Blink scores highest for user experience and mobile in 2025 ClearBox report

How well does your company engage its employees? Unless you’re running regular employee engagement surveys, you really can’t be sure. 

Employee engagement is the process of ensuring your workforce feels invested in their work and your organization. It’s associated with a lot of business benefits, including better employee retention, performance, and productivity.

Regular employee surveys show you how you’re doing in terms of employee engagement. Surveys reveal employee sentiment and help identify areas for improvement. 

Depending on the questions you ask, they can tell you how employees feel about their work-life balance and wellbeing. They can reveal insights into internal communications and your training programs. They can also shine a light on company culture.

Surveys are particularly important when we consider the issues many organizations have motivating and engaging their staff. According to Gallup research, only 23% of the global workforce is engaged at work.

For frontline teams, engagement can be an even bigger problem. Frontline employees are less trusting and more likely to experience burnout than their desk-based peers. According to Qualtrics research, they’re also less happy with pay and benefits, less satisfied with career development, and less trusting of leadership than non-frontline workers.

Engaging all employees — including those on the frontline — is a challenge. You’re better equipped to take on that challenge when you have the right data at your disposal. That means getting reliable insights with regular employee engagement surveys.

Here, we take a look at how employee experience surveys benefit your business. We share some survey best practices and some employee engagement survey question examples, too.

We’ll be covering:

• Benefits of conducting regular employee engagement surveys
• Key ingredients for effective employee engagement surveys
• The three types of employee engagement survey question
• 46 employee engagement survey question examples
• Using technology to improve the employee survey process

Benefits of conducting regular employee engagement surveys

The annual employee survey is no longer enough.

82% of HR leaders consider it very important or important to increase the frequency of employee listening over the next three years. 57% say they’re running employee experience surveys every quarter at a minimum.

So should you follow suit? Here’s why taking the time to conduct regular employee engagement surveys is well worth your while.

• Track employee sentiment. Regular surveys help you keep your finger on the pulse of your organization. You see how your workforce views employee experience at your company at any given moment. This ensures engagement issues — like low morale and high turnover — don’t take you by surprise.
  
  
• Identify areas for improvement. Employee engagement surveys take guesswork out of the equation. By drilling down into survey data, you identify the departments, teams, and areas of employee experience that are most in need of work. You learn what motivates employees and which changes to company culture they want to see.
  
  
• Give all employees a voice. Frontline workers don’t tend to spend a lot of time working alongside managers. So assessing employee sentiment on an informal basis is difficult, if not impossible. A structured survey strategy ensures you hear voices from across the organization. This means more meaningful and valuable insights.
  
  
• Improve business performance. Higher levels of employee engagement lead to better employee performance, productivity, and loyalty. They also provide a host of other business performance benefits. By incorporating employee surveys into your employee experience strategy, you improve engagement and make your organization more successful, too.
  

Key ingredients for effective employee engagement surveys

Before you start putting together employee survey questions, it’s important to establish a few best practices. By incorporating these key ingredients, you create surveys that yield meaningful data and encourage employee participation, too.

To build surveys into your company culture, you need the following.

1. A selection of appropriate survey questions

Employee survey questions should be aligned with your organization and its goals. They also need to be worded in such a way that they produce reliable and significant data.

Each employee engagement survey question should be:

• Aligned with employee engagement KPIs — so you’re measuring the things that matter to your organization
• Based on something you’re prepared to take action on — employees will lose faith in the survey process if you fail to make changes in response to their constructive feedback
• Neutrally worded — an employee engagement survey question shouldn’t sway respondents in one direction or another
• Centered around one issue — ask about one thing at a time or you won’t be able to draw clear conclusions from employee answers

2. A survey communication strategy

As well as devising surveys with the right employee survey questions, you need to think about how you’re going to communicate with employees throughout the survey process. 

Consider the communication channels you’ll use to reach employees, including those working on the frontline of your organization. Also, clarify which information you’ll be sharing with employees. 

Regular, open communication is best. Tell employees why you’re doing the survey and what they stand to gain by filling it out. Explain how long the survey will take to complete and give assurances of anonymity. Also, tell them how you’ll inform them of survey results and any subsequent employee experience action plan.

You’ll need messages targeted at reluctant survey respondents, too. A schedule of gentle reminders can work. You may also like to get your leaders involved. When leaders promote surveys, employees see that their opinions are being taken seriously at the highest levels of your organization — and they’re more likely to take part. 

3. Anonymity and confidentiality

Without the promise of anonymity and confidentiality, employees tend to get a bit cagey with their survey responses. They may end up telling you what they think you want to hear. Or they may fail to answer survey questions honestly out of concern for their career or workplace relationships.

To encourage employees to answer questions candidly, tell them how you’ll protect their anonymity. Also, use survey tools that make it easy to collect survey responses anonymously.

4. A suitable survey frequency

A lot can happen in a year and annual surveys are far too infrequent. But you don’t want to bombard your employees with survey requests either. It’s all about striking the right balance. 

In our experience, the following schedule works well:

• an in-depth survey to track employee experience changes each quarter
• pulse surveys to gauge real-time employee sentiment each month

This approach doesn’t risk survey fatigue. Nor does it allow for employee experience blind spots to develop. Instead, it successfully makes surveys an integral and valuable part of company culture.

As well as considering how often you expect employees to complete surveys, consider how long you expect them to spend filling them out. 

Busy frontline workers are often stretched for time. So surveys should take a maximum of 10 minutes for employees to complete. To ensure high-quality, constructive feedback you don’t want respondents to rush their answers or give up on a survey part-way through.

5. Analyzing and interpreting survey results

Once you’ve gathered survey responses, you can start analyzing and interpreting them.

You can use your data to identify your best and worst performing areas — and to establish benchmarks. You can also segment data, according to employee team, department, or tenure, to find variances in employee experience across your organization.

With the right survey tools, this process is quicker and easier. You get intelligent analysis and recommendations based on your survey findings, without having to process data manually.

The three types of employee engagement survey question

There are three different types of employee engagement survey questions you can ask. Using all three will help you to gather constructive feedback and useful insights.

Qualitative survey questions

Qualitative questions take the form of yes/no, multiple choice, or a rating scale (1 to 10).

Here are a few examples:

Rate the following statement on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 = strongly disagree. 10 = strongly agree.

I enjoy a good work-life balance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

How often do you get constructive feedback from managers?

1. Once a week

2. Once a month

3. Once a year or less

4. Never

Quantitative questions are quick and easy for employees to answer. They also provide survey results that are easy to analyze. This type of employee engagement survey question is well-suited to both quarterly surveys and pulse surveys.

Quantitative survey questions

Quantitative questions are open-ended. They give employees the chance to write a response in their own words and can reveal unexpected perspectives.  

Here are some examples:

• What is one thing you’d like leadership to know about your onboarding experience?
• What can we do to improve internal communication at [company]?

Qualitative questions give in-depth insight into what employees are thinking and feeling. While a quantitative question can tell you if someone is proud to work for your company, you need a qualitative question to explain why.

Results for qualitative questions are a little trickier to analyze. They also require more time and thought from employees. As a result, qualitative questions aren’t well-suited to short pulse surveys. Instead, they work best as part of your quarterly employee engagement survey — and even then, should be kept to a minimum. 

Demographic survey questions

Demographic survey questions help you to segment your survey results while maintaining employee anonymity. Here are some examples:

• What team are you on?
• How long have you worked at [company]?

These demographic questions are relevant to all employee engagement surveys. They help you understand employee experience across your organization, drawing more detailed conclusions from your results and facilitating targeted interventions.

46 employee engagement survey question examples

Ready to put your first employee survey together? Then start by taking a look at these employee survey question examples.

Company culture questions

A strong company culture prompts high levels of employee engagement — and high levels of employee engagement help you foster a strong company culture. So finding out what employees think of your workplace culture is an engagement survey essential.

I would recommend [company] as a great place to work.

At [company] we value open and honest communication.

[Company] is a safe place to work.

[Company] cares about my wellbeing.

I am valued by [company].

I can raise problems and concerns with leaders and managers. 

Leaders keep everyone informed about what is happening at [company].

What can we do to improve communication at [company]?

What could we do to improve company culture?

Morale and engagement questions

Employees are more likely to be engaged when they feel aligned with company goals. Here are some survey questions that help you to assess their sense of motivation and purpose.

I feel a sense of accomplishment most days.

I know what is expected of me to be successful.

I know how my role supports the goals of the company.

I’m inspired by the purpose and mission of the company.

I rarely think about looking for a job at another company.

I see myself working at [company] two years from now.

What do we do well at [company]?

What could we do better at [company]?

Questions about management

70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. So use your engagement surveys to find out what employees think about their team leaders.

My manager leads by example.

My manager cares about my opinion.

I get enough constructive feedback on how well I’m doing my job.

I am given enough freedom to decide how to do my work.

My manager promotes an open and constructive way to deal with problems.

I find my workload manageable.

My manager gives me the support I need to do my job well. 

If you were a manager, how would you motivate your employees?

Teamwork and belonging questions

Employees who feel that they belong within an organization are 5.3 times more likely to do their best work. These questions will help you find out whether employees view your workplace as inclusive and supportive.

I make a difference to my team.

I feel like I belong within [company].

I get enough opportunities to collaborate with my team.

People from all backgrounds have equal opportunity to succeed at [company].

I can ask other team members for help when I need it.

Desk-based and frontline employees are treated equally at [company]. 

How could your team improve communication and collaboration?

Recognition and benefits questions

Recognition along with a fair salary and benefits are crucial for a positive employee experience. Use employee survey questions like these to gauge employee sentiment on these topics.

I receive recognition when I do good work.

I believe my benefits package is good by industry standards.

I understand the benefits available to me.

I enjoy a good work-life balance.

I feel adequately rewarded for my contributions to [company].

Salaries and benefits are awarded fairly at [company].

What benefits would you like to see provided by [company]?

Learning and growth questions

Organizations that don’t provide skills-building opportunities are 72% less likely to have employees saying they want to work there for more than a year. You can find out if your learning and development efforts are up to scratch by asking questions like these.

The information I need to do my job well is available.

I have access to the tools I need to do my job well.

I believe there are strong career opportunities for me at [company].

I have access to the learning and development I need to do my job well.

Training at [company] is effective.

Managers have shown a genuine interest in my career aspirations.

What can we do to better support your development and career goals?

Using technology to improve the survey process

Establishing survey best practices and asking the right questions are essential to a successful employee survey initiative. Having the right technology makes a big difference, too. It makes the survey process quicker, easier, and more effective.

For frontline organizations, a mobile-first employee app, equipped to deliver surveys, works well. You don’t have to rely on inefficient paper surveys or shared devices. Instead, you can send surveys to every employee’s smartphone, increasing adoption and response rates in the process.

With an employee engagement app like Blink, you can launch quarterly and pulse surveys to your entire workforce in minutes. Choose from a selection of pre-prepared employee engagement survey questions or create your own.  

Blink allows employees to respond to surveys anonymously, which builds trust with your workforce and ensures you get honest, useful data. Your HR team can also use Blink Analytics, which streamlines survey data analysis and helps you identify the most pressing employee engagement issues in an instant.

To see how Blink could transform your employee engagement surveys and company culture, schedule your personalized demo today.

On May 14th, 2024, Workplace from Meta announced that it would be closing, leaving its users looking for a new digital home.

Ten years ago, bringing social-media-style tools to the workplace was revolutionary. And Workplace by Meta (launched in 2016) was quick to bring its version of the social intranet to the market.

Since then, many organizations have relied on Workplace for employee engagement and internal communication. They liked the Workplace from Meta interface, which mirrored those of popular social media apps.The interface was intuitive and felt familiar, so employees found it easy to use.

But over the last few years, we’ve seen product development across various social intranet companies grind to a halt. The customers we speak to here at Blink say that they’re looking to change platforms because their workplace social channels are noisy and irrelevant. Others say that their chosen platform has such low adoption that the business gets no value from it.

Now, organizations are looking for workplace software that does it all. A platform that provides an attractive social feed along with features that boost communication and productivity.

Whether you’re a Facebook Workplace customer looking for an alternative or you’re looking to adopt a platform for the first time, here are our recommendations. On our list, you’ll find products that are doing exciting things within this space — and that offer a wide range of features and functionality for your organization.

Top 8 alternatives to Meta from Workplace

1. Blink

‍
Blink is the market leader in delivering world class access and user experience to your employees, regardless of their work environment or location.  It simplifies the digital experience with a single super-app. Employees can access the app via their smartphones, without using an email address. 

Blink’s employee app is also available in a desktop version so all employees enjoy a unified experience. They can access an engaging news feed, 1:1, and group chats. They can take part in two-way communication, knowledge sharing, and employee recognition. The platform makes it easy to gather employee feedback, too.

Productivity also gets a boost, thanks to custom micro-apps and deep integrations with your favorite tools. Via single sign-on, employees can use the Blink interface to request time off, view their schedules, manage tasks, and complete training courses.

By putting all of these tools and resources in one place, Blink’s app gets excellent rates of adoption (90%+) and usage (96% monthly active users). Managers can also track adoption, usage, employee sentiment, and engagement thanks to Blink’s robust analytics features. So they can make data-driven changes to improve employee performance, experience, and retention. Blink is the leading choice for a Facebook Workplace alternative.

{{mobile-desktop-main="/image"}}

Pros

• An engaging news feed: Blink has an intuitive social-media-style news feed that supports two-communication, employee recognition, and top-down updates. Admins can tailor the newsfeed so employees get relevant communications based on their teams, interests, and roles.
• Mobile-first: Designed for smartphones — and for the frontline workforce — Blink ensures both mobile and desktop apps have the same great features and functionality. And employees don’t need an email address to get set up.
• Analytics: Blink’s analytics features allow teams to dive deep into employee engagement data. They can learn about how employees engage with the organization and the platform and find actionable areas for improvement, too.
• A digital front door: Offering excellent integrations, the Blink super-app lets employees access all workplace tools and resources from a single, user-friendly dashboard. They can request time off, sign up for shifts, and access training resources.
• Customer support: Blink’s customer success managers are with you every step of the way — from set up to launch and beyond — helping you get the most from the platform and ensuring employee adoption.

Cons

• Frontline-focused: Blink was designed for frontline workers, however there is a best-in-class desktop application that allows for all employees to take advantage of the features and platform.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.6/5

G2: 4.7/5

2. Staffbase

Staffbase is a tool that focuses on employee communication. It offers email, messaging, and chat functions to connect employees, including frontline workers. Billed as an intranet solution to unite entire organizations, Staffbase's communication and intranet features make it a strong Workplace from Meta alternative.

Pros

• Content planning: Good content planning and goal-setting tools that help your content creators coordinate campaigns.
• Reporting: Staffbase analytics lets you see how many employees are using the platform and how they engage with your content.
• HR tools: This platform makes life easy for your HR team. They get communication tools, surveys, and analytics, while employees get self-service options.

Cons

• Pricing: Staffbase comes in at a high price point and there are added costs if you want to use all available modules.
• Mobile app: While Staffbase provides a mobile app, this takes time to set up as there aren’t many out-of-the-box features for frontline workers.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.8/5

G2: 4.6/5

Read more: Top Staffbase alternatives

3. Beekeeper

Beekeeper Around since 2012, Beekeeper is a tool that focuses only on the frontline organizations. The platform’s employee app provides lots of useful forms and integrations, meaning companies can give employees access to workplace tools from a single interface. However, Beekeeper doesn’t put a lot of emphasis on the office worker experience, which means your desk-based teams may need a separate system.

Pros

• Communication tools: Beekeeper provides a range of communication tools, including chats, streams, surveys, polls, and campaigns. Daily stand-up briefings and crisis communication allow critical comms to cut through.
• Employee services: The Beekeeper platform supports workplace and HR operations. Employees can request time off or view their shifts via the Beekeeper dashboard.
• Personalized comms: It’s possible to filter communications so employees only see information that’s relevant to them.

Cons

• A complicated interface: Some users say that the Beekeeper interface isn’t particularly user-friendly when compared to other apps and modern intranets on this list.
• Reliability: The platform sometimes takes a while to load, for both admins and end-users.
• Search functionality: You can’t prioritize or order search results so it can be hard to track down older posts and content.

Pricing

You can try Beekeeper for free for 14 days. There’s also a limited free plan for up to 30 users. Pricing for other plans is available on request.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.6/5

G2: 4.7/5

Read more: Top Beekeeper alternatives

4. Simpplr

Simpplr is an all-in-one social intranet platform with two priorities. First, to create a centralized social hub for sharing news and updates. And second, to provide an alternative to SharePoint for housing documents and policies. Simpplr’s advanced search capabilities promise a seamless experience and a simple interface is appealing to users.

Pros

• Customer support: Simpplr prides itself on customer service so customers can expect plenty of support.
• A minimal interface: The Simpplr interface is very simple and feels like a social media app. This makes it easy to navigate and understand.
• AI assistance: You can use AI chatbots to support employees with their queries. AI also comes in useful for automating processes and producing platform content.

Cons

• Lack of customization: Simpplr doesn’t provide a lot of design flexibility so users may find it hard to align the platform with their branding and company requirements.
• Integrations: Some users complain that there are limited integration options with third-party tools. 

Pricing

Pricing is available on request.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.8/5

G2: 4.7/5

Read more: Top Simpplr alternatives

5. Yammer / Microsoft Viva Engage

Yammer, now also known as Microsoft Viva Engage, works well with other products in the Microsoft suite. This particular product focuses on communication and you’ll need to use other Microsoft products to create a fully-fledged intranet ecosystem. If you already use Microsoft products in your organization, Yammer is certainly a Workplace from Meta alternative worth considering.

Pros

• Microsoft integration: Viva Engage offers easy integration with other Microsoft tools and is familiar to those already working within the Microsoft suite.
• Communities: As well as keeping up-to-date on company news through the news feed, employees can create communities, connecting with co-workers with whom they share interests.
• Virtual town halls: Viva Engage allows you to create virtual events with video and Q&A functions, so both remote and office-based employees can be part of the company conversation.

Cons

• Interface: Some users complain that the Viva Engage interface isn’t particularly user-friendly, especially on the mobile app version.
• Unfiltered comms: Without comprehensive content filtering options, content in the news feed isn’t always relevant to individual employees.
• Notifications: Users complain about the number of email notifications they get from Yammer, which they say is frustrating and distracting.

Pricing

The full suite of Viva tools costs $12 USD per user per month. There’s a yearly commitment and prices aren’t inclusive of GST/VAT.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.2/5

G2: 3.6/5

‍

6. Workvivo

‍
Workvivo - has been named as Meta’s preferred migration partner. It’s a product that’s risen to prominence in recent years due to its acquisition by Zoom. Seamless integration with Zoom’s video conferencing software is a major platform selling point. Workvivo also provides a mobile app and a variety of communication channels. 

‍

Pros

• A variety of communication channels: Workvivo’s channels include a news feed, 1:1 chats, live streams, and podcasts. 
• Translation capabilities: The platform makes it easy for multilingual teams to publish and read content in their chosen languages.
• Microsites: Teams and special interest groups can create microsites, which are tailored to their community.

Cons

• Cost: Some features — like Workvivo TV and advanced analytics — are add-ons that cost extra.
• Personalization: Workvivo offers limited personalization options meaning users can’t configure the platform to suit their needs. 
• Notifications: This is another platform where notifications seem to be a problem. Users complain that excessive notifications disrupt their workday.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request

Ratings

Capterra: 4.7/5

G2: 4.8/5

Read more: Top Workvivo alternatives

7. Happeo

Happeo is a Google-based social intranet that makes a good alternative to Workplace from Meta, particularly if you’re a Google Workspace organization. Happeo helps teams to share knowledge and manage internal communications. It offers a template-based page builder, which you can use to create intranet pages and employee content.

Pros

• Easy setup: It’s easy for organizations to get started with Happeo, particularly if they’re already using Google Workspace.
• Communities: Happeo allows users to create hubs and communities, based on departments, roles, or shared interests.
• Search functions: You can search people, posts, and integrated third-party apps to find exactly the information you’re looking for.

Cons

• Analytics: There’s a time delay on analytics, so it’s hard to get real-time insight. Some analytics features are only available as an add-on.
• Limited customization: Users can’t change notifications, page layouts, menus, or formatting to suit their needs and preferences.
• Content management: Some users say content management features could be improved so it’s easier to recognize old content and assign admins to update it.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.5/5

G2: 4.5/5

Read more: Top Happeo alternatives

8. Igloo

Igloo is workplace experience software that offers a sense of community, recognition, and resources to employees. This cloud-based, mobile-optimized solution gives teams all the tools they need to collaborate, share knowledge, and communicate.

Pros

• A digital workplace: Igloo helps organizations create an effective digital workplace with tools like the news feed, polls, targeted content, and file sharing.
• Analytics: Igloos provides users with great analytics tools. These help you to improve your content, identify key creators, and understand user flow.
• Access to Igloo University: Customers can use Igloo’s education program to learn more about the platform and how to use it effectively.

Cons

• Integration: While Igloo makes workplace apps available via the one interface, integrations can be tricky and may require additional development resources.
• Lack of customization: Some users say they struggle to customize pages and the Igloo interface in the way they’d like.
• Complexity: Getting started with Igloo involves a steep learning curve that can be off-putting for users.

Pricing

Pricing is available upon request. Although Igloo does say that pricing typically starts at around $20,000 USD per year for an organization.

Ratings

Capterra: 4.5/5

G2: 4.2/5

In summary

Rest assured that there are plenty of excellent alternatives to Workplace from Meta. The platforms on this list all offer a social-media-style feed, along with other employee communication and engagement features.

For all organizations with a large frontline employee base, Blink is a standout option. With its user-friendly, mobile-first app it supports employee connection, even for hard-to-reach frontline teams. It gives employees a voice and makes their lives easier, giving them access to workplace tools from one simple, digital front door. 

Supporting communication, engagement, and productivity, Blink helps organizations to thrive. And it gives frontline workers the sense of belonging and connection they need to feel invested in their work and less likely to look for another job. 

Find out what Blink could do for your frontline organization. Book your Blink demo today to see our platform in action.

‍

Why teams choose Blink over Slack

Slack is excellent for desk-based teams already living in their inbox — but it assumes everyone has a company email address and a laptop open all day. Blink doesn't. It's mobile-first, requires no corporate email, and is used daily by frontline teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. If most of your workforce is on the floor, not at a desk, see how Blink compares.

‍

Explore top platforms that deliver more than a SharePoint skin

Akumina positions itself as a digital workplace experience layer built on SharePoint—but for many organizations, it creates more complexity than it solves.

It’s highly customizable, yes—but that often comes with long implementation timelines, heavy IT lift, and limited employee engagement. If you're looking for a solution that’s easier to roll out, more intuitive to use, and built for actual adoption, you're not alone.

In this article, we break down the 12 best Akumina alternatives—modern intranet and employee experience platforms that go beyond SharePoint overlays to deliver real value for today’s hybrid, remote, and mobile workforces.

#1. Blink

Best all-in-one intranet and employee app

Blink is a modern employee platform that combines internal communications, essential tools, and content into one intuitive experience. Unlike Akumina, Blink doesn’t sit on top of SharePoint—it replaces it, offering native mobile and desktop apps that employees actually want to use.

Why Blink over Akumina:

• Lightning-fast deployment (no dev work required)
• Personalized, social-style feed
• Messaging, surveys, forms, and files all in one place
• Works beautifully on mobile and web

{{watch-video="/callouts"}}

#2. Interact

Best for structured intranets with strong comms features

Interact is a mature intranet platform that offers a blend of content governance and communication tools. It provides more flexibility and a better out-of-the-box experience than Akumina, especially for internal comms teams.

Key strengths:

• Smart content targeting
• Built-in comms features (surveys, likes, comments)
• Page templates and drag-and-drop tools

#3. Simpplr

Best for AI-powered content personalization

Simpplr is a polished, AI-driven intranet focused on employee engagement. It’s known for lifecycle communication (e.g. onboarding, transitions), and offers more automation than Akumina without the same technical setup burden.

Why it stands out:

• AI-powered content surfacing
• Smart search and recommendations
• Built-in templates for lifecycle moments

#4. Staffbase

Best for internal comms at enterprise scale

Staffbase shines when it comes to centralized, top-down communication. With a branded employee app and multi-channel messaging, it’s a better option than Akumina for organizations prioritizing reach and visibility.

Top features:

• Newsletter builder
• Campaign management
• Native mobile app with notifications

#5. LumApps

Best for global enterprise deployments

LumApps offers a broad, customizable employee experience platform with deeper integrations and personalization than Akumina—without being tied to SharePoint. It supports global rollouts and multi-language content delivery.

Why it’s better:

• Google & Microsoft integrations
• AI personalization
• Multilingual and regional content support

#6. Happeo

Best for Google Workspace users

If your organization uses Google Workspace, Happeo is a lightweight, user-friendly intranet that connects seamlessly with your tools. It’s far easier to deploy and use than Akumina, especially for remote teams.

Highlights:

• Tight Google integrations
• Social intranet features
• Customizable layouts

#7. ThoughtFarmer

Best for easy-to-manage intranets

ThoughtFarmer focuses on simplicity and people-first design. Unlike Akumina’s complex configurations, it offers a quick setup and low learning curve—perfect for organizations without large IT departments.

Notable features:

• People directory and profiles
• Easy content editing
• Micro-sites for teams and departments

#8. Igloo

Best for governance and compliance-heavy teams

Igloo is a solid Akumina alternative if your focus is structured content, document control, and knowledge management. It’s more rigid than Blink or Happeo, but ideal for finance, legal, and healthcare.

Strengths:

• Document versioning
• Access controls
• Policy and procedure hubs

#9. Jive

Best for community collaboration

Jive is ideal for organizations that value social collaboration and peer-to-peer interaction. While Akumina layers content, Jive fosters real-time engagement and employee communities.

Features:

• Social groups and forums
• Peer recognition
• Advanced analytics

#10. Haiilo (formerly Smarp)

Best for employee advocacy and engagement

Haiilo is a newer entry but a compelling Akumina alternative if you’re focused on culture, employee voice, and comms amplification. It goes beyond intranet basics into the territory of employee engagement and advocacy.

Why consider Haiilo:

• Omnichannel comms
• Employee-generated content
• Engagement analytics

#11. Noodle

Best for small companies wanting a turnkey intranet

Noodle is a lesser-known but solid option for SMBs. It’s easy to set up and includes standard intranet features without the need for SharePoint or heavy integrations.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Core intranet tools (news, docs, chat)
• On-prem or cloud options

#12. Unily

Best for enterprise intranets with rich features

Unily is a well-known intranet solution with a robust feature set, polished UI, and strong Microsoft integrations. It’s a better alternative to Akumina if you want a full-featured, polished intranet with deep customization—without starting from scratch.

Why it’s a solid pick:

• Beautiful UX
• Strong multilingual and multi-brand support
• Flexible integrations with Microsoft 365 and beyond

Final thoughts: Choosing the right Akumina alternative

Akumina can work well for highly customized intranet needs—but that flexibility often comes at the cost of complexity, budget, and adoption.

Whether you want something faster, simpler, or more engaging, the 12 alternatives above offer modern options that fit different use cases and team types.

Want a platform that people will actually use?‍

Blink replaces legacy intranet headaches with an all-in-one, beautifully simple platform for communication, tools, and culture.

‍

Why teams choose Blink over Akumina

Akumina is a flexible digital workplace platform built primarily around SharePoint and Microsoft 365 — a strong fit if your workforce is desk-based, less so if it isn't. Blink is mobile-first, requires no corporate email, and is used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. See how Blink compares.

It’s time for another Life at Blink feature! This week, we’re shining the spotlight on Maggie MacKay-Dunn, our Senior Customer Success Manager based at the London office. Maggie works closely with clients to ensure they get the most out of Blink’s platform, driving success across the board.

Curious about her journey and what makes Blink a great place to work? Read on to find out more about Maggie’s role and her experience with us!

How long have you been at Blink? 

I’ve been at Blink since July 2020 — 4 years and 3 months to be exact. I started in the Customer Success team — in fact, I was CS employee #1 after Florence Hunter. It was just the two of us for a while before we began expanding the CS team. Initially, we oversaw a combination of Customer Success and Implementation, but as the company grew, we separated the departments and expanded both teams.

What initially attracted you to join Blink?

I’m originally from Vancouver, Canada, and I relocated to London in 2018. After some time, I discovered Blink and thought the product was really great — but honestly, meeting the people at Blink was one of the best parts too.

I love that the platform empowers frontline workers through innovative technology. Having worked in frontline roles in hospitality myself, and with both my parents being frontline workers — my dad was a police officer, and my mom was a nurse for many years — this mission really resonated with me.

Blink’s fast-paced company culture, which values both employees and customers, also influenced my decision to join. When I started, I believe I was employee #25, so the company was still quite small back then.

What's a project you are proud of from your time at Blink?

There are so many! Since I work closely with customers, I can really see the impact Blink has on their organizations.

I love collaborating on key initiatives, whether it’s improving employee survey response rates, communicating a new campaign or strategy, helping with management communication, or optimizing processes. My favorite part is definitely working on projects, building strong relationships with customers, and being able to measure their success and demonstrate the value Blink brings.

Another great aspect is meeting people in person, attending launches, and seeing customers’ faces light up when they realize how Blink can make their jobs easier — it’s like a lightbulb moment.

How would you describe the company culture at Blink in three words?

Innovative, collaborative and passionate.

What’s one thing you’re excited about for the future of Blink?

I look forward to seeing Blink’s continued role in transforming workplace culture through better communication tools and enhancing employee happiness and engagement on a large scale. I’m really passionate about recognizing good work across organizations and highlighting those small stories that might otherwise go unnoticed without an app like Blink. Even if something small happens at one site, you can post it on the feed and have more than ten thousand people see it. It makes employees feel valued and engaged.

Can you tell us about a recent initiative or program launched at Blink that you found particularly exciting?

Yes! The launch of advanced employee intelligence was a major milestone and a gamechanger for our customers. It also made a huge impact within customer success, allowing us to gain insights into how the workforce is using Blink. 

This deeper level of understanding helps teams make better decisions and improvements across all areas of the organization. It allows us to identify specific areas to boost engagement, share tips or trends on how to communicate more effectively with employees, and ultimately understand how employees are interacting with the platform.

This knowledge is key to optimizing the experience and creating a more supportive and productive work environment.

Why do you work for Blink?

I think I strongly align with Blink’s mission, and I’m passionate about helping people. I believe Blink fosters a positive environment and a mission-driven culture, which makes it feel like a meaningful place to work.

‍

What makes her awesome? 

Dee has been with Arriva since Christmas 2016, working 3 days a week so she could care for her three children. When the 2019 Covid pandemic hit, Dee started to work 6 days per week and stepped up to become acting supervisor. During this time, the team was nominated for (and won bronze at!) the Made A Difference Awards for the initiative and depot leadership they showed. They were also recognized for having the fewest rates of drivers contracting the virus within the area.

After the pandemic, she continued to work 6 days each week — her children were getting older, and she  had a lot of ideas to improve the standards! She continued to invest in herself and in Arriva: In 2023, she passed the passenger-carrying vehicle test, and when the previous supervisor retired, she became the supervisor in April 2024.

She gives immense credit to her team. In her own words:

“The two ladies I work with, Abby and Megan, are not only colleagues but friends as well, and that makes a difference. The friendship and team spirit within the team is very high and we all work together brilliantly. The goals and cleaning standards are at a high standard and we all work together to achieve this — when drivers compliment the cleanliness and difference is what I love most about the work we do.”

Nominated by: Lee Coleman

‍

Today, most of your company’s vital documents live digitally. From benefits plan statements to the potluck sign-up — paper is a thing of the past. 

When you tally everything an employee accesses online, it’s easy to see how content can be a lot to manage. That’s why companies need a way to aggregate, manage, and share all of their internal information. 

They often use a combination of platforms to get the job done, but this can be confusing and inefficient. 

For that reason, more companies are moving towards a single unified intranet CMS software that can act as a single resource for content management. 

An intranet content management system boosts communication, improves productivity, and allows workplaces to function remotely. Plus, research shows that companies with strong internal social networks are 7% more productive.

If you’re in the market for the best CMS for intranet, take a look at our recommendations below.

The best CMS intranet for 2023 roundup:

1. Blink

Blink is an employee intranet with many features, making it a great choice for companies looking for an all-in-one solution for their internal communication needs. 

The content management hub is a sleek, mobile-first design, and the software is easy to set up and onboard without extensive IT or training teams. 

Features:

• CMS Hub for documents 
• Content feed 
• Business chat
• People directory
• Micro-app functionalities

Best intranet CMS software for: All-in-one frontline communication.

Price: Plans start at $3.40/user/month.

2. SharePoint

SharePoint is Microsoft’s intranet offering, making it a great choice for teams who already heavily rely on Office Suite tools. 

SharePoint leverages internal websites to host content pages and team resources. It’s a powerful content management tool that works well for large companies looking for a robust CMS but could be overly complex for smaller organizations. 

Features: 

• Document library
• Information rights management
• Project management server and timelines
• Team-based content websites
• Cloud or on-site data storage
• Company news page

Best intranet CMS software for: Enterprise content management.

Price: Plans start at $5/user/month.

3. Glasscubes

Glasscubes provides a cloud-based platform for employees to collaborate and share files. Users can send messages to others or attach files to messages for further collaboration. 

The lightweight system is engaging and easy to use, perfect for companies looking for a straightforward, high-value CMS intranet that improves engagement. 

Features:

• Secure online file storage 
• No limitation in file type or size
• Internal chat 
• Activity feed
• Task management and scheduling

Best intranet CMS software for: Team collaboration.

Price: Plans start at $35/month.

4. Simpplr

Simpplr is a CMS employee intranet that prioritizes usability and social engagement. 

Packed with features like an AI-driven social feed, events calendar, and a newsletter, Simpplr is the choice for companies looking for feature-rich software that improves culture, communication, and engagement. 

Features:

• Employee intranet
• Employee blogs
• Employee profiles
• AI smart feed
• Newsletters
• Events calendar
• Social websites for teams
• User analytics

Best intranet CMS software for:  Engaging social teams.

Price: Available upon request.

5. OnSemble

Building off a 15-year history in intranet, OnSemble offers a well-rounded intranet platform designed for customer-centred organizations. 

The content management tool, employee forums, and leadership blogs engage workers and provide them with the resources to do their best work. Drag-and-drop page builders mean OnSemble can be relatively easy to customize for small to midsize organizations.

Features:

• Employee directory
• Content management
• Document search
• Forums
• Cloud or on-site data storage

Best intranet CMS software for: Customer-oriented organizations.

Price: Plans start at $6/user/month.

Final thoughts: The 5 best intranet CMS software in 2023

A content management system is an essential feature of your company’s intranet. With so much of today’s work taking place remotely or on mobile, having everything accessible boosts your employee’s engagement, supports a positive company culture, and increases productivity. 

There are many great intranet platforms out there, and what you choose will come down to your company’s size and needs.

If you’re looking for a simple solution that packs tons of engaging features into one affordable platform, give Blink a try. The mobile-first platform and modern design will work well for any team.