Softwr

HR · head to head

15Five vs Empuls

15Five logo

15Five

HR

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Empuls logo

Empuls

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement platform for connection and recognition

From
$1/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; Empuls limited customization options for organizations with unique workflows
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Empuls covers Social intranet.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and Empuls actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and Empuls differ
Attribute15FiveEmpuls
Starting price$4/month$1/month per employee
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Mobile, Slack
CategoryHREmployee Engagement
Founded20112018

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 15Five

  • Weekly check-ins
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • OKRs & goal tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • High fives recognition
  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Manager effectiveness

Only in Empuls

  • Social intranet
  • Peer recognition
  • Rewards marketplace
  • Surveys
  • Celebrations
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Gamification

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • BambooHR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

15Five

  • Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot Empuls
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Empuls
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot Empuls
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Empuls
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Empuls

Empuls

  • Employee recognitionnot 15Five
  • Team engagementnot 15Five
  • Pulse surveysnot 15Five
  • Rewards programsnot 15Five

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

15Five

  • Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
  • Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
  • Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
  • The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates

Empuls

  • Limited customization options for organizations with unique workflows
  • Integration with third-party HR and payroll systems is restricted, often requiring manual workarounds
  • Mobile app is less stable and slower than desktop version with reported bugs
  • Limited options to customize user interface for brand alignment
  • Platform can feel overwhelming due to large number of features

Pricing, plan by plan

15Five

$4/month
  • Engage$4/month
    • Employee Engagement Surveys
    • Targeted Assessments
    • Action Planning
  • Perform$11/month
    • Engage features
    • AMAYA
    • Insights Dashboard
  • Total Platform$16/month
    • Perform features
    • Manager Training Microlearnings

Empuls

$1/month per employee
  • Reward & Recognize$3/month per employee
    • Recognition badges
    • Reward catalog
    • Points management
  • Surveys & Feedback$3/month per employee
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Analytics
  • Perks & Benefits$2/month per employee
    • Perks catalog
    • Benefits management
  • Social Intranet$1/month per employee
    • Internal communications
    • Announcements
    • Employee directory

Which should you pick?

Choose 15Five if

  • You need weekly check-ins.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
15Five review

Choose Empuls if

  • You need social intranet.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Slack.
  • You also want peer recognition.
Empuls review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or Empuls better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Empuls at $1/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Empuls?
15Five starts at $4/month and Empuls at $1/month per employee.
Does 15Five or Empuls run on more platforms?
15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Empuls runs on Web, Mobile, Slack.
What is 15Five best used for?
15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what Empuls is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that Empuls cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Empuls covers Social intranet, Peer recognition, Rewards marketplace, Surveys. Both handle Slack, Microsoft Teams, BambooHR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

15Five: What are 15Five's core plan tiers and pricing?

15Five offers Engage ($4/user/month), Perform ($11/user/month, marked Most Popular), and Total Platform ($16/user/month). All prices are billed annually. Perform adds AI-assisted performance reviews, OKRs, and 360-degree feedback compared to Engage.

Source
Empuls: What are the main features of Empuls?

Empuls is an AI-led employee engagement platform combining social intranet, recognition and rewards, surveys and feedback, employee gifting, and perks and benefits—all in one platform built on four pillars: communication, alignment, empowerment, and motivation.

Source
15Five: What add-on products does 15Five offer?

Manager Content costs $49/manager/month (annually billed). Manager Coaching is $399 per credit (1-on-1 coaching = 1 credit; group coaching = 5 credits). Kona AI Meeting Assistant is $2/employee/month. Kona AI Coach is $19/manager/month. Compensation add-ons start at $9/user/month for base package or $11/user/month with salary benchmarking.

Source
Empuls: How much does Empuls cost?

Empuls pricing is module-based: Reward & Recognize at $3 per employee/month, Surveys at $3 per employee/month, Perks & Benefits at $2 per employee/month, Social Intranet & Employee Communication at $1 per employee/month, plus Employee Gifting & Service Rewards with no platform fees.

Source
15Five: Are 15Five contracts flexible?

All 15Five plans require annual billing and contracts. Support is included as dedicated human support with all plans.

Source
Empuls: Does Empuls integrate with Slack?

Yes, Empuls integrates with Slack to enable peer recognition, badge sending, polls, surveys, and achievement celebrations directly within Slack without app switching, with automatic social notifications to the channel.

Source
Empuls: Can I use Empuls APIs to customize integrations?

Yes, Empuls provides APIs for sending appreciations and gifts, redeeming reward points, accessing reports (awards and core values), and embedding employee engagement features into other work tools via API and SDK.

Source
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