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Employee Engagement · head to head

Qualtrics EmployeeXM vs SurveyMonkey

Qualtrics EmployeeXM logo

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Employee Engagement

Turn employee feedback into action

From
On request
Rated
-
SurveyMonkey logo

SurveyMonkey

Research

Turn feedback into action

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only SurveyMonkey has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Qualtrics EmployeeXM pricing is not published for either the People Engage or People Lifecycle products; both require submitting a Request Pricing form to Qualtrics; SurveyMonkey team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • They diverge on capability: Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys, SurveyMonkey covers Survey builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Qualtrics EmployeeXM and SurveyMonkey differ
AttributeQualtrics EmployeeXMSurveyMonkey
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryEmployee EngagementResearch
Founded20021999

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 Qualtrics EmployeeXM

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

Only in SurveyMonkey

  • Survey builder
  • Question bank
  • Survey logic
  • Multi-language surveys
  • Mobile surveys
  • Real-time results
  • Data analysis tools
  • Custom branding

Both cover

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Qualtrics EmployeeXM

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

SurveyMonkey

  • Market research and customer surveysnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Employee feedback and engagement trackingnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Data collection and analysisnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM
  • Customer satisfaction and NPS measurementsnot Qualtrics EmployeeXM

Where each one falls short

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

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

SurveyMonkey

  • Team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • Annual response limits enforced: 50,000 responses/year on Team Advantage, 100,000 on Team Premier
  • Additional responses beyond annual limits charged at AED 0.50 per response
  • Enterprise plan requires custom pricing and minimum 5 users
  • Advanced features like multilingual surveys and phone support require Team Premier tier

Pricing, plan by plan

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

SurveyMonkey

Free
  • Team Advantage$99/month
    • 50,000 responses per year
    • Unlimited surveys and questions
    • 3 user minimum
  • Team Premier$240/month
    • 100,000 responses per year
    • All Team Advantage features
    • White label branding

Which should you pick?

Choose Qualtrics EmployeeXM if

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

Choose SurveyMonkey if

  • You need survey builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want question bank.

Questions people ask

Is Qualtrics EmployeeXM or SurveyMonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Qualtrics EmployeeXM starts at On request and SurveyMonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Qualtrics EmployeeXM or SurveyMonkey?
SurveyMonkey has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Qualtrics EmployeeXM and Free for SurveyMonkey.
Does Qualtrics EmployeeXM or SurveyMonkey run on more platforms?
Qualtrics EmployeeXM runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SurveyMonkey runs on Web.
Can I use SurveyMonkey for free?
Yes. SurveyMonkey has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Qualtrics EmployeeXM starts at On request.
What is Qualtrics EmployeeXM best used for?
Qualtrics EmployeeXM is most often used for organizations wanting employee experience tools priced against their own headcount rather than a flat seat fee. Of those, organizations wanting employee experience tools priced against their own headcount rather than a flat seat fee is not what SurveyMonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Qualtrics EmployeeXM do that SurveyMonkey cannot?
Qualtrics EmployeeXM covers Engagement surveys, Pulse surveys, Lifecycle surveys, AI-powered insights. SurveyMonkey covers Survey builder, Question bank, Survey logic, Multi-language surveys. Both handle Microsoft Teams, Slack, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
SurveyMonkey: How much does SurveyMonkey cost?

SurveyMonkey offers team plans starting at AED 99 per user per month for Team Advantage and AED 240 per user per month for Team Premier. Both plans require a minimum of 3 users. Billing can be monthly or annual.

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
SurveyMonkey: What are SurveyMonkey's overage fees?

SurveyMonkey charges AED 0.50 per additional response on paid plans beyond the annual limit included in each tier.

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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