15Five vs Culture Amp (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, 15Five and Culture Amp share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Culture Amp
Engagement surveys, performance reviews and development together
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick 15Five if
- Fits if you want reviews, OKRs and 1-on-1s in one tool and already have an HR system
- Works for managers who want meeting notes and coaching tied to review data
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial: neither is listed and you start with a demo
- Not for you if you need payroll or employee records, as it does neither
- Pricey if you add the extras: AI coach is $19 per manager a month and manager content $49
- Watch out: live coaching is sold in credits at $399 each, and a group session uses 5
Pick Culture Amp if
- Fits if you run regular engagement surveys and want results next to reviews
- Works for mid-sized firms that want survey science help from the vendor
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price before a sales call, as none is published
- Not for you if you need payroll or employee records
- Watch out: everything is billed annually
- Tight if you are small, as onboarding and support depth follow company size
How we grade them
| 1.8GPA15FiveWeak | 1.8GPACulture AmpWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$4 to $16 per user a month on annual billing, with the Perform plan at $11 against a category middle of about $7. The AI notetaker ($2), AI coach ($19 per manager) and manager content ($49 per manager) cost extra. | CNo price is published; the pricing page leads to a quote form, and all products are billed annually. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no published trial; the pricing page points to a demo. | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. |
| Features | CReviews, 360 feedback, OKRs, 1-on-1s and surveys, with a talent matrix. It does no payroll or employee records, so it sits next to an HR system rather than being one. | CEngagement surveys, reviews, calibration, 1-on-1s, development and an AI coach. It does no payroll or employee records. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Review cycles, OKRs and survey settings all have to be set up before anyone gets value. | CNo store rating on record. Survey programs and review cycles have to be designed before they run, and support depth follows company size. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, and integrations with ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, Okta, Jira, Salesforce and Slack. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with an integrations page (5 on record). |
| Best for | reviews, OKRs and 1-on-1s in one place | engagement surveys and performance reviews |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 15Five and Culture Amp. How we grade
Where they differ
- 15Five also covers meeting notes and AI agents.
In commonWebAI featuresGoalsSurveysReports
At a glance
| 15Five | Culture Amp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $4 per user / month, billed annually | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | 15Five | Culture Amp |
| Price read from | 15five.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
15Five
- No free plan or published trial; the pricing page points to a demo.
- Kona Notetaker costs $2 per employee a month, Kona Coach $19 per manager a month, and manager content $49 per manager a month, all billed annually.
- Live coaching is sold by credit at $399 each; a 1-on-1 session is 1 credit and a group session is 5.
- It is not an HR records or payroll system; it runs alongside an HRIS.
Culture Amp
- No prices are published; the pricing page leads to a quote form, so the cost is unknown until you ask.
- The pricing FAQ says all products are billed annually.
- It does not cover payroll or core employee records; it is a survey and performance product.
- Onboarding and support depth depends on the service tier, which follows company size.
Key features
15Five
- Engagement surveys
- Surveys and eNPS with industry benchmarking, lifecycle surveys for onboarding and exit, heat maps and action planning.
- Performance reviews
- Review cycles with AI-assisted writing, 360 reviews, calibrations and a 9-box talent matrix.
- OKRs, 1-on-1s and check-ins
- Weighted OKRs and goals, 1-on-1 agendas and notes, and weekly check-ins with wins and challenges.
- Kona AI notetaker and coach
- Add-ons for 1-on-1 meeting notes and auto-filled performance snapshots, and for AI coaching aimed at managers.
- Manager training and coaching
- An on-demand learning library and live 1:1 or group coaching sessions with the vendor's experts, bought separately.
- Mobile app
- A mobile app for check-ins, 1-on-1s and surveys, with iOS and Android store links on the 15Five site.
Culture Amp
- Engagement surveys
- Ready-to-use surveys, pulse surveys, onboarding and offboarding surveys, AI comment summaries, benchmarking and action plans.
- Performance reviews and calibration
- Review cycles with calibration, continuous feedback, goal management and performance insights in the Perform module.
- 1-on-1s and development
- 1-on-1 conversations with templates, employee development plans and a skills coach, which the pricing FAQ says are included for every customer.
- AI Coach
- An assistant built into Engage and Perform that surfaces themes in results and suggests next steps and action plans.
- People Science Consulting
- An add-on to Engage and Perform with advisory work from the vendor's people scientists, quoted separately.
Plans
15Five
Engage$4
per user / month, billed annually
Engagement surveys, targeted assessments, action planning, heat maps and benchmarking.
Perform$11
per user / month, billed annually
AI-assisted reviews, OKRs and goals, 360 feedback, talent matrix, career paths and plans, 1-on-1s and check-ins.
Total Platform$16
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Engage and Perform, plus the HR dashboard and manager-training microlearnings. Marked most popular.
Culture Amp
Pricing could not be confirmed. See cultureamp.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Culture Amp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, 15Five starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually, and Culture Amp has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, 15Five or Culture Amp?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither 15Five nor Culture Amp has a free plan.
Which platforms do 15Five and Culture Amp run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only 15Five lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.