Employee engagement is no longer about checking in on your team once-a-year.
Teams want (and need) to be heard regularly, and businesses that listen see real results.
That’s why pulse surveys are so important.
Unlike annual surveys, pulse surveys are short, frequent check-ins that help you spot trends and uncover concerns early.
But with so many tools out there, how do you choose the right one?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what to look for in a great pulse survey tool, compare some of the top options available in 2025, and explain why Stribe is a brilliant choice for UK-based organisations looking for simplicity, speed, and results.
Not all survey tools are created equal.
Some are bloated with features you’ll never use.
Others are too limited, or too expensive.
The best pulse survey software strikes the right balance between flexibility, ease of use, and insightful results, without overwhelming your team.
Here’s what to look for:
You shouldn’t need a PhD to understand your team’s feedback, or three months of meetings to do something about it. That’s why we built Stribe to be simple, fast, and genuinely useful. 
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pulse survey software.
The right tool depends on your team’s size, goals, budget, and how much time you’ve got to spend on set-up and data crunching.
Here’s a breakdown of key factors to consider when choosing the best pulse survey platform for your team.
Helpful questions to ask yourself:
Do you want a tool that’s quick to set up and easy to use, or are you happy to spend time customising and training?
Do you need advanced analytics, or are you more focused on regular feedback and simple reports?
Is UK data storage and GDPR compliance a must for you?
Will your team benefit from integrations with platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack?
How important is it to have a friendly, human support team to help you out?
With so many platforms to choose from, finding the right pulse survey tool can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re weighing up features, cost, ease of use, and how well a platform fits your team.
Below, we compare five popular platforms: Stribe, Culture Amp, Officevibe, Qualtrics, and SurveyMonkey to help you find the best fit for your organisation.
Stribe is designed for UK organisations that want to run meaningful, anonymous employee surveys without the hassle.
It’s a brilliant fit for busy HR teams who want a platform that’s powerful but easy to use.
Best for: SMEs and mid-sized companies focused on engagement, wellbeing, and culture.
What makes it stand out:
Stribe has shifted mindsets by encouraging accountability at all levels – people now see that they can be part of the solution – making accountability and action a shared effort rather than something that sits with leadership.
Culture Amp is a heavyweight in the engagement world, offering powerful survey features alongside tools for performance management. It’s best for larger organisations with the resource to really dig into the data.
Best for: Enterprises and scale-ups with a global or complex structure.
What makes it stand out:
Things to consider: The Culture Amp price point is high, and set-up can be time-consuming. It’s not ideal for smaller teams or quick wins.
Officevibe is an easy-to-use platform, perfect for managers who want to keep a pulse on how their team is doing week-to-week.
It’s particularly well-suited for organisations prioritising employee experience and recognition.
Best for: Teams prioritising employee check-ins, supporting managers, engagement and recognition.
What makes it stand out:
Things to consider: Great for team-level insights but limited when it comes to deeper data analysis or complex reporting.
Qualtrics is often used by large corporations, universities, and research departments.
It’s extremely powerful, offering advanced survey logic and data analysis, but it comes with a learning curve (and a price tag).
Best for: Large enterprises with internal data teams.
What makes it stand out:
Things to consider: Too complex and costly for most SMEs.
SurveyMonkey is one of the best-known names in the survey world.
It’s easy to use and flexible, with lots of question types and templates.
While not built just for employee feedback, it’s widely used for it, especially by organisations that want a do-it-yourself approach.
Best for: Teams who want general-purpose survey tools and don’t need dedicated engagement features.
What makes it stand out:
Things to consider: Not designed specifically for employee engagement, so may lack features like always-on feedback, automatic segmentation, and action planning. UK-specific support may be limited, and data storage processes varies by plan.
Employee feedback shouldn’t be a once-a-year panic exercise.
The best-performing companies in the UK are creating continuous conversations – checking in regularly and acting fast on what they hear.
Pulse surveys make that possible.
And when it comes to choosing the right software? You don’t need bells and whistles. You need something that works, fits your culture, and respects your team’s time.
If you’re looking for a friendly, powerful, and easy-to-use pulse survey tool that puts people first (without the faff) – Stribe might just be the one.
About the author
Starting out her early career as a journalist, Jade Madeley is an accomplished content writer with 8+ years’ experience across business, personal finance, SaaS, human resources and employee engagement. Working with Stribe, she crafts insightful content that brings complex HR topics to life and drives meaningful action.
