The best employee engagement software has recognition and reward features and feedback and survey capabilities. They also enable managers to align employee goals, provide organizations with valuable data insights, and have messaging tools to reach employees effectively.
In this article, we evaluated 13 employee engagement survey tools and narrowed them down to our top five recommendations:
- Workleap Officevibe: Best overall
- Lattice: Best employee engagement software with performance management features
- Bonusly: Best for gamified recognition and reward
- 15Five: Best for continuous feedback
The Fit Small Business editorial process follows rigorous fact-checking to ensure the information we provide is reliable and up-to-date.
With around five years of experience in HR and two years of evaluating more than a dozen HR and payroll software solutions for Fit Small Business, I have gained insight that goes beyond surface-level assessments, but also from the perspective of an HR professional who is familiar with these systems.
To evaluate the best employee engagement software, I evaluated 13 of the top employee engagement survey tools made specifically for small businesses based on 32 data points across six criteria. See my full methodology below.
- 5 years of experience in Human Resources
- More than a dozen software reviewed
- 13 years of content writing experience
Best Employee Engagement Software Compared
Free Trial | Price Starts At | Key Features | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 14 days | $5/user/month |
| 4.54 / 5 |
 | None | $11/user/month |
| 4.38 / 5 |
 | 14 days | $2/employee/month |
| 4.23 / 5 |
 | 14 days | $4/user/month |
| 3.82 / 5 |
Workleap Officevibe: Best Overall Employee Engagement Software
Pros
- It has a free version.
- It offers AI-powered analytics.
- It tracks feedback response rates.
- It has an action plan feature.
- It has a reply template/guide.
Cons
- Phone/chat support is only available in paid plans.
- HRIS integration is available in higher plans.
- Performance management is an additional paid feature.
Overview
Who should use it:
Workleap Officevibe is ideal for both SMBs and large organizations. It’s the only provider on this list that offers a free version. In addition, what’s more impressive about its free version is that it comes with employee engagement features, like eNPS and pulse surveys, recognition, goals and OKRs, 1:1 meetings, anonymous feedback and messaging, and metric reporting. This is great for small businesses operating on a limited budget because they can implement engagement strategies without additional expenses.
Why we like it:
Workleap Officevibe is quite surprising since in my experience, most free versions offer very limited features and user limits. Other than the tools, the platform also has how-to guides and training materials that provide insights on how to improve employee engagement in your workplace.
- Free version
- Essential: $5/user/month ($3.50/user/month if you opt for an annual contract)
- Pro: $8/user/month ($5/user/month if you subscribe annually)
Add-On
- Performance Management: $6/user/month
- Manager Hub: It’s a centralized hub where managers can access key actions and receive timely reminders, ensuring that they don’t miss anything.
- AI-powered Analysis: This feature automates the analysis of qualitative data, allowing managers to get instant insight on what topic is trending up or down within your organization.
- Question Report: This feature allows managers to see which survey questions get the most reaction, giving managers insights on which questions need to be refined as well as what key issues need to be prioritized.
- Follow-up Questions: Workleap Officevibe sends a follow-up open-ended question after the respondent answers the question. This feature gets to the heart of what really drives engagement for each employee.
- Filterable Engagement Metrics: This feature allows you to get specific insights on what really engages your employees.
- Resource Hub: It is a repository of videos, training materials, courses, eBooks, and other tools that will help you drive or improve your employee engagement.
Workleap Officevibe’s Manager Hub helps managers lead their team effectively. (Source: Workleap Officevibe)
Lattice: Best for Employee Engagement with Performance Management Features
Pros
- It has performance management features in its core plan.
- It has a wide range of integrations.
- It has dedicated customer support in all its plans.
Cons
- It has no free trial.
- It requires a minimum annual spend of $4,000.
- It can get more expensive as your team grows.
Overview
Who should use it:
Lattice is ideal for businesses looking for a solution that bundles employee engagement and performance management in one software. By combining them together, businesses get more holistic insights, streamlined processes, and better alignment between their employee satisfaction and organizational goals.
Why we like it:
I like how Lattice provides support for both managers and employees. Managers can check the temperature of their team with a simple question each week. They also receive real-time insights on their direct reports’ engagement and performance.
Employees, on the other hand, can use the update feature to share what they’re working on or what challenges they face. This can help small businesses monitor burnout and effectively address and prioritize areas of dissatisfaction. It is especially helpful for startups or small businesses with limited time and budget or still developing their employee engagement process.
- Talent Management: $11/seat/month (this includes performance, goals, and OKRs)
- Core HRIS: Custom pricing
Add-ons
- Engagement: $4/seat/month
- Grow: $4/user/month
- Compensation: $6/user/month
*Lattice requires a minimum annual spend of $4,000
- Goals & OKRs: These features further boost employee engagement by providing employees clear direction, aligning individual efforts with company objectives, and offering a sense of purpose and measurable progress.
- Instant Survey Insights: This AI-powered feature allows you to see key engagement driver analysis as soon as you close the survey.
- Benchmarking Powered by Mercer: Mercer’s data is integrated into the Lattice software, providing a broader and more comprehensive dataset on engagement and salary trends.
- Dedicated Support: Lattice provides dedicated support—from onboarding to troubleshooting—in all its plans.
Lattice allows you to compare your survey results with other companies in the industry. (Source: Lattice)
Bonusly: Best for Gamified Recognition and Reward
Pros
- It offers custom rewards.
- It provides redeemable reward points.
- It has 30-plus HRIS integrations.
- It has an intuitive and user-friendly UI.
Cons
- Analytics is in the higher paid plan.
- Reward points expire at the end of each month.
- Setup support isn’t available in the basic plan.
Overview
Who should use it
Bonusly is a good choice for SMBs that want to offer attractive rewards for their employees but lack the budget or time to reward their employees frequently and meaningfully. With Bonusly, businesses can incentivize positive behaviors that contribute to the bottom line and allow employees to choose the rewards they want.
Why we like it
As the best employee engagement tool for a gamified recognition and rewards system, Bonusly has some unique features that make employee recognition more fun and interactive, like microbonuses, leaderboards, and contests. While the other tools may offer some recognition features, only Bonusly has points systems and badges. These provide tangible, visible ways to acknowledge and celebrate employee contributions.
- Appreciate: $2/employee/month
- Connect: $5/employee/month
- Achieve: $7/employee/month
*Rewards costs are not included in the cost. The amount depends on the type of rewards that will be redeemed.
- Manager Digest: It’s a weekly email that gives managers an overview of their team’s engagement. It also includes information of their direct reports’ upcoming birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Reward Leaderboards: It displays all the rewards and recognition each employee received, allowing managers to track which employee hasn’t received any reward or recognition.
- Recognition Feeds Filter: By using this feature, you’ll get to look at the rewards and recognition given by team, department, or location.
- Claim Incentives: These are rewards for company initiatives that will further encourage employees to be more proactive. For example, an employee earns points when they share your job posting on LinkedIn, or they have completed compliance training. They can then redeem these points for rewards.
Bonusly has partnered with local and international brands for its rewards program. (Source: Bonusly)
15Five: Best for Continuous Feedback
Pros
- It has OKRs and performance tracking.
- It offers high-level reporting and analytics.
- It has goal tracking and alignment features.
Cons
- It may require additional modules or integrations to cover all employee engagement aspects.
- Pricing structure can be complex.
Overview
Who should use it
15Five is a good option for businesses that value feedback and transparency. The software has check-in reports, feedback sentiment, and goal progress, which allows organizations to do this. It is also ideal for businesses with remote teams because it allows employees to track their performance, check in with their managers, and give feedback from anywhere.
Why we like it
I like 15Five because it has experts that provide in-house advising and coaching. This gives organizations a unique advantage because they have direct access to specialized advice. These experts can also provide guidance on implementing effective engagement initiatives.
Additionally, 15Five’s continuous feedback feature helps SMBs keep a pulse on employee satisfaction and disillusionment. The real-time feedback allows them to identify and address issues quickly and align employees with company goals. It also shows if organizations are investing in strategies that help reduce employee burnout.
Another notable 15Five feature is the AI Manager Copilot, which helps managers in their day-to-day responsibilities by providing automated insights and suggestions for employee development, as well as helps streamline administrative tasks, allowing managers to focus more on strategic leadership.
- Engage: $4/user/month
- Perform: $10/user/month
- Focus: $16/user/month
Manager Training and Coaching Plans
- Co-Pilot & Content: $99/manager/month
- Group Coaching, Co-Pilot & Content: $220/manager/month
- 1-on-1 Coaching Sessions: Custom pricing
- High Fives & Badges: High Fives can be sent by managers, peers, or even customers to show that their work is appreciated and that they are valued members of the team. Badges, on the other hand, can be awarded for things like meeting goals, completing projects, or going above and beyond.
- Talent Matrix: A data visualization tool that helps businesses identify top and at-risk performers. It is based on the Private Manager Assessment, which asks managers to rate their direct reports on a variety of factors, such as performance, potential, and fit.
- Coaching Plans: This enables managers and employees to create custom coaching plans, which can be used to track progress, set goals, and identify areas for improvement.
- Targeted Assessments: They are based on a set of predefined questions and topics. Targeted assessments can be a good option for businesses that want to get feedback on a broad range of topics, such as employees’ work-life balance, career development opportunities, or overall satisfaction with their jobs.
Easily set and track the goals of your team through 15Five’s goal-tracking feature. (Source: 15Five)
How We Evaluated the Best Employee Engagement Tools
I considered the top employee engagement tools, looking at how they competed. Apart from comparing their prices, we looked for employee engagement features as well as their reporting and data analysis capabilities. I also checked whether the platform allows third-party integrations or has mobile accessibility. Finally, I also checked for ease of use and their popularity among real-world users.
Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria:
30% of Overall Score
I looked for employee engagement functions like 1:1 meetings, recognition and rewards, and surveys. I also gave extra points to the tools with in-app messaging and a people directory.
20% of Overall Score
I gave the most credit to the tools with engagement metrics, trend analysis, benchmarking, import/export capabilities, and data visualization.
10% of Overall Score
Preference was given to the tools that don’t just have HRIS integration but also integrate with communication and collaboration software. I also gave extra points to those tools with mobile accessibility
25% of Overall Score
I checked to see if the employee engagement tool is affordable for small businesses, has transparent pricing, and requires no minimum annual contract. I also gave additional points to those that offer a free version instead of just a free trial.
10% of Overall Score
I gave a high score to the tools that require no help during setup. I also checked if they offer live phone support or have a knowledge base that users can easily access and refer to when they have questions or clarifications regarding the software.
5% of Overall Score
I considered online user reviews—including those of our competitors like G2 and Capterra—based on a 5-star scale, wherein any option with an average of 4+ stars is ideal. Also, software with more than 200-plus reviews on third-party sites are favored.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Employee engagement solutions are comprehensive platforms designed to analyze, measure, and improve workforce satisfaction and commitment. They typically combine survey tools with analytics, action planning features, and resources for implementing engagement-boosting initiatives.
Employee engagement software comes in different forms. These include surveys, performance management tools, and recognition programs. These tools can be standalone solutions or integrated into broader HR management systems.
They help organizations systematically gather, analyze, and act on employee feedback to improve workplace satisfaction and productivity. It provides data-driven insights that help leaders make informed decisions about organizational culture.
Bottom Line
The tools on this list have the necessary features to help you improve your employee engagement. However, choosing the best engagement survey tool depends on your organization’s needs, priorities, and budget.
Based on my evaluation, I found Workleap Officevibe to be the best employee engagement survey tool. Its feature-rich platform includes tools for internal communication, task management, surveys, and recognition boards, providing a comprehensive solution for fostering employee engagement. With its free version, even businesses on a budget can have a tool that will help them drive their employee engagement initiative.
Sign up for a Workleap Officevibe plan today and see how it can help you improve your employee engagement.