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Surveys · head to head

Medallia vs Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Medallia logo

Medallia

Surveys

Enterprise experience management platform for customer, employee and contact centre feedback

From
On request
Rated
-
Qualtrics EmployeeXM logo

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Employee Engagement

Turn employee feedback into action

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Medallia there is no published pricing and no self-serve tier, so evaluating cost requires a sales process before any real budgeting can happen.; 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: Medallia covers Multi-channel feedback capture, Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Medallia and Qualtrics EmployeeXM differ
AttributeMedalliaQualtrics EmployeeXM
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategorySurveysEmployee Engagement
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Medallia

  • Multi-channel feedback capture
  • AI text and sentiment analysis
  • Role-based reporting
  • Contact centre analytics
  • Experience orchestration
  • Market research tools

Only in Qualtrics EmployeeXM

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

What people use each for

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

Medallia

  • A retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platformnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • An enterprise with a dedicated CX team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive teamnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • A contact centre wanting agent coaching and quality management driven by the same data as customer satisfaction scoresnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • A company running employee and customer experience programmes and wanting one vendor across bothnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

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

Where each one falls short

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

Medallia

  • There is no published pricing and no self-serve tier, so evaluating cost requires a sales process before any real budgeting can happen.
  • Implementation is a project, not a signup, and typically involves data integration and consulting work before the platform produces usable dashboards.
  • The breadth of modules means a buyer who only needs a simple survey tool is paying for enterprise infrastructure they will not use.
  • Switching away later means re-architecting how feedback is collected across the organisation, which creates real vendor lock-in once rolled out.
  • Smaller teams and mid-market companies are effectively priced out, since the platform and its go-to-market are built for large enterprise accounts.

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

Medallia

On request
  • Medallia Experience Cloud$undefined/year
    • No published pricing, sold as a multi-year enterprise contract
    • Pricing depends on modules (CX, EX, contact centre, market research)
    • Implementation and integration typically charged separately

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 Medallia if

  • You need multi-channel feedback capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want ai text and sentiment analysis.

Choose Qualtrics EmployeeXM if

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

Questions people ask

Is Medallia or Qualtrics EmployeeXM better?
Neither clearly leads. Medallia starts at On request and Qualtrics EmployeeXM at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medallia or Qualtrics EmployeeXM?
Medallia starts at On request and Qualtrics EmployeeXM at On request.
Does Medallia or Qualtrics EmployeeXM run on more platforms?
Medallia runs on Web, iOS, Android. Qualtrics EmployeeXM runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Medallia best used for?
Medallia is most often used for a retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platform, an enterprise with a dedicated cx team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive team, a contact centre wanting agent coaching and quality management driven by the same data as customer satisfaction scores, a company running employee and customer experience programmes and wanting one vendor across both. Of those, a retail or hospitality chain that wants customer feedback, digital behaviour and call transcripts unified in one platform and an enterprise with a dedicated cx team needing role-based dashboards from frontline staff to the executive team are not what Qualtrics EmployeeXM is typically brought in for.
What can Medallia do that Qualtrics EmployeeXM cannot?
Medallia covers Multi-channel feedback capture, AI text and sentiment analysis, Role-based reporting, Contact centre analytics. Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Lifecycle surveys, AI-powered insights.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Medallia: Is there a self-serve or free version?

No. Medallia sells only through direct sales with quoted enterprise contracts; there is no published price list.

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
Medallia: Can a mid-sized company buy Medallia?

Technically yes, but the sales motion, implementation cost and contract structure are built for large enterprise deployments, not smaller teams.

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
Medallia: Does it replace a standalone survey tool?

It can collect surveys, but its value is in unifying multiple feedback channels; a company only needing surveys is better served by a cheaper dedicated tool.

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.

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