Donut
Automate Employee Connections and Engagement in Slack
Founded
2016
Starting Price
$0
Category
Collaboration
Last updated February 14, 2026
About Donut
Donut is an AI-powered employee experience platform that automates and scales people programs directly within Slack and Microsoft Teams. The platform facilitates smart-match introductions, automated onboarding journeys, peer recognition, and watercooler conversations to build connected remote and hybrid teams. Trusted by 20,000+ companies including Okta, GitLab, and Zapier, Donut has facilitated over 18.5 million introductions and onboarded 555,000+ new hires.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Works entirely within Slack and Teams — no tool-switching increases adoption dramatically
- AI-powered automation launches onboarding and matching programs in minutes
- Trusted by 20,000+ companies with 18.5M+ introductions and 555K+ new hires onboarded
- Generous free tier offers meaningful functionality for small teams at no cost
- Integrates with 50+ HRIS platforms for automated enrollment and data synchronization
Key Features
Smart-Match Introductions
AI-powered matching algorithms automatically pair teammates for virtual coffee chats with customizable group sizes, frequency, and matching parameters
AI-Powered Journeys
Create automated onboarding, training, and lifecycle programs in minutes using AI with HRIS/ATS sync for seamless enrollment
Watercooler Conversations
Automatically post conversation starters, icebreaker questions, and friendly debates in Slack channels to spark spontaneous engagement
Automated Celebrations
Never miss birthdays or work anniversaries with automated milestone recognition and customizable celebration messages
Peer-to-Peer Shoutouts
Points-based recognition with custom emojis tied to company values, integrated with a built-in rewards store for tangible incentives
HRIS Integrations
Sync employee data from 50+ HR platforms including BambooHR, Workday, and ADP for automated enrollment and lifecycle triggers
Gatheround Video Facilitation
Pricing
Free
$0/month
- 1 channel each for Intros, Watercooler, Celebrations
- Up to 24 users per round
- 3 automated messages in 1 Journey
- Google Calendar and Zoom integrations
Most Popular
Best For
Virtual Coffee Chats
Automatically pair employees from different departments for casual conversations that break down silos and build cross-functional relationships
Remote Onboarding Automation
Guide new hires through sequenced messages, tasks, and introductions triggered automatically from HRIS enrollment
Culture Building at Scale
Maintain team cohesion across distributed workforces with automated watercooler prompts, celebrations, and recognition programs
Mentorship Programs
Automate mentor-mentee pairings and send structured training content sequences with tracked completion
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#4
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The best embedded team connection platform — ideal for distributed teams that want automated, lightweight daily engagement inside Slack without adding another tool to manage.
#8
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Best for recreating the serendipitous human connections that happen naturally in offices — the simplest way to build cross-team trust in a fully remote company.
