If you're running a small or medium-sized business, you probably know how important it is to keep your team engaged—but getting honest feedback from employees can be tough. The good news? You don’t need a huge budget or complex software to start running effective surveys.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best free employee survey tools in 2025 that support anonymous feedback, offer pre-built templates, and are simple to use. We'll also explain why regular, candid feedback matters—and how tools like FeedbackPulse can help you do it right.
Why Employee Feedback Matters (Especially for SMBs)
Engaged employees = better work, less turnover, and stronger culture. But employees won’t always speak up unless they feel safe—and that’s where anonymous surveys shine.
Done right, employee surveys can:
- Surface issues early (before they snowball)
- Highlight what’s working and what’s not
- Boost morale just by showing people you care
Anonymity is key. When employees know their responses can’t be traced, they’re more likely to be honest. And honest feedback is where the gold is.
Top Free Employee Survey Tools (2025)
Here’s a breakdown of the best options for small businesses. We’ve focused on free plans that support anonymous feedback, give you templates to work from, and are easy enough to use without training.
🥇 1. FeedbackPulse — Best Overall for SMBs
Purpose-built for employee feedback, FeedbackPulse offers:
- ✅ Anonymous responses by default
- ✅ Pre-built templates: Weekly Pulse Check, Onboarding Feedback, Leadership Effectiveness, eNPS
- ✅ Real-time reporting and simple dashboards
- ✅ Designed for small to mid-sized teams
- ✅ Free forever for small teams
FeedbackPulse isn’t a general survey tool—it’s built specifically for employee engagement. It’s quick to set up, easy to roll out, and includes surveys tailored for HR teams. Perfect if you want actionable insights without the manual work.
“If you're tired of hacking together surveys in Google Forms, FeedbackPulse gives you a cleaner, more focused way to gather team feedback—without the guesswork.”
🟢 2. Google Forms — Best for Unlimited Responses (But Manual Setup)
Google Forms is free, easy, and lets you collect unlimited responses. But it’s not employee-specific.
- ✅ Unlimited responses
- ✅ Easy drag-and-drop form builder
- 🟡 Anonymous if you disable “Collect email addresses”
- 🔧 No employee survey templates by default
- 📉 Basic analysis only (via Google Sheets)
Best for: Teams already using Google Workspace who want something free and simple. But be ready to write your own questions and interpret results yourself.
🟡 3. SurveyMonkey (Free Tier) — Great Templates, But Response-Limited
SurveyMonkey’s free plan gives you access to HR-specific templates and a polished interface, but the limits are tight.
- ✅ Employee-specific templates (engagement, eNPS, etc.)
- ✅ Anonymous if no name/email questions
- ✅ Basic charts and analysis
- 🔴 Only 10 responses per survey on free plan
- 🔒 Advanced analytics and exports are paid
Best for: Very small teams who want pre-made employee surveys, but don’t need many responses per month.
🟠 4. Jotform — Good Flexibility and 100 Responses/Month
Jotform’s free plan offers more room than SurveyMonkey and more design control than Google Forms.
- ✅ Up to 100 responses/month
- ✅ Customizable templates, including employee surveys
- ✅ Anonymous if you skip name/email fields
- ✅ Easy drag-and-drop form builder
- 🟡 Not built specifically for HR, so templates are more general
Best for: Small teams that want decent volume, visual customization, and some integration options.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Anonymous | Employee Templates | Response Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FeedbackPulse | ✅ Yes (default) | ✅ Yes | Unlimited (free for small teams) | Purpose-built engagement surveys |
| Google Forms | 🟡 Yes (manual config) | ❌ No (custom only) | Unlimited | Simple, unlimited, manual setup |
| SurveyMonkey | 🟡 Yes (manual config) | ✅ Yes | 10 per survey | Small teams using templates |
| Jotform | 🟡 Yes (manual config) | 🟡 Some | 100/month | Design flexibility, integrations |
What to Look for in an Employee Survey Tool
Before choosing a tool, consider:
- Anonymity – Crucial for honest feedback
- Templates – Save time and ensure best practices
- Ease of use – Shouldn’t require training
- Volume limits – Make sure the free plan supports your team size
- Built-for-purpose – HR-focused tools offer more relevant features
Why FeedbackPulse is the Best Free Option
While tools like Google Forms and Jotform are flexible, they require more manual work and aren’t purpose-built for HR feedback. SurveyMonkey is solid—but its free plan hits a wall fast.
FeedbackPulse strikes the best balance:
- Purpose-built for HR
- Free for small teams
- Anonymous by default
- Plug-and-play templates
- Clean reports and dashboards
Whether you want to check in weekly, improve onboarding, or measure team loyalty with eNPS—FeedbackPulse gives you what you need without overwhelming you.
Try FeedbackPulse for Free
You don’t need to duct-tape a survey system together.
Just head over to FeedbackPulse and get started in minutes.
✅ Free forever for small teams
✅ No credit card required
✅ Actually built for employee feedback
Your team has things to say. Give them a space to say it—and show them you’re listening.