Employee Experience Software in 2026: 8 Platforms Across the Modern EX Stack

Choosing employee experience software is not as simple as comparing survey features.

The category now spans employee listening, digital workplace tools, performance systems, recognition platforms, communication technology and enterprise experience-management suites. Two products can both appear in an EX software comparison while solving completely different employee problems.

That is why the better buying question is not, “Which platform has the most features?”

It is: Which part of our employee experience stack is currently failing employees?

This guide compares eight platforms across employee voice, enterprise listening, digital workplace, manager effectiveness, development and recognition so you can see where each one fits before building a shortlist.

How We Compared These Employee Experience Platforms

The platforms below were selected to represent different layers of the employee experience technology stack rather than eight interchangeable survey products.

We compared them across:

• Primary EX problem addressed
• Employee listening capabilities
• Analytics and qualitative insight
• Manager and action workflows
• Integrations with existing workplace systems
• Broader EX functionality
• Pricing approach
• Current G2 rating
• Suitability for different organizational requirements

This matters because a company struggling with employee communications needs a different solution from one struggling to analyze thousands of engagement comments.

Employee Experience Software Compared

Platform	Best For	Key Strength	Pricing	G2 Rating
Resonate CX	Employee voice and experience intelligence	Text and sentiment analysis	Based on modules, channels, touchpoints and setup; no per-user or per-response fees	4.6/5
Qualtrics Employee Experience	Enterprise EX programs	Lifecycle listening and analytics	Custom pricing	4.4/5
Microsoft Viva	Microsoft-centric digital workplaces	EX inside Microsoft 365 and Teams	Viva Suite from $12/user/month annually	Viva Engage: 3.6/5
Unily	Digital workplace experience	Communications, intranet and knowledge	Quote-based	4.5/5
Workday Peakon Employee Voice	Enterprise listening	Continuous listening and segmentation	Contact vendor	4.6/5
Culture Amp	Engagement plus People programs	Surveys, benchmarks and performance	Custom pricing	4.5/5
15Five	Manager effectiveness	Engagement plus performance workflows	Engage from $4/user/month annually	4.6/5
WorkTango	Recognition and rewards	Recognition plus employee surveys	Request pricing	4.7/5

1. Resonate CX: Best for Employee Voice and Experience Intelligence

Resonate CX focuses on helping organizations understand what employees are saying across important moments in their experience.

Its employee experience capabilities combine structured listening with qualitative analysis. This makes it especially relevant when HR already collects survey data but struggles to understand changes in open-text comments, themes and sentiment.

For example, an engagement score may barely change while language around workload, onboarding, management or scheduling shifts significantly. Resonate CX helps People teams investigate that layer instead of relying only on the headline score.

Key Features

• Omnichannel employee surveys
• Engagement and milestone feedback
• Text and sentiment analysis
• Role-based dashboards
• 360-degree feedback
• Employee experience measurement
• Open-text feedback analysis
• Ongoing listening across employee touchpoints

Pricing

Resonate CX does not charge per user or per response.

Pricing is structured around factors such as modules, feedback channels, touchpoints and the setup required for the employee experience program.

G2 Rating

4.6/5 on G2.

Pros

• Strong emphasis on qualitative employee feedback.
• Helps teams investigate themes behind engagement scores.
• Combines structured listening with text and sentiment analysis.
• Role-based dashboards provide relevant views for different stakeholders.
• Useful when employee comments have become too numerous for manual analysis.

Cons / Considerations

• Organizations mainly seeking goals, performance reviews and OKRs may need a more performance-focused platform.
• Buyers should validate anonymity rules, reporting permissions and small-group thresholds for their workforce.
• It works best when the organization has a clear employee-listening strategy rather than treating surveys as isolated exercises.

Best Suited For

Organizations that already collect significant employee feedback but need stronger insight into themes, sentiment and how employee conversations are changing.

2. Qualtrics Employee Experience: Best for Enterprise EX Programs

Qualtrics Employee Experience is designed for organizations running employee listening across multiple stages, populations and business units.

Its capabilities extend from engagement surveys into lifecycle listening, 360-degree feedback, analytics, reporting and manager-facing insights. This gives large organizations one environment for coordinating several employee experience programs.

Its breadth is also something buyers need to evaluate carefully. A business looking for a focused employee survey or qualitative feedback solution may not require the scope of a large enterprise experience-management platform.

Key Features

• Employee engagement surveys
• Lifecycle listening
• 360-degree feedback
• Employee experience analytics
• Role-based dashboards
• Manager reporting
• AI-assisted analysis
• Enterprise survey capabilities

Pricing

Qualtrics Employee Experience uses custom pricing based on the selected products, employee population and program requirements.

G2 Rating

4.4/5 on G2.

Pros

• Broad enterprise EX capabilities.
• Supports listening across multiple employee lifecycle stages.
• Strong survey and reporting functionality.
• Suitable for complex organizational structures.
• Can support several EX programs within one environment.

Cons / Considerations

• Enterprise scope can increase implementation and administration requirements.
• Smaller organizations should determine whether they need the full platform breadth.
• Employee data setup and integration should be tested carefully before purchase.

Best Suited For

Large organizations running mature employee experience programs across multiple populations, journeys and business units.

3. Microsoft Viva: Best for EX Inside Microsoft 365

Microsoft Viva takes a different approach because it is a suite of workplace applications rather than one employee-listening product.

Viva Glint supports organization-wide employee listening, while Viva Pulse provides shorter manager and team surveys. Viva Insights adds workplace analytics, while Viva Engage, Connections and Learning extend the platform into communication, community and development.

That makes Viva particularly relevant when Microsoft 365 and Teams already form the foundation of day-to-day work.

Key Features

• Viva Glint employee listening
• Viva Pulse team feedback
• Viva Insights workplace analytics
• Viva Engage employee communities
• Viva Connections
• Viva Learning
• Manager and organizational insights
• Microsoft 365 and Teams integration

Pricing

Microsoft currently lists several Viva options.

The Microsoft Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback package is listed at $6 per user/month when paid yearly, while the broader Microsoft Viva Suite is listed at $12 per user/month when paid yearly.

G2 Rating

Viva Engage is rated 3.6/5 on G2.

The rating applies specifically to Viva Engage, not every application within the Microsoft Viva suite.

Pros

• Fits naturally into Microsoft-centric workplaces.
• Combines employee feedback with communication and workplace analytics.
• Employees may access capabilities inside tools they already use.
• Multiple Viva products address different EX layers.
• Can reduce the need for a separate digital workplace destination.

Cons / Considerations

• Buyers need to understand which Viva licenses they already have.
• The suite contains several products, so requirements and licensing can become difficult to map.
• Organizations should avoid purchasing overlapping functionality already covered by other workplace systems.

Best Suited For

Organizations already heavily invested in Microsoft 365 and Teams that want to expand EX capabilities within the existing workplace ecosystem.

4. Unily: Best for Digital Workplace Experience

Unily approaches employee experience primarily through the digital workplace.

Instead of focusing mainly on surveys or engagement scores, it addresses how employees find information, consume internal communications, access knowledge and navigate workplace resources.

This distinction matters. Sometimes the EX problem is not that employees are unwilling to provide feedback. The problem is that information is fragmented across systems and employees cannot easily find what they need.

Key Features

• Employee intranet
• Internal communications
• Enterprise knowledge
• Personalized employee experiences
• Search and content discovery
• Mobile employee access
• Workplace integrations
• Employee communities

Pricing

Unily uses quote-based pricing. Organizations need to discuss workforce requirements, implementation and platform scope directly with the vendor.

G2 Rating

4.5/5 on G2.

Pros

• Strong digital-workplace positioning.
• Brings communications and knowledge into one environment.
• Relevant for distributed or frontline workforces.
• Supports mobile access.
• Can reduce fragmentation between workplace information sources.

Cons / Considerations

• It is not primarily an employee sentiment or advanced feedback-analysis platform.
• Buyers should check for overlap with SharePoint, Teams and existing intranet products.
• Successful implementation depends heavily on content governance and adoption.

Best Suited For

Distributed organizations where information discovery, internal communication and access to workplace resources are significant employee experience problems.

5. Workday Peakon Employee Voice: Best for Enterprise Listening

Workday Peakon Employee Voice specializes in continuous employee listening at scale.

It is particularly relevant when a single company-wide engagement score hides important differences between locations, functions, managers or workforce populations.

The platform combines continuous listening with segmentation, benchmarks and manager-facing insight. Existing Workday customers may also value the connection between employee sentiment and workforce information already held within their HR environment.

Key Features

• Continuous employee listening
• Engagement measurement
• Workforce segmentation
• Benchmarking
• Manager insights
• Employee voice analytics
• HCM data context
• Trend reporting

Pricing

Workday does not publish standard Peakon Employee Voice pricing. Organizations need to request a quote based on workforce scale and program requirements.

G2 Rating

4.6/5 on G2.

Pros

• Designed for enterprise-scale employee listening.
• Supports ongoing rather than annual-only feedback.
• Strong segmentation for large workforce populations.
• Particularly relevant for organizations already using Workday.
• Helps managers access employee sentiment information for their teams.

Cons / Considerations

• Smaller organizations may not require enterprise-scale infrastructure.
• Teams need the capability to interpret and act on the resulting data.
• Buyers should evaluate implementation effort and whether Workday ecosystem alignment provides enough additional value.

Best Suited For

Large organizations that need continuous employee listening across multiple workforce groups, regions and organizational structures.

6. Culture Amp: Best for Connecting Engagement With Wider People Programs

Culture Amp connects employee engagement with performance, development and wider People analytics.

This gives it a broader role than a standalone employee survey tool. Organizations can use engagement information alongside performance processes, manager development and employee growth initiatives.

The platform is therefore most relevant when employee listening is part of a wider People strategy rather than a separate HR research exercise.

Key Features

• Employee engagement surveys
• Pulse surveys
• Lifecycle feedback
• Benchmarking
• Text analytics
• Manager dashboards
• Performance management
• Employee development
• People analytics

Pricing

Culture Amp uses custom pricing based on the products and organizational requirements selected.

G2 Rating

4.5/5 on G2.

Pros

• Strong employee engagement and benchmarking capabilities.
• Connects listening with performance and development.
• Suitable for mature People programs.
• Supports detailed employee analytics.
• Provides manager and leadership reporting.

Cons / Considerations

• Wider functionality may be unnecessary for organizations focused only on employee listening.
• Separate product areas can increase implementation scope and commercial commitment.
• Buyers should identify which Culture Amp modules they genuinely need before evaluating overall cost.

Best Suited For

Organizations that want engagement feedback connected with performance, employee development and a wider People strategy.

7. 15Five: Best for Manager Effectiveness and Performance

15Five approaches employee experience through manager effectiveness and performance.

Its Engage product supports employee surveys and engagement analysis, while Perform adds performance reviews, goals, 360-degree feedback, one-to-one workflows and manager-focused capabilities.

This gives 15Five a clear role when employee insights need to influence regular manager conversations rather than remain primarily inside HR reporting.

Key Features

• Employee engagement surveys
• Action planning
• Heatmaps and benchmarking
• Performance reviews
• Goals and OKRs
• 360-degree feedback
• One-to-one workflows
• Manager effectiveness capabilities

Pricing

15Five currently lists:

• Engage: $4 per user/month, billed annually
• Perform: $11 per user/month, billed annually
• Total Platform: $16 per user/month, billed annually

G2 Rating

4.6/5 on G2.

Pros

• Connects engagement information with manager workflows.
• Public pricing makes initial commercial evaluation easier.
• Combines employee feedback with performance management.
• Supports ongoing manager and employee conversations.
• Suitable when manager effectiveness is an EX priority.

Cons / Considerations

• Organizations focused primarily on deep qualitative employee feedback may not need its performance-management breadth.
• Total cost increases when moving from Engage to the wider platform.
• Buyers should decide whether employee listening or performance management is the primary requirement.

Best Suited For

Organizations where employee experience improvement depends heavily on manager effectiveness, coaching and performance conversations.

8. WorkTango: Best for Recognition and Rewards

WorkTango focuses strongly on recognition and rewards while also supporting employee surveys and insights.

Its platform can combine peer recognition, rewards, milestone celebrations and incentives with engagement surveys, eNPS, dashboards and People analytics.

This creates a different role within the EX stack. WorkTango is most relevant when inconsistent appreciation or recognition is an identified employee experience problem rather than when the primary issue is advanced text analytics or digital workplace access.

Key Features

• Peer-to-peer recognition
• Employee rewards marketplace
• Milestone celebrations
• Incentives and awards
• Employee engagement surveys
• eNPS measurement
• Confidential surveys
• Anonymous conversations
• People analytics
• HRIS, Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations

Pricing

WorkTango does not publish standard package prices.

Organizations can purchase its Surveys & Insights product, Recognition & Rewards product, or the full Employee Experience Platform. Pricing is available on request.

G2 Rating

4.7/5 on G2.

Pros

• Combines recognition and employee listening.
• Supports both peer appreciation and structured reward programs.
• Provides survey and engagement capabilities.
• Integrates with collaboration and HR systems.
• Useful when recognition consistency is a clear EX priority.

Cons / Considerations

• Organizations mainly needing advanced employee feedback intelligence may find recognition functionality less relevant.
• Adoption is critical because recognition platforms deliver limited value if managers and employees rarely participate.
• Reward administration and budgets should be included when evaluating total program cost.

Best Suited For

Organizations where employee recognition, appreciation and rewards are central priorities within the broader employee experience strategy.

Which Layer of the EX Stack Should You Buy Next?

The comparison becomes easier once you stop treating every EX product as a substitute for every other one.

If Your Main Problem Is…	Start by Looking At…
Too many employee comments to analyze	Resonate CX
Complex enterprise listening	Qualtrics or Workday Peakon
EX needs to sit inside Microsoft 365	Microsoft Viva
Employees cannot find information	Unily
Engagement needs to connect with development	Culture Amp
Managers need stronger feedback and performance workflows	15Five
Recognition is inconsistent	WorkTango

A shortlist based on the actual experience problem is more useful than one built from a generic feature checklist.

What Should You Evaluate Beyond the Product Demo?

Integrations and HRIS Compatibility

Ask what information needs to move between the EX platform, HRIS, collaboration tools and other People systems.

Do not settle for “we integrate with your HRIS.” Test which employee attributes synchronize, how frequently they update, how organizational hierarchies are handled and what happens when data fails to sync.

Mobile and Frontline Access

Deskless employees experience workplace technology differently from office-based teams.

Test sign-in, mobile participation, feedback collection and information access from the devices frontline employees actually use.

Privacy, Anonymity and Permissions

Employee feedback contains sensitive information.

Understand minimum anonymity thresholds, administrator permissions, manager access, small-group reporting and how confidential comments are protected.

Implementation and Adoption

Implementation does not finish when the platform goes live.

Employees need to understand why feedback is being collected and what happens afterward. Managers also need clear expectations about how they should use the information available to them.

Pricing and Commercial Fit

Compare total program cost rather than the advertised starting price.

Include required modules, employee population, implementation, integrations, support, additional services and any separate products necessary to deliver your intended EX program.

Map Your Existing EX Stack Before Buying

Most organizations do not start with an empty technology environment.

You may already have an HRIS, Microsoft 365, employee survey software, performance tools, communication channels, an intranet and recognition technology.

Adding another platform without understanding those systems can create another silo.

Instead, map one employee journey before speaking with vendors.

Onboarding is a useful example because it touches recruitment, HR systems, managers, communications, training, workplace technology and employee feedback.

Follow the journey from the employee’s perspective.

Where do they need to switch systems? Where does information disappear? Where does feedback stop? Where does a manager need information they do not currently receive?

Those gaps should become your buying requirements.

If onboarding feedback already exists but nobody can analyze hundreds of comments, you may have an experience-intelligence problem.

If new employees cannot find policies or training resources, you may have a digital-workplace problem.

If managers receive engagement results but do nothing with them, you may have an ownership or manager-effectiveness problem.

That distinction can prevent the organization from buying an impressive platform for the wrong layer of the EX stack.

How Resonate CX Complements the Wider EX Stack

Resonate CX is most relevant when the gap sits around employee voice and experience intelligence.

It is not positioned as a replacement for HRIS, performance-management, collaboration or digital-workplace systems.

Instead, it adds listening and qualitative analysis around the employee experience.

Consider an organization where the annual engagement score moves from 72 to 71.

The change looks insignificant.

However, the organization also receives several thousand comments. Workload language is becoming more negative. Onboarding concerns are concentrated among one employee group, while comments around manager communication are beginning to shift.

The important question is no longer simply, “What is our engagement score?”

It is:

What changed inside the employee conversation?

Resonate CX’s text and sentiment analysis can help People teams organize those unstructured responses and investigate recurring themes. Role-based dashboards then help relevant stakeholders see the employee experience information appropriate to their role.

The objective is not to let AI decide what employees mean.

It is to help People teams work through employee voice at a scale that would be difficult to manage manually, while keeping human interpretation and decision-making central.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is employee experience software?

Employee experience software is technology used to support or understand different parts of employees’ experience with an organization. Depending on the product, this may include employee feedback, communication, workplace access, performance, development, recognition, engagement or experience analytics.

Is employee experience software the same as employee feedback software?

No. Employee feedback software focuses primarily on collecting and analyzing employee input. Employee experience technology is a broader category that may also include digital workplace tools, performance systems, communication platforms and recognition technology.

Does employee experience software replace an HRIS?

Usually not. An HRIS primarily manages employee records and core HR processes. EX platforms add capabilities around listening, engagement, communication, performance, recognition or the wider workplace experience.

Do we need EX software if we already use Microsoft 365?

It depends on the problem. Microsoft Viva provides several employee experience capabilities, but specialized platforms may provide deeper employee listening, qualitative analysis, performance management, recognition or other functionality.

Can one platform manage the entire employee experience?

No software controls the entire employee experience.

Technology supports specific parts of the employee journey, but managers, workplace processes, organizational culture, leadership decisions and the work itself also influence how employees experience an organization.

How should we shortlist employee experience software?

Start with one employee problem rather than a list of desired features.

Map where the experience breaks down, identify which part of the EX stack owns that problem, then evaluate platforms using realistic employee scenarios and anonymized data.

Build the EX Stack Around Employees, Not Software Categories

The employee experience software market looks confusing because the category includes technologies solving fundamentally different problems. That becomes easier to navigate when you begin with the employee experience itself.

Map what employees already use. Identify where information, feedback or ownership breaks down. Then decide whether the missing layer is employee voice, enterprise listening, digital workplace, manager effectiveness, performance or recognition.

For organizations where the missing layer is employee voice and experience intelligence, Resonate CX helps People teams collect feedback and understand the themes and sentiment sitting behind headline employee experience measures.

The objective is not to add another HR tool. It is to fill the specific gap preventing your organization from understanding and improving the employee experience.