies, labor market analytics, compensation benchmarking, talent supply/demand analysis, and workforce planning data. They serve enterprises, staffing firms, education institutions, and economic development organizations.

Best forOrganizations that need external labor market intelligence — skills demand trends, compensation benchmarking, talent supply analysis, and workforce planning informed by market data.

But labor market intelligence tells you what the market demands — not what your people can actually do. SkillsDB provides the internal counterpart: assessed proficiency across your workforce, so your planning is grounded in both external demand and internal reality.

Differentiation

Why Teams Choose SkillsDB

Internal Reality, Not Just External Trends

Lightcast tells you what the labor market demands. SkillsDB tells you what your workforce can actually deliver — assessed proficiency, verified gaps, real development progress. You need both to plan, but you can’t develop what you haven’t measured.

Develop, Not Just Analyze

Market data informs strategy. But strategy without execution is a slide deck. SkillsDB gives you the tools to actually close gaps — assessments, learning plans, career pathways, certification tracking, and measurable proficiency growth.

Every Employee, Assessed

Lightcast works with aggregated market data. SkillsDB works with individual employee proficiency — manager grades, self-assessments, benchmarks, and development plans. The internal ground truth that makes workforce planning actionable.

SOC 2 Type II Certified
GDPR Compliant
SSO + SCIM
Full REST API
Major languages supported
Fortune 500 Customers

Trusted by some of the world's best companies

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See the Difference for Yourself

Book a demo and we'll show you how SkillsDB makes skills visible, measurable, and actionable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lightcast provides external labor market intelligence — skills demand trends, job posting analytics, compensation data, and workforce planning from market data. SkillsDB provides internal workforce intelligence — assessed proficiency, gap analysis, career pathways, and development tracking for your actual employees. Lightcast tells you what the market wants; SkillsDB tells you what your people have.

They’re powerfully complementary. Lightcast provides the "where should we be heading" data — skills demand, market trends, compensation benchmarks. SkillsDB provides the "where are we now" assessment — verified proficiency across your workforce. Together, your workforce planning is grounded in both market reality and internal reality.

If your primary need is labor market intelligence — understanding skills demand trends, benchmarking compensation, analyzing talent supply and demand, or informing education program design — Lightcast is the industry standard. If you need to assess and develop the skills of your actual workforce, SkillsDB is purpose-built for that.

No. SkillsDB focuses on your internal workforce — assessed skills, proficiency tracking, gap analysis, and development planning. For external market data, a platform like Lightcast is the right tool. Many organizations use both to get the complete picture.

Yes. SOC2 Type II certified, GDPR compliant, SSO and SCIM. Fortune 500 customers. Visit trust.skillsdb.com.

Most SkillsDB implementations are measured in weeks. No data integration project required — your competency frameworks and assessments are configured and running quickly.