Great communication features but limited customization and reporting options.
Verdict: 7.6/10
Jostle is an employee success platform that offers a mix of employee communication, organization, and task tracking tools. It excels in places, including its mobile app, stellar communication tools, and generous free plan for up to 15 people.
On the flip side, it lacks some features other employee success platforms offer. For example, there’s no key performance indicator (KPI) tracker for tracking employee performance, and integration options are limited. It’s also considerably pricier than other employee success platforms.
Also, it may not be suitable for companies looking for an all-in-one workforce management system, as there aren’t employee management tools like time tracking or scheduling. It’s got potential, but it’s not ticking all the boxes just yet.
Key Features:
- Mobile app. Update teams on the go with the easy-to-use mobile app.
- In-app chat. Chat with individuals or groups with the handy in-app chat.
- Newsfeed. Keep teams up to date with the newsfeed—a social-media-like timeline where employees can scroll through announcements and updates.
- Organizational values page. Showcase your great culture and strong values with an organizational values page.
- Resource library. Share links, documents, and resources through the Links tool to give your team everything they need when they need it.
- Shared employee calendar. Plan events and manage holidays with the shared calendar tool.
- Task list. Let employees know what they should be doing and when with the simple task list tool.
- JostleTV. Broadcast a custom-built TV “channel” to multiple screens.
- People directory. Store staff contact details and find contacts quickly by role, location, or department.
- Organization chart. Map out complex business structures and reporting lines.
| Pros ✅ • Free for under 15 employees • Offline mobile app functionality • Customizable add-ons based on business need | Cons ❌ • Costly compared with other solutions • No KPI tracker or tangible employee rewards • Limited integration options |
Jostle Pricing
Jostle offers 4 different plans for different business needs, and each is priced per user per month.
The Bronze plan is the most basic plan and comes with the ability to build a news and activity feed, create an organizational values page, a people directory, a chat function, and more. This plan comes in at $4.56/person/month for 100 users. The system uses dynamic pricing, meaning the larger your team, the lower the per-person cost.
The Silver plan offers all the same features as the Bronze, with an added resource library for enabling users to quickly access and share important links, documents, and files from one central location.
The Silver plan also offers 1 optional extra to meet your specific needs. Users can choose from a task list, a virtual org chart, an event management tool, a listings tool for shift swapping or buy-and-sell items, or a TV function where you can broadcast media of your choice to TVs and displays. This is priced at $8.21/user/month for 100 users.
The Gold plan offers all the same features as Silver but lets you pick 3 of the above optional extras. This plan is $10.95/user/month for 100 users. There’s also a Platinum plan that gives you access to all the features of Gold with all optional extras. You must contact the Jostle team for pricing.
I find it refreshing to have such transparent pricing listed on the website. Many employee success and engagement platforms—such as Unily—hide their pricing structures behind vague “Contact us for a quote” messages, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to figure out if something fits your budget.
There doesn’t appear to be a free trial based on the website. However, there’s a free plan for any businesses with under 15 employees, and individuals from businesses with more than 15 employees could certainly use this to test out the app. This plan offers all the functions of the Platinum plan, which is a generous offering I really appreciate. It’s rare to see a platform offer so much for free—and this could be a game changer for small businesses or those just starting out.
Although the dynamic pricing structure reduces the cost per employee as headcount increases, costs can stack up for larger organizations, especially if you’re looking at the Gold or Platinum plans. When you compare Jostle with other staff communication tools like Blink, ThriveSparrow, and Connecteam, you can see the stark differences between the prices.
Overall, Jostle offers good value for money for smaller businesses. That said, while the dynamic pricing helps soften the blow as your team grows, adding optional extras or moving to higher-tier plans can quickly bump up the monthly bill—especially for large businesses.
| Team size | Jostle (Bronze) | ThriveSparrow (Goals) | Blink (Business) | Connecteam (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View pricing | View pricing | View pricing | View pricing | |
| 10 Users | Free for up to 15 users | $30/mo | From $34/mo** | Free for life—All features and dashboards |
| 50 Users | $250/mo | $150/mo | From $170/mo** | $39/mo |
| 100 Users | $456/mo | $300/mo | From $340/mo** | $64/mo |
| 150 Users | $676.50/mo | $450/mo | From $510/month** | $89/mo |
| Read our full Blink review | Learn more about Connecteam | |||
| *Billed yearly, as of 2025 **According to Capterra (Blink doesn’t have transparent pricing) | ||||
Verdict: 4/10
Jostle Usability and Interface
Using Jostle’s free plan, I could explore the web hub and mobile app—which greatly enhanced my understanding of the system.
Once you log in, Jostle offers a 7-click tutorial on how to use the system. This is great for those who aren’t tech savvy or who like to be guided through new tools. If you require more formal training, you can sign up for a free demo with the Jostle team, and they’ll walk you through the platform and answer your questions.
Jostle’s user interface is clean and easy to navigate. Links are where you expect them to be, and the neutral colors make the interface feel slick and premium. I appreciate the list structure for the menu—and that the menu is constantly visible. I find this extremely helpful for navigating new tools.
The system also works well with my personal screen reader, so I think it’ll be useful for those who use assistive technology. The black text on an off-white screen is also beneficial to those with color sensitivity, light sensitivity, or visual impairments, as it provides excellent contrast without being too harsh. That said, the company doesn’t explicitly advertise compliance with any accessibility standards, so you should check with customer service if you have specific needs.
Connecteam, on the other hand, offers a full accessibility notice, enabling users with access needs or users of assistive technology to know exactly what to expect.
One drawback to Jostle could be that the interface, while simple and intuitive, might feel a bit too minimalistic, especially for users looking for more advanced customization options. For instance, the menu structure, while consistent, doesn’t offer much flexibility. You can’t rearrange or hide items based on personal preference—but this is a minor gripe.
Verdict: 9/10
Mobile app
Jostle’s mobile app is available on both Apple and Android devices. It offers all the same features as the desktop version. It’s rare for a mobile app to be just as functional as the web app, so this is a big win for me.
It also has the same simple, neutral colors and list-based menu. This cohesion makes switching between the desktop and mobile versions seamless, so you’re never left fumbling to find features—everything is where you expect it to be.
The mobile app is fully functional offline and syncs later when you’re back online. This is great for deskless workers: You can make on-the-go updates, send messages, and access essential information without worrying about connectivity.
One of the real benefits of Jostle’s mobile app is the ability to set up a biometric login. Many employee communication tools—for instance, Pumble—don’t offer this feature, so it’s a welcome addition that makes logging in quick and secure.
One issue? I noticed that when I was adding content using the mobile and desktop apps simultaneously, the mobile app seemed to lag. This stopped once I stopped and restarted the mobile app.
| Menu Item | Admin | Employee | ||
| Web portal | Mobile App | Web portal | Mobile App | |
| Features | ||||
| Organization Chart | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Newsfeed | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Calendar | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| In-app Chat | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Resource Library | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Task List | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Analysis | ||||
| Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Management | ||||
| Projects | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Team | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Settings | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Verdict: 8/10
Jostle Core Features
Here are just a few of Jostle’s main offerings for communicating with your employees and increasing their engagement and success.
Communication
Jostle’s communication tools are where the system really shines.
There’s an in-app chat where you can send direct, company-wide, or group messages to communicate with your employees. I really appreciate this, as not all employee engagement platforms offer chat functionality—for instance, Simpplr doesn’t.
You can also create custom categories to organize your chats, ensuring that none get lost and that conversations stay relevant to the right teams or topics.
Your employees can reply to messages, sort their messages, search for keywords, and delete old threads they don’t need any more. They can also “discover” public discussions, which can be viewed and joined by anyone in your organization. I think this is a great feature for employee resource groups or cross-department collaborations.
The only drawback? You can’t favorite different chats or pin them to the top of your chat page like you can with platforms like Connecteam and Slack. This nifty feature would make it easier to quickly access your most important conversations without digging through the list. You can, of course, categorize them as “favorites”—but this function is much simpler on platforms like Connecteam.
Jostle also offers a News Board where you can publish important business updates and keep them all in one place. This is essentially a social-media-style newsfeed where you can create and share articles, blogs, polls, videos, or photo albums—depending on your needs. This News Board feature makes company-wide updates accessible to everyone while helping remote teams feel connected to the business.
I wish there were more customization options. Your team wants to see something fun and engaging when they look at their newsfeed, so more customization options like background colors, emojis, and personalized themes would take it to the next level.
In addition to the newsfeed, there’s also an activity feed. This is a feed for social posts, celebrations, and employee recognition.
Verdict: 9/10
Rewards and recognition
With Jostle, you can recognize employees with “shout-outs.” You click the shout-out button, add employees you want to recognize, and write a personalized message. This appears in the activity feed. You can even tie each shout-out to a specific company value, which you select from a dropdown menu of your values.
I appreciate that workers can provide shout-outs to each other, as some systems enable top-down recognition only.
The activity feed also automatically recognizes work anniversaries and birthdays, which is neat.
That said, I wish there were rewards associated with recognition, which many competitors offer. For instance, Connecteam offers gift card rewards for employees, while platforms like Simpplr have systems where employees can redeem points they earn for things like cash and donations to charities.
Verdict: 6/10
Resource library
Jostle’s resource library lets managers and employees share policies, documents, links, and key files in one easy-to-access place. Managers can control who has permission to upload to the library and assign subject matter experts to manage and maintain documents.
You can organize files into categories—and even use the universal search feature to find information based on keywords or file names. You can also sync the library with your GoogleDrive or Microsoft files so that everyone can collaborate on working documents—a feature I think will be great for internal comms teams. The features you set will sync with your GDrive or Files permissions, ensuring everything stays secure and visible to the right people.
I’d like to see more customization options and the ability to tag files based on categories or departments. I’d also like to be able to color code files to make the library more user friendly.
It’d also be handy if you could notify users when new files are uploaded to enhance communication. This is a feature offered by Connecteam, and it’s a game-changer for keeping teams in the loop.
Verdict: 9/10
Event management
The calendar application is a simple way for you to share important dates, schedule team events, and navigate any upcoming annual leave or public holidays. This events management system is ideal for keeping everyone on the same page without the endless back-and-forth of email communication.
Managers can easily create new events, invite the whole company (or just a select few), manage start and end times, and add locations—and there’s even a handy space for including key information, such as dress codes. You can also create recurring events, make RSVP deadlines, and allow guests to comment on the invite.
Your team, on the other hand, can use this tool to view upcoming events, respond to invitations, and leave comments on events. They can’t currently create their own events, which I think will help prevent the calendar from becoming cluttered.
I wish there was the ability to color code events or filter the calendar based on event types. This would help ensure you have a good balance of meetings, work events, and networking.
Verdict: 8/10
Jostle Security Features
Jostle is fully GDPR compliant, all information and messages in the app are encrypted, and the app goes through an annual external audit according to AICPA SOC 2 Trust Service Principles to ensure absolute security. These security protocols are some of the most comprehensive I’ve seen in my experience of workplace management tools.
In addition, Jostle offers 2-factor authentication and biometric verification for devices that allow it.
There are also extensive user permissions and controls that managers can assign from either the desktop or mobile app. People can be assigned as managers, supervisors, or standard users, and there are customizable permissions to control who has access to specific features or data.
This level of granularity ensures that sensitive information is accessible only to the right people, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or errors.
Verdict: 9/10
Jostle Reporting & Analytics
Jostle offers very limited reporting or analytics tools within its own system. Managers can track employee login times, view engagement metrics like who’s read business updates, and more through the team dashboard. However, you can’t delve any further than this or analyze trends over time, and you can download data in a CSV format only.
You’ll need a third-party tool to delve deeper.
That said, Jostle integrates with a number of business analytics tools, including:
- Domo
- Looker
- Tableau
- Microsoft Power BI
- Sisense
- Gooddata
- Qlikview
- InforBirst
- Cognos
These tools can be used to export data held by Jostle and gain insight into how your team is using the system.
Although this is useful, I’m disappointed there are so few in-house reporting and analytics tools.
Verdict: 5/10
Jostle Customer Support
Jostle offers customer support through an online email form. There’s an AI-driven live chat, but there’s no option to live chat with an actual person. You can also call Jostle, and representatives respond to all email inquiries within 24 hours. When we contacted the team, they responded within a few minutes.
There’s also a blog filled with useful information, e-books, and handy guides to help you navigate your questions. There are no dates on these documents, so it’s difficult to tell whether they’re regularly updated.
I also think Jostle’s support offering could be improved with an FAQ section, which competitors like Connecteam offer. However, the support is pretty good.
Jostle is located in Canada, so they operate within business hours in the PST time zone.
Verdict: 9/10
What Are Jostle’s Review Ratings from Review Sites?
(As of February 2025)
Capterra: 4.4
G2: 4.5
Software Advice: 4.4
GetApp: 4.4
Google Play Store: 3.4
Apple App Store: 2.3
Jostle App Review
Overall, Jostle is a solid employee communication and employee success app. Between the in-app chat, customizable newsfeed, resource library, event calendar, and task list, it’s a great way to keep everyone connected and organized. Plus, the system’s simple design and user-friendly menu make it easy for employees to jump in and start using without a steep learning curve.
There’s a decent amount of customization options, but I’d like to see more. For example, features like file tagging, color-coded folders in the Resource Library, or more branding options for the News Board would make the platform feel more tailored to each organization’s unique needs.
That said, the lack of reporting tools is a real drawback. And for someone looking for a 1-stop-shop employee management tool with features like scheduling and time tracking, Jostle isn’t the right option.
Connecteam: The Better Jostle Alternative
I think Connecteam is a fantastic Jostle alternative for companies wanting to improve team communication and increase employee engagement and success. Here’s why.
I find Connecteam’s online team chat so easy to use—plus, it’s GDPR compliant, SOC 2 certified, ISO 27001 compliant, and HIPAA compliant. This makes it perfect for security-conscious or heavily regulated businesses.
You can easily create 1:1 or group chats to connect your workforce—something I find so great for deskless teams. And you can favorite important chats, hide or mute distracting ones, and even schedule messages to be sent when the employee next clocks in.
I love how you can create your own colorful, engaging company updates newsfeed to keep your employees connected. You can use customizable branding, fun gifs, emojis, and more to share company updates—and recognize employees with neat badges.
You can even post surveys or polls for quick feedback, which makes it easy to keep your finger on the pulse of your team’s engagement.
You can also share links, policies, files, and more in the easy-to-access company knowledge base. I appreciate the customization options and permissions settings this feature offers.
Connecteam offers more features that Jostle offers, including an employee directory, a task manager and tracker, and an events tool.
Plus, it offers tons of features that Jostle doesn’t have, including an employee timeline (which I find really useful for managing employee performance), tangible employee rewards, an employee scheduler, a time clock, and HR features.
Like Jostle, Connecteam offers a full-featured, free-for-life plan for small teams. Its paid plans for larger teams are also super affordable—starting with a flat rate of $29/month for the first 30 users.
FAQs
Does Jostle offer a free trial?
Jostle doesn’t offer a free trial. However, there’s a free-forever plan for businesses with under 15 employees, and you can sign up to a free demo.
Is Jostle HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Jostle is HIPAA compliant, which makes it a good choice for US-based healthcare businesses.