Honestly

Honestly Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

honestly.de ·

Honestly
ForesightIQ Predictions

What is Honestly likely to do next?

ForesightIQ connects Honestly's hiring, product, web, ad, and market signals to forecast strategic moves — often months before they're announced.

Hiring signal

Senior hiring patterns point to a planned enterprise product line launching within two quarters.

High confidence · Next 1–2 quarters
Product signal

Quiet changes to docs and pricing pages signal an upcoming usage-based pricing tier and new API surface.

Likely · Next quarter
Market signal

Ad spend and partnership activity indicate a push into the mid-market segment across two new regions.

Plausible · Next 2–3 quarters
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Overview

Honestly Overview

Honestly (honestly.de) is an all-in-one employee feedback platform dedicated to transforming company culture through valid feedback and data-driven decisions. The company's core mission is to make work more fulfilling by giving employees a voice, believing that businesses thrive when people enjoy their jobs [honestly.de/ueber-uns/].

Honestly provides a scientifically validated survey tool that allows companies to conduct various employee surveys, including pulse, annual, onboarding, exit, leadership, eNPS, and 360º feedback, as well as psychological risk assessments. The platform emphasizes converting insights into actionable initiatives, empowering HR, teams, and managers to take responsibility and achieve impact. It features AI-powered insights for priority topic identification and real-time progress tracking of initiatives.

Established in 2019, Honestly is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, with its official entity being Honestly MT GmbH [honestly.de/blog/Wie-Honestly-jeden-Kunden-zu-besserem-Mitarbeiterengagement-verhilft/, honestly.de/impressum]. The company serves a diverse target market, ranging from small startups to medium-sized businesses and even DAX corporations across various sectors like automotive, telecommunications, insurance, and pharma [honestly.de/kunden/]. Its services are designed for entrepreneurs, legal entities under public law, and special funds under public law [honestly.de/agb/].

Honestly distinguishes itself through its commitment to data security and privacy, being ISO 27001 certified, GDPR-compliant, and hosting all data within Germany [honestly.de/employee-engagement, honestly.de/sicherheit/]. The platform offers a transparent license model with unlimited survey possibilities, catering to teams and smaller businesses with a price structure that includes comprehensive features like email and app-based surveying, scientifically validated templates, unlimited dashboards and reports, role-based access, and premium online support [honestly.de/preise]. The company's ultimate value proposition is to enable HR as a facilitator and leaders as drivers of change, helping organizations proactively identify issues and foster a culture that strengthens and retains talent.

Competitors

Honestly Competitors

While Honestly (honestly.de) specializes in employee feedback and employee engagement solutions, several competitors offer a range of HR software and survey tools. One direct competitor is CompanyMood, identified as Honestly's top rival, according to Owler. Both companies operate in the realm of employee feedback, aiming to provide insights into organizational health and employee sentiment.

Another significant competitor is HR WORKS, which distinguishes itself by offering automated HR processes. Unlike Honestly's primary focus on surveys, HR WORKS aims to provide a more comprehensive, tailored solution for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by streamlining various HR administrative tasks, ultimately contributing to a company's sustainable success. This broader HR functionality positions HR WORKS as a strong contender for businesses seeking integrated HR management beyond just feedback.

Factorial also stands out as a direct competitor, offering extensive HR software features that include time tracking, payroll, and applicant management. While Honestly empowers HR leaders to act on employee feedback, Factorial provides a more holistic HR suite designed to simplify administrative duties and improve overall business decisions through its comprehensive tools. This makes Factorial a robust option for companies looking for an all-in-one HR solution.

In the broader market for feedback and survey tools, Honestly faces competition from platforms like Sayat and Whisper.sh, although these appear to focus more on general anonymous feedback rather than the structured, scientifically validated employee surveys that Honestly specializes in. While Honestly emphasizes transforming insights into initiatives for business progress, these other platforms might cater to more informal or generalized feedback collection, offering a different value proposition in the survey landscape.

Alternatives

Honestly Alternatives

Product & Pricing

Honestly Product and Pricing Intelligence

Honestly (honestly.de) offers a comprehensive employee survey tool designed to transform employee feedback into actionable insights. Their pricing model is transparent and straightforward, offering unlimited survey possibilities. For teams and smaller businesses, their plan starts at 2,00€ per employee/month, enabling surveys for all employees via email and app. This tier includes scientifically validated templates or custom surveys, unlimited dashboards and reports, role-based access, and custom employee groups. The platform aims to empower HR and leaders to drive change and build a performance-enhancing culture.

Honestly focuses on a full-service approach, integrating scientific methodology with AI-driven analytics. They offer various survey types, including Pulse Surveys, eNPS, onboarding, exit, and 360-degree feedback, as well as an integrated psychological risk assessment (§ 5 ArbSchG). The platform's AI capabilities are highlighted as a key feature, enabling faster data analysis, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and providing concrete, actionable recommendations. Open-ended survey responses are automatically grouped and clustered by theme, streamlining the analysis process.

For larger organizations with 500+ employees, Honestly provides Enterprise Advantages, which include extensive user management, integrated interfaces, and personalized branding. These features allow for defining various roles and granting granular access rights based on specific surveys or employee groups. While specific pricing for enterprise solutions is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales, the platform emphasizes its ability to provide comprehensive support, from feedback strategy to reporting and stakeholder management. They also offer a ROI calculator to help businesses discover potential savings through increased employee engagement.

Hiring & Layoffs

Honestly Hiring and Layoffs

Honestly (honestly.de) is actively hiring, indicating a clear strategy focused on growth and expanding its market reach within the employee engagement platform sector. The company's career page, honestly.de/jobs/, serves as the central hub for all open positions, providing details about the application process and team culture. This proactive approach to recruitment aligns with Honestly's mission to help companies transform their culture through valid feedback and data-driven decisions, a service trusted by over 25,000 teams worldwide. The company emphasizes cultural fit, job suitability, and alignment of general conditions during its interview process, highlighting its commitment to building a cohesive and effective team.

While specific recent hiring trends or numbers are not publicly detailed, the presence of a dedicated careers page suggests a continuous effort to attract talent. The company's platform, which facilitates employee surveys, pulse surveys, and 360-degree feedback, requires diverse expertise, from scientific validation (in collaboration with FU Berlin as mentioned on honestly.de/employee-engagement/mitarbeiterbefragung) to integration with HR software. Therefore, one can infer a demand for roles in areas such as software development, data science, customer success, sales, and HR consulting.

There is no public information available regarding layoffs at Honestly. The company's consistent messaging across its website, emphasizing growth, customer success (honestly.de/kunden/), and expanding partnerships (honestly.de/partnerships/), points towards a stable or expanding workforce rather than contraction. The focus on providing a full-service platform for employee surveys, as seen on honestly.de/employee-engagement/full-service/, indicates a commitment to comprehensive solutions, likely requiring a robust and growing team to support its offerings.

Leadership

Honestly Management and Leadership Team

Honestly (honestly.de) is led by a dedicated team focused on transforming workplace culture through valid feedback and data-driven decisions. The company's management includes Sven Bläse and Sebastian Wenzel, both of whom are listed as authorized managing directors.

Sven Bläse also serves as the Co-Founder and CEO of Honestly, as well as the content overseer for the website, demonstrating a key leadership role in both strategic direction and public communication.

To ensure robust strategic guidance and product development, Honestly has established an HR Advisory Board. This board comprises a team of experts including Professor Dr. Dominik Enste, Dr. Felix Schuler, Danja Frech, and Christoph Grandpierre. Their collective expertise assists the founders and the wider team in making informed decisions regarding the company's strategic alignment, product evolution, and market positioning.

The leadership at Honestly emphasizes empowering both HR and management within client organizations. They enable HR professionals to facilitate change and equip leadership with the insights needed to act decisively. This focus extends to allowing leaders to manage team-relevant initiatives and fostering transparency, underscoring their commitment to genuine organizational transformation.

Financials

Honestly Financial Performance, Fundraising, M&A

While specific financial performance figures such as total revenue, detailed funding rounds, or current valuations for Honestly MT GmbH (honestly.de) are not publicly disclosed on their website, the company positions itself as a significant player in the employee engagement platform market.

Honestly offers a transparent, subscription-based pricing model, indicating a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business structure. Their pricing model, which charges "per employee/month" with annual billing and a decreasing price for a higher number of employees, suggests a scalable revenue stream directly tied to customer growth and employee headcount.

Honestly emphasizes the Return on Investment (ROI) for its clients, highlighting potential savings through increased employee productivity (estimated at 6%) and reduced costs associated with unnecessary investments, as well as improved customer satisfaction leading to future revenue. The company’s ROI calculator and blog content underscore the financial benefits of its platform, linking employee engagement directly to revenue and operational efficiency. Although specific revenue metrics for Honestly itself are not provided, these insights into their value proposition suggest a focus on demonstrating tangible financial benefits for their customers, which indirectly supports their own financial health and growth trajectory.

Regarding fundraising and M&A activity, Honestly's public-facing content does not detail any specific funding rounds, investor information, or acquisition activities. The company's "Über uns" (About Us) page highlights their mission and growth, stating that they are trusted by 25,000+ teams worldwide and that "over 500 companies have already collected feedback through Honestly." This indicates a strong customer base and market penetration, spanning from small startups to medium-sized enterprises and DAX corporations across various industries. While direct financial figures are absent, the emphasis on a wide-ranging client portfolio and global adoption suggests sustained operational success and organic growth within the competitive landscape of employee feedback and engagement solutions.

Partnerships

Honestly Partnerships, Clients and Vendors

Honestly (honestly.de) focuses on building robust partnerships and serving a diverse client base, solidifying its position as a leading employee engagement platform in the DACH region. The company offers two primary partnership models: Reseller and Implementation Partner, providing attractive conditions and personalized support. These collaborations aim to expand Honestly's reach and offer partners new revenue streams by integrating the platform into their existing portfolios [https://www.honestly.de/partnerships/].

Honestly boasts a wide array of clients, ranging from small startups to medium-sized businesses and even DAX corporations. Their solutions are successfully deployed across various industries, including automotive, telecommunications, insurance, and pharmaceuticals. Notable clients include Helvetia, a leading international insurance company that implemented a continuous

Events

Honestly Event Participations

Honestly (honestly.de) actively engages with its community and promotes its employee engagement platform through various channels. While the company profile does not detail specific conference attendances or trade show booths, it demonstrates a strong commitment to thought leadership and internal team building.

Honestly hosts a comprehensive blog and publishes numerous guides and ebooks focusing on key topics like employee engagement, psychological risk assessment, and 360-degree feedback. These resources, such as the "Employee Engagement Guide" and "Gender Pay Gap Calculation: Audit Guide for Companies 2026," position Honestly as an expert in the field. Additionally, the company participates in relevant industry discussions, as evidenced by their co-founder and CEO, Sven Bläse, being a guest on the SAATKORN-Podcast to discuss the importance of regular surveys and the eNPS.

Internally, Honestly fosters a vibrant company culture through regular team events. Their careers page highlights various social gatherings, including team events, company anniversary parties, company off-sites, and Christmas parties, which contribute to a strong and collaborative work environment. This commitment to internal engagement reflects their external mission to help other companies create fulfilling work experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What strategic priorities does Honestly's current hiring activity indicate?

Honestly's active hiring, evidenced by a dedicated careers page, suggests a strategic focus on growth and expanding market reach within the employee engagement platform sector. The company's mission to transform culture through feedback and its full-service platform offerings imply a demand for talent in software development, data science, customer success, sales, and HR consulting to support its comprehensive solutions.

What does Honestly's content strategy reveal about its market positioning?

Honestly's content strategy, involving a blog, guides, and ebooks on employee engagement and psychological risk assessment, positions the company as a thought leader and expert in its field. This approach, alongside co-founder Sven Bläse's participation in industry discussions, aims to solidify Honestly's authority and attract clients seeking scientifically validated and data-driven solutions.

What is the implication of Honestly's ISO 27001 certification and data hosting policy?

Honestly's ISO 27001 certification and policy of hosting all data within Germany underscore its strong commitment to data security and privacy. This focus is a significant differentiator, especially for clients in the DACH region and regulated industries, addressing critical concerns for competitive-intelligence analysts evaluating compliance and trust factors.

What do Honestly's identified competitors suggest about its competitive landscape?

Honestly operates in a competitive landscape with both direct employee feedback rivals like CompanyMood and broader HR software providers such as HR WORKS and Factorial. This indicates that while Honestly specializes in structured employee surveys, it must also contend with companies offering more comprehensive HR administration or specialized psychological risk assessment tools like SafeMind.

What does Honestly's pricing model signal about its target market and revenue strategy?

Honestly's transparent, subscription-based pricing model, charging 'per employee/month' with annual billing and decreasing prices for higher employee counts, signals a scalable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) revenue strategy. This model targets both small teams and larger enterprises, linking revenue directly to customer growth and employee headcount while emphasizing a clear Return on Investment (ROI) for clients.

What is the significance of Honestly's HR Advisory Board in its strategic direction?

Honestly's HR Advisory Board, comprising experts like Professor Dr. Dominik Enste and Dr. Felix Schuler, is significant for ensuring robust strategic guidance and product development. This board helps the leadership team make informed decisions on strategic alignment, product evolution, and market positioning, reflecting a commitment to scientifically validated and market-relevant offerings.

What does Honestly's emphasis on AI-powered insights mean for its product differentiation?

Honestly's emphasis on AI-powered insights for faster data analysis, identification of strengths and weaknesses, and concrete recommendations serves as a key product differentiator. This capability, which automatically groups and clusters open-ended responses, aims to provide clients with actionable intelligence, streamlining the process of converting feedback into initiatives compared to manual analysis.

What do Honestly's partnership models indicate about its growth strategy?

Honestly's two primary partnership models, Reseller and Implementation Partner, indicate a growth strategy focused on expanding its reach and market penetration, particularly within the DACH region. These collaborations aim to leverage partners' existing portfolios to integrate Honestly's platform and create new revenue streams, complementing direct sales efforts.

How does Honestly position itself against alternatives like Factorial or HR WORKS?

Honestly positions itself as an all-in-one employee survey platform for transforming feedback into actionable insights, differentiating from broader HR suites like Factorial and HR WORKS. While alternatives offer extensive HR administration and process automation (e.g., payroll, applicant management), Honestly focuses specifically on scientifically validated employee feedback, engagement, and psychological risk assessment, empowering HR and leadership to drive cultural change.

What does Honestly's track record with '25,000+ teams worldwide' and '500 companies' suggest about its market traction?

Honestly's claims of being trusted by '25,000+ teams worldwide' and having 'over 500 companies already collected feedback through Honestly' suggest significant market traction and customer adoption. This indicates a robust customer base, spanning from startups to DAX corporations across various industries, implying sustained operational success and organic growth despite the absence of specific financial disclosures.

What does the inclusion of a psychological risk assessment module signify for Honestly's market appeal?

The inclusion of an integrated psychological risk assessment module (§ 5 ArbSchG) signifies Honestly's expanded market appeal, particularly in regions with stringent occupational health and safety regulations. This feature, with its scientifically validated questionnaire, positions Honestly to cater to companies prioritizing compliance and in-depth assessment of psychosocial factors, offering a more specialized solution beyond general engagement surveys.

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