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Kudos vs Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Kudos logo

Kudos

HR

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Qualtrics EmployeeXM logo

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Employee Engagement

Turn employee feedback into action

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kudos no pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact; Qualtrics EmployeeXM pricing is not published for either the People Engage or People Lifecycle products; both require submitting a Request Pricing form to Qualtrics
  • They diverge on capability: Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kudos and Qualtrics EmployeeXM actually diverge.

Attributes where Kudos and Qualtrics EmployeeXM differ
AttributeKudosQualtrics EmployeeXM
Starting price$5/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
CategoryHREmployee Engagement
Founded20102002

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), 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 Kudos

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

Only in Qualtrics EmployeeXM

  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Lifecycle surveys
  • AI-powered insights
  • Predictive analytics
  • Action planning
  • Manager enablement
  • 360-degree feedback

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Workday
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • Oracle HCM
  • HRIS systems
  • GDPR
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Culture buildingnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Employee engagementnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Retention improvementnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Values reinforcementnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

  • Organizations wanting employee experience tools priced against their own headcount rather than a flat seat feenot Kudos

Where each one falls short

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

Kudos

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

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

  • Pricing is not published for either the People Engage or People Lifecycle products; both require submitting a Request Pricing form to Qualtrics
  • Pricing is based on employee count rather than a flat platform fee, so cost scales with organization size

Pricing, plan by plan

Kudos

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

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

On request
  • Essentials$undefined/month
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Basic analytics
  • Business$undefined/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • AI insights
    • Predictive analytics
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Business
    • Custom integrations
    • Advanced security

Which should you pick?

Choose Kudos if

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

Choose Qualtrics EmployeeXM if

  • You need engagement surveys.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want pulse surveys.
Qualtrics EmployeeXM review

Questions people ask

Is Kudos or Qualtrics EmployeeXM better?
Neither clearly leads. Kudos starts at $5/month and Qualtrics EmployeeXM at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kudos or Qualtrics EmployeeXM?
Kudos starts at $5/month and Qualtrics EmployeeXM at On request.
Does Kudos or Qualtrics EmployeeXM run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Kudos best used for?
Kudos is most often used for employee recognition, culture building, employee engagement, retention improvement. Of those, employee recognition and culture building are not what Qualtrics EmployeeXM is typically brought in for.
What can Kudos do that Qualtrics EmployeeXM cannot?
Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Lifecycle surveys, AI-powered insights. Both handle Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Qualtrics EmployeeXM: Does Qualtrics offer a free demo or trial?

Yes, Qualtrics offers a free product tour and demo request option. Prospects can see the platform directly through an on-demand demo or schedule a consultation with the sales team to understand how it works.

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
Qualtrics EmployeeXM: What does Qualtrics' Employee Experience platform measure?

Qualtrics measures employee experience across the entire lifecycle including candidate experience, onboarding, development, pulse listening, and exit. The platform provides real-time dashboards and analytics to track engagement, predict attrition, and measure the impact of initiatives on business outcomes.

Source
Qualtrics EmployeeXM: How does Qualtrics differ from annual engagement surveys?

Qualtrics enables continuous listening with real-time pulse surveys and lifecycle feedback, rather than relying on annual surveys. It automatically analyzes thousands of open-text comments using AI to surface trending themes. Organizations with increased employee listening see up to 25 points higher engagement.

Source
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