Top 20 Employee Engagement Software Platforms for 2025

Employee engagement software platforms are an essential part of your HR tech stack. This is especially true in the modern workplace, which has been disrupted by economic uncertainty, AI, generational shifts, and remote work. 

At the heart of all this change is one constant—your employees—and the stakes have never been higher to keep them engaged. 

Employee engagement solutions are irreplaceable tools for organizations striving to build a thriving workforce where employees feel connected to each other and the company mission. These platforms help companies gather employee feedback, give recognition, set performance goals, and foster teamwork—factors that directly influence engagement rates. 

We believe Bonusly offers the best employee engagement product (G2 thinks so too!) but we want to provide you with a comprehensive guide so you can learn and decide for yourself. 

Plus, we understand that Bonusly might not have exactly what you’re looking for. For example, some companies still want employee listening tools, even though employee surveying has rapidly declined. For this reason, Bonusly doesn’t offer a survey tool; we’d argue there are other and better ways to get feedback from teams.

Continue reading to see how these different platforms answer the demands of today’s workers, who want transparency, real-time feedback and recognition, and meaningful rewards. By comparing these platforms, we’ll explore which features stand out, helping you select the right tool to enhance your employee experience strategy. 

What are employee engagement platforms? 

Before we dive into the comparisons, let’s go a little more in-depth on the key characteristics and benefits of employee engagement platforms. 

Employee engagement platforms are digital tools designed to help organizations foster a positive and productive work environment by promoting communication, collaboration, recognition, and continuous feedback. 

Companies looking for an employee engagement solution typically want to:

• Recognize and celebrate important milestones and great work
• Align individual goals with company objectives
• Provide meaningful rewards in key moments
• Measure and understand employee sentiment

Common features include peer recognition, performance management tools, pulse surveys, and well-being initiatives, though as you’ll see, most engagement platforms offer a unique mix of these solutions to meet different organizational needs. 

The emergence and growth of employee engagement software

The concept of structured employee engagement emerged in the late 20th century, as companies began realizing that employee satisfaction directly impacted business performance. In the late 1990s, a five-year analysis of 800 Sears stores by a Harvard researcher discovered that a five-unit increase in employee attitude yielded a five percent increase in revenue growth.

The formal introduction of software-based engagement tools began in the early 2000s, coinciding with advances in cloud computing and the rise of human capital management systems. Early solutions were simple survey tools designed to measure job satisfaction. Over time, platforms evolved to incorporate real-time feedback, automated recognition systems, and advanced analytics.

The employee engagement market has grown exponentially since. This growth accelerated after 2010, as workforce flexibility trends took off, pushing companies to seek digital solutions to manage employee morale. In fact, Bonusly launched in 2012, becoming the first and fastest-growing employee recognition solution aimed at improving engagement through real-time peer-to-peer celebrations. The pandemic further highlighted the need for robust engagement tools, with remote and hybrid work models becoming widespread. 

Which takes us to today. The market is now saturated with platforms designed to track and improve engagement. (The employee engagement software market size is expected to grow from $1,053.8 million in 2024 to an incredible $3,610.5 million by 2032.) 

Because the market is so crowded, we created this resource to help you cut through the noise and find what platform is right for you. 

Top 20 employee engagement software platforms

Let’s dig into the top employee engagement software platforms of 2025.

1. Bonusly

‍Core strength: Employee recognition combined with manager tools and HR automation to increase employee engagement and team performance
Standout features: Peer-to-peer recognition, points-based reward system, automated employee milestones, company announcements, manager tools, 1:1 and check-in templates, performance recaps, and integrations with major HRIS systems and chat tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams
Best for: Meeting companies where they are at, whether they are new to employee recognition or ready for peer recognition or advanced manager tools. Companies that want to create a culture of recognition or to provide managers tools to build high-performing teams
Weaknesses: Rewards catalog is limited in a small number of countries 

“Bonusly allows everyone in the company to recognize each other’s contributions, fostering a sense of collaboration and support across teams and departments. It’s easy to give and receive rewards instantly, creating a culture of immediate appreciation and recognition for hard work. Bonusly boosts engagement by encouraging frequent and meaningful interactions. Employees feel valued and motivated when their efforts are acknowledged by their peers.” -G2 verified review

“While Bonusly offers a range of rewards, some users may find the customization options to be limited for highly specific or niche rewards.” -G2 verified review

2. Lattice

‍Core strength: Performance management
Standout features: Performance reviews, pulse surveys, and OKR goal tracking
Best for: Mid-to-large companies seeking a balance between engagement tracking and performance management
Weaknesses: A hard-to-use user interface with a big learning curve reported by users; a higher price point for smaller teams​

“Lattice has been a great, well rounded tool for our team. Going through performance reviews and the distribution of packets is a breeze compared to other solutions.” -G2 verified review

“The UI is extremely confusing, and hard to navigate. Much of the flow doesn't make sense; across the board, with the general homepage, as well as 'steps' for objectives and key measurements, etc.” -G2 verified review

3. 15Five

Core strength: Engagement aligned with OKRs and performance feedback
Standout features: 1:1 feedback, weekly check-ins, and coaching modules
Best for: Companies looking to unify teams around company objectives
Weaknesses: A cumbersome offering that leaves some users confused by how to get the most impact from the tool

“Overall, I really enjoy 15Five as a means to track OKRs, summarize my week and gain insight on my team's weeks, have a safe, open, but professional space to bring up issues and questions, and an intentional and organized management of one on ones. 15Five feels lighthearted and fun without being obnoxious or frivilous.” -G2 verified review

“I see that it has other options like KPI, KPO by teams, by groups, individual. Also it has a feature for having 1-on-1s. But no one understands how to use it and of the other parts of the system. So either it is not very intuitive or someone has to take the time to explain the teams how to use all the features.” -G2 verified review

‍

4. WorkTango

Core strength: Employee lifecycle surveys
Standout features: Surveys, rewards marketplace, and leader tools
Best for: Companies looking to integrate engagement with employee development.
Weaknesses: Some users report the point system is not robust enough to redeem meaningful rewards.

“I liked the survey design and in-depth analytics you could pull from the program.” -G2 verified review

“It usually takes a very long time to accumulate the points for higher priced incentives. With the fact that your points expire, it is near impossible to achieve obtaining incentives that have high point value.” -G2 verified review

5. Reward Gateway

Core strength: Rewards through digital cards and cashback
Standout features: Custom rewards programs, mobile access, and engagement surveys
Best for: Large companies with complex rewards needs
Weaknesses: Primarily focused on rewards, with limited emphasis on feedback tools

“Easy to use and can cash out with Amazon which basically you can buy anything” -G2 verified review

“The home screen is set up as the rewards page versus my feed to be more interactive. This potentially causes engagement with the app and home page to be less involved. This detail doesn't create an undertone of a social platform versus 'Rewards'.” -G2 verified review

6. Engagedly

Core strength: Gamified engagement and skill development
Standout features: 360-degree feedback, mentoring, and gamified incentives
Best for: Organizations focused on learning and development
Weaknesses: The product has some underdeveloped features that lack strong usability

“Our team now has a central platform which they can see their progress and taking online learning courses to improve knowledge using its many features and integration.” -G2 verified review

“Engagedly comes up short in some of the more advanced tasks that it is looking to complete. Development of new tools is short-sighted, basic functionality is missing, logical steps in an upgrade are missing.” -G2 verified review

7. Achievers

Core strength: AI-powered employee check-ins and chats
Standout features: Employee feedback and reward programs
Best for: Companies seeking automated, scalable reward programs
Weaknesses: Some find the reporting, insights, and analytics to be lacking

“The system overall is pretty easy to use and the catalog of items to redeem points for is fairly robust. There's a wide range of gifts, gift cards, experiences, and a lot more. There's something for everyone.”  -G2 verified review

“No leaderboard functionality and challenges with reporting.” -G2 verified review

8. Kudos

Core strength: Pulse and sentiment surveys
Standout features: Custom awards, badges, and milestone celebrations
Best for: Companies that want to highlight their culture through branded awards
Weaknesses: Limited integrations and confusing user experience

“We can manage culture strategy easily by sending out sentiment survey to employees.” -G2 verified review

“One potential drawback of Kudos could be its limited integration options with other platforms or systems, which may hinder seamless adoption and data sharing across different tools used with an organization.” -G2 verified review

9. PerformYard

Core strength: Integrated annual reviews
Standout features: Performance-rating scales and competency tracking
Best for: Companies prioritizing traditional performance management solutions
Weaknesses: Goals and 1:1 features clunky and not intuitive

“Having my past performance reviews available at the click of a button allows me to reflect on my previous activities and achievements and utilise this information in preparation for future reviews.” -G2 verified review

“The cheklist on the goal was just a list without the possibility to edit and add more. The 1:1 Check In has only flat text boxes to record the information. Since our 1:1 was weekly it was necessary to write the date when the sentence was written to remind us what we would talk about. After several weeks it becomes a super long log difficult to manage.” -G2 verified review

10. CultureAmp

Core strength: Advanced analytics and engagement insights
Standout features: Employee feedback surveys, benchmarks, and action plans
Best for: Large organizations needing deep data insights
Weaknesses: Can be hard for HR admins to use and adopt due to its data-heavy nature​

“Culture Amp gives more then high low scores, but deep insights that really help drive action.” -G2 verified review

“While Culture Amp offers robust features, the depth of data and options can sometimes be overwhelming for new users. It may require a learning curve to fully utilize all the capabilities the platform offers.” -G2 verified review

11. Workleap Officevibe

Core strength: Lightweight surveys with actionable insights
Standout features: Pulse surveys and feedback tools
Best for: Smaller organizations or teams looking for simple feedback tools
Weaknesses: Limited features to enhance performance management

“What I like best about Workleap Officevibe is its survey feature sent to team members. These surveys provide valuable insights into the team's well-being and work experience.” -G2 verified review

“I would like Officevibe to have more features, e.g. supporting an entire performance review cycle.” -G2 verified review

12. Peakon (by Workday)

Core strength: Enterprise-grade surveys and real-time analytics
Standout features: Automated engagement surveys and predictive analytics
Best for: Large enterprises with distributed teams
Weaknesses: Higher price point; may be unhelpful for small businesses​

“It's great that the survey results data can be reviewed in segments, giving insight into how areas of the business/managers/length of service compare against each other.” -G2 verified review

“It is costly and there are cheaper options out there. To make the ROI make sense you need "walk the walk" and use the insights to make real changes. It would be useful to be able to export more raw data.” -G2 verified review

13. Speakap

Core strength: Tailored for frontline workers with communication tools
Standout features: Social intranet, event announcements, and multilingual support
Best for: Companies with a large frontline workforce
Weaknesses: Limited polling features and mobile user face shortcomings 

“Speakap helps us communicate with our colleagues at our stations in an easy way. This way our colleagues are up te date on latest developments.” -G2 verified review

‍“I wish that SpeakAp was more Android friendly. It is difficult to download the app for Android and some features are not the same.” -G2 verified review

14. HiBob

Core strength: Comprehensive HR and engagement tool
Standout features: People analytics, performance tracking, and payroll management. 
Best for: Mid-to-large companies seeking an HR platform that combines administrative management with employee engagement
Weaknesses: Some users report the platform feels complex to implement and scale without dedicated HR support​

“When we signed up we looked into a few different softwares and HiBob was at the time the only software that provided efficient, flexible performance appraisals and surveys, in addition to the other more common features.” -G2 verified review

‍“Self-implementation: Setting up the system on our own was difficult, especially when it came to understanding the broader impact of certain configuration decisions, such as custom data and fields, which sometimes couldn't be altered later.” -G2 verified review

15. Deel

Core strength: Remote workforce management with integrated engagement tools
Standout features: International payroll and compliance and contract management
Best for: Companies with large, remote, or global teams needing a centralized tool for payroll and compliance while maintaining engagement
Weaknesses: Engagement tools are more limited compared to other dedicated platforms, focusing heavily on operational tasks​

“The platform boasts a robust set of features tailored for companies hiring internationally. From managing contracts to processing payments and ensuring compliance, Deel covers essential functionalities that streamline global hiring.” - G2 verified review

“Users have expressed a desire for more customization options. While Deel offers many features, the ability to tailor certain settings or workflows could improve user satisfaction.” -G2 verified review

16. Leapsome

Core strength: Performance management with a focus on continuous learning
Standout features: OKR management, employee surveys, and learning modules for employee development
Best for: Companies focused on aligning performance with goals while offering personalized learning paths
Weaknesses: Some users find the learning curve steep, and have issues with the goal module

"It gives me a platform where I can easily manage all my meetings and add notes. This works well with different departments, I also really like that I can add trainings in the learning path."  -G2 verified review

“The goals module lacks a complete dashboard for senior leaders to see how the company is performing overall. The lack of ability to change the progress status terms—it would be great if it was more flexible.”  -G2 verified review

17. Motivosity

Core strength: Keeping a pulse on engagement through survey tools
Standout features: Customizable rewards (gift cards, merchandise), and community-building tools
Best for: Small to mid-sized companies aiming to boost morale through social recognition
Weaknesses: Limited performance management or feedback tools, making it more suitable as a complementary solution​

“The part I like the best is how easy it is to gather engagement survey data. We survey a certain % of all teams every week, so we are constantly getting data from our employees on how leadership is doing.” -G2 verified review

“I think the UI has come a long way, but I'd love to see more technological improvements and features so it continues to stay an up-to-date social site and new, creative ways of saying thanks.” -G2 verified review

18. Workvivo

Core strength: Social platform for employee engagement with strong communication tools
Standout features: News feeds, live streaming, and event announcements
Best for: Organizations with remote or hybrid teams looking for social engagement features similar to internal social media platforms
Weaknesses: Limited analytics and rewards capabilities compared to similar platforms 

“My favorite part about Workvivo is the emphasis on community and the sharing of ideas.” - G2verified review

“Workvivo is a great tool for employee engagement, but there are a few drawbacks. The platform could benefit from more integrations with other productivity tools to streamline workflows.” -G2 verified review

19. Vantage Circle​

Core strength: Employee rewards and wellness programs that leverage behavioral science to incentivize engagement
Standout features: Pulse surveys, corporate discounts, and HCM integration 
Best for: Companies that prioritize employee well-being, rewards, and retention through holistic engagement programs
Weaknesses: Some users report the interface as outdated and the platform as less intuitive compared to newer solutions​

“I appreciate the emphasis on wellness with features like Vantage Fit, which encourages healthy habits and fosters a supportive work culture.” -G2 verified review

‍“One area where Vantage Circle could improve is in the app's interface. Sometimes, navigating through the app feels a bit clunky, and certain features could be more intuitive. Additionally, it would be great to see more frequent updates and added features to enhance the overall user experience.” -G2 verified review

20. Assembly

Core strength: Employee recognition combined with workflow automation
Standout features: AI assistants, automated rewards, and goal tracking
Best for: Organizations focused on integration with daily workflows through automation
Weaknesses: Limited analytics and clunky user interface

“Assembly has been very useful for performing company wide announcements, hosting giveaways, and getting feedback from a large amount of staff.” -G2 verified review

“What I find challenging about Assembly is that the user interface could be more intuitive. I sometimes get confused about the order of operations and the steps required to provide recognition. It would be more user-friendly if the process wasn’t a linear, step-by-step form but allowed for easier navigation between sections, enabling me to move back and forth as needed.” -G2 verified review

How Bonusly stands out

Bonusly’s core strength lies in its recognition product, which encourages frequent, meaningful employee recognition that drives motivation and enhances employee performance. Recognition in Bonusly is aligned with company values and reinforces winning behaviors across teams while providing critical visibility to company leaders. Real-time recognition and constructive feedback are layered into performance tools to give managers insights into employee contributions, skills, and progress toward goals.

The platform is easy to use, with an intuitive interface and a best-in-class customer success team that enables fast and effective adoption. Employees can redeem rewards for gift cards, charitable donations, or branded merchandise, catering to diverse preferences. Bonusly integrates seamlessly with popular workplace tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and leading HRIS systems, making it easy to incorporate recognition and feedback into daily workflows. Detailed analytics offer HR teams and people leaders insights into engagement trends.

Bonusly meets companies where they are, offering a variety of solutions that align with company maturity and goals. In summary, Bonusly is the best employee engagement solution on the market because it delivers a recognition platform that motivates teams, empowers managers, and automates cumbersome yet critical HR tasks. Its ability to integrate into daily workflows and scale with organizations makes it a top choice for companies seeking meaningful engagement.

The takeaway

Choosing the right employee engagement software is critical for building a motivated and high-performing workforce. Each platform on this list offers unique strengths, and we believe that Bonusly provides a solution that will leave you the most satisfied. Speak with a Bonusly expert to get started.