Engagedly vs Small Improvements (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Small Improvements grades higher than Engagedly: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Engagedly grades higher on ease of use. Small Improvements grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Engagedly
Modular performance, learning, recognition and survey suites
Small Improvements
Performance reviews, 360 feedback, 1:1s and pulse surveys
Which one is for you
Pick Engagedly if
- Fits if you're a company big enough that $7,500 a year is a normal minimum
- Works for HR teams that want to buy performance or learning on its own
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're a small team: the page states a $7,500 a year minimum
- Pricey if you add suites, as Performance is $5 to $8 and Manage Compensation $10 a user
- Watch out: several prices are ranges ($3-$5, $5-$8) with no rule for what sets the figure
- Watch out: no free plan or trial, so you book a demo
Pick Small Improvements if
- Fits if you run reviews for 20 or more people and already have an HR system
- Works for teams that want 360 feedback and 1:1s in one tool
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have fewer than 20 people, since every plan has a user minimum
- Pricey if you need 360 feedback, 1:1s or pulse surveys, which start on Grow at $6
- Watch out: volume discounts start at 200 users on Elevate or 1,000 on Grow
- Too light for HR records, as it syncs with an HR system rather than replacing it
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAEngagedlyWeak | 2.2GPASmall ImprovementsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$2 a user looks cheap, but the pricing page sets a $7,500 a year minimum, which for a team of five is $1,500 a head. That floor is in the dearest tenth. | C$3 a user a month is in the cheapest quarter, but the 20-user minimum means at least $60 a month, so one person cannot buy it. Grow at $6 and Elevate at $9 are where 360 feedback and 1:1s sit. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is listed. You start with a demo request. | CA 30-day free trial. The listing does not say whether it needs a card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CPerformance, learning, recognition, surveys, mentoring and compensation suites, but each is priced as its own line, and a talent mobility suite sits outside the list. | CReviews, 360 feedback, objectives, 1:1s, pulse surveys and AI features. Launch covers essential reviews and praise only, and it is not an HRIS. |
| Ease of use | BThe listing has no store rating, and each suite has to be set up and switched on, so it's a C. | CNo store rating on record. It syncs with HR systems and needs reviews built before it is useful. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with eight listed integrations. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with Slack, Google Workspace, Okta, BambooHR, Personio, Rippling, Workday and Workable listed. |
| Best for | modular performance and learning suites | performance reviews from $3 a seat, 20 minimum |
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: Engagedly and Small Improvements. How we grade
Price against what you get
Engagedly starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Small Improvements starts at $3 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Engagedly scores higher and starts $1 a month lower. Of the other HR software on the chart, none scores higher than Engagedly for less, and 1 scores higher than Small Improvements for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Engagedly also covers online courses.
At a glance
| Engagedly | Small Improvements | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $2 per user / month, billed annually (from $7,500 a year) | $3 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Engagedly Inc. | Small Improvements |
| Price read from | engagedly.com | small-improvements.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Engagedly
- The pricing page states a minimum of $7,500 a year, and says prices vary with headcount and bundling.
- Several prices are ranges ($5-$8, $3-$5) without saying what sets the figure.
- A deskless-employee communication add-on at $5 and a Talent Mobility suite are listed separately from the plans shown here.
- No free plan or free trial is listed; buyers book a demo or request a quote.
Small Improvements
- Every plan has a minimum user count: 20 users on Launch and Grow, 30 on Elevate.
- 360 feedback, 1:1 meetings and pulse surveys need Grow ($6) or Elevate; Launch covers essential reviews and praise only.
- Volume discounts are offered only for 200 or more active users on Elevate, or 1,000 or more on Grow.
- It is a performance and engagement tool, not an HRIS: it syncs with HR systems such as BambooHR, Personio and Workday instead of replacing them.
Key features
Engagedly
- Performance reviews and 360 feedback
- Review cycles with calibration, 9-box assessment, 30-60-90 day reviews and 360 reports with an AI-written summary.
- Goals and OKRs
- Goal libraries with weighting, AI goal suggestions and links into reviews and one-on-ones.
- Learning platform
- A learning system with learning paths, certification, live sessions, mobile learning and content partners.
- Recognition and rewards
- Praise, badges and leaderboards, with a gift card store and a travel and experiences option.
- Surveys and team pulse
- Engagement surveys with an index, favorability distribution and team heat maps, plus recurring pulse questions.
- Talent mobility
- Skill gap analysis, development plans, career paths and succession planning, in a separate suite.
Small Improvements
- Performance reviews
- Review cycles launch from included templates with automated notifications. Calibration can be added to compare ratings across teams.
- 360 and anytime feedback
- Teammates can be asked for feedback as part of a cycle, and people can also give feedback outside review periods. Both sit on the Grow plan and above.
- Objectives
- Objectives can cascade from company to team to individual, and an AI Objectives Coach helps turn feedback into objectives.
- 1:1 meetings
- Managers and employees share an agenda and track action items between meetings. 1:1s sync with Google Calendar or Office 365.
- Pulse surveys
- Confidential surveys with heatmaps and trend reports to show which teams need attention.
- AI features
- AI drafts and summarizes in several areas, including insights across reviews, and the vendor says any AI feature can be turned off.
Plans
Engagedly
Recognize & Reward Suite$2
per user / month, billed annually
Social recognition, praise wall, badges, gamification and a gift card storefront.
Engage & Listen Suite$2
per user / month, billed annually
Engagement and employee surveys, team pulse, heat maps and an intranet.
Learning Suite$3-$5
per user / month, billed annually
Learning platform with learning paths, assessments, compliance tracking and AI recommendations.
Performance Suite$5-$8
per user / month, billed annually
Reviews, 360 feedback, goals and OKRs, real-time feedback, 1:1s and skill libraries.
Mentoring Suite$8
per user / month, billed annually
Mentor-mentee matching, program management, progress tracking and feedback.
Manage Compensation$10
per user / month, billed annually
Compensation planning, budget control, variable pay, benchmarking and approval workflows.
Small Improvements
Launch$3
per user / month, billed annually
Essential performance reviews, praise, a company directory, HRIS integrations and Google sign-in. Minimum of 20 users.
Grow$6
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Launch plus 360 and anytime feedback, essential objectives, 1:1 meetings, pulse surveys and the Slack integration. Minimum of 20 users.
Elevate$9
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Grow plus all features, all integrations, all customizations and advanced analytics. Minimum of 30 users.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Engagedly or Small Improvements?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Engagedly is cheaper to start with: $2 a month for each person, against $3 a month for each person for Small Improvements. Engagedly starts at $2 per user / month, billed annually (from $7,500 a year), and Small Improvements starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Engagedly or Small Improvements?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Engagedly nor Small Improvements has a free plan. Small Improvements has a free trial.
Which platforms do Engagedly and Small Improvements run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Engagedly 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.