Donut
Productivity bots software
Team building software
Talent management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$74 per month
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Information technology and software
- Banking and insurance
- Media and communications
What is Donut
Donut is a Slack-based team building and connection tool that automates introductions, coffee chats, and social routines for distributed or hybrid teams. It pairs employees based on configurable rules and schedules recurring meetups, and it can run onboarding and culture programs through Slack workflows. The product primarily targets People/HR teams, team leads, and operations teams that want lightweight, chat-native engagement without deploying a separate employee portal.
Native Slack workflow delivery
Donut runs inside Slack, so employees participate where they already communicate. This reduces the need for separate logins and increases the likelihood that pairing and reminders are seen. For organizations standardized on Slack, deployment is typically lighter than adopting a standalone engagement platform.
Automated pairing and programs
The product automates recurring introductions and meetups (for example, cross-team coffees, mentoring-style pairings, or new-hire connections). Admins can configure cadence, participant pools, and exclusions to avoid repetitive matches. This supports ongoing team-connection routines with less manual coordination than calendar-only approaches.
Useful for onboarding connections
Donut can structure early connections for new hires by scheduling introductions with teammates and stakeholders. This helps distribute onboarding relationship-building beyond a manager-led process. The approach fits teams that want simple, repeatable onboarding touchpoints rather than a full talent suite.
Slack dependency limits reach
Donut’s core experience depends on Slack, so it is less suitable for organizations that use other primary chat platforms or have limited Slack adoption. External participants and frontline workers without Slack access may be excluded. This can create uneven participation across the workforce.
Limited talent management depth
While it supports culture and onboarding routines, Donut does not function as a full talent management system for performance reviews, compensation, or skills frameworks. Organizations seeking end-to-end HR processes typically need additional systems. Reporting and governance needs may exceed what a lightweight bot provides.
Engagement relies on participation
The value depends on employees accepting pairings and showing up to meetings. In low-engagement environments, automated prompts can be ignored and programs can lose momentum. Admins may need ongoing program management to keep participation high and adjust rules.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 / month | One Slack channel each for Intros, Watercooler, and Celebrations; automate up to 3 messages in 1 Journey; Intro up to 24 users per round; Google Calendar & Zoom integrations; automatic recognition points and customizable Rewards Store; usable indefinitely. |
| Standard | From $74 / month (billed annually); $89 / month (billed monthly). Example annual tiers: 1–24: $74/mo; 25–49: $149/mo; 50–99: $299/mo; 100–199: $599/mo. | Everything in Free, plus: use across multiple Slack channels; automate up to 6 messages per Journey; unlimited Intros/Watercooler topics/Celebrations; advanced Intros settings (custom group size/messages); full Watercooler library + custom topics; customizable Celebrations; sync with 50+ HRIS platforms; pricing based on number of participants. |
| Premium | From $119 / month (billed annually); $149 / month (billed monthly). Example annual tiers: 1–24: $119/mo; 25–49: $239/mo; 50–99: $479/mo; 100–199: $959/mo. | Everything in Standard, plus: peer-to-peer recognition (Shoutouts) and built-in Rewards Store; unlimited messages per Journey; unlimited automations per Journey; prebuilt Journeys for onboarding/training; HRIS integrations (50+); ability to use Intros and Watercooler in Slack Enterprise Grid multi-workspace channels. |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing (contact sales / request demo) | Includes everything in Premium plus: dedicated Customer Success Manager, priority support, annual invoice billing, security & contract resources; intended for teams 500+ and enterprise agreements. |
