The 12 Best Employee Survey Tools and Platforms in 2026

Looking for the best employee survey tool to boost workplace engagement?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve reviewed and compared the top employee survey software tools for 2026, categorized them, and highlighted the key features to make your selection easier.

Top 3 Tools at a Glance

	Honestly	Netigate	SurveyMonkey
Scientifically validated	✅ Yes (FU Berlin)	❌ No	❌ No
Personal support	✅ Dedicated experts	⚠️ On request	❌ Self-service only
GDPR & ISO 27001	✅ Both certified	✅ GDPR-compliant	⚠️ US-based provider
AI analytics	✅ Sentiment & topic analysis	✅ Sentiment analysis	❌ Not available
Starting price	€75/month	On request	$25/month
Best for	Mid-market & enterprise	Multichannel feedback	Simple surveys

How to Choose an Employee Survey Tool

Choosing the right employee survey platform is crucial for consistently gathering actionable feedback from your employees. Here are the key factors to consider:

• Survey templates: Are there enough templates that fit your survey goals, and are they scientifically validated?
• Analytics and reporting: Does the survey tool offer reliable analytics to spot trends and hidden insights?
• Ease of use: Is the tool intuitive for both survey creators and respondents?
• Budget: Is there a free trial? What pricing tiers does the tool offer, and which features are included at each level?
• Integrations: Does the software integrate with your existing HR or productivity tools?
• Scalability: Is the solution suitable for your current company size, and can it accommodate future growth?
• Additional features: Do you have needs beyond employee surveys?

Best Employee Survey Tools: Ranked and Reviewed

Below, we review the top employee survey platforms and list their distinctive features, pros, cons, and pricing.

1. Honestly

Honestly is a comprehensive employee survey software that helps you listen to your employees at every stage.

It offers science-backed lifecycle survey templates co-developed with Freie Universität Berlin—covering onboarding, employee engagement and satisfaction, performance reviews, and more.

This survey platform is perfect for companies with 50+ employees, especially those starting their digital transformation and launching their first employee listening program. But enterprise companies also get great value from Honestly as a comprehensive solution.

One of the biggest advantages is that all users receive support and guidance from dedicated employee engagement experts.

Honestly also works well for companies looking to scale their existing efforts. It’s incredibly easy to use and provides powerful analytics with heatmaps and AI features for sentiment analysis.

The platform is not limited to pre-built surveys—it also lets you create custom questionnaires. You can distribute them with just a few clicks via the channels of your choice, including email, mobile app, links, and QR codes.

Key features:

• Scientifically validated survey templates covering the entire employee lifecycle.
• Intuitive, easy-to-use survey builder for creating custom surveys.
• Multi-channel survey distribution options, including email, mobile app, link, and QR code.
• Powerful interactive dashboards and real-time analytics.
• Heatmaps for spotting hidden trends in your data.
• AI assistance to analyze text responses in each survey.
• “Initiatives” feature for tracking progress based on your survey results.

Honestly pros:

• Honestly templates are scientifically validated and help you build effective surveys with ease.
• Most advanced features such as response-dependent follow-up questions.
• Customers receive assistance from employee engagement experts who help set up employee listening processes.
• Unlimited analytics dashboards that allow you to manage views for different users.
• Affordable and transparent package pricing without hidden costs.
• GDPR-compliant & ISO 27001 certified.

Honestly cons:

• Honestly is primarily an employee survey tool and does not offer other HR features like performance management.
• No self-service trial – instead, you get a free, guided demo with personalized expert setup, where the platform is tailored to your company’s specific needs.

Pricing:

Honestly offers three plans:

• Team (for teams and smaller companies): starting at €75/month with an annual subscription.
• Business (for small and medium-sized companies): starting at €120/month with an annual subscription.
• Enterprise (for large companies): starting at €330/month with an annual subscription.

Prices are based on annual software licenses and depend on the number of employees. New customers receive a 10% welcome discount for the first contract year.

2. Small Improvements

Small Improvements is a performance management platform primarily aimed at small and medium-sized companies. The software includes reviews, 360-degree feedback, and structured 1:1 meetings, helping teams integrate regular feedback into their daily workflow.

At its core, Small Improvements is not a traditional employee survey tool but rather a performance management solution with feedback capabilities. The platform is therefore best suited for companies that primarily want to structure performance reviews and 1:1 conversations and view employee feedback as a complementary component.

Key features:

• Reviews, 360-degree feedback, and structured 1:1 meetings.
• Customizable templates and flexible schedules for feedback processes.
• Goal tracking and a praise feature for recognizing achievements.
• Integrations with Slack, Google Workspace, and common HRIS tools.

Small Improvements pros:

• User-friendly interface that can be set up quickly.
• The “Manager Activation Score” and post-1:1 ratings help support managers in a targeted way.
• Free 30-day trial available.

Small Improvements cons:

• Primarily a performance management tool – no dedicated features for structured employee surveys such as engagement, onboarding, or pulse surveys.
• Limited analytics and reporting capabilities compared to specialized survey tools.
• No dedicated support or specific adaptations for certain regional markets.

Pricing:

Small Improvements offers a free 30-day trial. Paid plans are tiered by feature scope. For exact pricing information, you’ll need to visit their website or contact sales.

3. Netigate

Netigate is a user-friendly survey platform with specialized tools to gather and analyze employee feedback. It caters to businesses of all sizes seeking an efficient way to boost employee engagement through active listening.

Similar to other employee survey software tools, Netigate provides ready-to-use survey templates and the opportunity to create surveys from scratch.

Key features:

• Multi-channel distribution to reach employees on their preferred platforms with surveys delivered via SMS, email, or even social media.
• A vast library of pre-built employee engagement and satisfaction survey templates.
• Sentiment analysis to understand the emotional tone behind employee survey responses.

Netigate pros:

• A user-friendly interface for creating and distributing surveys.
• The tool guarantees enhanced security and GDPR compliance.
• Free trial.

Netigate cons:

• Lack of transparent pricing.
• Survey templates are not scientifically validated.
• Limited AI-powered analytics compared to specialized providers.
• No dedicated expert support for implementing survey processes.

Pricing:

Netigate’s pricing information is not publicly available. You’ll need to contact Sales for a quote.

4. Workleap Officevibe

Workleap Officevibe is a powerful all-in-one employee experience platform.

It extends beyond gathering employee feedback and offers tools for employee engagement, performance management, development, and recognition.

You can use Workleap’s templates for any occasion—from eNPS, onboarding, and pulse surveys to templates for one-on-one conversations.

Key features:

• Automated surveys to regularly assess employee sentiment and engagement.
• Flexible analytics with real-time data—for example, you’ll immediately see if there’s a decrease in engagement or workplace recognition.
• The “Objectives and Key Results” (OKRs) methodology for setting up and tracking individual and team goals.
• Special features for celebrating wins and fostering peer-to-peer recognition.

Workleap Officevibe pros:

• Survey templates covering the entire employee lifecycle.
• Unified platform for various people management tasks.
• Offers specialized tools for performance assessment.

Workleap Officevibe cons:

• Premium pricing resulting in potentially high expenses.
• The pay-per-user model might also lead to additional costs.
• The tool setup might require a bit of a learning curve.

Pricing:

You can start with a limited free plan. The Essential plan comes at $3.50/user/month, and the Pro plan costs $5/user/month.

5. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a cloud-based survey tool that helps you create, send, and analyze employee surveys.

It’s a well-known tool used by businesses from all kinds of industries. It offers various survey templates and provides powerful features for creating complex surveys.

However, SurveyMonkey might be somewhat limiting for large enterprise clients requiring personalized assistance and powerful analytics.

Key features:

• A standard set of employee survey templates: employee engagement surveys, satisfaction, and performance review surveys.
• Advanced features for designing your survey—e.g., question skip logic and question randomization.
• Various question types, including video, matrix, rating, slider, A/B testing, and ranking questions.
• Survey analytics with filters and cross-tab reports.

SurveyMonkey pros:

• Easy to use and set up employee surveys.
• Flexible surveys with skip logic features.
• Affordable pricing.

SurveyMonkey cons:

• Less adapted to the needs of large organizations.
• No science-backed employee survey templates.
• US-based provider – data may be processed outside the EU, raising GDPR concerns.
• No personal account manager or dedicated support – self-service help only.
• No AI-powered analytics such as sentiment or topic analysis.

Pricing:

SurveyMonkey offers a free version with limited features, as well as paid plans starting at $25 per month for Basic, $75 per month for Standard, and $250 per month for Advanced.

There’s also enterprise pricing for larger organizations with custom needs.

6. Leapsome

Leapsome is a one-stop employee engagement platform for improving employee experience. It covers performance management, employee engagement surveys, and learning tools.

It fits businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Like other tools on this list, Leapsome offers employee survey templates and robust analytics.

It is a great fit for companies looking for an all-in-one employee engagement tool.

Key features:

• Customizable employee survey templates.
• Real-time analytics and effective reporting on survey results.
• Action planning tools to turn survey insights into actionable steps.
• Comes with a set of other employee engagement tools.

Leapsome pros:

• Customizable surveys to meet the specific needs of each business.
• Integrations with other HR tools like HRIS to streamline workflows.
• Automated workflows that save you time.

Leapsome cons:

• Might be too complex for smaller businesses with simple HR needs.
• No scientifically validated survey templates.
• Lack of transparent pricing.
• Employee surveys are not the core product – primarily a performance management tool.
• Steep learning curve during initial setup due to the extensive feature set.

Pricing:

Leapsome doesn’t disclose its pricing plans, and you will need to contact Sales to get a quote.

7. Culture Amp

Culture Amp is a user-friendly employee survey platform that offers various survey templates—including engagement, diversity and inclusion, benefits, performance, and onboarding surveys.

Its surveys are also customizable, secure, and anonymous.

As an employee experience platform, Culture Amp provides tools for performance management, employee development, and more.

Key features:

• One-stop tool for building a strong workplace culture.
• Provides deep research modules to extract survey feedback.
• Offers an integration with Microsoft Teams.
• Provides tools for promoting peer recognition.

Culture Amp pros:

• Supportive and friendly customer service.
• Easy to use, intuitive, and modern platform that covers all fundamental needs.
• Culture Amp provides lots of scientific research and insights related to employee engagement.

Culture Amp cons:

• Some analytics features like sentiment analysis might be challenging to figure out.
• Lack of transparent pricing.
• Australian-based provider – data hosting and server locations may pose challenges for GDPR-sensitive companies.
• No scientifically validated survey templates developed for specific regional markets.

Pricing:

You will need to contact Culture Amp for a customized quote.

8. QuestionPro

QuestionPro is another employee survey software covering all essentials like survey templates and advanced analytics.

You can also use its leadership scale and 360-degree feedback tool to enhance the performance of your executives.

Key features:

• QuestionPro provides a variety of customizable employee engagement survey templates.
• The branching logic feature allows you to create customized survey paths based on a respondent’s previous responses, making the survey more engaging and relevant.
• Powerful analytics to analyze and visualize survey data in real time.
• Lets you create action plans based on survey results.

QuestionPro pros:

• A simple and functional tool that covers the basics.
• There is a free plan allowing you to test the platform.
• Comprehensive analytics.

QuestionPro cons:

• No scientifically validated survey templates.
• The interface is somewhat outdated.
• Might be limiting for enterprise clients.
• US-based provider – GDPR compliance is not automatically guaranteed.
• No personalized expert support.

Pricing:

The Team Edition plan (5+ users) costs $83/month.

9. Peakon Employee Voice (by Workday)

Workday Peakon Employee Voice is an intelligent listening platform that helps you gather valuable employee feedback and act on it quickly.

It’s known for its user-friendly interface, powerful analytics, and integration with other Workday tools.

Peakon Employee Voice works especially well for large enterprises.

Key features:

• Personalized survey experiences with follow-ups that tailor questions based on recent feedback.
• Natural language processing (NLP) and smart search to extract meaning from survey responses.
• The tool also helps you forecast attrition risks among various employee groups.
• The True Benchmark technology adjusts for demographic variations, helping you assess expected engagement levels.

Peakon Employee Voice pros:

• Powerful analytics help you gather deeper insights and predict future trends.
• The engagement score and other metrics offer amazing visibility into employee engagement data.
• Efficient and friendly customer support.

Peakon Employee Voice cons:

• Higher pricing compared to some alternatives.
• It can be somewhat overwhelming for beginners and smaller teams.
• No transparent pricing – quotes only available through sales.
• Strong dependency on the Workday ecosystem (vendor lock-in) – switching to other providers is difficult.
• No scientifically validated survey templates.

Pricing:

You’ll need to contact Workday’s Sales department to get a customized quote.

10. Qualtrics People Teams

Qualtrics People Teams is an employee experience management platform that helps you collect staff feedback at every stage.

The platform’s distinctive features include advanced analytics, personalized survey experiences, and seamless integration with other Qualtrics solutions, such as the Qualtrics XM Platform.

Key features:

• A variety of survey templates to gather feedback on employee experience, including engagement, well-being, and culture.
• Powerful analytics tools that feature text analysis, predictive modeling, and benchmarking.
• Personalized survey experiences with questions tailored to employee roles, demographics, and previous feedback.
• Real-time dashboards and alerts.

Qualtrics People Teams pros:

• Advanced analytics and reporting help users generate more insights.
• Mobile-friendly surveys and multilingual support streamline many processes.
• Personalized survey experiences improve the user experience.

Qualtrics People Teams cons:

• Potential complexity and a steeper learning curve.
• Higher pricing compared to some alternatives.
• Limited standalone functionality (the tool is designed to work within the Qualtrics ecosystem).

Pricing:

You’ll need to contact the Sales department to get a customized quote.

11. Lamapoll

Lamapoll is an online survey tool for a wide range of use cases, from employee surveys to customer satisfaction surveys.

The software allows you to create fully customized surveys. Notably, it emphasizes data security and holds ISO 27001 certification. Lamapoll also offers personalized customer support and a helpdesk for any questions about the tool.

Lamapoll pros:

• Specialized in data privacy and security.
• Good customer support.
• Nonprofit engagement for educational institutions and students with IT donations and free licenses.
• Free 14-day trial.
• Flexible pricing model and good value for money.

Lamapoll cons:

• Limited integration capabilities with existing systems.
• The complexity of the software can be overwhelming, especially for those new to employee surveys.
• Can become unwieldy as your company grows.
• No scientifically validated survey templates.
• No AI-powered analytics such as sentiment or topic analysis.
• Primarily a general survey tool – not specialized for employee surveys.

Pricing:

Lamapoll offers four different pricing packages:

• Basic at €49 per month with up to 500 participants.
• Gold at €99 per month with up to 5,000 participants.
• Platinum at €199 per month with up to 10,000 participants.
• Enterprise at €499 per month with up to 100,000 participants.

Students can use Lamapoll for free for three months.

12. Effectory

Effectory is an employee feedback platform that enables surveys at various stages of the employee lifecycle—for example, after onboarding, regarding psychological safety, or for team development.

Effectory also offers dashboards to analyze responses and compare them against benchmarks. Through consulting and best practices, Effectory helps derive action plans from results and track progress over time.

Effectory pros:

• GDPR-compliant data processing.
• Science-based survey templates.
• Comparisons with internal and external benchmarks.

Effectory cons:

• Opaque pricing model – no publicly available prices.
• Longer implementation time compared to leaner tools.
• Platform feels less modern and intuitive than newer providers.
• Limited AI-powered analytics capabilities.
• No transparent self-service offering – always requires contacting sales.

Pricing:

Effectory offers three different pricing models: Starter Package, Professional Package, and Expert Package. You’ll need to contact sales for a customized quote.

Boost Engagement with the Right Employee Survey Tool

Choosing the right employee survey platform enhances workplace engagement and drives business growth. Several criteria are particularly important when selecting a tool—such as the availability of diverse, scientifically validated survey templates, comprehensive analytics, ease of use, and pricing.

Our comparison reveals a clear pattern: Enterprise solutions like Qualtrics or Workday Peakon offer powerful analytics but are often complex to set up, expensive, and oversized for small to medium-sized companies. Simpler tools like SurveyMonkey, on the other hand, quickly reach their limits when it comes to science-backed templates, in-depth analytics, or personal support.

Honestly offers the best balance here: Enterprise features like AI-powered analytics, heatmaps, and scientifically validated templates – combined with intuitive usability, transparent pricing, and personal support from engagement experts. You get the functionality of the major platforms without their complexity and costs.

Some of the best employee survey tools at a glance:

• Honestly: The best choice for companies that want to combine enterprise features with easy usability and personal expert support – at a fair price.
• Netigate: Excellent for those who prefer simple multi-channel survey distribution with a user-friendly interface.
• SurveyMonkey: Suitable for running simple surveys at scale, though it lacks science-backed templates or advanced analytics.

If you’re new to employee listening, make sure to get expert guidance. Platforms like Honestly not only provide individualized support but also accompany you with tailored mentoring from experienced employee engagement experts – from your first survey to implementing concrete action plans.