17 Best Employee Recognition Vendors (We’ve Tested 48)
We tested 48 employee recognition platforms in total, 17 options convinced us they were the best. Here are detailed comparisons and reviews of each.
Whether it’s peer-to-peer or top-down and bottom-up recognition, top employee recognition programs can handle it all via personalized messages, custom peer-nominated awards, automated milestone celebrations, and more.
We picked 48 of the most promising vendors in the market and put them to the test. Our favorites are effective in their own right. Whether you’re looking for the best employee recognition platforms for your small business or global company, this guide has all the options for every type of organization.
To choose the best employee recognition program companies, our experts conducted demos with all tested vendors, tried each option themselves from different user roles, and gathered input from those who use these tools day in, day out. In short, we follow strictly our HR Tech vetting methodology.
We have rated each tool’s performance on a multitude of factors, and the following three were considered the most important for this software type:
- Peer-to-peer recognition: The best employee recognition software empowers your team members to recognize one another for wins, project completions, or simply being awesome colleagues. This feature is often enhanced with functions like automated reminders, nominations, or voting, and the ability to share recognition across other platforms like Slack, Teams, and LinkedIn.
- Custom recognition options: Besides predefined alerts for known milestones like start dates and birthdays, best-in-class employee recognition software should give you some freedom to add a personal touch by tailoring recognition program ideas to specific recipients.
- Reporting and analytics: Sophisticated reporting and analytics capabilities are a hallmark of top recognition platforms. They help you monitor the effectiveness of your recognition program and give you insights into engagement, recognition trends, and participation rates.
Assembly
What stood out most about Assembly in our tests was the combination of automated bots, flexible permissions, and point-based workflows that let teams reward employees in real time or via scheduled milestones. Whether we required structured top-down awards or open peer-to-peer recognition with real-time analytics, the platform made us feel it can adapt to how we want to celebrate people.
PROS
- Users can give recognition points directly in comment threads using the Boost feature.
- Robust Awards, Announcements and Challenges functionalities.
- The Welcome, Birthday, and Anniversary Bots automatically celebrate employee milestones with customizable messages and points.
- DoraAI provides recognition analytics through natural language prompts and visual reports.
- Recognition posts can be tagged with company core values to reinforce culture.
- Private recognition allows discreet praise visible only to the giver, recipient, and admins.
- Explore the platform for free, no need for a credit card or demo
- Great set of features for the price point
- Make your own rewards and even set up a points system with automated incentives
- You have the option to go with a month-to-month plan or a long-term contract. For the latter, you can reach out to their team for a custom deal if it’s a larger team. However, keep in mind that the minimum agreement is 12 months.
CONS
- Assembly does not offer a free trial, requiring a demo to explore the platform.
- Boosts cannot be edited after posting, and point values are locked.
- Manually updated employee data, like start dates, won’t resync with the HRIS integration.
- DoraAI's Recognition Writer occasionally alters the recognition recipient's name during the drafting process.
- Coins and points do expire, so sometimes they’ll expire by the end of the month before you can use them, although you get more the next period.
- SSO is only included with some plans. For others, it can be purchased as an add-on.
Assembly is built for companies that want recognition to happen naturally, automatically, and at scale, whether it’s coming from a team leader or a colleague mid-conversation. Boost is one of our favorites. This feature allows users to award points directly in post replies, which makes everyday appreciation feel naturally right where collaboration is already taking place.
What takes this platform a step further is its automated celebration system. The Welcome Bot and Anniversary Bot celebrate employee moments with rotating GIFs, personalized messages, and points, all automatically triggered by profile data. We also saw the same polish in the Anniversary Bot, where we could stack milestone celebrations on top of annual ones.
From the admin side, granular control is a standout. We like the ability to embed core values into posts, hide points publicly, limit how many points can be given to a single user, and allow (or restrict) private recognition. While these may seem minor, from our experience, these settings actually help avoid abuse and promote fairness.
On the analytics front, DoraAI brings real-time insight. We typed “Show me which departments gave the most recognition this quarter,” and in seconds, Dora returned a clean bar chart ready to download or explore further. Asking for “Which managers haven’t given recognition this month?” gave us a simple list we could actually act on. That said, these powerful tools are admin-only, and expanding access to people managers could make the data more actionable.
We also tested the DoraAI Recognition Writer, which drafts recognition posts for users. While helpful for writer’s block, we encountered one odd bug: after pressing Try Again a few times to get different drafts, the recipient’s name unexpectedly changed. It’s a minor glitch, but users should always review the final copy before posting.
And if you rely on manual profile edits rather than a clean HRIS sync, watch out as manually edited fields like start dates don't resync, and this can cause automated bots to fail. That small detail can mean a big miss for a major milestone.
4,000+ companies, including Perforce, DENSOTEN, PODS, and StubHub.
Assembly’s employee recognition software starts at $2 per user per month (billed annually) for the Celebrate plan, which includes top-down recognition, automated celebrations, announcements, and a global reward catalog. For $4 per user per month, the Empower plan adds peer-to-peer recognition, point budgets, and access to DoraAI for analytics and nudges. Enterprise plans are available with custom pricing for organizations needing advanced security, integrations, and dedicated support. Additional features like engagement tools, 1:1s, and surveys are offered as add-ons or bundled at special rates.
Best For
Assembly is best for mid-sized to large teams that want to automate recognition, reinforce core values, and balance cultural flexibility with governance.
Awardco
Awardco goes further than the average recognition platform. It packs a social feed, peer-to-peer appreciation, and extensive international reward options. It also allows employees to create memory books, boxes, and more for a personal touch.
PROS
- Features like the public feed and AwardCodes make recognition simple, effective, and inclusive.
- Intuitive user interface available in 16 different languages.
- It easily integrates with commonly used software like Slack, Microsoft Teams, HRIS systems, and HubSpot.
- Amazon Business integration, huge reward catalog for a multitude of countries.
- The platform is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese.
CONS
- No free trial is offered.
- Awardco only works with Amazon Business for gift cards.
- A few users reported that prices on some rewards are high or inflated compared to retail prices.
- Rewards delivery is delayed at times.
- Actual pricing is not publicly available, so getting started won’t be a quick and self-service process like with other companies in the space.
- With Awardco, digital and physical gift cards are ineligible for refunds.
- Only Amazon-delivered products are available from Awardco. Goods sold by third-party vendors on Amazon are not available.
- The Awardco mobile app is only available as a Progressive Web Application, not from the App Store or Google Play, which might be less intuitive for some users.
Awardco makes it easy to recognize anyone in your organization for living your values, achieving goals, or simply for being awesome employees. In our testing, it was easy to choose who to recognize, for what, and why.
We’ve also liked the social component, featuring all given recognition on a public feed for everyone to see. Awardco also facilitates remote employee recognition programs through integrations with communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. This boosts engagement further, bringing recognition to platforms your employees already use.
We appreciate Awardco's inclusive approach to recognition. Their newly released feature, AwardCodes, makes it possible to give recognition offline to employees without regular computer access, so they aren’t left out of any appreciation efforts.
Managers provide customized award codes, which employees later scan to receive their rewards. The codes work for any employee, anywhere, anytime, while still enabling tracking and security.
Another thing that caught our attention is Awardco’s service anniversary features. Its level of gift creativity and personalization is something we’ve not seen on other platforms. Employees can create Digital MemoryBooks, which collect teammate contributions into a cherished keepsake for coworkers celebrating milestones.
The employee recognition vendor also has curated gift packages called Bonus Boxes that staff can put together and ship right to the doors of their coworkers to make their day.
However, we would have appreciated this recognition software more if it provided a greater variety of gift card vendors other than Amazon. A few users have reported that prices on some rewards are higher or inflated compared to retail prices, and there have been occasional delays in the delivery of rewards, which is disappointing.
Awardco has over 3 million users including staff at companies like Percepta, Paramount, Hertz, Pacific Life, and Aptive.
Awardco offers two main plans for small and medium businesses.
- Lite provides basic automation for things like service awards, birthdays, and reporting. It establishes a foundation for employee recognition and costs $2,500 per year.
- Go includes everything in Lite plus additional features like peer-to-peer recognition, manager recognition, value-driven rewards, and budget oversight. It is more robust for employee appreciation and costs $4,000 annually.
- Custom for enterprises with more complex requirements.
Best For
Awardco’s comprehensive offering makes it an excellent employee recognition program for fast-growing, multinational companies.
Awardco is integral to our workflows for recognizing employees throughout their lifecycle. I use it daily in my role to manage employee recognition initiatives. Key workflows include driving peer-to-peer recognition through Awardco’s customizable programs and managing points allocation for our employees’ service anniversary program, where milestones are celebrated with points. It also involves utilizing Awardco’s reporting features to monitor employee engagement across teams.
- Awardco allows for comprehensive customization of recognition programs to fit organizational needs.
- The platform consistently introduces upgrades and enhancements.
- Its reporting capabilities and user-friendly dashboard help track program success effectively.
My organization sought a reliable recognition platform to promote a consistent culture of employee recognition for our 4,500+ employees worldwide. We needed a solution to enhance our existing recognition programs with a modern interface, an award points allocation system, and diverse redemption options.
Awardco perfectly met these needs. Additionally, it provides robust analytics and reporting features to measure the success of our programs. My organization has been using Awardco for over two years.
- Awardco could expand its partnerships with brands for gift cards outside the U.S.
- A feature to retain unused award points in the employer’s wallet would improve cash management.
- The integration with MS Teams could be enhanced for easier employee access.
Awardco stands out with its modern and intuitive interface compared to other recognition platforms. It integrates with Amazon, offering a wide variety of rewards to employees. Its redemption options are particularly appealing, making the experience more exciting for users. Awardco’s receptiveness to feedback and quick turnaround on enhancements make it a standout choice. I consider it one of the best recognition platforms available.
When purchasing Awardco, consider your budget and secure buy-in from key stakeholders like the CHRO and FP&A, as it represents a significant investment. Assess the internal resources required within HR to manage the platform effectively and maintain employee engagement.
Evaluate how the platform aligns with your organizational goals for recognition and retention to maximize its impact. Proper planning ensures the tool delivers value and meets expectations.
Awardco frequently introduces updates and enhancements to improve the user experience and address customer needs. These changes reflect their commitment to adapting the platform in response to feedback and evolving market trends.
Awardco is ideal for organizations with over 500 employees, especially those with a multi-generational workforce and geographically dispersed teams. Its customizable recognition programs and diverse reward options effectively engage a wide variety of employee groups.
Awardco may not be suitable for very small organizations or those with employees who do not rely on technology as their primary mode of collaboration.
Connecteam
Connecteam offers powerful employee recognition tools that prioritize the needs of deskless workers. With its mobile-centric design, customizable recognition options, and seamless rewards system, it’s easy for managers to celebrate their employees' successes and foster a culture of appreciation.
PROS
- Connecteam is easy to use for managers and employees.
- There are numerous gift card options employees can spend their tokens on, from apparel to tech gadgets and dining experiences.
- Shoutouts and badges can be personalized to each user so recognition is more meaningful.
- Pricing is transparent and there’s a free 14-day trial you can sign up for without needing to input your credit card info.
- One of the only fully-mobile HR tech tools for deskless workers
- Very adequately-priced for all it entails, SMB-friendly
- Quite open to feedback, having implemented user suggestions as features in the past.
CONS
- The platform's numerous features mean an inevitable learning curve for users.
- Despite the platform's excellent scalability, certain essential features are only available on higher pricing plans.
- Compared to most tools on this page, Connecteam’s employee recognition solution can’t be purchased independently; you will need to purchase the full HR & Skills hub to access recognition.
- In the communication hub, the app offers no confirmation that messages were sent and/or seen.
- Certain features that some teams consider essential, such as GPS-tracking, are only available in the higher-tier pricing plans.
Connecteam’s HR & Skills hub packs impressive recognition program features that make it easy to celebrate employees' achievements and milestones, no matter where they are.
We like how recognition is fully customizable. Managers can personalize badges for any occasion, add heartfelt messages, and share the appreciation privately or with the entire team.
What’s more, managers can brighten their employees' day by granting them digital tokens on the spot or by configuring the platform to automatically award tokens based on system usage and special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. These tokens can be redeemed for gift cards from several well-known vendors, including sportswear brands, tech giants, and restaurants.
The recognition platform's analytics dashboard provides a clear overview of how tokens are being used, including who is sending tokens, who is receiving them, and how employees are spending their rewards.
Having this level of insight isn’t just good for tracking purposes but also for managers to constantly improve their rewards and recognition strategies.
However, with the platform’s numerous features comes a learning curve for new users, which can delay initial adoption. While we appreciate the scalability of Connecteam, as a small business, we aren’t a fan of how the employee recognition solution is marketed. The offering isn’t sold separately. You’d need to purchase the full HR & Skills hub to access it.
Connecteam’s customer list boasts many recognizable brands, including Foot Locker, EY, Mango, and Caremark.
Connecteam’s pricing ranges from $29 to $99 per month, depending on the features you need. Note that this range is for 30 user seats and free plans for companies with under 10 employees are available. For more details on all plans, please visit Connecteam's Pricing page.
Best For
Connecteam is among the top employee recognition platforms for deskless and mobile-first teams.
The client primarily uses Connecteam at the beginning of each season, but it is reviewed and updated daily. Schedules are adjusted for weather delays, call-outs, and other changes as needed. It serves as the central tool for managing the game schedule and communicating with umpires. The client relies on it throughout the season to ensure smooth coordination. It replaced a previously manual and inefficient system.
Scheduling is clear and easy to understand. Communication between umpires has improved. The knowledge area is helpful for storing rule books and other documents.
I purchased Connecteam for a client. The client is a regional softball umpire organization affiliated with USA Softball and local recreational organizations. The scheduler was creating handwritten schedules for 100 umpires and more than 500 games per season (across three seasons).
After manually creating the schedules, he would text pictures of them to the umpires. Mistakes often occurred, and the process was time-consuming and prone to error. Connecteam helped streamline scheduling and communication.
Connecteam refers to all users as "employees" with no option to change that label, which is not accurate for independent contractors like umpires. It would be helpful to have a way to customize role terminology. I found the scheduling feature easy to use, but the umpire in charge had some difficulty with it initially.
I have not used other tools like Connecteam. I reviewed several options before selecting Connecteam and chose it because it offered a free plan for the first 30 users, which allowed us to test the tool before committing.
Make a list of the specific features you need before committing. Connecteam charges additional fees for some modules, so it can end up costing more than expected if you do not review the pricing details. Understanding what’s included in each tier is important to avoid unexpected costs.
I have only used Connecteam for 1.5 years, so I’m unsure of changes.
Connecteam is ideal for groups with offsite or field-based workers who need schedules and may need to clock in at job sites.
Connecteam may not be suitable for larger companies, those with mostly office-based staff, or organizations with more complex operational needs.
C.A. Short Company
If your organization values a guided implementation, highly customized programs, and a partner who helps you refine your recognition strategy over time, we think C.A. Short is a compelling option. It’s particularly strong for companies that are more traditional and in-office, and it’s refreshing to see a recognition system that places as much importance on human connection as it does on technology.
PROS
- Provides high-touch, concierge service, handling platform customization and program setup.
- Supports digital and physical peer-to-peer recognition, including eCards and on-the-spot recognition cards.
- Robust customization options for tailored milestone programs and reward structures.
- Strong customer support ensures hands-on onboarding, ongoing assistance, and program adjustments.
- Reporting and analytics offer valuable insights into employee engagement trends.
- The rewards and recognition programs are coded to fully match each customer’s needs.
- Combines digital (peer-to-peer eCards, social feed-style recognition) and physical recognition (on-the-spot recognition cards.)
- Dedicated account managers, customer service reps, and an implementation team.
CONS
- The interface feels outdated compared to more modern and visually appealing alternatives like Nectar or Guusto.
- Reporting relies on Power BI, requiring users to leave the platform to access analytics rather than having built-in, real-time insights.
- Lacks direct integrations with major HR systems like Workday or BambooHR.
- The UI is not as modern as some competitors.
- Changes to the system require communication with support rather than self-service configurations.
- Reporting relies on Power BI rather than being embedded within the platform.
C.A. Short Company's employee recognition software offers a unique, high-touch experience that stands out in an industry dominated by sleek, self-service platforms. While the product itself has a somewhat dated look and lacks some modern bells and whistles, the company's deep commitment to personalized service makes it an excellent fit for organizations that prefer a more hands-on approach.
Another highlight of our experience was the peer-to-peer recognition tool. C.A. Short integrates both non-monetary and monetary recognition. It also supports eCards and social recognition in the “Rec Room” (their version of a social feed). Interestingly, unlike many recognition systems that rely entirely on digital shoutouts, this platform even allows for physical “on-the-spot” recognition cards that employees can hand out in person. We can imagine how companies seeking a system that feels more intentional rather than transactional would value this feature.
We also appreciate the vendor’s approach to customization—they take the time to code each platform to a client's specifications. This includes everything from designing personalized career milestone programs to configuring reward structures based on a company's values. It’s quite manual and, therefore, requires more back-and-forth with their support team, but it also removes much of the administrative burden from HR teams and makes the system work so well for organizations that want a guided, concierge-style implementation rather than a DIY software experience.
In terms of reporting and analytics, the platform provides good visibility into how employees interact with recognition programs over time. During testing, we were able to track how frequently employees were being recognized and compare engagement levels across departments and locations. One drawback, though, is that reporting is currently powered by Power BI and requires users to leave the platform to access these insights. C.A. Short has assured us that full integration is on their roadmap, but for now, this extra step may be a hurdle for those looking for real-time, in-app analytics.
One limitation we noticed is the lack of direct connections with major HRIS vendors like Workday and BambooHR. While C.A. Short does offer automated secure sFTP folders for data integration, which eliminates manual data imports, this approach may not be as familiar to most HR professionals as a self-service native integration option.
Although the software itself is functional, as briefly mentioned at the beginning, its interface doesn’t feel as modern or intuitive as some competitors such as Nectar or Guusto. That said, C.A. Short makes up for these shortcomings with a strong customer service team that is deeply involved in onboarding, ongoing support, and program adjustments.
C.A. Short Company's client list includes Dollar General, Penske, Sysco, Tractor Supply, Old Dominion Freight Line, and Sunbelt Rentals.
C.A. Short Company does not offer a free trial and has custom pricing.
Best For
C.A. Short Company is best for companies that value personalized service, hands-on support, and fully customized recognition programs, even if it means a more manual setup process. Businesses seeking a guided implementation rather than a DIY approach will also likely benefit the most from C.A. Short’s offering.
Guusto
We love that Guusto’s employee recognition software pays special attention to companies with frontline, deskless employees. With print-out, web-based, mobile reward redemption options, no one is left out of your appreciation efforts, even if they don’t have an email address or a desktop.
PROS
- Straightforward recognition system that works great for hourly or field employees.
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS allow use on phones.
- Only reward givers pay a subscription fee - unlimited recipients can be added for free.
- Partnership with One Drop Foundation donates clean water with gifts.
- International reward options expanded to over 4,000.
- They partnered with the One Drop Foundation to donate 1 day of clean drinking water for every gift sent.
- All gift cards are actually digital, meaning there’s no plastic waste. This also makes it a very remote-friendly product.
- Guusto is not a points program. All the gifts within the platform are real dollar value.
- As of early 2023, their global rewards options have grown to the thousands.
- In the process of becoming more international, gift redemptions can now be done in almost any currency within the regions they operate in.
CONS
- You can only fund accounts with USD or CAD credit, though gifts can be redeemed in many currencies.
- Essential and Premium plans have monthly minimums of $200 and $560, respectively.
- Accounts can only be funded with USD or CAD
Guusto’s innovative and easy-to-use platform supports recognition programs for employees at all levels, whether they work on the front lines, at the office, or at home.
Many recognition platforms rely heavily on points-based systems that don't resonate with hourly or field employees. But Guusto allows companies to send printable rewards or gift cards that provide tangible value. We’ve given it a shot ourselves and can confirm that there's no learning curve to it: If an employee receives a $5 gift card, they get $5.
The recognition platform also makes it simple to set up peer-to-peer recognition programs, performance goal tracking, anniversary/birthday awards, and more. Managers receive budgets to send spot bonuses or non-monetary "shoutouts" to motivate their direct reports. Everything is configurable based on each company's unique needs and work culture.
Beyond its features, we admire and commend Guusto for its commitment to social impact. The company donates clean drinking water and supports a host of mental health organizations.
We’ve recently noticed that Guusto has updated its pricing structure, and while we’re happy that the Free plan remains, there are some drawbacks. The Lite tier has jumped from $40 to $125 per month, while the Essential tier and Premium requires a minimum spend of $200 and $560 per month, respectively. These increases could be a real burden for budget-conscious teams, we’d imagine.
Guusto is used by many known organizations including Staples, Compass One Healthcare, The Body Shop, Fairmont, and Rexall Pharmacies.
Guusto offers 4 plans:
- A free plan for individual reward senders using a single user account and a top-down program.
- A Lite plan that costs $125 per month for individuals sending and scheduling rewards in bulk.
- An Essential plan that costs $2.50 per seat per month for peer-to-peer rewards and $5 per seat per month for top-down rewards.
- A Premium plan that costs $3.50 per seat per month for peer-to-peer rewards and $7 per seat per month for top-down rewards.
Best For
Guusto is a top employee recognition platform solution for businesses that employ frontline staff, especially in the healthcare, retail, financial services, and hospitality sectors.
Mainly through the Guusto app. It is convenient and allows you to redeem gift cards quickly and to the desired amount.
Simple, efficient, and user-friendly.
I've been using guusto for 2 years without any issues. It's an easy way to send gift cards without having to choose the merchant allowing the recipient to choose whichever one they want.
The fact that you can't choose the exact amount you want with every merchant.
The merchants that are available to redeem. It is important to have a lot of merchants to have variety
They did add a few more merchants and I believe they plan on adding more in the future.
Clients and employees - it's a simple and effective way to send recognition.
Guusto seems compatible with pretty much any organization
Bonusly
Bonusly’s specialty lies in its ability to make recognition easy, visible, and impactful. Its engaging social feature and point-based system fuel frequent recognition across teams. Plus, its abundant gift card options position it as a top choice for teams of 50-5000 globally.
PROS
- Mobile-friendly and simple recognition process promotes frequent use among all employees.
- Video recognition promotes authenticity and encourages peer engagement.
- Automated milestone celebrations for birthdays, anniversaries, and onboarding moments.
- Supports global teams with multilingual UI and international reward redemption.
- Integrates with Slack, Teams, and major HRIS platforms.
- Free for up to 8 users. 14-day free trial for Team and Organization plans.
- Intuitive user interface.
- Available in German, English, French, and Spanish.
- Supports Android and iOS.
- Discounts for nonprofit and education organizations.
- 14-day, full-featured free trial.
CONS
- Annual billing required.
- Some users report occasional platform downtime or delayed reward redemptions.
- Fewer options for experiential rewards and developmental recognition pathways.
- Analytics and reporting features are relatively underdeveloped.
- The reward catalog lacks in-person experiences and physical goods.
- All our plans are billed annually, and the vendor no longer discloses their pricing.
Bonusly’s recognition-first design is where the platform shines. By making appreciation a daily habit, not just a quarterly or annual gesture, it stands apart from traditional rewards catalogs that emphasize transactions over connection.
Employees receive monthly point allowances to recognize peers, helping keep appreciation active across departments. The process is quick and engaging: pick a teammate, assign points, add a message, and optionally include GIFs, hashtags, or even a short video.
We especially appreciated Bonusly’s public recognition feed, which surfaces all peer-to-peer shoutouts in one visible stream. It encourages participation and makes appreciation more tangible. And we can imagine managers would like this visibility too, as it helps them gain real-time insight into team dynamics and individual contributions.
In addition to recognizing achievements, users can send timely messages for birthdays, work anniversaries, and other special occasions thanks to Bonusly's automated reminders. The tool also integrates directly with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and leading HRIS systems, so recognition flows naturally into the tools your team already uses.
Recent updates have made Bonusly feel even more intuitive and customizable. Now, with Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations, you can give recognition with just one click and see real-time previews. Admins gained new controls to customize recognition policies, and provisioning tools have been improved, too. The employee recognition platform also introduced structured 1:1s with shared agendas, lightweight check-ins for alignment, and automated performance recaps that highlight contributions over time, not just recent ones.
However, if your team prefers experiential rewards, you may not be a huge fan of what Bonusly currently has to offer, as from our assessments, this vendor’s available reward options focus mainly on point-based gift card rewards and curated physical gifts.
In addition, Bonusly requires annual billing across all plans. Lastly, some users we spoke with reported occasional reward redemption issues or brief platform outages – nothing deal-breaking, but enough to warrant extra diligence during implementation.
Bonusly serves over 3,400 customers, including companies like Workday, Baxter, Headspace, and Qualtrics.
Bonusly provides a 14-day free trial and three subscription tiers: a Free tier for up to 8 users with core recognition features; a Team tier at $3/user/month (or $30/user/annually) which adds habit-building functionality for growing teams; and an Organization tier at $7/user/month (or $70/user/annually) that includes advanced analytics, deeper integrations, and enterprise controls for larger companies.
Best For
Bonusly is best for mid-sized to large companies that want to scale peer-to-peer and manager-led recognition with flexible, point-based rewards and automated milestone celebrations.
We use Bonusly to recognize and reward our team members for exceptional work. Everyone gets a monthly allowance of points to give to their team members or cross-functional teammates. We give points when a teammate demonstrates our company core values, goes above and beyond, or shows great teamwork. The points can be redeemed for gift cards or other rewards.
We also use Bonusly to celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and special quarterly employee recognition awards. It is a fun way to stay connected and show appreciation.
- Bonusly is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with popular communication and collaboration tools like Slack. The platform is user-friendly and convenient for recognizing colleagues in real time.
- Public recognition motivates employees and fosters a positive work culture.
- Employees can choose from a wide range of gift cards or donations, making rewards meaningful.
- The platform provides reporting and analytics to track recognition trends and understand engagement levels within teams. This helps managers adjust their one-on-ones and engagement strategies.
Our organization bought Bonusly to improve employee recognition. We wanted an easy way to appreciate our employees and boost team morale across all geographies. Bonusly also encourages a positive company culture and makes recognition visible to everyone. The platform is easy to use and enjoyable.
I have been using Bonusly for over five years, and it has made a noticeable difference in employee engagement.
- Over time, recognition messages can become generic and feel repetitive.
- As the team grew, costs increased due to subscription fees and reward spending.
- If teams do not engage regularly, the impact of the tool diminishes. Many people use it only at the end of the month when Bonusly points are about to expire.
- Some teams, especially those outside the United States (across LATAM and Canada), found the range of rewards to be limited.
- If recognition is not distributed evenly, it can create bias and reduce the value of genuine appreciation.
Bonusly stands out from its competitors by making employee recognition easy, social, and engaging. Unlike platforms such as Awardco, which limit recognition to managers, Bonusly allows everyone to give recognition.
Recognition messages are public, so the entire organization can see and celebrate wins. Bonusly also offers a wide range of reward options, including gift cards, donations, and custom rewards.
Compared to Kazoo or Kudos, Bonusly promotes peer-to-peer recognition in a more social and real-time format, using a fun points-based system with flexible rewards. Kudos, in particular, tends to have more limited reward options.
When choosing an employee recognition tool, look for one that is easy to use so everyone can participate. Make sure it offers flexible reward options across all geographic locations to keep recognition meaningful.
The tool should support both peer-to-peer and manager-led recognition. Strong reporting features are important to track engagement and make improvements.
Pricing should also be reviewed carefully, including subscription and reward costs, especially as your team scales.
Bonusly updated its admin dashboard to provide clearer cost visibility, improved program insights, and industry comparisons. It now allows organizations to customize recognition points based on department, role, location, or team size to better meet their needs.
They also introduced a simpler design, bright colors, and a new logo to reflect their fun and modern brand.
Bonusly is ideal for distributed teams, as it helps maintain team cohesion and recognition across different locations. It is well-suited for companies with remote or hybrid workforces and for teams that value transparency and social recognition.
Bonusly has been shown to improve retention, engagement, and productivity. It helps teams adopt behaviors that support long-term success through meaningful recognition and performance-focused tools.
Bonusly might not be an ideal fit for very small teams that do not need a formal recognition system or for organizations with strict, top-down cultures where only managers give recognition. It may also be less suitable for companies with very tight budgets, as costs can add up.
Organizations that prefer private or one-on-one recognition rather than public acknowledgments might also find Bonusly less appropriate.
Nectar
Nectar really impressed us with its peer recognition program, which is so flexible and fun to work with. We also had a great time testing out multiple features of the platform, and our favorites were value-based shoutouts, customized challenges, and Amazon redeemable rewards.
PROS
- Extensive rewards, including personalized options.
- AI-powered internal communication tool with drag-and-drop editor and announcement templates.
- Consistently delivers user-requested features and product enhancements.
- A points-based system encourages peer-to-peer recognition.
- Discounts for companies with 500+ employees.
- Regularly introduces new features and enhancements to its products.
- Volume discounts available for organizations with 500+ employees.
- You pay for the rewards that are claimed. Points and allowances that remain unused won’t cost you a dime.
CONS
- There are no free trials at this time.
- The reward options are centered around gifts/gift cards, not experiences.
- It no longer discloses its pricing. A $4,000 minimum annual commitment is required.
- The priced plans are not available to start off as a self-service process. You’d have to book a demo and pay to access some of the premium features.
- The rewards selection could feel limited to some teams, especially those looking for more experiences in offer.
- No longer offer a free plan.
Nectar offers a robust yet easy-to-use solution for peer-to-peer recognition that is aligned with company values. We like how its points-based system empowers all employees, not just managers, to reward coworkers' accomplishments and behaviors.
Peer-to-peer shoutouts are shared for everyone to see via a centralized feed. As for rewards, we’ve found Nectar’s catalog to be quite comprehensive, covering several options like Amazon purchases, gift cards, charitable donations, and company swag. Employees can quickly redeem their recognition points for rewards they value. Alongside peer bonuses, Nectar supports performance-based rewards and spot bonuses from managers.
The employee recognition platform company also offers wellness features and impactful new capabilities like network analysis, which provide HR teams with visibility into cross-team recognition patterns. As a distributed team ourselves, we found the newly added internal communication tool absolutely a delight to foster transparency and help everyone stay informed.
When looking at pricing models, however, we found Nectar’s $4,000 minimum annual commitment to be higher than some competitors like Awardco’s $2,500. Compared to our last review update, it no longer discloses its pricing. And unlike Guusto or Connecteam, Nectar doesn’t provide a free trial, which makes it even harder for smaller organizations to give them a go.
Nectar is used by many recognizable brands, including Redfin, Golden State Warriors, Major League Baseball, and SHRM.
Nectar offers three pricing plans with an annual commitment of $4,000. While the recognition program vendor continues to provide three options—Plus, Premium, and Custom—it no longer publicly shares its pricing information. However, based on our research, the starting price may range from $5 to $6 per monthly employee when billed annually.
Best For
Nectar’s recognition and rewards platform is perfect for midsized companies (50-2,000 employees).
We use nectar for staff and management to reward employees exceptional work with points. Also, it is useful in terms of keeping employees connected with each other and interested in each other's work by allowing them to engage in a way similar to social media. It also was helpful for management to see areas of staff success that otherwise may go unseen, which was particularly helpful in things like formal evaluations. Since staff could comment on each other's posts, it allowed ongoing positive interaction daily to engage with teammates, learn more about each other and collaborate. It also was helpful for management to incentivize positive behaviors via tangible rewards.
I liked how it dramatically improved morale in a short time by giving tangible rewards to staff that felt stronger than just a thank you. Also, the way it connected the staff to each other and fostered collaboration and teamwork was great. I think it improved our retention too, and diminished some of the conflicts we used to see by creating a better sense of community.
We used it for 2 years. When many employees had to go remote due to covid, we were concerned about a lack of engagement and a lack of connection amongst team members. Introducing this tool improved both. It allows team members to interact and reward each other for excellent work, or for going the extra mile. It helped motivate staff to take on tasks and volunteer as they could see it was noticed and the benefits were more tangible than just a thanks. Also, it eliminated the need for staff to approach management or HR to request things like a small thank you gift and having to deal with the budgets involved. So, it has made keeping everyone connected to each other, to the company, and enthusiastic about their work much easier.
Not everyone was a fan and some staff members felt it had the potential to be a bit like a popularity contest and that the competitions it sometimes inspired were not helpful. Some managers were concerned it was too much like social media and could be a distraction. The analytics and reports could have been more in depth.
I think nectar is better than some similar tools in that its interface is really fun for staff and easy to use. I have used two such programs, and preferred nectar mainly because I saw a lot of engagement from the staff and it required very little instruction to get people up to speed on its use.
Does it make sense for the company to invest in these kinds of rewards, as it is an added cost. Also, it is important to have participation, and ideally that should be voluntary, so people should assess if this tool seems to match the culture of the company and would be well received by staff. Also, there is the possibility for some competition, which can be healthy and positive, but people should consider that and be aware and ready to discuss if staff are concerned.
The company seems to have improved its education and sharing of ideas with its users over time.
Remote companies who are concerned about employee connection, engagement and recognition will benefit. I think a young workforce in particular enjoy this kind of tool, and are used to the social media-like aspects.
I think not all older workers may enjoy it. Also, companies where a lot of the employees are very highly compensated and advanced professionals may not be as interested in these kinds of rewards and interactions.
Terryberry
Terryberry is one of the most feature-rich platforms for corporate recognition programs. They have been in this industry for over 100 years and are a preferred choice for large global companies based in the US and UK.
PROS
- Terryberry packs several employee engagement features like rewards, incentives, and wellness tracking.
- You can use their offering to share custom company merchandise.
- Users appreciate how responsive and attentive Terryberry’s Customer service and account management are.
- The implementation process is thorough, spanning an average of 6 weeks with lots of help along the way like internal/customer testing and user training.
- Customized physical goods as employee rewards
- Wide range of employee engagement features, including rewards, incentives, and a wellness tracker.
- Customer support and account management at Terryberry are quite good. Their reps stand out for being very responsive and attentive, which is evidenced by some of the client testimonials we read.
- The implementation process, while six weeks long, is quite comprehensive, and you get tons of help along the way. For instance, the last two weeks consist of internal and customer testing, as well as user training.
CONS
- The platform design could look more modern and sleek.
- There is no open API yet, but it's on the development team’s roadmap for late 2023.
- No free trial is offered at this time.
- While Terryberry is easy to use, its design could look more modern and sleek.
- No open API available as of this writing.
- No free trial at the moment.
Terryberry offers one of the most comprehensive feature sets we've seen in an employee recognition platform.
The software provides social recognition tools, employee engagement platform features, a wellness app, service awards and custom jewelry, performance management, incentive programs, and a global rewards catalog.
Thanks to the product demos in December 2023, December 2024, and May 2025, we gained an in-depth look at the platform's expansive capabilities.
With so many features covered in a single call, it was difficult to get a detailed walkthrough of every workflow. For anyone interested in a Terryberry demo, we recommend identifying the specific workflows that are most critical for your needs and asking for those to be covered in greater detail.
It's also worthwhile to explore the employee recognition program’s custom awards offerings. Terryberry can manufacture everything from trophies to belt buckles tailored to your specifications, while also providing the software to identify which employees you want to recognize and reward.
We don't necessarily dislike Terryberry’s UI, although we can't say that it's our favorite. It gives off a dated look, which may impact user experience for teams accustomed to contemporary interfaces. Although it has been a while since the recognition platform announced it would consider launching API integration access, it has still not been released.
Among Terryberry’s 40,000 customers are Tesco, Epsilon, General Motors, and Trilogy Health.
Terryberry offers flexible pricing. You can select specific features of the platform to start with and add more later as your needs evolve. Their basic subscription plans start around $3 per employee receiving an award.
In addition to the subscription costs, Terryberry charges one-time setup fees and an annual administration fee that is calculated based on the total employee headcount and number of reward redemptions processed.
Terryberry has evolved significantly in the past year, adding several new features to enhance employee engagement:
- Advanced analytics: The platform now measures the impact of recognition on employee sentiment, helping organizations refine their engagement strategies.
- AI-powered recognition: New AI tools assist managers in crafting recognition messages that align with company values.
- Integrated wellness and feedback: The "Be Well" wellness program and "Be Heard" survey tools provide a holistic approach to employee engagement.
- Enhanced mobile experience: Improved mobile app functionality supports on-the-go recognition for deskless employees.
- Expanded global reach: Multi-language support and fulfillment in over 150 countries make Terryberry a strong choice for international organizations.
- They recently added Amazon Business as part of their rewards catalogue, although only in the US for now.
Best For
Terryberry is best suited for companies in the US and UK of any size and industry, though they have global capabilities. It's especially good for those with a large number of deskless employees who would appreciate physical gifts.
We use Terryberry quite frequently, employees are encouraged to utilize it every day. For HR, we use it to recognize anniversaries monthly as well as employee recognition awards. Employees can interact with each other daily to congratulate each other on birthdays, anniversaries, and other wins. Analytics are easy to access, so we can easily pull the data for projects and analysis. Employees enjoy that they can purchase items through the website.
The convenience for HR and the employees is a benefit. The engagement and ease of engagement improves employee satisfaction. The ROI on using Terryberry for our company will continue to grow.
We bought Terryberry to align our employee recognition program across locations and regions. We have used it since 2016. The benefits of using the platform is that people across locations and regions can recognize each other easily and effectively. You can showcase how locations work together. Terryberry provides a platform to display how aligning to the company values can get you rewarded. It has worked really well for our organizational structure and size.
Some dislike the options of rewards. I feel only a portion of the company uses it - the employees who work independently at a desk. I would like to see more features related to AI.
We like the one stop solution that Terryberry provides.
The number of employees they have. The number of employees who are computer-based and technology savvy. The budget for employee recognition and how the system takes from that cost.
It has improved the website design and features.
Remote teams mainly.
Manufacturing, hourly employees who do not use a computer independently.
Motivosity
Motivosity helps you take employee recognition to a new level via its mobile-friendly solution that incorporates straightforward appreciation features, advanced reporting plus goal tracking, and eNPS into a single platform.
PROS
- Amazing user experience with mobile-friendly apps, straightforward functionalities, and easy third-party integrations with major communication tools like Slack and Teams.
- A free, basic version of their software is available for small companies.
- Free trials are offered for all paid subscriptions.
- Peer recognition with shout-outs are easy to quick to give.
- The built-in analytics provide insights on attrition risks, top performers, and coaching needs.
- Employees can access this system from their phones, desktop, and apps they are in at work such as Teams/Slack
- One platform that combines rewards, recognition, employee engagement, and more
- Built in reporting with insights around potential attrition, most recognized employees, managers that need coaching, etc.
CONS
- Several users felt constrained by the fixed monthly budget for giving recognitions. They wanted the ability to add more funds.
- Performance management features like 1:1s and coaching have been entirely removed.
- The platform lacks controls over peer recognition point distribution, allowing potential favoritism or uneven allocation.
- Only has dollar (not points) based rewards. Their research shows dollars is more effective, but many companies want points.
- Some users claimed sometimes it can be a bit buggy connecting to Slack to notify people that an appreciation came through.
- It would have broadened the number of gift card options for users to choose from.
- There could have been an easier way to integrate the software with swag stores. For now, you have to transfer funds to a card and then link that card with the swag store, which slows down a bit the process to cash in funds.
Motivosity takes employee recognition to the next level with its innovative peer-to-peer platform. We’ve given it a try and liked how easy it is to send shout-outs. We also liked how all shout-outs are posted on a customizable homepage, showing appreciation in real-time across the organization.
Motivosity's ThanksMatters digital cards empower employees to redeem their received recognition for Amazon gift cards, restaurant vouchers, or anything that appeals to them. The custom company store and integration with hundreds of vendors take care of all the logistics.
You can also use Motivosity to incentivize company-wide initiatives. We’ve found it easy to create custom badges and awards. It also does not forget about service milestones and birthdays. Individual gifts and peer celebrations through comments make employees feel valued on their special days.
However, it’s quite disappointing to find out that some good performance management features, such as 1:1s and coaching, are no longer offered. Additionally, Motivosity lacks controls over peer recognition point distribution, which can lead to favoritism or uneven allocation of points among employees.
A&W, Bosch, KPMG, Chick-fil-A, and Toyota are some of the companies that use Motivosity.
Motivosity offers its Recognition and Rewards package at $4 per employee per month. This plan encompasses a variety of tools for internal communication, rewards, awards, milestones, social connection features, and more. For a detailed breakdown of features available with each pricing tier, please visit Motivosity's pricing page.
Best For
Motivosity is especially ideal for those seeking high-quality peer-to-peer recognition software.
I use Motivosity on a daily basis, as it is a part of my routine and habit. Here are some key workflows I use it for:
Every morning, I check the social feed to see the recognitions that my colleagues and managers have sent and received. I like to read the comments and reactions, and join the conversation by adding my own.
Throughout the day, I send and receive recognitions, points, and badges for the work that I do and the work that others do. I try to align the recognitions with our core values and goals, and be specific and sincere in my messages.
Every week, I redeem my points for gift cards, perks, or donations. I like to treat myself or others with something that I or they enjoy, or support a cause that is cared about.
Every month, I review the analytics and reports that Motivosity provides. I like to see the impact of recognition on my performance, engagement, and retention. I also like to see the trends, patterns, and insights of the recognition and rewards activities.
Some of the main reasons why I like Motivosity are:
It helps me feel appreciated and valued by my colleagues and managers for my work and contributions.
It allows me to redeem my points for gift cards, perks, or donations that I enjoy or care about.
It integrates with my other tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and ADP making it easy to access and use.
My organization bought Motivosity because we wanted to improve our employee engagement and retention. We had a problem with low morale, high turnover, and lack of recognition among our staff. We needed a tool that could help us create a culture of appreciation and motivation in our workplace.
I have personally used Motivosity for about six months, and I have seen a positive change in our workplace culture. I feel more appreciated and valued by my colleagues and managers. I also enjoy recognizing and rewarding others for their work. I think Motivosity is a great employee engagement platform that helps us achieve our goals and grow as a team.
Some of the main ways that Motivosity can improve or I wish it were different are:
It could offer a free trial for the upper tiers, so that potential customers can evaluate the features and benefits of the platform before purchasing.
It could improve the Android app, so that it is more stable and reliable, and has the same functionality and user experience as the iOS app.
It could provide more direct support options, such as chat, phone, or email so that customers can get faster and better assistance for their questions, issues, or feedback.
Motivosity is different from its competitors in a couple of ways. Here are some of the main differences and how it stacks up:
Motivosity has a unique feature called MVTV, which is a live stream of recognition that can be displayed on TVs, monitors, or screensavers. This feature enhances the visibility and impact of recognition in the workplace. I have not seen this feature in any other platform, and I think it is a great way to celebrate and inspire employees.
Motivosity has a flat pricing model that charges per user per month regardless of the number of users. This makes it easy to budget and scale the platform as the organization grows. Most of the other platforms have tiered pricing models that charge different rates based on the number of users or features. I prefer Motivosity's pricing model because it is affordable, transparent, and easy to use.
Employee engagement software is a type of tool that helps organizations measure and improve the engagement and satisfaction of their employees. When buying this type of tool, people should think about the following criteria:
The tool should offer features and functionality that match the organization's goals and needs for employee engagement. The tool should also be easy to use, customize, and scale.
It should have a high user adoption and feedback rate which means that most of the employees who are invited to use the tool actually use it regularly and provide feedback on their experience. This indicates that the tool is engaging, fun, and valuable for the employee.
Lastly, the tool should have a transparent and affordable pricing model that fits the organization's budget and expectations. The tool should demonstrate a clear and positive return on investment (ROI), which means that the tool helps the organization achieve its desired outcomes, such as improved performance, retention, and culture.
I have noticed two ways in which Motivosity has changed or evolved over time to meet users needs:
It has introduced new features and functionality to enhance the user experience and provide more value to the customers. For example, some of the recent additions are MVTV, a live stream of recognitions that can be displayed a number of ways; ThanksMatters Card which is a Visa card that allows users to use their Motivosity Bucks anywhere Visa is accepted; and 1 on 1's, a tool that helps managers and employees have effective and meaningful conversations.
Motivosity has expanded the integrations and partnerships to make it easier for users to access and use the platform from different platforms and tools. For example, some of the recent integrations and partnerships are Microsoft Teams, a chat and collaboration tool that allows users to send and receive recognitions, points and badges from within the app; Covver, a swag provider that allows users to redeem their points for branded merchandise; and Sweeteners, a perk provider that allows users to redeem their points for discounts and deals.
Motivosity is suitable for teams of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, across various industries and sectors. It is especially beneficial for remote or hybrid teams, as it helps them stay connected, engaged, and motivated.
Motivosity might not be a good fit for users or organizations that:
Prefer more customization and flexibility for the recognition and rewards features, such as creating their own badges, points, or gift cards.
Require more direct support or contact options from the Motivosity team, such as chat, phone, or email, for their questions, issues, or feedback.
Other Employee Recognition Tools Worth Considering
- Matter: For small businesses looking to integrate recognition programs directly into Teams or Slack. It’s one of the few recognition tools that actually feels native inside those apps, letting you give kudos, run short engagement surveys, and celebrate company values without switching tabs. Also, the free plan is generous, supporting unlimited users and fully customizable notifications, though it only stores 30 days of analytics and caps kudos at five per channel per week.
- WorkTango: For companies that want a recognition platform that feels both social and strategic. Its lively company feed lets employees send shoutouts, GIFs, and points that ripple across departments, while real-time analytics show leaders how recognition affects participation and morale. The rewards catalog includes gift cards, experiences, and custom perks, offering flexibility for any culture. The tradeoff is a strict annual billing model with no free trial, which may deter smaller organizations testing the waters.
- Mo: For teams that want recognition to be simple, consistent, and human. It’s built around “Moments” and “Boosts,” two features that encourage frequent appreciation and make recognition part of daily life. The rewards side is simple but effective, with credits redeemable for top brands like Amazon and Nordstrom. Pricing is refreshingly straightforward and fee-free, though global teams may not like that support hours are limited to weekdays in UK time.
- Cooleaf: For value-driven employee recognition. Sending kudos or rewards takes a few clicks, whether on desktop or mobile. Automated anniversary reminders help managers celebrate milestones, and rewards range from gift cards to experiences and charitable donations. We also liked the clean interface, yet the lack of gamified features sure makes engagement less dynamic than we’d like.
- Kudos: For global organizations ready to scale. Recognition is guided by well-defined rules that let admins decide who can recognize whom, how often, and for what behaviors. The AI assistant helps employees craft personal shoutouts, and support for 11 languages makes it ideal for international teams. However, setup can be time-intensive, and its emphasis on points-based rewards may not suit organizations that prefer symbolic appreciation.
- AdvantageClub.ai: For AI-powered recognition catering to enterprises’ needs. Its built-in AI tool helps employees compose polished appreciation messages, while Buzzfeed keeps recognition visible and social with reactions and comments. The global rewards marketplace is vast, with over 10,000 options across 100 countries. That said, its analytics dashboard requires vendor support to fully leverage its capabilities, and pricing can be steep for smaller businesses.
- Bucketlist: For companies that want recognition with hands-on support. What impressed us most was the dedicated onboarding and account management included in every plan, something most competitors lack. Downsides include a clunky GIF search experience, a limited experiential rewards catalog, and a pricing structure that may feel steep for smaller teams.
- Workstars: For teams that want to make peer recognition the center of their culture. The system makes it easy for teams to send shoutouts that highlight specific behaviors, and for managers to view real-time insights into who’s being recognized and for what. However, the interface may feel a bit dated. We also found that AI recognition features are still under development.
Top Employee Recognition Platforms Features
Employee recognition tools have many features to help build a strong company culture and employee engagement including:
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Allows employees to recognize each other’s contributions, creating a supportive and collaborative work environment. Nectar is, for example, one of the top employee reward and recognition program companies for peer recognition through personal employee awards and appreciation quotes.
- Manager-to-Employee Recognition: Gives managers the tools to recognize their team members’ achievements, reinforce positive behaviour and boost morale. Platforms like Reward Gateway and Bucketlist let managers offer timely and meaningful recognition with many options to choose from.
- Social Recognition: Publicly recognizing achievements helps form an appreciation culture. Motivosity’s social recognition, for instance, creates a community-focused environment where peers can view and engage with recognition.
- Customizable Rewards Catalog: This allows employees to choose the perks and rewards that mean something to them, from custom eCards to charitable donations. For example, Guusto offers extensive reward options, including company merchandise and experiences you can redeem at over 60,000 stores worldwide.
- Automated Milestone Celebrations: Automated milestone celebrations are a way to celebrate significant events like work anniversaries and birthdays. Nectar is one of the employee recognition vendors that make milestone celebrations easy with native automated service awards and birthday recognitions.
- Integration with Team Collaboration Tools: Recognition can be integrated into daily workflows through platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Matter serves as a perfect illustration—the employee recognition tool lets employees recognize others directly within Slack and Teams, so they can acknowledge them in real-time.
- Mobile Accessibility: Employee recognition programs are accessible to remote or deskless workers through mobile-friendly platforms. Kudos is one of many vendors that have mobile-optimized apps for on-the-go recognition program participation.
- Reporting and Analytics: Gives you detailed insights into program performance so you can measure impact and adjust. For instance, Motivosity has real-time analytics and dashboards to see engagement and recognition trends, all of which combines to empower your rewards and recognition strategy.
Benefits of Using Employee Recognition Platforms
Having a recognition program in place is important to both your company’s human and financial capital. Recognition software can bring numerous benefits, including increased employee engagement, access to valuable data, and automated recognition processes.
- More Engaged Workforce: Employee recognition programs make it easier for employees to engage with each other in ways that align with your company’s values and work culture. Employee recognition statistics show that higher engagement is great for the bottom line, too: organizations with high employee engagement levels are 21% more profitable.
- Better Team Well-being: Regular recognition makes employees feel valued and appreciated, which reduces stress and improves mental health. A study found that 69% of employees believe their well-being would improve if they were thanked more often.
- Improved Employee Retention: Recognized employees are more likely to remain with their employer. Statistically, organizations with recognition programs experience 31% lower voluntary turnover compared to those without such programs.
- Attracting Top Talent: Unsurprisingly, a recognition culture makes an organization more attractive to future employees. And organizations that put employee recognition first are in a better position to attract top talent looking for a positive work environment.
- Actionable Employee Data: The best employee recognition platforms often come with engagement measurement capabilities (e.g., pulse surveys), which provide you with all sorts of useful metrics. This data will help you ensure that recognition plans are being executed within a specific budget and time frame and that rewards are fairly distributed.
- Streamlined Recognition Processes: Automatic reminders of work and personal anniversaries, competitions, and monthly awards not only bring consistent recognition across all levels of your business but also streamline the recognition operations for your HR employees.
Employee Recognition Software Pricing
Employee recognition platforms generally cost between $3–$7 per employee per month or a flat annual fee of $2,500–$4,000 for smaller teams, with many vendors offering free starter tiers and custom pricing for larger enterprises. Overall, most organizations can expect annual costs to range from a few thousand dollars for small teams to tens of thousands at scale.
Regarding pricing models, most employee recognition vendors resort to either the marketplace pricing model (you pay a percentage of your total annual spending) or the per-use-per-month (you pay a flat rate per employee each month).
However, before you choose a recognition platform, be sure to ask vendors about extras beyond base subscription costs. Some vendors may charge rewards fees and markups, as in they add a percentage on gift card or merchandise redemptions.. Additionally, many require a minimum monthly or annual fee as a minimum commitment. Examples include:
- Nectar: $4,000 annual commitment, with per-employee pricing in the $5–$6 range.
- Guusto: Lite plan at $125/mo; Essential starts at $2.50 per seat (P2P) and $5 per seat (Top-Down), with a $200/mo minimum; Premium starts at $3.50–$7 per seat, with a $560/mo minimum.
- Terryberry: Starts at ~$3 per rewarded employee, plus setup fees and an annual admin fee based on employee count and redemption volume.
- Kudos: Starts at $3.25 per user/mo but requires at least 500 employees.
How to Use Recognition Platforms Effectively
Integrating the platform with the rest of your tech stack, frequently measuring the impacts of implemented recognition programs, automating workflows, and maximizing peer-to-peer recognition opportunities are all key best practices for HR specialists working with employee recognition programs. Of course, all this is made simpler if you also make an effort to secure management buy-in.
- HR Integration: Before buying a recognition platform, make sure you have the right HR software integrations. Onboarding one that doesn’t work well with your existing tech stack will only hamstring your business. At an absolute minimum, any platform you pick should integrate with your company’s Human Resource Information System (HRIS) as well as team communication tools.
- Regular Program Checkups: Not all employees respond to recognition in the same way, so it’s well worth spending time performing regular checkups to determine whether the current recognition program works and what types of recognition resonate with different employees to make necessary adjustments.
- Recognition Automation: Automating employee recognition where appropriate is another fantastic time saver and likely one of the most popular features of this type of software among HR pros. As mentioned above, even automating simple reminders like work or personal anniversaries frees up significant time.
- Peer-to-Peer Engagement: Peer-to-peer recognition is arguably the most important employee recognition type. Employees should have a say in the rewards and recognition that motivate them the most. Your employee recognition ROI will be levels higher if you encourage engagement throughout your organization rather than settling for a top-down tool that delivers information in one direction.
- Internal HR Tech Buy-in: Present a clear plan of action for integration, checkups and automation, and peer-to-peer engagement. Your organization’s decision-makers need to be able to easily understand the return on investment of your time and their money. Once that’s established, they’re more likely to give your HR team the freedom to implement these best practices as effectively as possible.
Employee Recognition Software FAQs
What is employee recognition?
Employee recognition is the practice of acknowledging and rewarding employees for their accomplishments, hard work, and day-to-day contributions. This acknowledgment can take various forms, such as verbal praise, written commendations, awards, bonuses, or public recognition, and can be handled significantly easier with employee recognition programs. The primary goal is to reinforce behaviors that align with the company's values and objectives while fostering a positive workplace culture.
What is the difference between employee recognition and employee rewards?
Employee recognition involves acknowledging and appreciating an employee's efforts, which can be highly motivating on its own, even without any physical rewards. In contrast, employee rewards are tangible incentives, such as bonuses or gifts, that signify appreciation for a job well done. However, rewards need recognition to hold value. They are essentially a form of acknowledgment of an employee's achievements.
What are the benefits of employee recognition software?
The main benefits of employee recognition software include improved employee engagement, time savings through the automation of core tasks, and the collection of actionable data.
How much does employee recognition software cost?
Employee recognition software designed for small businesses often costs around $2.25 to $40 per user per month, while recognition platforms for global enterprises typically charge a few hundred dollars per user monthly and most of the time, require annual billing.
What are some examples of employee recognition?
Employee recognition can take many forms. Some great ideas for employee recognition programs include verbal appreciation words, Employee of the Month programs, leaderboards to acknowledge remote employees, and informal recognition such as providing a paid meal.
What is the best employee recognition software for small companies?
Some of the best employee recognition programs for small companies include Nectar, Guusto, Motivosity, Matter, Bonusly, and Mo. For more information, check out our detailed reviews of these tools here.
Is there any free employee recognition software?
Yes, though not common, there are a few free employee recognition tools out there. For example, Motivosity offers free trials for all its paid plans, both Connecteam and Bonusly provide a free 14-day trial, while Guusto and Matter have basic editions that are free forever.
Bonus Tips on Making The Most of Your Employee Recognition Software
Top employee recognition software can significantly improve your company’s bottom line. Nevertheless, without proper planning, it may backfire, even with the best intentions. We have all seen instances where an award felt more like a popularity contest than a recognition of true merit, and we want to avoid that. Recognition that does not align with the organization’s core values or mission wouldn’t do us any good, either.
When rolling out your recognition program, it is, thus, of utmost importance to communicate the financial and cultural return these programs can provide. It’s also crucial to establish a clear protocol for the types of recognition and rewards associated with specific behaviors. Ultimately, every employee deserves recognition that genuinely uplifts and motivates them.
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