Honest comparison
Timbre vs 15Five
Which is right for your team? Here’s the straight answer — including when 15Five is the better choice.
15Five is a continuous performance management platform with a strong point of view on manager effectiveness: weekly check-ins, 1:1s, OKRs, manager coaching, plus engagement surveys.
The catch for survey-first buyers is packaging. Engagement surveys live in the Engage tier ($4/user/month), but 360-style reviews live in Perform ($11/user/month) — so getting both means the Total Platform tier at $16/user/month. Timbre includes both survey engines in every plan.
Where 15Five genuinely shines
- Weekly check-in and 1:1 workflows managers actually use
- Manager coaching and training content (Transform)
- OKR tracking integrated with performance reviews
- Published, transparent pricing
Pricing, side by side
Timbre
- •Core: $5/seat/month ($4 annual) — 360° + pulse surveys, department reporting
- •Growth: $6/seat/month ($4.80 annual) — adds AI insights, individual reports, custom branding
- •Volume discounts to $3/seat (Core) and $4/seat (Growth) at 150+ seats
- •10-seat minimum · 14-day free trial · self-serve, no sales call
15Five
- •Engage (surveys/engagement): $4/user/month
- •Perform (reviews, check-ins, OKRs): $11/user/month
- •Total Platform (both): $16/user/month
- •Billed annually
15Five published list prices, July 2026. Last verified July 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Feature by feature
| Timbre | 15Five | |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous 360° feedback | Included | Perform tier ($11+) |
| Pulse surveys + eNPS | Included | Engage tier ($4+) |
| Both in one plan | Every plan | Total Platform ($16) |
| AI-generated insights & recommendations | Growth plan | Included |
| Weekly check-ins / 1:1 agendas / OKRs | Not offered | Included |
| Manager coaching content | Not offered | Transform add-on |
| Transparent public pricing | Included | Included |
| Self-serve signup (no sales call) | Included | Demo-led for most tiers |
| Free trial | 14 days | Limited |
| Minimum commitment | 10 seats, monthly OK | Annual billing |
Choose 15Five if…
- →Continuous performance management (check-ins, 1:1s, OKRs) is the core need
- →You want built-in manager training content
- →Surveys are secondary to performance workflows
Choose Timbre if…
- →You want 360° feedback AND pulse surveys without a $16/user platform tier
- →Anonymity is the priority — Timbre is anonymous by design, not a settings option
- →You want AI-written culture reports and individual feedback profiles
- →You prefer monthly billing and a real free trial
Common questions
What does it cost to get both 360s and engagement surveys on each platform?
On 15Five, 360-style reviews require the Perform tier and engagement surveys require Engage — the Total Platform bundle with both is $16/user/month billed annually. On Timbre, both survey engines are in every plan: Core at $5/seat/month ($4 annual) or Growth with AI insights at $6/seat/month ($4.80 annual).
Is Timbre anonymous in the same way as 15Five?
Timbre is anonymous by architecture: every response is anonymous, always, and the platform is designed so no admin can trace who said what. In performance-review-centric tools, 360 feedback is typically attributed or semi-attributed because it feeds a review. Which model you want depends on whether the goal is development honesty or review documentation.
Does Timbre replace 15Five check-ins?
No. Timbre does not do weekly check-ins, 1:1 agendas, or OKRs. If those workflows matter to you, 15Five is genuinely good at them — some teams run 15Five for cadence and Timbre for anonymous listening.
See it for yourself
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