Organizational network analysis can show how knowledge, decisions, and influence actually move through a company. Yet products that use the ONA label solve rather different problems. Some run network surveys. Others analyze Microsoft 365, Slack, and calendar metadata. A third group collects active work signals, while some vendors deliver ONA primarily as a consulting engagement.
A feature checklist is therefore a poor place to start. First define the management question, the data source that can answer it, and the level of detail your organization can use responsibly.
This guide covers HiveHR, Polinode, Worklytics, Microsoft Viva Insights, Innovisor, SWOOP Analytics, Network Perspective, and Humanyze. They are grouped by use case rather than ranked from best to worst.
Editorial note: this article was published by the HiveHR team, and HiveHR is one of the products reviewed. We do not score the platforms or name our own product as a universal winner. Product capabilities and public prices were checked on official vendor pages on September 14, 2026. Ask each vendor for a current quote and data-processing terms before buying.
How we compared the platforms
We included active products that analyze organizational relationships, collaboration flows, or behavioral signals connected with team activity. The comparison uses information from official vendor websites and documentation.
We did not run the products through a common laboratory test. The goal is to help a buyer identify the right category of system, not to manufacture a league table from unlike products.
We compared six points:
- the data each product uses;
- active, passive, or mixed collection;
- the management questions it is designed to answer;
- the scale and context it fits;
- whether pricing is public;
- limitations to investigate before purchase.
Active and passive ONA
Active ONA relies on actions by participants: answers to network questions, recognition for help, submitted ideas, reported problems, or other signals with an explicit meaning. These data give a relationship context, but employees need to take part.
Passive ONA uses metadata from existing digital work, such as meetings, email, messaging, and shared tools. It supplies a broad, recurring stream of data, although a communication event does not by itself explain the quality, purpose, or outcome of a relationship.
Some platforms combine both methods. Our guide to organizational network analysis explains the method in more detail.
ONA platforms at a glance
| Platform | Main approach | Data sources | Best fit | Public pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiveHR | Active work signals | Recognition, ideas, reported problems | Companies that want a map of contribution, relationships, and risk without analyzing email | Not published |
| Polinode | Active and passive ONA | Network surveys, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams, Slack | ONA practitioners, consultants, and companies that need flexible graph analysis | Free; Lite $40/month; Professional $80/month for one user |
| Worklytics | Passive workplace analytics | Calendars, communication, project, code, and other work systems | Mid-sized and large companies with an established People Analytics function | Free for up to 100 users; Business from $2,500/month |
| Microsoft Viva Insights | Passive collaboration analytics | Microsoft 365 data | Larger companies already operating in Microsoft 365 | Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback: $6/user/month, paid yearly |
| Innovisor | ONA with consulting support | Organizational network data gathered for an engagement | Change programs that need interpretation and an action plan | Quote required |
| SWOOP Analytics | Digital workplace analytics | Microsoft 365, Teams, Viva Engage, SharePoint | Internal communications teams and large Microsoft organizations | Quote required |
| Network Perspective | Collaboration metadata and DevEx surveys | Calendars, communication, and engineering tools | Engineering leaders and Developer Experience teams | Work Smart pricing requires confirmation; DevEx plans are listed separately |
| Humanyze | Workforce analytics | HR and collaboration integrations | Companies that need broader analytics on engagement, retention, productivity, and collaboration | Insights pricing requires confirmation |
Prices are shown only where the vendor publishes them. Tax, implementation, additional integrations, minimum contract values, and consulting services may cost extra.
HiveHR
Best fit: small and mid-sized companies that want to see contribution, informal leaders, connectors, and dependency risks through actions employees already understand.
HiveHR builds a network from employee actions rather than reading workplace communication or relying on one long survey. In the basic workflow, employees thank colleagues for specific contributions, submit ideas, and report work problems. Those actions add context to each relationship: who helps, who transfers knowledge, who links departments, and where a risk may be building.
The platform shows connections, informal communities, central participants, and people who bridge groups. The analysis uses measures including PageRank, incoming and outgoing ties, and Louvain community detection.
Strengths
- relationships have an explicit work context rather than only a contact count;
- no access to email or private message content is required;
- ONA is combined with recognition, ideas, and problem reporting;
- a company can start with a 30-day pilot;
- the product is organized around questions about influence, expertise, overload, key-person dependency, and cross-team work.
Limitations
- employees must use the platform regularly for the network to become meaningful;
- a short pilot produces hypotheses, not a final assessment of individuals;
- companies seeking automatic analysis of large Microsoft 365 or Slack metadata sets should compare HiveHR with passive products;
- public pricing was not available when this article was checked.
The HiveHR guide explains how signals about help, expertise, ideas, and recurring problems become a network.
Polinode
Best fit: analysts, consultants, and organizations that need flexible network surveys, data import, and detailed graph visualization.
Polinode is the closest product in this guide to a dedicated ONA workbench. It supports custom network surveys as well as passive metadata integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
The vendor lists interactive visualization, more than 30 network metrics, and networks of up to 50,000 nodes and 250,000 ties. The product also supports organizational design, ecosystem mapping, collaboration analysis, and consulting projects.
Strengths
- active and passive ONA in one product line;
- flexible questions and relationship types;
- substantial graph visualization and network metrics;
- plans for individual analysts, consultants, and organizations;
- public individual prices and a free entry plan.
Limitations
- self-service analysis requires network-method expertise;
- passive integrations are available in organizational rather than individual plans;
- survey cost may depend on both the subscription and respondent credits;
- the organization still needs to turn the analysis into an action plan, either internally or with a consultant.
At the time of checking, individual plans were $0, $40, and $80 per month. Respondent credits cost $2 when required. Consultant and Enterprise pricing is by quote. See Polinode pricing for current terms.
Worklytics
Best fit: organizations with a mature digital workplace that need recurring analysis of collaboration, meetings, workload, manager behavior, and AI-tool adoption.
Worklytics is broader than classic ONA. It connects to work systems and analyzes collaboration patterns across calendars, communication, project tools, and engineering systems. The listed integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Calendar, Outlook, GitHub, GitLab, Jira, and Asana.
The platform can track team patterns without repeated network surveys. Worklytics says it does not store or analyze message content: it uses metadata, with metrics aggregated and de-identified by default.
Strengths
- a broad set of workplace integrations;
- recurring data on collaboration, meetings, and workload;
- ready-made People Analytics metrics and reports;
- privacy controls and group-level analysis;
- a free calendar-only starting point.
Limitations
- it is a broader workplace analytics product rather than a dedicated ONA tool;
- metadata shows that interaction occurred but may not reveal what it meant;
- the full Business plan requires a material budget;
- linking platform metrics to business outcomes still requires People Analytics capability.
The free plan supports up to 100 users, calendar data, and 30 days of history. Business starts at $2,500 per month, including up to 200 users and five integrations; additional users are $10 per month. Enterprise pricing is custom. Check the official Worklytics pricing page.
Microsoft Viva Insights
Best fit: mid-sized and large organizations where Microsoft 365 is already the main environment for communication and collaboration.
Viva Insights analyzes interactions between people and groups through Microsoft 365 data. Microsoft's documentation presents ONA as a way to examine communication flows, collaboration across groups, possible silos, and central network hubs.
One documented use case is change management: analysts can examine how a reorganization or post-merger integration changed collaboration between groups.
Strengths
- native fit with the Microsoft ecosystem;
- analysis of person-to-person, group-to-group, and broader network interaction;
- prepared scenarios for reorganization and change management;
- connections with the wider Viva employee-experience suite;
- privacy controls built into Microsoft's analytics model.
Limitations
- it is most valuable where Microsoft 365 is already central to work;
- feature availability depends on licensing, roles, and configuration;
- communication metadata is not proof of trust, expertise, or useful help;
- building and interpreting queries requires analytical skill.
Microsoft lists Viva Workplace Analytics and Employee Feedback at $6 per user per month with annual payment. The broader Viva Suite is $12 per user per month. Buyers should also check the required underlying Microsoft 365 licenses. See Microsoft Viva pricing and the Viva Insights ONA documentation.
Innovisor
Best fit: leaders running a substantial change program who need expert interpretation and a plan, rather than a self-service analytics dashboard.
Innovisor describes its current offer as specialist consulting. The company studies influence, trust, and collaboration, then works with the client on a focused action plan. It offers co-created engagements and prepared programs such as Leadership Network Accelerator, Team Connectivity Accelerator, and Change Accelerator.
Strengths
- network analysis and consulting are delivered together;
- the emphasis is on making a change, not merely visualizing a graph;
- prepared programs address defined management problems;
- interpretation is part of the engagement.
Limitations
- this is not a typical self-service SaaS product for daily analysis;
- scope, method, and deliverables vary by engagement;
- pricing is not public;
- it may be more than a company needs for a small pilot or visualization of an existing graph.
Evaluate Innovisor as a complete change project rather than a software license. Its current approach is described on the Innovisor solutions page.
SWOOP Analytics
Best fit: large organizations that want to improve internal communication and collaboration across Microsoft 365, Teams, Viva Engage, and SharePoint.
SWOOP analyzes digital workplace activity, content reach, and relationships. It can surface collaboration patterns and influential participants in corporate communities. The company's positioning is narrower than general-purpose ONA: it concentrates on internal communication and Microsoft work environments.
Strengths
- strong specialization in Microsoft 365, Viva Engage, Teams, and SharePoint;
- analytics for corporate communities and internal communication;
- identification of influential participants and collaboration patterns;
- combined measures for content, engagement, and relationships;
- a clear fit for large digital workplaces.
Limitations
- less relevant to companies outside the Microsoft ecosystem;
- visibility in a digital channel does not necessarily equal work expertise;
- it is not a tool for arbitrary network research questions;
- public pricing was not confirmed.
SWOOP is worth comparing with Viva Insights when the question centers on internal communication, corporate communities, or collaboration habits in Microsoft tools. See the official SWOOP Analytics website.
Network Perspective
Best fit: engineering leaders and DevEx teams working to reduce meeting overload and improve collaboration between technical teams.
Network Perspective combines interaction metadata with Developer Experience surveys. Work Smart analyzes meetings, deep-work time, context switching, and collaboration within and between teams. Its network view emphasizes teams, collaboration paths, and work habits.
The vendor states that it does not download interaction content, hashes or encrypts metadata, and reports statistics for groups of at least five people.
Strengths
- a specific focus on engineering organizations and DevEx;
- metadata and survey evidence in one product family;
- analysis of meetings, focus time, context switching, and cross-team work;
- group-level reporting with documented privacy thresholds;
- recommendations tied to daily work habits.
Limitations
- the product has moved toward DevEx and delivery analytics rather than general HR ONA;
- much of the analysis is team-level, not designed to rank individual informal leaders;
- published prices focus on DevEx offers, while Work Smart terms need confirmation;
- some metrics may be less relevant outside technical functions.
Choose Network Perspective when the main question is how engineering teams collaborate and what interrupts delivery. See Work Smart.
Humanyze
Best fit: organizations seeking broad workforce analytics across productivity, engagement, collaboration, and retention.
Humanyze has two current product lines. Insights uses internal work patterns for workforce analytics; Pulse covers external market and talent signals. Insights is the relevant product for ONA-related questions.
The vendor lists more than 220 integrations with HR and collaboration systems. Its present positioning is wider than ONA, combining workforce and market intelligence.
Strengths
- broad workforce analytics context;
- a large stated integration catalog;
- collaboration data alongside engagement, retention, and productivity;
- suitable for an established analytics function rather than only a one-off network study.
Limitations
- network analysis is one part of a wider product;
- buyers needing custom network surveys and hands-on graph work should compare it directly with Polinode;
- exact sources, measures, and individual-level detail should be checked in a demo;
- public Humanyze Insights pricing was not available.
Assess whether Humanyze's collaboration analytics fit the other workforce measures you need. The current offer is described on the Humanyze website.
How to choose the right system
Start with the problem the system needs to solve.
Classic ONA surveys and detailed graph analysis
Polinode is the clearest starting point for flexible network surveys and deep graph work. It best suits practitioners who already understand ONA methodology.
Recurring passive analysis of digital collaboration
Worklytics fits companies with several work systems and an established People Analytics function. Viva Insights makes more sense when Microsoft 365 is the main workplace. Consider Humanyze when network data must sit inside a broader workforce analytics program.
Internal communication in Microsoft 365
SWOOP focuses on Teams, Viva Engage, SharePoint, and internal communities. Its scope is more specific than a company-wide organizational network study.
A change program with expert support
Innovisor fits organizations that need facilitation, interpretation, and a co-created action plan.
Engineering effectiveness
Network Perspective combines collaboration analytics and DevEx for questions about meetings, deep work, context switching, and technical-team coordination.
Active signals about contribution and expertise
HiveHR builds a network from actions employees take without using email metadata. The context attached to recognition, ideas, and reported problems can show why a relationship matters.
What to check before a pilot
1. The management question
“Build a network graph” is not a management objective. Choose a concrete question: find change agents, identify gaps between departments, test a suspected bottleneck, understand integration after a reorganization, or find expertise that does not appear in job titles.
2. Whether the data source matches the question
Calendars are useful for meeting load but do not prove trust. Surveys can reveal whom people approach for advice, but depend on memory and participation. Recognition and work signals carry context, but need time to accumulate. Use evidence that can answer the relationship question you actually have.
3. Employee data protection
Document what is collected, whether content is analyzed, whether results identify individuals, the minimum reporting group, who has access, retention periods, deletion and export options, and the lawful basis for processing.
4. Who will interpret the result
High centrality may indicate influence, overload, a formal duty, or a broken process. Low connectivity may be a risk or a perfectly sensible feature of an independent role. ONA should not become an automatic employee ranking.
5. How the pilot will be evaluated
Select one or two outcomes before the pilot: faster cross-team approval, fewer interruptions for an overloaded expert, more durable ties between groups, quicker access to expertise for new hires, or fewer isolated teams after a change. Without a preselected result, even an accurate graph is hard to evaluate.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best ONA platform in 2026?
There is no universal winner. Polinode is a dedicated ONA workbench. Worklytics, Viva Insights, and Humanyze use digital workplace data for passive analytics. Innovisor delivers consulting-led change projects. SWOOP specializes in Microsoft internal communication. Network Perspective focuses on DevEx. HiveHR uses active signals about help, expertise, ideas, and problems.
Can ONA be run without reading employee email?
Yes. A platform can use network surveys, aggregated metadata, or actions recorded in a separate system. Buyers should still verify the architecture, privacy settings, and access rules for the product they choose.
Is active or passive ONA better?
Active methods provide clearer context but require participation. Passive methods produce broader, recurring data but may not explain what an interaction meant. Some programs use both.
Should managers see person-level data?
Not always. Group-level reporting may be enough to study collaboration between departments. Person-level data needs a clear purpose, limited access, and careful interpretation. It should not drive automated performance decisions.
How long does an ONA pilot take?
The answer depends on data access and scale. Existing metadata can produce initial reports quickly, but security approval may take longer than technical setup. Active methods need enough time for repeated signals to appear. HiveHR's basic pilot runs for 30 days.
Start with the management question
Write down the hypothesis before buying a license: where knowledge is getting stuck, who connects teams, why a change is not spreading, or which process relies too heavily on one person.
Once the question is clear, the necessary data and suitable product category are much easier to see. If you need active work signals and context around contribution, you can start a 30-day HiveHR pilot.
Our article on identifying informal leaders can help you decide which roles and risks to look for during the pilot.