Tool profile
Polinode: cost, fit and limits
Polinode is an organizational network analysis platform made by Polinode, an Australian company, that maps who connects with whom inside a company using surveys and optional email and calendar metadata. It adds an AI chat layer over the resulting networks for consultants, HR teams and researchers.
What to know first
Polinode is easiest to read as a pricing ladder built around networks rather than around employees. The Free account covers five public networks, Lite and Professional raise the number of private networks and views, and Consultant and Enterprise add unlimited users, support commitments and passive data integrations. Surveys cost extra through $2 respondent credits, so usage matters as much as the monthly fee. AI chat starts at Lite.
Polinode at a glance
| Maker | Polinode, Australia |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $40 per month (Lite), after a free tier |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI People Analytics Software in 2026, rank 1 of 10 |
| Website | polinode.com |
Who Polinode is best for
Independent organizational consultants
Polinode prices a single-user Professional plan at $80 a month with up to 50 private networks, which matches a consultant running separate client projects without a team license.
Academics and students
The pricing page mentions academic and nonprofit discounts by email and free classroom accounts on request, which lowers the cost of teaching or research on network data.
HR change leads during a merger
Survey-based network maps can show which teams actually depend on each other before the org chart changes, using respondents' own answers instead of system logs.
Software vendors embedding network features
Polinode lists embedded network analysis for software vendors and developers, so a product team can add graph views without building the analytics itself.
Polinode plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 per month | One user, up to 5 public networks, no private networks, 6 basic metrics, community support and no AI features. |
| Lite | $40 per month | One user, up to 50 public and 5 private networks, all 30+ metrics, 5 views per network, email support and AI networks chat. |
| Professional | $80 per month | One user, up to 50 public and 50 private networks, 200 views per network, all 30+ metrics, email support and AI networks chat. |
| Consultant | Custom | Unlimited users, 50 private networks per user, 24/7 support with an SLA, account manager, custom AI prompts and white labelling. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited users, passive data integrations as an option, a SOC 2 report, information security review, custom SaaS agreement and volume discounts on credits. |
Checked November 2026.
What Polinode does
- Network metrics
- Paid plans open more than 30 metrics for measuring centrality, clustering and brokerage, while Free is capped at six basic ones. This is the core analytical layer behind the visual maps.
- Survey-built networks
- A network can be created from respondents answering who they turn to for advice or information. Each respondent costs $2 in credits on self-serve plans, so a 300-person survey has a visible cost.
- AI networks chat
- Lite and above include a chat assistant over the network data, and Consultant and Enterprise add custom prompts. The pricing page does not describe which model provider sits behind it.
- Passive data sources
- Email, calendar and similar metadata sources are reserved for Consultant (through a reseller program) and Enterprise (as an extra). The security page says only metadata is ingested, never email content.
- DataShield
- Enterprise lists Polinode DataShield, and the Consultant feature table also marks it, which conflicts with the plan summary. Confirm which tier actually contains it before buying.
How Polinode handles your data
Polinode's security page says customer data is hosted in AWS's Ireland region, with other AWS regions available on request. Data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with SSL/TLS. The company states it is SOC 2 certified and that its AWS infrastructure holds ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018 certifications. For email and calendar sources, it says it ingests metadata only and does not read message content. The pricing page says Polinode complies with GDPR and includes EU model clauses in enterprise and partner agreements. Retention, deletion and AI model provider use are not covered on these pages, so the vendor's policy was not checked for this.
Where Polinode falls short in practice
- Single-user self-serve plans. Free, Lite and Professional each include one user. A people analytics team of three needs either three accounts or a Consultant or Enterprise quote, so the printed prices stop mattering quickly.
- Credits make survey cost variable. Respondent credits are billed at $2 each when needed. A company-wide survey of several thousand people adds a cost that the monthly plan price does not show.
- Narrow analytical scope. Polinode analyses relationships, not hiring funnels, pay or turnover. Teams that expect headcount and attrition reporting from the same tool will need a second platform.
Works with
Alternatives to Polinode
Polinode: common questions
Does Polinode have a free plan, and what does it include?
Polinode's Free plan costs $0 and allows one user, up to five public networks, no private networks and six basic metrics. As of November 2026 it carries community support only and no AI features. The AI networks chat starts on the $40 Lite plan, so Free works as a sandbox rather than a working tool.
Where does Polinode host customer data?
Polinode states that its servers sit in AWS eu-west-1 in Ireland, which keeps data inside the EU, and that other AWS regions may be available on request. Customers outside Europe who need local residency should ask about that option in writing before signing an enterprise agreement.
Can Polinode read employees' email content?
Polinode's security page says it ingests only metadata from email and calendar sources and does not read email content. Passive data connections are limited to the Consultant and Enterprise tiers, so a works council review is still wise before any metadata feed is switched on.
How is Polinode priced for a survey of several hundred people?
Self-serve plans bill respondent credits at $2 each when they are needed. A 400-person survey would therefore add about $800 on top of the monthly plan, based on the printed rate as of November 2026. Consultant and Enterprise plans advertise volume discounts on credits.
Which Polinode plan has a SOC 2 report available?
Polinode's pricing table lists a SOC 2 report, an information security review and advanced security options for the Consultant and Enterprise plans. Lower tiers do not list them. The security page says the company is SOC 2 certified, so ask for the report under NDA.