Softwr

HR · head to head

Culture Amp vs Postgres

Culture Amp logo

Culture Amp

HR

Build a better workplace with employee experience data

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Postgres logo

Postgres

Technology

The world's most advanced open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Postgres has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Culture Amp no price is published, and cost depends on employee count, product chosen and service tier; Postgres each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life
  • They diverge on capability: Culture Amp covers Employee engagement surveys, Postgres covers ACID compliance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Culture Amp and Postgres actually diverge.

Attributes where Culture Amp and Postgres differ
AttributeCulture AmpPostgres
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiLinux, Windows, Macos, Docker
CategoryHRTechnology
Founded20091996

Identical on both: 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 Culture Amp

  • Employee engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Performance management
  • Goal tracking
  • 360-degree feedback
  • Analytics & insights
  • Action planning
  • Manager effectiveness

Only in Postgres

  • ACID compliance
  • Complex queries
  • Foreign keys
  • Triggers
  • Views
  • Stored procedures
  • JSON/JSONB support
  • Full-text search

What people use each for

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

Culture Amp

  • Employee engagement surveys and analysisnot Postgres
  • Performance reviews and development planning across an organisationnot Postgres

Postgres

  • Running a general purpose relational database for applicationsnot Culture Amp
  • Self-hosting an open source SQL database with no licence feenot Culture Amp
  • Workloads needing extensions, JSON and full text search in one enginenot Culture Amp

Where each one falls short

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

Culture Amp

  • No price is published, and cost depends on employee count, product chosen and service tier
  • All products are billed annually
  • Support level is banded by organisation size, with additional support starting at 200 employees and enterprise treatment at 1,000, so smaller customers get less for the same product

Postgres

  • Each major version is supported for only 5 years after its initial release, after which it is end-of-life
  • Major version upgrades break on-disk compatibility and require a full dump and reload or the pg_upgrade tool
  • New major versions ship about once a year, so staying supported means a disruptive upgrade cycle
  • Minor releases contain only frequently-encountered bug fixes, low-risk fixes, security issues and data corruption fixes, so feature gaps are not addressed within a major version
  • There is no vendor SLA; commercial support must be bought separately from third party professional services listed by the project

Pricing, plan by plan

Culture Amp

On request
  • Engage$undefined/month
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Action planning
  • Perform$undefined/month
    • Goal tracking
    • Performance reviews
    • 1-on-1 meetings
  • Develop$undefined/month
    • Skills development
    • Career paths
    • Learning integrations

Postgres

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Full database features
    • No limitations
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Culture Amp if

  • You need employee engagement surveys.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want pulse surveys.
Culture Amp review

Choose Postgres if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
  • You also want complex queries.
Postgres review

Questions people ask

Is Culture Amp or Postgres better?
Neither clearly leads. Culture Amp starts at On request and Postgres at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Culture Amp or Postgres?
Postgres has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Culture Amp and Free for Postgres.
Does Culture Amp or Postgres run on more platforms?
Culture Amp runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Postgres runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
Can I use Postgres for free?
Yes. Postgres has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Culture Amp starts at On request.
What is Culture Amp best used for?
Culture Amp is most often used for employee engagement surveys and analysis, performance reviews and development planning across an organisation. Of those, employee engagement surveys and analysis and performance reviews and development planning across an organisation are not what Postgres is typically brought in for.
What can Culture Amp do that Postgres cannot?
Culture Amp covers Employee engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Performance management, Goal tracking. Postgres covers ACID compliance, Complex queries, Foreign keys, Triggers.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Culture Amp: How much does Culture Amp cost?

Culture Amp does not publish specific pricing. The vendor uses a custom pricing model based on the number of employees in your organization, the product chosen, and the service tier needed. Annual billing is required. Interested customers must request a quote to receive pricing details.

Source
Postgres: How much does PostgreSQL cost to use?

PostgreSQL is completely free to download, install, and use. No licensing fees, subscription costs, or per-seat charges apply. The database is open source under the PostgreSQL License. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

Source
Culture Amp: What factors determine Culture Amp pricing?

Culture Amp pricing depends on three factors: the number of employees, the specific product chosen, and the service tier. Organizations are typically categorized as small/medium (under 200 employees), mid-market (200-999 employees), or enterprise (1000+ employees). Annual prepayment is required.

Source
Postgres: Are there commercial PostgreSQL support options available?

Official PostgreSQL (the project) is free. Commercial PostgreSQL services such as hosting, professional support, training, and managed database services are offered by third-party vendors, not the PostgreSQL project itself. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

Source
Postgres: Do I need a license to use PostgreSQL commercially?

No. PostgreSQL is open source under the PostgreSQL License, which permits free commercial use without royalties, licensing fees, or support obligations. Source: https://www.postgresql.org

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Culture Amp

More on Postgres

Keep looking

Other head to heads