Long-term incentives (LTIs) have become one of the most strategic levers for attracting, engaging, and retaining high-performing talent, especially as global pay transparency, equity expectations, and governance standards accelerate. For 2026, leading enterprises are prioritizing LTI systems that support complex plan design, international compliance, automated workflows, and a modern employee experience.

This guide highlights the top LTI systems for 2026 across enterprise, public company, and high-growth global use cases. These platforms stand out for configurability, compliance, scalability, and their ability to connect LTIs to broader compensation and total rewards strategies.

Why Advanced LTI Platforms Matter in 2026

As compensation teams, regulators, and global workforces demand more clarity and accountability, compensation leaders face challenges, including:

  • Complex multi-country tax and reporting requirements
  • Increased equity plan governance
  • Links between LTIs and ESG, DEI, and performance goals
  • Employee demand for transparent, easy-to-understand equity value
  • The need to align LTIs with global pay transparency regulations (including the EU Pay Transparency Directive)

The best LTI systems of 2026 deliver:

  • Automated grant, vesting, and approval workflows
  • Multi-country tax, currency, and compliance support
  • Configurable plan logic for equity and cash LTIs
  • Scenario modeling, forecasting, and burn-rate management
  • Role-based security and audit-ready governance
  • A clean, intuitive employee experience

Below are the platforms leading the landscape.

Top Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Systems for 2026

1. HRSoft – Best for Global Enterprises Needing Flexible, End-to-End LTI Management

HRSoft’s LTI platform is engineered for enterprise organizations seeking configurable, compliant, and globally scalable incentive management — without custom development or rigid templates.

Why HRSoft Leads:

  • Highly configurable plan logic for equity and cash LTIs
  • Global currency, localization, and compliance readiness
  • Workflow automation for approvals, vesting, and performance cycles
  • Advanced modeling for grant values, scenarios, and performance multipliers
  • Unified platform connecting salary planning, STI, LTI, and total rewards
  • Deep governance with role-based permissions and audit trails
  • Compensation goes deeper than LTI. Though LTI is a standalone product for HRSoft, the company can solve for the entire compensation lifecycle with its compensation portfolio of solutions.

Ideal For:
Enterprises with complex global workforces and multi-layered incentive structures that need high configurability and end-to-end lifecycle management.

2. Carta – Best for High-Growth Tech and Equity-Heavy Organizations

Carta is widely used by startups, scaleups, and high-growth companies with equity-centric cultures and frequent fundraising or refresh cycles.

Strengths

  • Intuitive equity administration and cap table management
  • Participant equity education and transparency tools
  • Straightforward grant issuance and tracking
  • Easy integrations with HRIS systems

Ideal For:
High-growth organizations looking to scale equity programs with simplicity and investor alignment.

3. Global Shares (A J.P. Morgan Company) – Best for International Organizations Expanding Global Equity Programs

Global Shares stands out for its multi-country coverage and strong international equity capabilities.

Strengths

  • Global tax, currency, and regulatory compliance
  • Flexible plan creation for RSUs, PSUs, options, and cash LTIs
  • Scalable participant portal for global workforces
  • Enterprise-grade reporting and integrations

Ideal For:
Organizations with broad international populations and diverse equity needs across APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and North America.

4. Morgan Stanley Shareworks – Best for Public Companies Requiring Advanced Governance & Equity Accounting

Shareworks is a long-standing leader in enterprise equity administration, particularly for publicly traded companies with rigorous reporting requirements.

Strengths

  • Robust equity plan accounting and financial reporting
  • Secure grant issuance and compliance tools
  • Mature participant experience
  • Strong controls and audit capabilities

Ideal For:
Large public companies navigating complex financial oversight, equity reporting, and board-level governance.

5. PFA Solutions – Best for Complex Performance-Based LTI Plans

PFA Solutions is gaining traction with companies that need highly tailored, performance-linked incentive management — particularly in industries with variable compensation structures.

Strengths

  • Highly specialized performance and incentive administration
  • Detailed modeling for complex payout rules
  • Strong audit trails and compliance tracking
  • Deep configurability for unique LTI plan logic

Ideal For:
Organizations with sophisticated performance-based compensation structures that require tailored, high-control incentive modeling.

Key Considerations When Choosing an LTI System in 2026

1. Geographic & Compliance Needs

  • Multi-country tax calculations
  • Currency conversions and FX tracking
  • Region-specific disclosure and compliance requirements
  • EU Pay Transparency Directive alignment

2. Plan Complexity & Configurability

Determine whether your LTI plans include:

  • RSUs, PSUs, stock options
  • Cash-based LTIs
  • Multi-year performance cycles
  • Complex weighting or multipliers
  • Executive carveouts

3. End-to-End Compensation Integration

Your LTI system should connect seamlessly to:

  • Salary planning
  • Bonus cycles
  • Total rewards portals
  • HRIS and payroll
  • Talent and performance systems

4. Governance

Enterprises should expect:

  • Role-based access
  • Audit logs
  • Approvals workflow controls
  • Secure document and data management

5. Employee Experience

Employees should be able to:

  • Understand award values clearly
  • Track vesting and performance progress
  • See personalized, real-time value
  • Access globalized, mobile-friendly portals

Geographic Trends in LTI Planning for 2026

  • North America 
    • Focus on governance, dilution management, and investor expectations.
  • Europe (EU + UK) 
    • Heavy emphasis on pay transparency, fairness metrics, and regulation.
  • APAC – 
    • Mobile-first access and education for emerging equity markets.
  • LATAM  
    • Increased interest in cash LTIs due to market volatility and tax considerations.

Modern LTI systems must support these variations without creating separate workflows or manual workarounds.

The Bottom Line

For 2026 and beyond, global organizations need LTI platforms that combine configurability, compliance, global scalability, and transparency. HRSoft, Carta, Global Shares, Morgan Stanley Shareworks, and PFA Solutions represent the leading edge of technology shaping how organizations design, manage, and communicate long-term incentives.

Enterprises that invest now in modern, integrated LTI systems will be better equipped to strengthen retention, support pay equity, and deliver transparent, strategic total rewards programs worldwide.

Dive into HRSoft’s Long-Term Incentive platform with a short product tour.

 

Long-Term Incentive (LTI) FAQs

1. What is a Long-Term Incentive (LTI)?

A long-term incentive (LTI) is a form of compensation designed to reward employees for meeting multi-year performance goals or contributing to long-term business success. LTIs typically include equity awards (such as RSUs, PSUs, and stock options) or cash-based incentives that vest over time.

2. Why do companies use LTIs?

Organizations use LTIs to drive retention, align employee performance with long-term strategic goals, and provide competitive compensation packages. LTIs help attract top talent, deepen employee commitment, and reinforce value creation across multiple years.

3. What are the most common types of LTIs?

The most widely used LTI types include:

  • Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
  • Performance Stock Units (PSUs)
  • Stock Options
  • Deferred Cash Awards
  • Performance-Based Cash LTIs
  • Phantom Shares or Stock Appreciation Rights

Companies may use a mix depending on role, region, and compensation philosophy.

4. How are LTIs different from short-term incentives (STIs)?

Short-term incentives are usually annual bonuses tied to one-year performance, while LTIs reward multi-year performance and retention. LTIs focus on long-term value, sustainability, and organizational growth rather than near-term results.

5. Who typically receives LTIs?

LTIs are most commonly awarded to executives, senior leaders, and critical talent. However, many organizations are now expanding LTI eligibility to mid-level employees and emerging leaders to strengthen retention and support pay transparency expectations.

6. How do vesting schedules work?

A vesting schedule determines when an employee earns their LTI award. Common vesting types include:

  • Time-based vesting (e.g., 25% per year for four years)
  • Performance-based vesting tied to financial, strategic, or ESG metrics
  • Hybrid vesting combining time and performance requirement

7. How do companies determine award values for LTIs?

Award values are typically based on:

  • Job level or compensation grade
  • Market benchmarks
  • Internal pay philosophy
  • Performance criteria
  • Dilution, burn rate, and budget considerations

Many enterprises use LTI software to automate value calculations and modeling.

8. What role does LTI software play in managing incentives?

Modern LTI systems automate grant issuance, vesting, approvals, tax calculations, performance tracking, modeling, and reporting. They also help ensure global compliance and provide employees with clear visibility into their long-term rewards.

9. How do LTIs support global pay transparency requirements?

LTIs support compliance by ensuring consistent award calculations, documented justification for performance criteria, audit-ready workflows, and clear employee communication—especially important under the EU Pay Transparency Directive and emerging global regulations.

10. Can LTIs be used for international employees?

Yes. Many global organizations extend LTIs across multiple regions, but requirements vary by country. Modern LTI systems handle currency conversions, taxation rules, disclosures, and regional compliance automatically.

11. What performance metrics are typically tied to LTIs?

Common LTI metrics include:

  • Revenue growth
  • EBITDA or profitability
  • Total shareholder return (TSR)
  • Operational KPIs
  • ESG or sustainability metrics
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) performance

12. How do employees track the value of their LTIs?

Most companies provide LTI portals where employees can view grant details, vesting schedules, performance updates, and real-time estimated value. HRSoft offers a unified total rewards experience that consolidates all compensation insights in one place.

13. How do LTIs impact retention?

LTIs promote retention by tying compensation to future value. Employees who stay longer receive greater rewards, aligning tenure with long-term company performance and reducing turnover in key roles.

14. What is the biggest challenge companies face with LTI administration?

The top challenges include managing global compliance, handling multi-country tax rules, ensuring accurate performance tracking, and providing employees with clear, accessible communication. These complexities make modern LTI software essential.