How to choose onboarding buddy software for your new hires
A buddy program works when every new hire gets the right buddy on time, and the pair actually meets. Spreadsheets break once hires arrive every week, in several offices and countries. Here are eight tools that assign or match onboarding buddies, with where they reach new hires, what they cost and their limits.
Based on public information as of By the RandomCoffee team
The short answer
- A large organization that wants onboarding buddies next to coffee chats and mentoring, in Microsoft Teams, Slack or email, with HRIS sync: RandomCoffee
- A formal mentoring program with an onboarding buddy track, run by HR or L&D: Together
- Mentoring software with automatic buddy matching and mobile apps: Qooper
- An enterprise mentoring suite with algorithmic buddy matching and hosting in the US, Europe or Australia: Chronus
- A full onboarding journey platform where the buddy is one role in each new hire plan: Enboarder
- Onboarding journeys in Slack, with a buddy role filled for each new hire: Donut
- A low-cost buddy program over Slack or email for a smaller organization: Aphinity
- A free template you deploy and maintain yourself on Microsoft Power Platform: Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template
How we compared them
We started from the tools that AI assistants and published lists name for onboarding buddy programs, and kept only the ones that actually assign or match a buddy to each new hire, automatically or through a buddy role filled by a manager or admin. HR onboarding tools built around contracts, payroll and checklists, with no buddy matching, were left out, as were coffee chat apps that only pair people at random. Every fact about a third-party tool, ratings included, comes from its own public pages or its Microsoft Marketplace listing.
- Buddy matching: automatic matching on rules such as department, location, role or seniority, or manual assignment by a manager
- Where new hires get their buddy intro: Microsoft Teams, Slack or email, including new hires who have no collaboration tool on day one
- HRIS sync: new hires join the program from Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR and similar systems, without CSV uploads
- Follow-through and scope: reminders, check-ins, surveys and analytics, and whether the same tool also runs mentoring and coffee chats
- Security: SOC 2, ISO 27001, SSO and provisioning, where data is hosted
- Pricing and setup: public entry price with its unit, free plan or trial, and how long it takes to launch
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | Teams | Slack | Security | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RandomCoffee | Buddy programs alongside coffee chats and mentoring, across Teams, Slack and email | Official app on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200004991): matches, reminders, booking, surveys, broadcasts and program setup inside Teams | Official Slack app (Slack Marketplace); every program also runs by email | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, SAML 2.0 SSO, SCIM, GDPR ready; data hosting in the US or the EU | Free plan; Pro from $19 per month billed annually |
| Together | Mentoring-led programs with an onboarding buddy track | Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200004731), 4.5/5 from 140 ratings; Together says every feature is available in Teams; requires a Together account | Notifications only (new matches, upcoming sessions) | SOC 2 Type II; SAML SSO on all plans; ISO 27001: Not publicly listed; Google Cloud hosting, region: Not publicly listed | Not publicly listed: custom quote, billed on actively matched users, implementation and support included |
| Qooper | Mentoring software with automatic buddy matching | Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200002964, published by Cognata Technologies), 4.6/5 from 88 ratings, updated August 2025; reminders, check-ins and matches in Teams, program setup in Qooper | Yes: notifications and program updates in Slack | SOC 2 Type II and GDPR, per Qooper; SSO with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or OneLogin; hosting region: Not publicly listed | Not publicly listed: priced on program scope and participant volume, on request |
| Chronus | Enterprise mentoring suite with algorithmic buddy matching | Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200003051), 4.6/5 from 113 ratings, updated September 2025 | Yes, per Chronus (full experience in Teams and Slack) | SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, SAML SSO, GDPR; AWS hosting in US East, Europe or Australia; SCIM: Not publicly listed | Not publicly listed: three packages by license count (up to 300 licenses and one program, up to 1,000, more than 1,000), each on quote |
| Enboarder | Full onboarding journeys with a buddy role | Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200001980, 'Connect (Enboarder)'), 4.9/5 from 62 ratings, updated November 2025; messages and Connection Cards in Teams; setup can take up to 4 weeks | Yes: journey notifications in Slack instead of email or SMS; setup can take up to 4 weeks | SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SSO, GDPR; data centers in the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Canada | Not publicly listed: custom quote per organization |
| Donut | Slack-first onboarding journeys | Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200006072), 2.0/5 from 4 ratings, last updated October 2023; documents Intros only; Journeys on Teams: Not publicly listed | Yes, Slack-first; Journeys messages go by Slack or email | SOC 2 Type II; sign-in through Slack; SAML not supported, per its Slack Marketplace listing; Donut says data is stored in the US | Free plan (up to 3 messages in 1 Journey); Standard from $74 per month billed annually ($89 monthly) for 1 to 24 participants |
| Aphinity | Low-cost buddy matching over Slack or email | Microsoft Teams app: Not publicly listed | Slack integration (channel posts, direct messages, slash commands); Slack Marketplace listing: Not publicly listed; email and Discord also supported | Aphinity says it is 'SOC 2 compliant'; report type: Not publicly listed; SSO on Enterprise; hosting region: Not publicly listed | Basic $15 per month for up to 24 active users; Pro $99 per month per 200 active users; 20% off billed annually; 14-day free trial |
| Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template | Free do-it-yourself option on Power Platform | Not a Teams app: a Power Apps and Power Automate template; the buddy experience runs through emails | No | Not publicly listed | Free template; Power Platform license requirements not listed on the listing |
1. RandomCoffee
Our solution- Best for
- Buddy programs alongside coffee chats and mentoring, across Teams, Slack and email
- What it does
- RandomCoffee is an employee connection platform. It runs onboarding buddy programs that match new hires in pairs or groups based on rules (department, location, seniority, skills, goals, availability), next to coffee chats, mentoring, cross-team networking and ERGs, with surveys, broadcasts, pages and analytics in the same place. New hires get their buddy intro in Microsoft Teams, Slack or by email, so people without a collaboration tool on day one are not left out. In Teams, they receive matches and reminders, book a slot and answer surveys without leaving Teams. HRIS sync on Pro and Enterprise keeps new-hire data current. 1,250+ organizations in more than 30 countries use RandomCoffee.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app on Microsoft Marketplace (WA200004991): matches, reminders, booking, surveys, broadcasts and program setup inside Teams Slack: Official Slack app (Slack Marketplace); every program also runs by email
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, SAML 2.0 SSO, SCIM, GDPR ready; data hosting in the US or the EU
- Pricing
- Free plan; Pro from $19 per month billed annually
- Limitations
-
- Fewer public reviews than some competitors: the RandomCoffee Teams listing on Microsoft Marketplace shows a single rating.
- RandomCoffee handles the buddy match and the follow-up, not the paperwork side of onboarding (contracts, equipment, IT tasks); keep your HRIS or onboarding workflow tool for that.
- HRIS sync and SCIM start on Pro; SSO is on the Enterprise plan.
2. Together
- Best for
- Mentoring-led programs with an onboarding buddy track
- What it does
- Together is mentoring software owned by Absorb Software, an LMS vendor. Its Colleague Connect product matches peers with a customizable algorithm (skills, goals, location, department, ERGs) and includes an Onboarding Buddies program for new employees. Invitations go out by email, Slack or Teams, and HRIS such as Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG and Oracle feed the data. Together has the largest number of Microsoft Marketplace ratings in this list.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200004731), 4.5/5 from 140 ratings; Together says every feature is available in Teams; requires a Together account Slack: Notifications only (new matches, upcoming sessions)
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II; SAML SSO on all plans; ISO 27001: Not publicly listed; Google Cloud hosting, region: Not publicly listed
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed: custom quote, billed on actively matched users, implementation and support included
- Limitations
-
- Pricing is on quote, and a free plan or self-serve trial is not publicly listed: buying starts with a demo.
- Built around formal mentoring; onboarding buddies are one program type inside Colleague Connect.
- On Slack, Together documents notifications only.
3. Qooper
- Best for
- Mentoring software with automatic buddy matching
- What it does
- Qooper is a mentoring and learning platform with a dedicated new hire onboarding buddy offer. Qooper says it matches new hires with buddies automatically, without spreadsheets, and can deliver onboarding content by email on a set cadence. Admins can also match manually or review bulk suggestions, and programs add goals, surveys and e-learning paths. It runs on the web and in iOS and Android apps, with notifications in Teams, Slack, email and push.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200002964, published by Cognata Technologies), 4.6/5 from 88 ratings, updated August 2025; reminders, check-ins and matches in Teams, program setup in Qooper Slack: Yes: notifications and program updates in Slack
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II and GDPR, per Qooper; SSO with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or OneLogin; hosting region: Not publicly listed
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed: priced on program scope and participant volume, on request
- Limitations
-
- Pricing is on request, and a trial is not publicly listed: pricing starts with a demo.
- Matching criteria for onboarding buddies: Not publicly listed.
- In Teams, matching, goals and analytics are managed in the Qooper platform, not inside Teams.
4. Chronus
- Best for
- Enterprise mentoring suite with algorithmic buddy matching
- What it does
- Chronus is enterprise mentoring and employee community software with a New Hire Buddy Program offer. Its MatchIQ algorithm automates buddy matching, and programs sync with HRIS such as Workday, Oracle PeopleSoft and SAP SuccessFactors, plus two-way calendar sync. Chronus says participants get the full experience without leaving Teams or Slack. It publishes SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 and offers three hosting regions.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200003051), 4.6/5 from 113 ratings, updated September 2025 Slack: Yes, per Chronus (full experience in Teams and Slack)
- Security
- SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, SAML SSO, GDPR; AWS hosting in US East, Europe or Australia; SCIM: Not publicly listed
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed: three packages by license count (up to 300 licenses and one program, up to 1,000, more than 1,000), each on quote
- Limitations
-
- Every package is on quote, a trial is not publicly listed, and the entry package covers one program.
- Built for structured mentoring and communities, which can be more than a simple buddy program needs.
- Employee communities (ERGs) are an add-on below the top package.
5. Enboarder
- Best for
- Full onboarding journeys with a buddy role
- What it does
- Enboarder is an onboarding journey platform that sends automated tasks and messages to HR, IT, managers and buddies, with a Buddy role in each new hire plan that the manager can update or reassign. Its People Connector shows Connection Cards (rich employee profiles) so new hires can pick the right buddy, mentor or friend. Messages reach people by email, SMS, Slack or Microsoft Teams, and Enboarder publishes SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200001980, 'Connect (Enboarder)'), 4.9/5 from 62 ratings, updated November 2025; messages and Connection Cards in Teams; setup can take up to 4 weeks Slack: Yes: journey notifications in Slack instead of email or SMS; setup can take up to 4 weeks
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SSO, GDPR; data centers in the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Canada
- Pricing
- Not publicly listed: custom quote per organization
- Limitations
-
- Automatic buddy matching on rules: Not publicly listed; the buddy is a role in the plan, or new hires choose from Connection Cards.
- Teams and Slack integrations each need an admin and can take up to 4 weeks to set up.
- Pricing is on quote, and a free plan or trial is not publicly listed.
6. Donut
- Best for
- Slack-first onboarding journeys
- What it does
- Donut Journeys automates onboarding in Slack: templates, scheduled messages and tasks by Slack or email, and automatic adds to Slack channels. Each new hire has a Buddy role, filled by an admin, by the manager, by a specific person or at random from a Slack channel of volunteers. Donut also syncs data from 50+ HRIS platforms from its Standard plan and has a SOC 2 Type II report.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Official app (Microsoft Marketplace WA200006072), 2.0/5 from 4 ratings, last updated October 2023; documents Intros only; Journeys on Teams: Not publicly listed Slack: Yes, Slack-first; Journeys messages go by Slack or email
- Security
- SOC 2 Type II; sign-in through Slack; SAML not supported, per its Slack Marketplace listing; Donut says data is stored in the US
- Pricing
- Free plan (up to 3 messages in 1 Journey); Standard from $74 per month billed annually ($89 monthly) for 1 to 24 participants
- Limitations
-
- Journeys and buddy roles are documented for Slack and email, not for Microsoft Teams.
- The buddy is chosen by a person or drawn at random from a Slack channel; matching rules: Not publicly listed.
- SAML is not supported, per Donut's Slack Marketplace listing, and Donut says all data is stored in the US.
7. Aphinity
- Best for
- Low-cost buddy matching over Slack or email
- What it does
- Aphinity runs 1:1 intros for employers, communities and universities. For onboarding, Aphinity says it pairs each new hire with a peer in a similar role before the start date, introduces new hires who start together, and schedules check-ins at 30, 60 and 90 days. Intros go out in Slack, Discord or email, and prices start at $15 per month.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams app: Not publicly listed Slack: Slack integration (channel posts, direct messages, slash commands); Slack Marketplace listing: Not publicly listed; email and Discord also supported
- Security
- Aphinity says it is 'SOC 2 compliant'; report type: Not publicly listed; SSO on Enterprise; hosting region: Not publicly listed
- Pricing
- Basic $15 per month for up to 24 active users; Pro $99 per month per 200 active users; 20% off billed annually; 14-day free trial
- Limitations
-
- A Microsoft Teams app is not publicly listed.
- Aphinity says it works alongside HRIS such as Workday and BambooHR; a native HRIS sync is not publicly listed, and new hires are added manually, by CSV import or by invite link.
8. Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template
- Best for
- Free do-it-yourself option on Power Platform
- What it does
- Microsoft publishes a free Onboarding Buddy solution template for Power Apps and Power Automate. Employees sign up as buddies, managers find and match a buddy to each new hire, and configurable Power Automate emails guide the pair through the program. Admins set the program length and when the intro and wrap-up emails go out.
- Teams & Slack
- Microsoft Teams: Not a Teams app: a Power Apps and Power Automate template; the buddy experience runs through emails Slack: No
- Security
- Not publicly listed
- Pricing
- Free template; Power Platform license requirements not listed on the listing
- Limitations
-
- Managers match buddies by hand, per the listing.
- You deploy, customize and maintain it yourself.
- Surveys, analytics and other connection programs: Not publicly listed.
What to look for in onboarding buddy software
Check who picks the buddy. Some tools match buddies on rules such as department, location, role or seniority. Others give each new hire a Buddy role that a manager or admin fills by hand. Manual assignment is fine for ten hires a quarter. With new people starting every week in several offices, it turns into a weekly chore, and some hires start without a buddy: the same limit as matching people in a spreadsheet.
Reach every new hire on day one. Ask where the first buddy intro lands. Office staff may live in Microsoft Teams, engineers in Slack, and field or plant employees may only have an email address in their first weeks. A tool that reaches all three means nobody waits for a license or an account before meeting their buddy.
Connect it to your HRIS. The program should start from your HR data, not from a CSV someone remembers to upload. Check which HRIS each tool syncs with, and on which plan.
Plan for what comes after onboarding. A buddy program is often the first connection program, not the last. Within a year, many HR teams also want coffee chats across teams, a mentoring cohort or connections after an acquisition, which is why many compare employee connection platforms rather than single-purpose tools. Total, for example, used RandomCoffee to help employees who joined from ENGIE after an acquisition build their network with Total colleagues, across eight job branches in France, England and Switzerland, and then decided to extend it to the whole branch. Read the Total story.
Bring IT in early. Large organizations will ask about SOC 2, ISO 27001, SSO, provisioning and data location. Chronus and Enboarder publish both certifications with several hosting regions; RandomCoffee publishes both too, with US or EU hosting: see our security page.
Free options and their trade-offs
- Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template has no license fee. Managers match buddies by hand, the experience runs through emails, and you deploy and maintain it in your own Power Platform environment.
- RandomCoffee Free runs one program with one admin seat. See pricing for the limits and the Pro tiers.
- Donut Free covers up to three messages in one Journey, in Slack.
- Aphinity: a permanent free plan is not publicly listed; it offers a 14-day trial, and its home page mentions free early access.
When another option fits better
If you need the whole onboarding journey in one tool, with tasks and messages for HR, IT and managers, and the buddy is only one part of it, an onboarding platform such as Enboarder covers more ground than a connection platform. If mentoring is the main project, with cohorts, goals and learning content, Together, Qooper and Chronus are built for it and have many public ratings. If your organization works in Slack and already uses Donut for intros, Donut Journeys can add a buddy role at little extra effort.
Other tools we looked at
Some tools that come up for this topic do not assign or match buddies. Employment Hero handles the HR side of onboarding (contracts, pay details, checklists), and a buddy assignment feature is not publicly listed in its help center. BuddiesHR lists onboarding buddies as a use of Alfy, but Alfy draws random pairs or groups from channel members; assigning a buddy to each new hire is not publicly listed. Zavvy documented buddy programs, but it was acquired by Deel and folded into Deel Engage, so we left it out until the product settles. LEAD and CoffeePals also offer onboarding programs inside coffee chat apps; we cover them in our Donut alternatives list. MentorcliQ is another enterprise mentoring platform with a Teams app, close to Chronus and Together.
How to choose
- If you want onboarding buddies to sit next to coffee chats and mentoring on one platform, and need to reach new hires in Teams, Slack or email with HRIS sync, shortlist RandomCoffee.
- If mentoring is the core project and the buddy program is one track inside it, compare Together, Qooper and Chronus, and plan for a sales-led purchase.
- If you need the whole onboarding journey (tasks, content, forms) and the buddy is one role in it, look at Enboarder, or Donut if you work in Slack.
- If budget is tight and your people work in Slack or by email, try Aphinity.
- If you only need a light pilot and have Power Platform skills in house, start with the Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template.
Frequently asked questions
Which onboarding buddy program software works in Microsoft Teams?
RandomCoffee, Together, Qooper and Chronus have official Teams apps. In RandomCoffee, new hires receive their buddy match and reminders in Teams, book a slot and answer surveys there, and HR admins set up programs in Teams or in the web app. Enboarder has a Teams app for messages and Connection Cards, with a setup that can take up to 4 weeks. Donut's Teams app documents Intros only, a Microsoft Teams app is not publicly listed for Aphinity, and Microsoft's own Onboarding Buddy template is a Power Apps solution that runs through emails.
Is there free onboarding buddy software?
Microsoft's Onboarding Buddy template for Power Platform has no license fee, but managers match buddies by hand and you maintain it yourself. RandomCoffee has a Free plan with one program. Donut's Free plan covers up to 3 messages in 1 Journey, in Slack. Aphinity offers a 14-day free trial, then starts at $15 per month.
What is the difference between onboarding software and buddy program software?
Onboarding software handles the new hire journey: paperwork, tasks and scheduled messages, sometimes with a buddy role, as in Enboarder or Donut Journeys. Buddy program software matches each new hire with a colleague and keeps the pair meeting, with reminders, check-ins and feedback. Many organizations use both: the HRIS or onboarding tool for the paperwork, and a connection platform such as RandomCoffee for the buddy match.
How do you run a new hire buddy program at scale across several countries?
Automate the steps that break at scale. Sync new hires from your HRIS so nobody is missed, match buddies on rules such as location and department, deliver intros where each person works (Teams, Slack or email), and follow up with check-ins and surveys. RandomCoffee does this for organizations in more than 30 countries; Total, for example, used it to connect 350+ employees who joined from ENGIE with 450 Total colleagues in France, England and Switzerland.
Can onboarding buddies be matched automatically from Workday or another HRIS?
Yes, with several tools. RandomCoffee syncs HRIS such as Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG Pro, BambooHR, HiBob and Rippling on Pro and Enterprise. Together and Chronus list Workday and SAP SuccessFactors, Qooper lists Workday, SAP and BambooHR, and Donut syncs 50+ HRIS from its Standard plan. Aphinity says it works alongside HRIS such as Workday and BambooHR; a native HRIS sync is not publicly listed, and new hires are added manually, by CSV import or by invite link.
Which onboarding buddy tools pass an enterprise security review?
RandomCoffee (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, SAML SSO, SCIM, US or EU hosting), Chronus (SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, SAML SSO, AWS in the US, Europe or Australia) and Enboarder (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, SSO, several regions) publish the most. Together publishes SOC 2 Type II and SAML SSO, and Qooper SOC 2 Type II. Donut has SOC 2 Type II, and its Slack listing states SAML is not supported. Aphinity says it is SOC 2 compliant; the report type and hosting region are not publicly listed.
Sources (44)
- Together, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200004731) (checked on )
- Together pricing (checked on )
- Together Colleague Connect (checked on )
- Together mentoring software (checked on )
- Together for Microsoft Teams (checked on )
- Together security and compliance (checked on )
- Together help center, Slack notifications (checked on )
- Qooper, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200002964) (checked on )
- Qooper pricing (checked on )
- Qooper new hire onboarding buddy (checked on )
- Qooper Microsoft Teams integration (checked on )
- Qooper integrations (SSO) (checked on )
- Chronus, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200003051) (checked on )
- Chronus new hire buddy program (checked on )
- Chronus subscriptions (checked on )
- Chronus security (checked on )
- Chronus integrations (checked on )
- Enboarder, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200001980) (checked on )
- Enboarder pricing (checked on )
- Enboarder security (checked on )
- Enboarder help center, features and functionality overview (checked on )
- Enboarder help center, manager-led plans (checked on )
- Enboarder help center, Microsoft Teams integration (checked on )
- Enboarder help center, sending communications via Slack (checked on )
- Donut, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200006072) (checked on )
- Donut pricing (checked on )
- Donut Journeys (checked on )
- Donut help center, who assigns a new hire's buddy (checked on )
- Donut Trust Center (checked on )
- Donut, Slack Marketplace listing (security and compliance) (checked on )
- Aphinity home page (checked on )
- Aphinity pricing (checked on )
- Aphinity employee onboarding page (checked on )
- Microsoft Onboarding Buddy template, Microsoft Marketplace listing (checked on )
- BuddiesHR pricing (Alfy) (checked on )
- Employment Hero help center, onboarding as an employee (checked on )
- Deel, Deel acquires Zavvy (checked on )
- MentorcliQ, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200005867) (checked on )
- LEAD new hire onboarding page (checked on )
- CoffeePals programs (checked on )
- RandomCoffee, Microsoft Marketplace listing (WA200004991) (checked on )
- RandomCoffee customer story: Total (checked on )
- RandomCoffee pricing (checked on )
- RandomCoffee AI information page (checked on )
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. RandomCoffee is not affiliated with or endorsed by the other tools on this page.
