15Five is a performance management and employee engagement platform designed to help organizations build high-performing teams through continuous feedback, goal tracking, and people analytics. The platform combines weekly check-ins, OKR management, performance reviews, and engagement surveys into a unified system that aims to improve manager effectiveness and employee development.
Understanding 15Five's pricing structure is essential for HR and People Operations teams evaluating the platform. Pricing varies significantly based on employee count, selected features, contract length, and negotiation approach. Published list prices represent starting points, and actual costs often differ based on company size, deployment complexity, and timing.
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This guide combines 15Five's published pricing with Vendr's dataset and analysis to break down 15Five pricing in 2026, including:
Whether you're evaluating 15Five for the first time or preparing for renewal, this guide is designed to help you budget accurately and negotiate with clearer market context.
15Five uses a per-employee, per-month pricing model with tiered feature bundles. Pricing depends on three primary factors: the number of employees covered, the feature tier selected, and contract length. The platform offers three main tiers—Engage, Perform, and Total Platform—each unlocking progressively more advanced performance management and engagement capabilities.
Pricing structure:
15Five’s pricing is based on active employees (not just managers or users who log in regularly). The platform typically requires annual contracts, though multi-year agreements often unlock better per-employee rates. List pricing starts around $4–$8 per employee per month for basic engagement features, scaling to $14–$18+ per employee per month for the full platform with advanced analytics and strategic HR capabilities.
Key cost drivers:
Observed pricing patterns:
Based on anonymized 15Five transactions in Vendr's platform, buyers commonly negotiate below published list rates, particularly when committing to multi-year terms or covering larger employee populations. Volume-based discounting is standard, and competitive evaluation often creates additional pricing flexibility.
Benchmarking context:
Compare 15Five pricing with Vendr to see percentile-based benchmarks for your specific employee count and feature requirements.
15Five structures its platform into three primary tiers, each designed for different organizational maturity levels and performance management needs. Understanding what's included—and what drives cost differences—helps teams budget accurately and avoid paying for unused capabilities.
15Five Engage is the entry-level tier focused on employee engagement and continuous feedback. It's designed for organizations prioritizing regular check-ins, recognition, and basic pulse surveys without requiring full performance review cycles or OKR management.
Pricing Structure:
List pricing for Engage typically ranges from $4 to $8 per employee per month, depending on employee count and contract length. This tier covers the core engagement features including weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meeting agendas, peer recognition, and basic engagement surveys.
What's included:
Observed Outcomes:
Buyers often achieve below-list pricing through volume commitments or by bundling Engage with higher tiers during initial evaluation. Organizations with 200+ employees commonly negotiate rates toward the lower end of the published range.
Benchmarking context:
See what similar companies pay for 15Five Engage including percentile ranges and negotiation outcomes by employee count.
15Five Perform adds comprehensive performance management capabilities to the engagement foundation, including performance reviews, goal tracking, and competency frameworks. This tier is designed for organizations implementing structured performance cycles and manager development programs.
Pricing Structure:
List pricing for Perform typically ranges from $8 to $14 per employee per month. This tier includes everything in Engage plus performance review cycles, goal and OKR management, competency assessments, and enhanced manager effectiveness tools.
What's included:
Observed Outcomes:
Volume-based discounting becomes more significant at this tier, particularly for organizations with 300+ employees. Multi-year commitments commonly yield discounts in the 15–25% range off list pricing.
Benchmarking context:
Based on Vendr transaction data, Perform represents the most commonly purchased tier. Get your custom 15Five Perform price estimate based on your employee count and contract structure.
15Five Total Platform (formerly called Focus) represents the complete suite, adding strategic HR capabilities including advanced people analytics, engagement action planning, and dedicated customer success support. This tier is designed for organizations treating performance management as a strategic function with executive-level visibility.
Pricing Structure:
List pricing for Total Platform typically ranges from $14 to $18+ per employee per month. This tier includes everything in Perform plus advanced analytics, engagement action planning, manager training programs, and dedicated customer success management.
What's included:
Observed Outcomes:
Buyers at this tier often negotiate based on strategic value and competitive alternatives. Organizations committing to multi-year agreements or expanding from lower tiers commonly achieve pricing below the published range.
Benchmarking context:
Total Platform pricing varies significantly based on employee count, implementation complexity, and included services. Explore Total Platform pricing benchmarks for percentile-based ranges across different organizational profiles.
Understanding the specific factors that influence 15Five pricing helps teams budget accurately and identify negotiation opportunities. While per-employee pricing appears straightforward, several variables create significant cost variation across similar deployments.
Employee count and volume thresholds:
15Five's pricing model includes volume-based discounting at specific employee count thresholds. Organizations crossing 100, 250, 500, or 1,000 employees typically unlock lower per-employee rates. Buyers near these thresholds should consider whether projected headcount growth during the contract term justifies negotiating based on anticipated employee counts rather than current headcount.
Feature tier selection:
The gap between Engage, Perform, and Total Platform pricing reflects both feature access and intended organizational maturity. Teams should evaluate actual usage patterns—many organizations purchase Total Platform but primarily use Perform-level features, creating opportunities to right-size during renewal.
Contract length and payment terms:
Multi-year commitments (typically 2–3 years) create pricing leverage. Based on Vendr transaction data, buyers committing to multi-year agreements often achieve 15–30% lower per-employee pricing compared to annual contracts. Prepayment (annual vs. quarterly billing) may unlock additional discounts of 5–10%.
Implementation and onboarding services:
While not always included in per-employee pricing, implementation services can add $5,000–$25,000+ to total cost depending on employee count, customization requirements, and change management support. Organizations with complex HRIS integrations or custom competency frameworks should budget separately for these services.
Manager training and certification programs:
15Five offers optional manager training programs that can add $50–$150 per manager. For organizations with 50+ managers, this can represent $2,500–$7,500+ in additional annual costs. These programs are often negotiable as bundled add-ons rather than per-manager charges.
Add-on modules and integrations:
Custom integrations, advanced API access, and specialized modules (such as engagement action planning tools) may carry separate fees. Organizations requiring non-standard integrations should clarify whether these are included in tier pricing or billed separately.
Timing and fiscal calendar:
15Five operates on a calendar fiscal year. Buyers negotiating in Q4 (October–December) may encounter additional pricing flexibility as sales teams work toward year-end targets. Renewal timing also matters—buyers renewing mid-year may have less leverage than those renewing during 15Five's peak sales periods.
Beyond per-employee subscription fees, several additional costs can impact total 15Five ownership. Understanding these upfront helps teams budget accurately and avoid surprises during implementation or renewal.
Implementation and onboarding fees:
15Five typically charges separate implementation fees ranging from $5,000 to $25,000+ depending on employee count, customization requirements, and onboarding complexity. Organizations with 500+ employees or requiring custom competency frameworks, review templates, or HRIS integrations should expect implementation costs toward the higher end of this range. Some buyers negotiate implementation fee waivers or reductions as part of multi-year commitments.
Manager training and certification programs:
While optional, 15Five's manager training programs represent a significant additional cost for organizations prioritizing manager effectiveness. Training fees typically range from $50 to $150 per manager, which can add $5,000–$15,000+ annually for mid-sized organizations. These programs are sometimes bundled into Total Platform pricing but are often quoted separately for Engage and Perform tiers.
Custom integration development:
Standard integrations with major HRIS platforms (Workday, BambooHR, ADP, etc.) are typically included, but custom integrations or API development may carry separate fees. Organizations with proprietary systems or requiring specialized data flows should clarify integration costs during scoping. Custom integration projects can range from $2,500 to $15,000+ depending on complexity.
Data migration and historical data import:
Migrating historical performance review data, goals, or engagement survey results from legacy systems may require additional services. While 15Five provides templates and guidance, complex migrations often require professional services support, adding $2,000–$10,000 to implementation costs.
Additional user licenses beyond employee count:
15Five pricing is based on active employees, but organizations sometimes need to cover contractors, part-time workers, or external collaborators. Clarify whether your employee count includes all workers requiring platform access, as adding users mid-contract may trigger pricing adjustments or overage fees.
Premium support and customer success:
Standard support is included in all tiers, but dedicated customer success management is typically reserved for Total Platform or available as an add-on for lower tiers. Organizations on Engage or Perform seeking dedicated CSM support should expect additional fees of $10,000–$25,000+ annually depending on employee count and support requirements.
Annual price increases:
15Five contracts typically include annual price increase clauses, often tied to CPI or ranging from 3–7% per year. Buyers should negotiate caps on annual increases (e.g., "not to exceed 5% annually") or lock pricing for multi-year terms to avoid compounding cost growth.
Overage fees for employee growth:
Contracts typically allow for some employee growth without immediate pricing adjustments, but exceeding agreed-upon thresholds (often 10–15% above contracted employee count) may trigger mid-contract true-ups or overage fees. Clarify how employee growth is handled and whether pricing adjustments occur quarterly, annually, or at renewal.
Actual 15Five costs vary significantly based on employee count, feature tier, contract structure, and negotiation approach. While list pricing provides a starting point, Vendr data reveals meaningful variation in what buyers ultimately pay.
Based on anonymized 15Five transactions in Vendr's platform, buyers commonly achieve below-list pricing through volume commitments, multi-year agreements, and competitive evaluation. The following patterns reflect observed outcomes across different organizational profiles:
Small organizations (50–200 employees):
Organizations in this range typically focus on Engage or Perform tiers. Buyers often achieve favorable pricing outcomes with multi-year commitments or competitive evaluation against alternatives like Lattice or Culture Amp.
Mid-sized organizations (200–500 employees):
This segment represents a significant portion of 15Five's customer base. Buyers commonly negotiate Perform or Total Platform pricing, with volume-based discounting becoming more significant. Multi-year agreements and competitive positioning often yield favorable pricing outcomes.
Larger organizations (500–1,000+ employees):
Enterprise buyers typically negotiate custom pricing structures that may include bundled implementation, training, and dedicated customer success support. Volume-based discounting is substantial at this scale, and competitive evaluation creates meaningful pricing flexibility.
Observed negotiation outcomes:
Vendr transaction data shows that buyers who prepare carefully and evaluate alternatives often secure meaningfully better pricing. Multi-year commitments, competitive evaluation, and strategic timing (such as negotiating during 15Five's fiscal year-end) commonly create pricing leverage.
Benchmarking context:
Vendr's 15Five pricing benchmarks provide percentile-based ranges specific to your employee count, feature requirements, and contract structure, helping you assess whether a given quote aligns with recent market outcomes.
Negotiating 15Five pricing effectively requires understanding the vendor's sales dynamics, your own leverage points, and recent market patterns. The following strategies are based on anonymized 15Five deals in Vendr's dataset and reflect tactics that have created pricing flexibility for buyers across different organizational profiles.
15Five operates in a competitive performance management market with strong alternatives including Lattice, Culture Amp, BambooHR Performance, and Leapsome. Establishing that you're evaluating multiple platforms creates pricing flexibility, particularly if you're willing to conduct parallel proof-of-concept evaluations.
Buyers who mention specific alternatives during initial conversations often receive more aggressive pricing proposals. Even if 15Five is your preferred platform, demonstrating that you're conducting a thorough evaluation signals price sensitivity and creates negotiation leverage.
Rather than negotiating discounts off 15Five's list pricing, anchor conversations to your available budget. Frame pricing discussions around what you can afford rather than what 15Five typically charges. For example: "Our approved budget for performance management is $X per employee per month. We're evaluating several platforms that fit within this range. Can 15Five work within this budget, or should we focus on alternatives that align better with our financial constraints?"
This approach shifts the conversation from "how much discount can you offer" to "can you meet our budget," which often creates more pricing flexibility.
Multi-year agreements (typically 2–3 years) create significant pricing leverage with 15Five. Vendr data shows that buyers committing to multi-year terms often achieve 15–30% lower per-employee pricing compared to annual contracts.
However, multi-year commitments also reduce flexibility. Consider negotiating:
Implementation fees, manager training programs, and custom integration costs are often more negotiable than per-employee subscription pricing. Buyers committing to multi-year agreements or larger employee counts should request:
These concessions can reduce total first-year costs by $10,000–$30,000+ without impacting ongoing subscription pricing.
15Five operates on a calendar fiscal year, with Q4 (October–December) representing a key sales period. Buyers negotiating during this window may encounter additional pricing flexibility as sales teams work toward year-end targets.
Similarly, buyers renewing during Q4 or early Q1 may have more leverage than those renewing mid-year. If your renewal timing is flexible, consider aligning it with 15Five's fiscal calendar to maximize negotiation leverage.
15Five pricing is based on active employees, but definitions vary. Clarify whether your employee count includes:
Negotiate provisions for employee growth that allow 15–20% headcount increases without triggering mid-contract price adjustments. This creates budget predictability and avoids surprise true-up fees.
Ask 15Five to provide pricing transparency by sharing how your proposed pricing compares to similar organizations. While vendors rarely disclose specific customer pricing, requesting this context signals sophistication and may prompt more competitive proposals.
Alternatively, use external benchmarking data to validate proposals. Vendr's dataset includes 15Five deals across a wide range of organizational profiles, providing percentile-based benchmarks that help assess whether a given quote aligns with recent market outcomes.
These insights are based on anonymized 15Five deals in Vendr's dataset across a wide range of company sizes and contract structures. Buyers can explore these insights directly using Vendr's free pricing and negotiation tools:
15Five operates in a competitive performance management and employee engagement market. Understanding how 15Five's pricing compares to alternatives helps buyers assess value and create negotiation leverage. The following comparisons focus on pricing structures, contract terms, and observed cost differences for similar organizational profiles.
Lattice is 15Five's most direct competitor, offering a similar performance management and engagement platform with comparable feature depth. Both platforms target mid-market and enterprise organizations seeking comprehensive performance management solutions.
| Pricing component | 15Five | Lattice |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level tier (per employee/month) | $4–$8 | $4–$11 |
| Mid-tier (per employee/month) | $8–$14 | $11–$15 |
| Full platform (per employee/month) | $14–$18+ | $15–$22+ |
| Typical contract minimum | Annual | Annual |
| Implementation fees | $5,000–$25,000+ | $5,000–$30,000+ |
| Estimated total (500 employees, mid-tier, annual) | $48,000–$84,000 | $66,000–$90,000 |
Culture Amp focuses primarily on employee engagement and feedback, with performance management capabilities added more recently. Culture Amp's strength is engagement surveys and people analytics, while 15Five emphasizes continuous performance management and manager effectiveness.
| Pricing component | 15Five | Culture Amp |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement-focused tier (per employee/month) | $4–$8 | $5–$9 |
| Performance + engagement (per employee/month) | $8–$14 | $10–$16 |
| Full platform with analytics (per employee/month) | $14–$18+ | $15–$20+ |
| Typical contract minimum | Annual | Annual |
| Implementation fees | $5,000–$25,000+ | $10,000–$40,000+ |
| Estimated total (500 employees, full platform, annual) | $84,000–$108,000 | $90,000–$120,000 |
BambooHR offers performance management as part of its broader HRIS platform. Organizations already using BambooHR for core HR functions may find bundled pricing attractive, though BambooHR's performance management capabilities are generally less comprehensive than 15Five's dedicated platform.
| Pricing component | 15Five | BambooHR Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Performance management (per employee/month) | $8–$14 | $5–$10 (bundled with HRIS) |
| Standalone performance module (per employee/month) | $8–$14 | $8–$12 |
| Full platform with engagement (per employee/month) | $14–$18+ | Not directly comparable |
| Typical contract minimum | Annual | Annual |
| Implementation fees | $5,000–$25,000+ | $3,000–$15,000 (if already on BambooHR) |
| Estimated total (500 employees, performance management, annual) | $48,000–$84,000 | $30,000–$60,000 (bundled) |
Leapsome is a European-based performance management and employee engagement platform with growing North American presence. Leapsome offers similar feature depth to 15Five at competitive pricing, particularly for organizations with European operations.
| Pricing component | 15Five | Leapsome |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level tier (per employee/month) | $4–$8 | $4–$8 |
| Mid-tier performance management (per employee/month) | $8–$14 | $8–$12 |
| Full platform (per employee/month) | $14–$18+ | $12–$16 |
| Typical contract minimum | Annual | Annual |
| Implementation fees | $5,000–$25,000+ | $3,000–$20,000 |
| Estimated total (500 employees, mid-tier, annual) | $48,000–$84,000 | $48,000–$72,000 |
Based on anonymized 15Five transactions in Vendr's platform over the past 12 months:
Vendr's dataset shows teams with 500+ employees committing to multi-year agreements often achieved lower per-employee pricing through volume-based negotiation and competitive positioning.
Benchmarking context:
See what similar companies pay for 15Five based on your employee count, contract structure, and feature requirements, including percentile-based discount ranges.
Based on 15Five transactions in Vendr's database:
These ranges include subscription fees and typical implementation costs. Organizations requiring extensive manager training, custom integrations, or dedicated customer success should budget additional amounts above base subscription costs.
Negotiation guidance:
Vendr's pricing benchmarks provide percentile-based ranges specific to your employee count and requirements, helping you set realistic budget targets and identify negotiation opportunities.
Based on Vendr transaction data for 15Five deals:
Buyers should negotiate caps on annual price increases (e.g., "not to exceed 5% annually") and clarify how employee growth is handled to avoid surprise mid-contract fees.
Negotiation guidance:
Access 15Five contract negotiation playbooks for specific tactics on auto-renewal clauses, price escalation caps, and employee growth provisions.
Based on anonymized transactions in Vendr's platform for similar organizational profiles:
These comparisons reflect list pricing and typical negotiated outcomes. Actual costs vary based on employee count, feature requirements, and negotiation approach.
Competitive benchmarks:
Compare 15Five to alternatives using Vendr's benchmarking tools to see side-by-side pricing for your specific requirements.
Based on 15Five deals in Vendr's dataset, common hidden costs include:
Vendr's dataset shows that buyers who clarify these costs upfront and negotiate bundled pricing often reduce total first-year costs compared to those who accept standard proposals.
Negotiation guidance:
Vendr's negotiation playbooks include specific tactics for negotiating implementation fee waivers, bundled training, and price escalation caps.
Based on 15Five's fiscal calendar and observed negotiation patterns in Vendr's database:
Buyers negotiating during Q4 often achieve better pricing than those negotiating during Q2 or Q3, based on Vendr transaction data.
Negotiation guidance:
Access timing-specific negotiation tactics for 15Five based on your purchase or renewal timeline.
15Five structures its platform into three tiers based on organizational performance management maturity:
Most buyers in Vendr's dataset select Perform or Total Platform, with Engage representing smaller organizations or those piloting engagement-only initiatives.
15Five offers standard integrations with major HRIS platforms including:
Standard integrations typically sync employee data, organizational structure, and manager relationships automatically. Custom integrations or API development for proprietary systems may require additional fees depending on complexity. Organizations should clarify integration scope during initial scoping to avoid surprise implementation costs.
Yes, 15Five allows tier upgrades during the contract term. However, pricing and contract terms for upgrades vary:
Buyers planning to expand should negotiate upgrade pricing and terms during initial contract negotiation to avoid unfavorable mid-contract pricing.
Support levels vary by tier:
Organizations on Engage or Perform seeking dedicated customer success support should expect additional fees depending on employee count.
Based on analysis of anonymized 15Five deals in Vendr's dataset, pricing varies significantly based on employee count, feature tier, contract structure, and negotiation approach. Recent data from Vendr shows that buyers who prepare carefully and evaluate alternatives often secure meaningfully better pricing than those accepting initial proposals.
Key takeaways:
Regardless of platform choice, the most important step is clearly defining requirements, understanding total cost drivers, and benchmarking pricing against comparable deals before committing.
Vendr's pricing and negotiation tools analyze anonymized transaction data to surface percentile-based benchmarks, competitive comparisons, and observed negotiation patterns, helping buyers assess how a given 15Five quote compares to recent market outcomes for similar scope.
This guide is updated regularly to reflect recent 15Five pricing and negotiation trends. Consider revisiting it ahead of any new purchase or renewal to account for changing market conditions. Last updated: February 2026.