Why employee engagement software matters
Employee engagement software gives companies better visibility into how your employees experience the workplace from day to day. It matters because disengagement rarely happens overnight. In most cases, it develops slowly due to a lack of recognition, burnout, or employees feeling that their feedback has no bearing. Without the right tools, it’s difficult for you to spot those issues early.
That’s why it’s best to use an employee engagement platform that gathers feedback, measures employee sentiment, and tracks trends across the organization. The most effective solutions help you connect engagement data to workforce concerns, like turnover risk, employee retention, and manager effectiveness. After reviewing 20 employee engagement solutions, these are the platforms that stood out:
- Workleap is best for small to medium-sized businesses looking to collect employee feedback.
- Motivosity is best for growing companies that want to strengthen employee recognition and team connection.
- Leapsome is best for medium- to large-sized companies that need advanced engagement analytics and performance management tools.
- Xoxoday Empuls is best for global businesses prioritizing employee recognition.
- Engagedly is best for larger companies that want to combine engagement, recognition, and development into one platform.
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Top employee engagement software recommendations
1. Workleap: Best overall for collecting employee feedback
Overall Reviewer Score
4.20/5
User rating
4.75/5
Pricing
3.25/5
Platform/interface
4.75/5
Reporting and analytics
3.75/5
Employee engagement features
4.50/5
Pros
- Clean, modern interface that’s easy to use.
- Integrates with common workplace tools.
- Helpful manager insights and engagement analytics.
Cons
- Annual billing requirements may be restrictive for smaller businesses.
- Advanced customization features only available in Pro and Enterprise plans.
- Some analytics features are less developed than other platforms on this list.
Why I chose Workleap
Employee engagement software only works if employees and managers actually use it consistently, and that’s why I chose Workleap. Workleap does a good job at creating an experience that feels simple and easy to adopt. I was particularly impressed by how straightforward the platform made pulse surveys and feedback collection. The dashboards are easy to follow, and the platform surfaces engagement trends in a way that feels actionable instead of overly technical.
However, Workleap isn’t the strongest option for companies that need advanced reporting capabilities or highly customizable analytics and want to stay under budget. Those features are only available in the more expensive Pro and Enterprise plans.
Workleap is an employee experience platform designed to help organizations improve employee feedback, engagement, and manager effectiveness. The company focuses heavily on creating tools that are easy for employees and managers to use consistently.
The platform offers products that support pulse surveys, employee recognition, and performance conversations. Workleap is particularly known for allowing organizations to gather real-time insights into employee sentiment and workplace morale.
One area where Workleap stands out is usability. The platform’s interface is intuitive and designed to make engagement data easier to understand and act on.
- Pulse surveys: You can create pulse surveys with Workleap to gather employee feedback. The platform presents survey results through easy-to-read dashboards that help you quickly identify engagement trends, morale concerns, and communication gaps. It also focuses on making feedback actionable so you can respond to developing issues early.
- Employee one-on-ones: Workleap supports continuous employee feedback through structured one-on-one meeting tools and ongoing communication features. You can organize recurring check-ins, discussion topics, and follow-up actions directly within the platform. This encourages more consistent communication between you and your employees, instead of waiting for quarterly or annual reviews.
- Employee recognition: Workleap offers features that empower you to acknowledge contributions and celebrate achievements. The platform also encourages peer-to-peer recognition, which can boost collaboration and workplace morale.
Workleap uses a tiered pricing structure that gives businesses three plans to choose from based on their engagement needs and company size. While the platform offers a polished user experience, organizations should still review how manager-based pricing and annual billing commitments may affect long-term costs as teams grow.
Standard: $4,999 per year, per manager.
Includes:
- Automated pulse surveys
- Recognition and feedback
- Engagement reporting and sentiment analysis
- Self-review and 360 feedback
- Agentic analysis and review drafting
- Pay band management
- AI analyses and summaries
Pro: $11,999 per year, per manager.
Includes:
- Everything in the standard plan
- Personalized onboarding
- API access
- Custom properties and segments
- Premium call support
Enterprise: Contact sales for a custom quote.
Includes:
- Everything in the Standard and Pro plans
- A sandbox environment
- Dedicated client success manager
If Workleap doesn’t sound quite right, check out some of our favorite silver medalists with comparable features:
Culture Amp: Culture Amp requires a minimum of 25 users, so it is best for larger teams looking for employee surveying, 360-degree feedback, and goal tracking. In particular, its employee development module stands out for its customizable employee career development plans.
Trakstar: Trakstar allows you to send pulse surveys and compare responses to identify improvement areas. Unlike Workleap, Trakstar’s engagement elements are tied to its performance module, so you can consolidate and view metrics from both arenas for more strategic company planning.
SurveySparrow: SurveySparrow is an advanced employee engagement platform that supports 360-degree feedback, onboarding, and exit interview surveys. All surveys are compatible with mobile devices and available in multiple languages. If you have a distributed and remote workforce, SurveySparrow is a great option.
2. Motivosity: Best for employee recognition and team connection
Overall Reviewer Score
4.30/5
User rating
4.75/5
Pricing
4.25/5
Platform/interface
4.50/5
Reporting and analytics
3.50/5
Employee engagement features
4.50/5
Pros
- Manager relationship tools to support consistent employee check-ins.
- Competitive pricing compared to other platforms on this list.
- Social media-style employee communication hub.
Cons
- Custom workflow and reporting aren’t as robust as other solutions.
- Recognition-heavy analytics may not align with organizations that want deeper workforce insights.
- The social media hub may feel less useful if participation is low.
Why I chose Motivosity
Many engagement platforms prioritize data collection, and that’s what makes Motivosity different. Motivosity focuses heavily on helping employees feel recognized, connected, and appreciated. One aspect I particularly liked was how approachable and intuitive the software felt. The social media-style interface makes recognition feel interactive, which encourages stronger employee participation.
The platform also does a good job at supporting peer-to-peer recognition and workplace connection. I think the platform delivers great value to organizations with company culture and recognition initiatives. However, the platform lacks highly advanced reporting, predictive analytics, or performance management tools.
3. Leapsome: Most well-rounded platform
Overall Reviewer Score
4.45/5
User rating
4.75/5
Pricing
3.75/5
Platform/interface
4.50/5
Reporting and analytics
4.75/5
Employee engagement features
4.50/5
Pros
- Combines engagement, performance management, learning, and analytics.
- Supports continuous feedback and development planning.
- Robust goal and OKR tracking capabilities.
Cons
- Pricing can be expensive as organizations add more features and users.
- May be too complex for teams with simpler engagement needs.
- Certain workflows and review processes require more hands-on configuration during setup.
Why I chose Leapsome
I chose Leapsome because it offers one of the most complete employee engagement ecosystems in this lineup. Instead of focusing only on recognition, like Motivosity, Leapsome combines engagement, performance management, goal tracking, and employee development into a single system. This broad approach makes it appealing if you want to connect engagement to your employee performance strategy.
Also read: 8 Ways to Increase Employee Engagement With Your LMS
I was especially impressed by the platform’s reporting and analytics capabilities. Leapsome gives GR teams much deeper visibility into engagement trends and performance insights. The customization options also stand out because you can tailor surveys, workflows, and review cycles to fit your internal structure.
Leapsome is an employee engagement platform geared toward medium to large businesses. It’s designed to help you improve employee development, strengthen manager effectiveness, and create more consistent feedback and performance processes. Leapsome is known for its balance between engagement tools and people analytics. This makes it a good fit for businesses wanting a more strategic approach to employee engagement.
Check out how Leapsome compares with its competitors in our Top Performance Management Software Guide.
- Sentiment analysis: Leapsome uses artificial intelligence (AI) to parse employee surveys and determine whether the feedback is positive, negative, or neutral in key areas like manager support. You can then see this data represented visually to quickly pinpoint areas of employee happiness and discontent.
- Competency frameworks: Leapsome lets you build structured competency frameworks tied to roles, departments, or career levels. This helps you define what success actually looks like for different positions. It’s also excellent for career progression planning and creating more consistent promotion criteria.
- Turnover prediction: Leapsome’s AI gathers survey data, assigns weight to comments based on how much time has passed, and uses the anonymized data to estimate how many employees will be leaving in the upcoming months. With this data, you can forecast workforce numbers and take proactive measures to reduce employee attrition rate or change recruitment strategies.
Leapsome uses a modular pricing structure so you can build a platform around the features you need. You also can access Leapsome’s core platform when selecting modules and add-ons. Pricing isn’t listed on its website. You’ll need to contact the sales team to get a custom quote based on your company size, the modules you need, and desired add-ons.
Third-party sources estimate that pricing starts around $7 per user per month with annual billing. The modular pricing does give you more flexibility, but costs can increase as you add more features.
Modules to choose from:
- HRIS: Centralized employee data, advanced workflows, reporting and analytics, payroll preparation, onboarding, payroll and ATS integrations
- Reviews: Review automations, cross-cycle analytics, flexible templates, drag-and-drop calibration
- Surveys: Science-backed question library, post-survey action plans, DEI analytics, onboarding and offboarding surveys, industry benchmarks
- Goals: Automatic progress tracking, OKRs, goal tree, automated update reminders
- Compensation: Budget management, promotion reviews, pay gap analytics, salary and bonus bands
- Learning: Personalized learning, automated onboarding, LinkedIn Learning integrations, access to videos and quizzes
- Time tracking: work schedules, timesheets, automatic issue detection, customizable policies
Add-ons to choose from:
- Compensation benchmarks: Offers scope by industry and geographic location.
- Learning content: Offers learning content for compliance, leadership, IT, data security, and essential soft skills.
What’s always included with Leapsome:
- Leapsome AI, meetings, instant feedback, Q&A boards, and competency and whistleblowing features.
BambooHR: BambooHR includes modules on employee wellbeing and detailed analytics to track employee sentiment over time by department, location, employee status, or length of service. And, because BambooHR is an all-in-one human resources management system (HRMS), you can easily compare this data with other metrics, like attrition.
Lattice: Lattice and Leapsome offer similar features within their engagement modules, including pulse surveys, eNPS, and sentiment analysis. If your organization focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), you can use Lattice’s analytics to compare employee satisfaction among various employee groups and implement targeted changes.
Workday Peakon: Like Leapsome, Peakon heavily emphasizes analytics to help shed light on employee engagement, including AI-powered sentiment analysis and benchmarking. Peakon also integrates with Workday’s human capital management (HCM) suite to provide you with insights throughout the employee life cycle and make suggestions to improve your company’s employee experience.
4. Xoxoday Empuls: Best for collecting employee feedback
Overall Reviewer Score
3.95/5
User rating
4.50/5
Pricing
4.00/5
Platform/interface
4.00/5
Reporting and analytics
3.25/5
Employee engagement features
4.00/5
Pros
- Comprehensive employee recognition and rewards functionality.
- Built-in employee perks and discount marketplace.
- More affordable than some of the other options on this list.
Cons
- Reporting and analytics are limited.
- Platform functionality leans more toward recognition and rewards.
- Limited workflow customization.
Why I chose Xoxoday Empuls
Xoxoday Empuls stood out to me because it approaches employee engagement from the employee experience perspective. The platform puts heavy emphasis on recognition, rewards, and perks. That helps make engagement feel natural and enjoyable for employees instead of feeling like another HR initiative they’re expected to participate in. Many employees genuinely enjoy using the platform.
From reviews, employees say that the platform makes it easy to redeem vouchers and that the marketplace has recognizable stores they actually want to shop at. This matters more than many companies realize because engagement platforms lose value when employees stop interacting with them.
5. Engagedly: Best for larger companies
Overall Reviewer Score
3.95/5
User rating
4.50/5
Pricing
4.00/5
Platform/interface
3.25/5
Reporting and analytics
4.00/5
Employee engagement features
4.00/5
Pros
- Engagement, learning, and performance management features.
- Built-in gamification features.
- Customization options for reviews, workflows, and employee development.
Cons
- Interface feels less polished and intuitive than other options on this list.
- Reporting and analytics aren’t as refined as other platforms.
- Employee recognition features are functional, but less engaging.
Why I chose Engagedly
I chose Engagedly because it offers a broad range of tools beyond employee engagement. You can choose which features you’d like to use on the platform, such as learning and development, and recognition. This level of flexibility was what I liked about Engagedly, and it doesn’t stop there. You can customize workflows and engagement processes based on how your team realistically operates.
I wasn’t too fond of the interface. It’s capable and up-to-date, but it’s not as intuitive and polished as Workleap or Motivosity. Users are divided on the subject, with some saying they immediately knew how to navigate it and others reporting that even after a few weeks, they’re still trying to figure it out.
Engagedly is an employee experience platform that includes survey tools to gauge and track employee satisfaction. It also includes a well-being and a reward system to incentivize positive behaviors. However, its approach to employee engagement differs from the others on our shortlist by focusing on motivating employees through workplace gamification and learning.
Gamification, like Engagedly’s badges and leaderboards, encourages collaboration, colleague appreciation, and employee upskilling. For example, employees can receive an Engager badge every time they participate in the company by liking or commenting on posts. With each badge, employees earn points that can be redeemed for tangible rewards, like gift cards.
Engagedly’s gamified system also encourages employees to progress in their roles by rewarding them for completing training courses, achieving goals, or helping others. In addition to fostering a community of continuous learning and development, the software makes it easier for larger companies to fill skill gaps with current talent or optimize their teams during periods of economic uncertainty.
- Mentoring programs: Engagedly’s algorithm pairs employees with mentors in your organization to help them develop and succeed as leaders. In turn, employees have a space outside their managers to troubleshoot work issues while building competencies to help reach their company’s objectives faster.
- eLearning: Engagedly offers an LMS solution to streamline employee onboarding and skill development. You can create or integrate with third parties for courses and automate learning workflows based on specific parameters. Engagedly then assigns, tracks, monitors, and rewards employees upon completion, so you spend less time on administration and more on your talent mobility plans.
- 360-degree feedback: Employees can get feedback from their managers, peers, and external clients or customers. By receiving feedback from all relevant stakeholders, your employees can understand what areas need improvement and the tools they need to increase their productivity and efficiency.
Engagedly also uses a modular pricing structure. You can customize the platform by choosing from a selection of features and add-ons. Like Leapsome, you get the flexibility to create an experience tailored to your situation, but the costs can increase as you add on more modules, features, and users. Plus, there’s a base price of $7,500 per year.
Modules to choose from:
Manage Performance: $5-$8 per user per month (billed annually)
- Performance reviews
- Goals and OKRs
- Real-time feedback
- Check-ins
Learn & Grow: $3-$5 per user per month (billed annually)
- Learning experience platform
- Skill library
- 360 feedback
- Multirater assessment
Recognize & Reward: $2 per user per month (billed annually)
- Gamification and badges
- Reward storefront
- Praise Wall
Engage & Listen: $2 per user per month (billed annually)
- Engagement survey
- Employee surveys
- Team pulse checks
- Intranet
Talent Mobility: $2 per user per month (billed annually)
- Skill gap analysis
- Career paths
- Talent discovery
- Succession planning
All modules include:
- AI HR assistant
- Social Wall
- Playbooks and templates
- Talent analysis
- Engagedly Academy
- Mobile app
- Workflow automation
- Platform gamification
Add-ons to choose from:
Mentoring Suite: $8 per user per month (billed annually)
- Customizable templates
- Mentor-mentee precision matching
- Program management
- Progress tracking
- Scheduling
- Feedback and surveys
Manage Compensation: $10 per user per month (billed annually)
- Compensation planning
- Budget control and allocation
- Variable pay management
- Compliance and reporting
- Employee self-service
- Mult-currency and global support
- Customizable pay grades
Deskless Employee Communication: $5 per user per month (billed annually)
- Centralized communication hub
- Compliance tracking
- Personalized e-learning and training
- Employee recognition
- Surveys and polls
Limeade Listening: Limeade Listening, formerly TinyPulse, also focuses on coaching to promote employee happiness and fulfillment in their role. Limeade does this through 360-degree feedback and automatic one-on-one meeting cadences with managers. Limeade might be better if your team seeks a more straightforward user interface to strengthen relationships between employees and their managers.
15Five: 15Five is a feature-rich performance management and employee engagement platform. Of particular note is 15Five’s Transform module, which offers live coaching sessions with certified performance coaches. This is a great option if your organization lacks the internal resources to train someone on a particular skill set in your team.
Qualtrics EmployeeXM: The Qualtrics EmployeeXM platform includes a full range of features, like surveying, 360-degree feedback, and people analytics to optimize employee engagement. Qualtrics can also help you evaluate your training and manager development through training surveys and Manager Assist. This can help you assess your training effectiveness and guide your managers in increasing team engagement.
Find your new employee engagement software
Employee engagement software benefits
Increases employee engagement
As its name suggests, employee engagement software provides organizations with various capabilities to enhance the employee experience. It makes workers feel more involved with the team, streamlining feedback, communication, and collaboration. Consistent feedback and communication can promote engagement, as employees feel they are an important part of the team.
Promotes productivity
Employee engagement solutions come with tools for tracking goals, recognizing employees, and boosting morale, so workers are inspired to perform better. These tools inspire employees to feel more dedicated to their duties. Inspired employees are more productive and driven to meet expectations.
Improves retention
An employee engagement platform can help employees realize the significance of their individual impact on company goals. It also fosters consistent communication between teams. Employee engagement software elevates worker experience by facilitating recognition and maintaining positive employee relationships, improving employee retention.
Ensures better communication and alignment
Many employee engagement platforms offer continuous check-in features. Employee check-ins enable effective one-on-one communication between managers and team members. They allow employees to raise concerns to their superiors, enhancing engagement and communication. Employees feel valued when their feedback is heard by management. Furthermore, check-ins let leaders ensure alignment across the entire organization.
Also Read: Best Employee Onboarding Software
Facilitates business strategies
Employee engagement solutions gather and examine employee data through surveys, goal tracking, and performance monitoring. They deliver crucial reports that help HR departments understand trends and uncover obstacles to improvement. Companies can use these reports to adjust business strategies to meet employees’ needs and increase profitability.
Types of employee engagement software
Survey tools
Surveys increase visibility into the employee experience and reveal engagement opportunities. Advanced employee engagement solutions include annual, pulse, and lifecycle surveys for consistent employee sentiment monitoring. Surveys enable leaders to understand employee opinions, allowing them to optimize the working experience for every member of the organization.
Numerous employee engagement platforms also have customizable surveys that let management gather feedback about workplace issues.
One-on-one communication tools
These tools support meaningful one-on-one discussions between managers and staff. Aside from talking about workplace issues, leaders and their direct reports can have conversations about learning and development, performance, career goals, and job satisfaction. One-on-one communication is an essential part of employee engagement, giving clarity and ensuring workers understand their responsibilities and goals.
Feedback software
Employee feedback software gauges employee engagement and satisfaction. It allows managers to provide updates and suggestions for employee performance. Companies can utilize combined employee performance data to make plans for the growth of the organization.
Employee recognition software
Employee recognition platforms help companies make employees feel valued and motivated to deliver better work performance. Organizations can celebrate milestones and reward employees for a job well done.
What is the business impact of employee engagement software?
Keeping talented employees engaged is vital to the success of any organization. When workers find their jobs engaging, satisfying, and rewarding, they’re more committed and less likely to leave the company.
Investing in an employee engagement platform shows workers that the organization has a vested interest in their experience, ensuring employees feel connected and valued. Additionally, this type of software offers features for recognition and communication. These are essential factors in raising employee satisfaction and reducing turnover. Goal and feedback monitoring, alongside employee surveys, also contribute to developing a culture of openness in the workplace.
All told, employee engagement software empowers companies to understand their workforce and make better decisions. It allows management to capture and visualize issues that may result in turnover so they can take action before it’s too late. The right employee engagement software can upgrade employee experience and morale, which results in higher productivity and retention.
