Culture Amp vs Trakstar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Culture Amp grades higher than Trakstar: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Culture Amp grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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 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
Pick Trakstar if
- Fits if you want reviews, hiring and learning from one maker
- Works for HR teams happy to buy modules one at a time
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price first, as the pricing page is only a quote form
- Watch out: the pricing page sits on Mitratech's site, which acquired Trakstar in April 2023 according to its homepage
- Skip it if you want to try before buying, since no trial is listed
- Too light for budgeting, as the page does not say what a quote includes
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACulture AmpWeak | 1.6GPATrakstarWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; the pricing page leads to a quote form, and all products are billed annually. | CNo price is published, so value sits at the middle of the category by default. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. | FNo free plan and no trial on record. The pricing page is a quote request. |
| Features | CEngagement surveys, reviews, calibration, 1-on-1s, development and an AI coach. It does no payroll or employee records. | CReviews, engagement surveys, applicant tracking, learning and analytics, split across separate modules. The listing does not say which are in a quote. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Survey programs and review cycles have to be designed before they run, and support depth follows company size. | CNo store rating on record. A modular suite has to be set up and the modules picked. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an integrations page (5 on record). | CWeb only, and no integrations are listed in our record. |
| Best for | engagement surveys and performance reviews | performance and hiring modules, by quote |
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: Culture Amp and Trakstar. How we grade
Where they differ
- Trakstar also covers applicant tracking.
In commonWebGoalsSurveysReports
At a glance
| Culture Amp | Trakstar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Culture Amp | Mitratech |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Trakstar
- No prices are published: the pricing page is a quote request form, so the cost is unverified.
- The suite is modular (Perform, Hire, Learn, Insights), and the pricing page does not say which parts a quote includes.
- The pricing page now sits on Mitratech's site, which acquired Trakstar in April 2023, according to Trakstar's homepage.
Key features
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.
Trakstar
- Performance reviews
- Perform offers customizable reviews with over 100 competencies, 360-degree reviews, goal setting and improvement plans.
- Engagement surveys
- Surveys are listed as part of the performance product alongside reviews and goal tracking.
- Applicant tracking
- Hire covers applicant tracking, collaborative hiring, candidate sourcing, talent pools and reports.
- Learning management
- Learn builds training courses with quizzes, assessments, screen shares and multimedia, with auto-enrollment and content delivery.
- Workforce analytics
- Insights is a dashboard that spans the platform's products and includes benchmarking.
Plans
Culture Amp
Pricing could not be confirmed. See cultureamp.com.
Trakstar
Pricing could not be confirmed. See trakstar.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Culture Amp or Trakstar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Culture Amp has no price we could confirm, and Trakstar has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Culture Amp or Trakstar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Culture Amp nor Trakstar has a free plan.
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.