Detailed comparison
Culture Amp is a well-known Australian platform, widely used by large technology companies. Amélio is a Canadian platform, born in Québec, that combines a scientific diagnostic, performance management and support from an organizational development advisor. For a Canadian organization, three questions often tip the balance: where the data lives, who helps you after the survey, and what it really costs.
Written by the Amélio team · Facts checked on November 3, 2026 · All sources are listed at the bottom of the page
| Criterion | Amélio | Culture Amp |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Montréal (Québec), founded in 2017 | Melbourne (Australia), founded in 20091 |
| Data hosting | Canada, Microsoft Azure, mainly in Québec2 | United States, European Union or Australia, set in the contract, US by default; no Canadian region3 |
| Infrastructure | Microsoft Azure2 | Amazon Web Services, in the selected region4 |
| AI processing | Data hosted and encrypted in Amélio's environment, with no uncontrolled external sharing2 | May be transmitted outside the selected region for transient processing5 |
| Measurement model | JD-R model, 12 factors, 40 sub-factors, satisfaction × importance prioritization6 | Survey templates and benchmarks by industry, region and size |
| Organizational development advisor | Included in every plan7 | Not stated in the sources consulted |
| Engagement and performance | Both in the same platform7 | Yes (Engage and Perform) |
| Quebec Law 27 (psychosocial risks) | Dedicated program, validated psychosocial risk survey8 | Not stated in the sources consulted |
| Pricing | Published, from CA$2,5507 | Not published, quote based on headcount9 |
Entries for the other solutions come from their own public documents, checked on November 3, 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find the information in the sources we consulted, not that the feature does not exist. Numbers refer to the source list.
This is the clearest difference between the two solutions. According to its own help centre, Culture Amp hosts accounts in one of three regions: United States, European Union or Australia. The region is chosen at contract time, it does not depend on where the organization is located, and an account with no preference is placed in the United States3. The infrastructure runs on Amazon Web Services in the selected region4, and its AI features may process data outside that region on a transient basis5.
Amélio hosts its clients' data in Canada, on Microsoft Azure infrastructure, mainly in Québec, with encrypted backups that stay in Canadian regions. The platform is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and compliant with Quebec's Law 25, the GDPR and PIPEDA2.
Why it matters in Québec: under Law 25, a business that communicates personal information outside Québec must first carry out a privacy impact assessment (section 17 of the private sector act). Survey responses linked to teams are personal information. Choosing a vendor that keeps data in Québec simplifies compliance.
For public bodies, municipalities and healthcare organizations, which often have contractual requirements to keep data in Canada, this point is frequently a deal-breaker.
Culture Amp offers survey templates and a large base of international benchmarks, by industry, region and company size. It is one of its recognized strengths, especially for companies operating in several countries.
Amélio's diagnostic is built on the JD-R scientific model (job demands and resources), broken down into 12 factors and 40 sub-factors6. For each factor, the survey measures both satisfaction and the importance employees give it. Crossing the two, Amélio surfaces the two or three levers that really matter in your organization, instead of having you chase every low score.
Written comments are analysed by artificial intelligence, then results are compared with more than 750 organizations. The survey is available in 29 languages10.
This is where most initiatives fail: a report lands and nobody knows where to start. With Amélio, every manager receives results already analysed for their team, more than 100 recommended actions and ready-to-use meeting plans10. An organizational development advisor, included in every plan, helps you read the results, build the plan and track progress over time7.
Culture Amp provides its customers with action plans and a resource library. In the sources consulted, we found no support from an organizational development advisor included in the base price.
Amélio is built in Québec, in French and English, with advisors who support you in either language. The survey is available in 29 languages10, which also reaches employees whose first language is neither French nor English.
Since October 1, 2025, psychosocial risks are part of the mandatory content of workplace prevention in Québec (see our article on Law 27). Amélio offers a turnkey program: validated psychosocial risk survey, analysis, prevention program templates and support8. Culture Amp, built for a global market, presents no offering specific to this law in the sources consulted.
Amélio publishes its starting prices: a one-time engagement diagnostic from CA$2,550 (depending on headcount), continuous engagement from CA$3,850 per year, performance management from CA$3,850 and the complete offering from CA$5,000. The organizational development advisor is included in every plan. A two-year agreement gives an 8% discount and a three-year agreement 15%, with the price frozen for the full term7.
Culture Amp does not publish its prices: they are quoted based on headcount9. Ask for a quote that includes implementation, support and planned increases, then compare the total cost, not just the price per employee.
Our recommendation: for a Canadian organization, Amélio wins on the points that weigh most here: data in Canada, support included, published prices and Quebec's Law 27. Culture Amp keeps the edge for a multinational mainly looking to benchmark globally.
No. According to its help centre, Culture Amp hosts accounts in the United States, the European Union or Australia, and places an account with no preference in the United States by default. Amélio hosts its data in Canada, mainly in Québec.
Culture Amp does not publish its prices; they are quoted based on headcount. Amélio publishes its starting prices: a one-time diagnostic from CA$2,550, continuous engagement from CA$3,850 per year and the complete offering from CA$5,000, advisor included.
For a Canadian organization, Amélio is the most complete alternative: a scientific diagnostic, engagement and performance in the same platform, an advisor included, data in Canada and a Quebec Law 27 program.
Yes. Amélio's results are compared with more than 750 organizations. The difference is that Amélio also crosses the satisfaction and importance of each factor to tell you where to act first.
Yes. Culture Amp offers Perform, and Amélio brings engagement and performance together on the same data foundation, so each person is reviewed with their team's context in mind.
For Amélio, we describe our own offering as published on amelio.co. For the other solutions, we read their websites, help centres and legal documents, and we cite an independent directory only when the vendor does not publish the information (a price, for example). Facts were checked on November 3, 2026.
This page is published by Amélio, one of the solutions being compared. We aimed to describe the other tools accurately, including the cases where they are a better fit than we are. Trademarks belong to their owners. Has something changed, or does something look wrong? Email [email protected] and we will correct it promptly.
In 30 minutes, an advisor walks you through the diagnostic, the prioritization of levers and the managers' action plans, with a price based on your number of employees.