8 Best Culture Amp Alternatives That Won't Break Your Budget

Culture Amp is one of the most recognized names in employee engagement and experience platforms. It built its reputation on robust survey analytics, research-backed question design, and enterprise-grade benchmarking. For large organizations with dedicated people analytics teams, it delivers significant value.

But for small and mid-size businesses, Culture Amp presents real challenges. Contract minimums typically start at $10,000 per year for small teams and can quickly climb to $25,000-$45,000 annually as you grow and add modules. The platform is designed for companies with 200+ employees and dedicated HR teams, which means smaller organizations often pay for complexity and sophistication they cannot fully utilize. Setup and administration require a level of HR infrastructure that many growing companies simply do not have.

If you are evaluating Culture Amp or looking to switch, this guide covers eight alternatives that deliver strong engagement and performance management capabilities at a price point and complexity level that works for growing teams.

Why Teams Switch from Culture Amp

Before exploring alternatives, it helps to understand the most common reasons teams outgrow Culture Amp or choose not to buy in the first place:

• Pricing is opaque and high: Custom quotes only, with annual contracts starting at $10K+ for small teams.
• Overkill for SMBs: Advanced analytics, benchmarking libraries, and research-backed frameworks are powerful but require a dedicated people analytics team to use effectively.
• Performance management is secondary: Culture Amp's roots are in surveys and analytics. Its performance review and goal-tracking features, while improved, are not as strong as platforms that were built around the full employee lifecycle.
• Slow to implement: Enterprise-grade platforms require enterprise-grade implementation timelines. Many SMBs need to be up and running in days, not months.

The 8 Best Culture Amp Alternatives

1. Unmatched

Best for: SMBs that want Culture Amp-level survey intelligence with full performance management at a fraction of the cost.

Unmatched was built from the ground up for small and mid-size businesses that want the intelligence and insight of enterprise platforms like Culture Amp without the enterprise price tag or complexity. The platform combines employee engagement surveys, performance reviews, 360-degree feedback, well-being tracking, and AI-powered analytics into a single, coherent system.

What distinguishes Unmatched from Culture Amp is its AI-first architecture. Instead of generating dashboards and reports that require a people analytics team to interpret, Unmatched uses AI agents to automatically analyze survey results, identify themes in open-text responses, flag burnout risks, predict turnover, and generate specific action plans for managers. This means you get enterprise-grade insights without needing enterprise-grade expertise to act on them.

Key features:

• Engagement surveys with AI-powered theme analysis and action planning
• Pulse surveys with real-time trend tracking and eNPS
• Performance reviews with AI-assisted writing and multi-source feedback
• 360-degree feedback with anonymous aggregation
• Well-being tracking and burnout risk detection
• Predictive turnover analytics
• AI chat interface for natural-language people data queries
• Exit survey analytics and retention insights
• Agentic workflows for automated HR operations

Pricing: $3/employee/month (Essentials) or $5/employee/month (Intelligence, adds AI agents and predictive analytics). No minimum contract. No setup fees. 14-day free trial.

Pros:

• The most affordable full-suite platform available
• AI does the analytical heavy lifting that Culture Amp expects you to do manually
• Fast setup — run your first survey in under an hour
• Combines engagement, performance, feedback, and well-being in one platform
• No minimum contracts or hidden fees
• Purpose-built for teams of 20-500

Cons:

• Smaller benchmarking library compared to Culture Amp's decade of enterprise data
• Newer platform with a smaller customer base
• Does not offer academic research partnerships or dedicated research team

Why choose Unmatched over Culture Amp: You get comparable engagement survey capabilities plus full performance management and AI-powered analytics at roughly 70-85% less cost, with a platform designed for your team size.

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2. Lattice

Best for: Mid-size companies ready to invest in a comprehensive people platform including HRIS.

Lattice is the most direct competitor to Culture Amp in the mid-market space. It offers performance reviews, engagement surveys, OKRs, compensation management, and has expanded into HRIS with payroll and time tracking.

Key features:

• Performance reviews and 360 feedback
• Engagement and pulse surveys
• OKR and goal management
• Compensation management
• HRIS, payroll, and time tracking (newer additions)

Pricing: Starts at $11/person/month. Full suite is $22/person/month. $4,000 annual minimum.

Pros:

• Comprehensive platform covering performance, engagement, and HRIS
• Strong market presence and large customer base
• Good integrations ecosystem
• Active product development

Cons:

• Expensive for SMBs, especially with the full suite
• $4K annual minimum is a barrier for small teams
• HRIS expansion adds complexity for teams that already have an HRIS
• AI features are still catching up to newer platforms

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3. 15Five

Best for: Manager-led organizations that prioritize coaching and structured check-ins.

15Five focuses on the manager-employee relationship with structured check-ins, coaching tools, and a dedicated manager training program (Transform). Its approach is more coaching-oriented than analytics-oriented, which is a meaningful difference from Culture Amp's data-heavy approach.

Key features:

• Weekly check-ins and 1:1 meeting tools
• Performance reviews with competency assessments
• Engagement surveys and eNPS
• OKR tracking
• Manager coaching and training (Transform add-on)

Pricing: $4/user/month for Engage (surveys only). $16/user/month for Total Platform. Transform (manager training) priced separately.

Pros:

• Best-in-class check-in and coaching framework
• Good engagement survey capabilities
• Manager training program is unique in the market
• Reasonable entry price for surveys only

Cons:

• Total Platform pricing ($16/user) is high for SMBs
• Fragmented pricing creates confusion about what each plan includes
• Well-being and burnout tracking features are limited
• Less analytically sophisticated than Culture Amp for survey analysis

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4. Leapsome

Best for: European companies that need a comprehensive, GDPR-compliant people platform with learning management.

Leapsome is a Berlin-based platform that combines performance reviews, engagement surveys, OKRs, learning, and compensation management. It is particularly strong in the European market with robust GDPR compliance and multi-language support.

Key features:

• Performance reviews and 360 feedback
• Engagement surveys with action planning
• OKR management with alignment views
• Learning management system
• Compensation and promotion management

Pricing: Approximately $8/user/month. Varies by module selection. Annual contracts.

Pros:

• Comprehensive platform covering the full employee lifecycle
• Strong GDPR compliance for European companies
• Good OKR management with visual alignment
• Clean, modern interface

Cons:

• Pricing increases with additional modules
• Annual contracts reduce flexibility
• AI capabilities are still developing
• Can be overly complex for small teams

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5. Workleap

Best for: Teams that want to start with pulse surveys and lightweight feedback before committing to a full platform.

Workleap (formerly Officevibe) is a lightweight engagement and feedback tool that excels at getting teams started quickly. Its free tier and simple setup make it the lowest-barrier entry point for organizations new to engagement measurement.

Key features:

• Pulse surveys and engagement tracking
• Anonymous feedback channels
• One-on-one meeting tools
• Recognition features
• Basic performance reviews

Pricing: Free plan for basic features. Paid plans from approximately $5/user/month.

Pros:

• Easiest platform on this list to get started with
• Free tier for small teams
• Excellent Slack and Teams integrations
• Employee-friendly interface that drives high participation

Cons:

• Not a Culture Amp replacement for survey depth and analytics
• Performance review features are basic
• Limited 360 feedback
• Analytics are surface-level compared to more comprehensive platforms

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6. Engagedly

Best for: Companies that want a broad platform including learning management and gamification elements.

Engagedly offers a wide range of features across performance, engagement, learning, and recognition. Its gamification approach can boost adoption in organizations where traditional tools struggle to get traction.

Key features:

• Performance reviews and 360 feedback
• Engagement surveys and pulse checks
• Learning management system
• Recognition with gamification elements
• Goal alignment and OKRs

Pricing: Approximately $6/user/month. Module-based with custom quotes for full access.

Pros:

• Broad feature set for the price
• Learning management is a differentiator
• Gamification drives engagement with the tool itself
• Reasonable mid-market pricing

Cons:

• Interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives
• Survey analytics are not as deep as Culture Amp's
• AI capabilities are limited
• Mixed customer support reviews

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7. Small Improvements

Best for: Teams that want a simple, reliable performance management tool without bells and whistles.

Small Improvements is a no-frills platform that does the basics well. Performance reviews, 360 feedback, goals, and recognition in a clean, straightforward interface. It has been around for over a decade and has a loyal customer base.

Key features:

• Performance reviews and check-ins
• 360-degree feedback
• Goal tracking and OKRs
• Praise and recognition
• One-on-one meeting tools

Pricing: Approximately $5/user/month. Custom pricing for larger organizations.

Pros:

• Clean, simple interface that requires minimal training
• Mature and stable platform
• Good core performance management features
• Solid customer support

Cons:

• Engagement survey capabilities are limited
• No AI-powered analytics or insights
• Fewer integrations than larger platforms
• Innovation has slowed compared to newer entrants

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8. Teamflect

Best for: Small teams that use Microsoft Teams and want an embedded performance management solution.

Teamflect lives entirely within Microsoft Teams, making it the best option for organizations that want to manage performance, feedback, and goals without switching to a separate application.

Key features:

• Performance reviews in Microsoft Teams
• Goals and OKRs integrated in Teams
• Recognition and feedback in Teams channels
• One-on-one meeting notes
• Basic surveys

Pricing: Free for up to 10 users. $5/user/month for Pro.

Pros:

• Zero context switching for Teams-centric organizations
• Free tier for small teams
• Quick setup with no separate application
• Affordable at scale

Cons:

• Requires Microsoft Teams — no standalone option
• Features are less comprehensive than dedicated platforms
• Survey and analytics capabilities are basic
• Not a true Culture Amp replacement for survey depth

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Comparison Table

Feature	Unmatched	Lattice	15Five	Leapsome	Workleap	Engagedly	Small Improvements	Teamflect
Starting Price	$3/user/mo	$11/user/mo	$4/user/mo	~$8/user/mo	Free	~$6/user/mo	~$5/user/mo	Free
Engagement Surveys	Advanced	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited	Basic
Performance Reviews	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Basic	Yes	Yes	Yes
360 Feedback	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Basic
AI Analytics	Advanced	Basic	Basic	Basic	No	Basic	No	No
Well-being Tracking	Yes	No	Basic	No	No	No	No	No
Turnover Prediction	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Minimum Contract	None	$4K/year	Annual	Annual	None	Annual	Annual	None
Best For	SMBs	Mid-market	Coaching	Europe	Lightweight	Broad suite	Simplicity	MS Teams

Making the Switch from Culture Amp

If you are currently on Culture Amp and evaluating alternatives, here is a practical migration approach:

1. Export your historical survey data from Culture Amp before your contract ends. Most platforms can import historical benchmarks.
2. Map your current usage — which Culture Amp features do you actually use regularly? Focus your evaluation on those capabilities.
3. Run a parallel pilot if timing allows. Launch a single pulse survey on the new platform alongside your Culture Amp surveys to compare the experience.
4. Communicate the change to employees. Explain why you are switching and what will be different (ideally, simpler and more actionable).

For most small and mid-size teams, Unmatched offers the best combination of Culture Amp-level engagement intelligence with full performance management capabilities at a price that makes sense for growing organizations. Start a free trial to see the difference.