For years, “employee experience” meant handing out branded water bottles, ordering pizza on Fridays, or sending a generic birthday email from HR. Perks like free coffee, casual Fridays, or a foosball table in the breakroom were treated as culture.

But that version of EX doesn’t cut it anymore. Employees aren’t asking for gimmicks — they’re asking for purpose, connection, and growth. And businesses that don’t deliver are paying the price. Studies show 20% of new hires quit within 45 days if onboarding falls flat, and disengaged employees cost companies billions in lost productivity each year.

The shift is clear: employee experience is now a business-critical function, directly tied to retention, performance, and profitability. It’s no longer about snacks or swag; it’s about how people feel supported, connected, and valued from day one.

That’s where employee experience software comes in. These platforms replace scattered efforts with structured systems that automate onboarding, strengthen culture across hybrid teams, drive peer recognition, and give leaders real-time insights into what’s working (and what isn’t).

In this guide, we break down the 12 best employee experience platforms of 2025—what they do well, where they shine, and how to choose the right one for your people. Each has strengths, but one stands out as the clear #1.

What to Look For in Employee Experience Software

When evaluating EX software, prioritize:

• Automation – Does it save HR time?

• Integration – Can it connect with your HRIS, Slack, or Teams?

• Adoption – Will employees actually use it?

• Analytics – Does it provide board-ready insights?

• Scalability – Can it grow with your company?
  
  
  
  

1. Amirra – Best All-in-One Employee Experience Software

Amirra is an AI-powered Employee Experience Assistant that consolidates onboarding, engagement, and connection into one seamless platform. Unlike single-focus tools, Amirra replaces 3–7 fragmented systems and automates 10+ hours of HR work per new hire.

Key strengths:

• Onboarding-led engagement: Preboarding checklists, personalized agendas, learning paths, and social introductions.

• Hybrid-ready: Tools like Cafe Roulette and People Connector build belonging across remote teams.

• ROI-focused: Prevents turnover (worth 33% of annual salary per exit) and can deliver up to $2M in productivity gains.

• Integrations: Works with Slack, Microsoft Teams, HRIS, and SSO.

Best for: Mid-to-large enterprises (50–5,000 employees).
Pricing: $7/user/month + $2,000 setup.

2. Microsoft Viva Engage – Social Connection Inside Microsoft 365

Microsoft Viva Engage is part of the broader Microsoft Viva suite, embedded directly within Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Built as the evolution of Yammer, Viva Engage is designed to foster connection, community, and knowledge sharing inside large organizations. Its feed-based interface looks familiar to anyone used to social media, making adoption easier for distributed teams.

Key strengths:

• Deep Teams integration: Employees can participate in communities, conversations, and storylines without leaving their daily workflow.

• Leadership engagement: Tools for executives to post, share video messages, and host virtual town halls that boost visibility and connection.

• Community building: Create interest groups, employee resource communities, and cross-functional networks across global organizations.

• Knowledge sharing: Integration with Microsoft Search and Viva Topics makes information easier to surface within conversations.

Best for: Enterprises already standardized on Microsoft 365 that want to extend Teams beyond productivity into culture and connection. It’s particularly strong for global companies that need consistent tools for employee communities.

Watch-out: While Viva Engage excels at communication and connection, it is less comprehensive in onboarding automation, feedback analytics, or recognition workflows. Many companies pair it with other employee experience software for a complete lifecycle solution.

3. Workvivo – Social Intranet for Hybrid Culture

Workvivo is a digital employee experience platform that blends the familiarity of a social feed with enterprise-grade internal communications. Founded in Cork, Ireland in 2017 and acquired by Zoom in 2023, it’s become a go-to alternative to legacy intranets and a replacement for Meta Workplace. Workvivo helps organizations engage employees through recognition, communication, and culture-building—all within a mobile-first experience that feels like a consumer social network.

Key strengths:

• Social-style interface: Employees can post updates, like, comment, and share recognition in a familiar feed format that drives adoption.

• Centralized communications: Combines company news, live video, podcasts, and executive messaging in one hub.

• Recognition tools: Built-in peer-to-peer shoutouts and kudos keep appreciation visible and consistent.

• Surveys & engagement: Quick polls and feedback tools help leaders gauge sentiment.

• Mobile-first design: Optimized for frontline and remote workers who need access on the go.

Best for: Mid-size to enterprise organizations looking for an intuitive, social-first intranet to strengthen culture, particularly in hybrid or frontline-heavy industries.

Watch-out: While it excels at communication and recognition, Workvivo is not as deep in areas like onboarding automation, performance management, or advanced analytics. Many companies use it alongside other employee experience software to cover the full lifecycle.

4. Staffbase – Employee Communications at Scale

Staffbase is a leading employee communications platform built to help organizations reach, engage, and align their workforce—particularly frontline employees who are often left out of traditional EX programs. Founded in Germany, Staffbase has scaled globally and serves major brands like Domino’s and Adidas. Its platform is used by over 2,000 enterprises to deliver consistent messaging through branded employee apps, intranets, and email.

Key strengths:

• Branded employee apps: Customizable mobile apps ensure even non-desk workers get timely updates.

• Omnichannel messaging: Combines intranet, app, and email tools so communication is consistent across all channels.

• Leadership comms: Features for executives to post updates, videos, and town hall announcements.

• Analytics & reach: Track message delivery, open rates, and employee engagement across locations.

• Integrations: Works with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other enterprise systems.

Best for: Large organizations with frontline-heavy workforces that need reliable communication channels to every employee. Particularly valuable for industries like manufacturing, retail, and logistics.

Watch-out: While Staffbase is excellent at communication, it does not natively include onboarding workflows, recognition, or advanced performance tools. Companies often integrate it with broader EX software to cover those areas.

5. Simpplr – AI-Powered Modern Intranet
   
   

Simpplr positions itself as the modern intranet reimagined. Recognized twice as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions, it uses AI to personalize communication, surface content, and measure employee engagement. Where legacy intranets often failed due to clunky design, Simpplr’s clean interface and low-code setup make it accessible and widely adopted across enterprises.

Key strengths:

• AI-driven personalization: Employees see content, news, and updates tailored to their role, location, and preferences.

• Unified communications: Centralizes newsletters, leadership updates, and internal announcements.

• Search & knowledge management: AI-powered search surfaces policies, resources, and subject-matter experts quickly.

• Analytics: Real-time dashboards to measure communication reach and employee sentiment.

• Ease of use: Mobile-friendly and built for quick deployment with minimal IT lift.

Best for: Enterprises that want a central communication hub to align hybrid or distributed teams. Trusted by customers like Snowflake and DocuSign.

Watch-out: While excellent for communication and knowledge sharing, Simpplr does not cover deeper onboarding automation, performance management, or recognition programs, so some organizations pair it with other employee experience software.

6. Culture Amp – Data-Rich Employee Engagement Software

Trusted by 7,500+ organizations including Etsy and McDonald’s, Culture Amp offers surveys, analytics, performance management, and DEI diagnostics. Its AI-powered comment summaries and turnover-risk signals are particularly useful for HR leaders who need to prove culture ROI.

Strengths:

• Ready-made survey templates.

• Performance and development tools.

• Global benchmarking community.

Best for: HR teams with analytics capability.
Watch-out: Smaller teams may struggle with adoption.

7. Lattice – Performance and Goal Alignment

Lattice is one of the most widely adopted performance management platforms on the market, designed to give employees visibility into their growth and alignment with company goals. It combines OKRs, 1:1 tools, performance reviews, engagement surveys, and development tracking into a single system. Companies like Slack and Reddit rely on Lattice to ensure managers run consistent check-ins and that employee growth ties directly to business outcomes.

Strengths:

• Goal alignment through OKRs tied to company strategy.

• Integrated performance reviews, feedback, and 1:1 frameworks.

• Career development tools to support internal mobility.

Best for: Scaling organizations that want structured performance conversations and clear alignment across teams.
Watch-out: Lattice leans heavily toward performance—if you need culture-building, onboarding, or recognition-first features, you’ll need to supplement with additional tools.

8. Motivosity – Peer Recognition Meets Feedback

Motivosity centers its value on peer-to-peer recognition combined with lightweight engagement and feedback tools. Its design helps companies encourage transparent recognition, build trust, and gather continuous feedback. Many teams use it to make 1:1 meetings more effective by giving employees a structured space to share agenda items and feedback in advance.

Strengths:

• Transparent peer recognition with customizable rewards.

• eNPS tracking and pulse surveys built in.

• Nudges for managers to maintain effective 1:1s.

Best for: Mid-size companies aiming to improve everyday recognition and feedback without heavy HR overhead.
Watch-out: Feature overlap with communication tools may lead to redundancy; not as comprehensive for lifecycle EX needs.

9. Bonusly – Gamified Recognition

Bonusly gamifies recognition with its points-based micro-bonus system. Employees award peers with points for contributions, which can then be redeemed for rewards. The approach makes recognition quick, social, and engaging, often boosting morale in distributed teams.

Strengths:

• Micro-bonuses tied directly to company values.

• Simple, fun interface that drives adoption.

• Automated allowances to ensure recognition flows consistently.

Best for: Teams that want to create a culture of celebration without heavy administration.
Watch-out: Some companies note recognition bias and limits in reward variety—issues that become more apparent at scale.

10. Workhuman – Recognition + Inclusion

Workhuman combines recognition with DEI-driven insights and culture analytics. Its Inclusion Advisor offers real-time coaching on inclusive language, while the platform also handles life-event celebrations, service milestones, and peer recognition. Global organizations trust Workhuman for recognition at scale, supported by its worldwide rewards fulfillment network.

Strengths:

• Inclusion Advisor AI tool promotes equitable recognition.

• Recognition tied to life events and service milestones.

• Global recognition programs supported across regions.

Best for: Enterprises embedding recognition and inclusion into everyday workflows.
Watch-out: Strong on recognition, but companies seeking lifecycle onboarding or deep analytics will likely need additional platforms.

11. Achievers – Global Recognition and Rewards

Achievers is recognition-first employee experience software. Its global rewards marketplace spans 3M+ items across 190 countries, making it ideal for enterprises with large, distributed teams. Brands like Dyson have reported 94% activation rates within the first week.

Strengths:

• Peer-to-peer recognition.

• Built-in Voice of Employee surveys.

• Integrations with Slack, Teams, and Workday.

Best for: Large enterprises prioritizing recognition and appreciation.
Watch-out: Limited onboarding or lifecycle engagement features.

Final Word: The #1 Employee Experience Software

Most platforms solve one piece of the puzzle—recognition (Achievers, Bonusly), analytics (Qualtrics, Culture Amp), or comms (Simpplr, Workvivo).

But Amirra uniquely unifies onboarding, engagement, connection, and analytics in one AI-powered solution. For companies serious about retention and culture in 2025, Amirra is the clear #1.