Head to head

Culture Amp vs 15Five

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Culture Amp

Sales-quoted

Employee engagement, performance and development platform with AI Coach built in. Pricing is quote-based, billed annually.

Where Culture Amp fits

People teams running engagement surveys
Companies pairing reviews with engagement data
Managers who want coaching in the tool
Firms of 1,000+ staff wanting expert help

15Five

$4/user/mo

Manager effectiveness platform: check-ins, engagement, and reviews. Paid Engage starts at $4/user/mo billed annually.

Where 15Five fits

People teams rolling out weekly check-ins
Companies that want engagement surveys without an enterprise HCM
Manager-effectiveness programs
HRIS-connected mid-market orgs

At a glance

Detail	Culture Amp	15Five
Starting price	Sales-quoted	$4/user/mo
Free tier	–No	–No
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Engagement, People analytics, Performance	Engagement, Performance
Capterra	Not enough reviews	4.7 from 895 reviews

Where they pull apart

Culture Amp

Stands out: AI Coach is built into Engage and Perform, plus an MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT and a developer API.

Watch out: All products are billed annually and priced by headcount, product and service tier. The MCP connector needs sign-up.

Not the right fit for

Buyers who need a published per-employee price
Teams looking for HRIS or payroll

15Five

Stands out: The $4 Engage seat is a real public number, with manager coaching, Kona, and compensation sold as add-ons rather than hiding the whole suite behind a quote.

Watch out: AI reviews, AMAYA, 360s, and OKRs sit on Perform ($11/user/mo) or Total Platform ($16/user/mo), and Kona/compensation are extra. Budgeting Engage alone will not cover a full performance cycle.

Not the right fit for

Teams that need OKRs, 360s, and calibration in the base seat
Buyers who want a free forever plan

Pros and cons

Culture Amp

Engage and Perform on one platform
AI Coach included in every plan
Developer API and MCP connector

No published price
Annual billing only
No HRIS or payroll

15Five

Public Engage price at $4/user/mo billed annually
Check-ins and engagement without buying an HCM
Named HRIS connectors including Workday, BambooHR, ADP, and Gusto

AI reviews and 360s are not on Engage
Kona, coaching, and compensation are add-ons
No free plan or advertised free trial

What each one costs

Culture Amp

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. All products are billed annually, priced by employee count, products chosen and service tier. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

15Five

$4/user/mo

From $4/user/mo on Engage, billed annually. Perform and Total Platform cost more. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 16 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Culture Amp or 15Five for free?

Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Does Culture Amp or 15Five have an MCP server?

Culture Amp ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Culture Amp alternatives All 15Five alternatives Every Engagement tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?