Softwr

HR · head to head

15Five vs Kudos

15Five logo

15Five

HR

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kudos logo

Kudos

HR

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
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; Kudos no pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where 15Five and Kudos differ
Attribute15FiveKudos
Starting price$4/month$5/month
Founded20112010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • HRIS systems
  • GDPR
  • Data encryption

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 Kudos
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Kudos
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot Kudos
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Kudos
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Kudos

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot 15Five
  • Culture buildingnot 15Five
  • Employee engagementnot 15Five
  • Retention improvementnot 15Five
  • Values reinforcementnot 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

Kudos

  • No pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact

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

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

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 Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Kudos?
15Five starts at $4/month and Kudos at $5/month.
Does 15Five or Kudos run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that Kudos cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Both handle Slack, Microsoft Teams, HRIS systems, GDPR.

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
Kudos: How much does Kudos cost?

Kudos does not publish standard pricing on its website. To learn pricing, contact Kudos for a 30-minute demo or reach out directly at +1 (888) 915-8367 or [email protected].

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
Kudos: How can I get Kudos pricing information?

Contact Kudos through their website demo request form or directly at [email protected] to discuss pricing and setup for your organization.

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
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