10 Best Employee Engagement Tools in 2026

Updated: February 2026

Employee engagement and culture tools

Key Takeaways

  • Qualtrics is our #1 pick for employee engagement in 2026, scoring 88/100.
  • We analyzed 35 employee engagement tools to create this ranking.
  • 1 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.
  • Average editorial score: 59/100 - high-quality category.
1
Qualtrics logo

Qualtrics

The leading Experience Management (XM) software, amplified with trusted AI to drive business growth.

88/100
Paid3.4 community score

Qualtrics is an Experience Management (XM) platform that helps organizations understand and improve experiences across four core areas: Customer Experience (CX), Employee Experience (EX), Product Experience (PX), and Brand Experience (BX). It leverages AI to analyze feedback and data, providing actionable insights to prevent customer churn, enhance employee engagement, design products people love, and accelerate market growth. The platform offers specialized suites for Customer Experience Intelligence to turn CX into a revenue driver, Employee Experience software to engage teams and improve manager effectiveness, and Strategy & Research software to design breakthrough products and increase market share. Qualtrics serves over 20,000 customers in more than 100 countries, analyzing billions of conversations and supporting millions of frontline users. It's designed for businesses looking to modernize how they listen to feedback, analyze data, and resolve pain points across their operations.

2
Lattice logo

Lattice

Performance management and employee engagement

86/100
Paid

Lattice is a people management platform that connects performance reviews, goals, and employee engagement. HR teams build a culture of continuous feedback with 1:1s, surveys, and growth plans. The platform helps companies develop and retain top talent.

3
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

HR software for small businesses

84/100
Paid

BambooHR is HR software for small and medium businesses. Employee database centralizes people data with self-service access. Time-off tracking, onboarding, and performance management included. E-signatures for paperless HR workflows. Mobile app for approvals and time tracking on the go. Reporting provides insights into workforce trends. HR software that's actually pleasant to use for employees and admins alike.

4
Culture Amp logo

Culture Amp

Employee experience and engagement platform

84/100
Paid

Culture Amp helps organizations understand and improve how employees experience work. Engagement surveys, performance management, and analytics—data that makes workplace culture actionable. Science-backed surveys measure what matters. Benchmarks compare against similar organizations. Action planning connects insight to improvement. HR teams wanting to improve engagement with data rather than intuition choose Culture Amp for employee experience insights.

5
Workvivo logo

Workvivo

The leading employee experience platform for a connected and engaged workforce.

83/100
Paid4.3 community score

Workvivo is an employee experience platform designed to connect and engage employees, particularly those on the frontline. It aims to foster people-first cultures within organizations by providing tools that enhance communication and collaboration. The platform is suitable for companies looking to improve internal communication, boost employee morale, and create a more cohesive work environment. It helps bridge the gap between management and frontline workers, ensuring everyone feels informed and valued. Key benefits include improved employee engagement, better internal communication, and the creation of a stronger, more unified company culture, ultimately leading to a more productive and satisfied workforce.

6
15Five logo

15Five

Continuous performance management with weekly check-ins

83/100
Paid

15Five transforms the dreaded annual review into something actually useful. Instead of cramming a year's worth of feedback into one awkward conversation, managers and employees connect weekly through quick check-ins that take just 15 minutes. The platform structures these conversations around what matters: goals, blockers, wins, and growth. Managers see how their team is doing without scheduling endless meetings. Employees feel heard regularly, not just during performance reviews. Companies using 15Five report higher engagement because people actually know where they stand. When feedback flows continuously, course corrections happen in real time instead of months too late.

7
Leapsome logo

Leapsome

People enablement and performance platform

82/100
Paid

Leapsome combines performance management, engagement, and learning. Reviews, goals, surveys, and development—people enablement that integrates naturally. The modules work together. The experience is cohesive. The insights drive improvement. Organizations wanting integrated people management choose Leapsome for connected HR tools.

8
Motivosity logo

Motivosity

Build a culture of appreciation and connection with people-first employee recognition and rewards.

Paid

Motivosity is an all-in-one employee recognition and rewards platform designed to help organizations build a strong, positive workplace culture. It focuses on uniting employees across locations and teams, making gratitude frequent and contagious through various recognition tools, and incentivizing high performance. The platform aims to improve employee engagement, retention, and overall productivity by fostering a sense of belonging and appreciation. Motivosity offers a comprehensive suite of features including social profiles, employee spaces for micro-communities, internal communication tools, and engagement overview dashboards. For recognition, it provides milestone celebrations, peer-to-peer giving, spot bonuses, nominations & awards, and service shoutouts. The rewards system includes a global marketplace with over 500 million options, a ThanksMatters VISA Card, custom swag, lifestyle spending accounts, and corporate gifting. It also includes tools for measuring engagement through pulse surveys and custom reports, allowing HR and leadership to make data-backed decisions. This platform is ideal for HR professionals, team leaders, and executives looking to enhance employee experience, reduce turnover, and drive business growth through a highly engaged workforce. It's particularly beneficial for companies with remote or hybrid teams, or those with multiple branches, like financial services institutions, seeking to unify their culture and communication.

10
PerformYard logo

PerformYard

AI-driven performance management software to streamline reviews, goals, and feedback.

Paid

PerformYard is a comprehensive AI-driven performance management software designed to simplify and enhance the entire employee performance lifecycle. It provides a unified platform for HR departments, C-suite executives, managers, and employees to manage reviews, set and track goals, facilitate continuous feedback, and conduct engagement surveys. The platform aims to eliminate manual administrative tasks, reduce tool sprawl, and provide data-backed insights for strategic decision-making. For HR, PerformYard automates review processes, reduces admin time, and offers customizable workflows. Managers benefit from centralized tools for 1:1s, reviews, and goals, supported by AI-assist for unbiased feedback. Employees experience a user-friendly platform that clarifies compensation rationale and fosters a natural feedback loop. The software integrates with existing HRIS, offers SSO, and connects with communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams to ensure a seamless and integrated performance management experience.

Best Employee Engagement For

What is Employee Engagement Software?

Employee engagement and culture tools

According to our analysis of 10+ tools, the employee engagement software market offers solutions for teams of all sizes, from solo professionals to enterprise organizations. The best employee engagement tools in 2026 combine powerful features with intuitive interfaces.

Common Features of Employee Engagement Software

Automation

Automate repetitive employee engagement tasks to save time

Collaboration

Work together with team members in real-time

Analytics & Reporting

Track progress and measure performance

Security

Protect sensitive data with enterprise-grade security

Who Uses Employee Engagement Software?

Employee Engagement software is used by a wide range of professionals and organizations:

  • Small businesses looking to streamline operations and compete with larger companies
  • Enterprise teams needing scalable solutions for complex employee engagement needs
  • Freelancers and consultants managing multiple clients and projects
  • Startups seeking cost-effective tools that can grow with them

How to Choose the Right Employee Engagement Software

When evaluating employee engagement tools, consider these key factors:

  1. Identify your specific needs. What problems are you trying to solve? List your must-have features versus nice-to-haves.
  2. Consider your budget. 1 tools in our top 10 offer free plans, including Engagedly.
  3. Evaluate ease of use. A powerful tool is useless if your team won't adopt it. Look for intuitive interfaces and good onboarding.
  4. Check integrations. Ensure the tool works with your existing tech stack (CRM, communication tools, etc.).
  5. Read real user reviews. Our community reviews provide honest feedback from actual users.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best employee engagement software in 2026?

Based on our analysis of features, user reviews, and overall value, Qualtrics ranks as the #1 employee engagement tool in 2026 with a score of 88/100. Other top-rated options include Lattice and BambooHR.

Are there free employee engagement tools available?

Yes! Engagedly offer free plans. In total, 1 of the top 10 employee engagement tools have free or freemium pricing options.

How do you rank employee engagement tools?

Our rankings are based on multiple factors: editorial analysis of features and usability (40%), community reviews and ratings (30%), pricing value (15%), and integration capabilities (15%). We regularly update rankings as tools evolve and new reviews come in.

What should I look for in employee engagement software?

Key factors to consider include: core features that match your workflow, ease of use and learning curve, pricing that fits your budget, quality of customer support, integrations with your existing tools, and scalability as your needs grow.

Our Ranking Methodology

At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights to rank employee engagement tools:

40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility

Rankings are updated regularly as we receive new reviews and as tools release updates. Last updated: February 2026.

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