Bonusly Expert Review, Pricing, Alternatives - 2023

4.8
(2687)
Rodrigo Vázquez Mellado
HR and B2B software analyst and advisor, tech writer and editor, former conversational designer

Contributing Experts

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Bonusly Versus the Competition

Though they offer alternatives, Bonusly is primarily known as gift-card oriented platform. They’re notable for being available in dozens of countries, which is reflected in their varied and international rewards catalog.

Bonusly dashboard

If you're ready to get a Bonusly demo, we suggest getting in touch for a look at the product and quote. Otherwise, read on!

⭐️
Ratings
4.7
🏅
Ease of Use
👍
Best For
💡
Key Differentiator
💵
Price
🆓
Free Trial
Pros
  • Available in German, English, French, and Spanish
  • Works worldwide
  • Also includes an employee feedback system
  • Discounts for non-profit and education organizations
Cons
  • The platform isn’t very customizable. 
  • Reward catalog is mainly oriented towards gift cards, cash, or donations-- not a great fit for those who prefer to be gifted experiences or fruit baskets

Bonusly Review

Regardless of where you or your employees are based, it’s likely that you’d be able to find a desirable reward within Bonusly’s global offering. By focusing on gift cards, the platform makes it very easy to send rewards worldwide. 

The interactive element is intuitive and well-designed. The gift-giver choses a reward, selects the country from the drop down menu, and picks something suitable from a wide range of partners like Amazon, Uber, Home Depot. Options also include establishments that are local to the recipient, and a recipient can "cash-out", spend the money on services (housekeeping, for example) and, for those who prefer to pay it forward, one can donate a bonus to the non-profit of their choice.

In addition to streamlining the process for rewards, the platform also emphasizes employee recognition. When someone is singled out for doing good work, Bonusly will help you shout it from the rooftops (safely within the confines of the platform, or course). You can recognize accomplishments by broadcasting to the entire company, or with select teams.  

For managers, this tool makes it easy to build rewards into your day-to-day routine. Impromptu team-wide or individual rewards are easy to give, and you can set up goodies for "delivery" for recurring events like birthdays and work anniversaries. In addition to top-down gifting, the platform encourages peer-to-peer recognition by giving a monthly allowance to each employee that can be used to recognize and celebrate the work of a colleague.

Along with all the revelry, Bonusly has also created a space for employee feedback. Bonusly Signals is a survey-building feature that can easily create and send surveys customized for everything from an individual to the entire org. Surveys can be as complex as an end-of-the-year engagement questionnaire, or as simple as a multiple option question that is sent casually to the whole company on a Tuesday.

Who shouldn't buy Bonusly

Those looking for a wide variety of rewards types, including in-person experiences or physical goods, should look elsewhere.

A team with slumping morale, high attrition, bad reviews, or other wide-spread company culture problems should not use Bonusly. No single tool can "fix" a team with deep systemic issues.

Bonusly Customers

Hulu, InVision, SurveyMonkey, Headspace, ZipRecruiter, Chobani, & more

Bonusly: International gift-cards, feedback, & many integrations

Bonusly Key Features

  • Peer-to-peer recognition : easy for employees to acknowledge each others’ contributions with a monthly allowance
  • Automated milestones: automation of gifts for important dates (birthdays, work anniversaries) 
  • Incentive programs: foster positive culture with incentive
  • Rewards options: employees can chose from gift cards, charitable donations, cash, or company swag
  • Integrations: offers built-in integrations with numerous collaboration tools.
  • Social media style-interface: Add gifs, images, links, & emoji to recognitions

  • Accessibility: Web-based version accessible on most browsers, plus iOS and Android mobile apps (open API
  • Recognition Analytics: identify trends, monitor changes, and monitor the efficacy of their employee recognition programs

Bonusly Key Integrations

  • Chat & Collaboration Software: Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Chat, and Slack integration
  • Human Resource Information System (HRIS): BambooHR, Workday, Namely, Zenefits
  • Custom Tools: Open API & Widget

Bonusly Pricing

The pricing details of Bonusly are as follows:

  • Core: This plan costs $2.70 per user per month when billed annually.
  • Pro: This plan costs $4.50 per user per month when billed annually.
  • Custom: This plan is designed for large organizations and has custom pricing.  

Note: Free trials and demos are available

Motivosity Recognize
Motivosity Recognize
Motivosity Lead
Motivosity Listen
Free
$5 per person per month
$6.50 per person per month
$2 per person per month

Bonusly is Best For

As long as their pricing makes sense, Bonusly is a good match for virtually any company size and in most parts of the world. It’s great for businesses that want a quick and simple way to celebrate individual and team wins, and for those who know that building a culture of inclusion and understanding will pay dividends for the entire lifespan of the company.

Motivosity Recognize
Motivosity Recognize
Motivosity Lead
Motivosity Listen
Free
$5 per person per month
$6.50 per person per month
$2 per person per month

How Has Bonusly Changed Over Time?

Bonusly Implementation

Bonusly is cloud-based, so you can sign up and start using it almost immediately. However, as your employee recognition program gets more complex, they can help with a launch strategy, manager resources, and training, which will certainly streamline your implementation process.

Bonusly Customer Success

  • Help center
  • System status site
  • Typical response under 24 hours
  • Contact support is done through an online form
  • Customer support teams are based in Seattle, Boulder (HQ), and New York.

About Bonusly

Headquartered in Colorado with teams in Seattle and NYC. They’ve been around since 2012, which, along with their client list and track record, makes them one of the first names in the employee rewards and recognition software space.

The company was founded in by current CEO Raphael Crawford-Marks. Speaking to Crunchbase, Crawford-Marks said that his previous work experience at several startups made him realize that employee experience would become an integral part of business success, and software was likely the way to measure and improve said experience.

Interestingly, ​​Crawford-Marks was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, and an instructor for Year Up. He dropped out of High School to work as a software engineer in the mid-nineties. He did eventually go back to school, getting a BA in Cognitive Science at Hampshire College. 

Bonusly was named one of the most successful companies in America in 2019, according to Inc. Magazine. In the same year, they were also named as one of the top 50 places to work in the US by Outside Magazine.

As a next step you can visit the Bonusly website or read our research on the Best Employee Recognition & Rewards Program Platforms.

As a next step you can visit the Bonusly website or read our research on the Best Employee Recognition & Rewards Program Platforms.

Bonusly Alternatives

Also leading employee engagement vendor
Employee recognition plus engagement and development
Best free employee recognition platform
Great for companies that want engagement and performance
Huge selection of employee rewards

FAQs

Does Bonusly have a free trial? 

  • Yes, it gives you access to all the features, their customer success team, and doesn’t require you to provide any payment information to start. 

Who uses Bonusly? 

  • Bonusly is used by businesses of all sizes and in a variety of countries. While they do boast worldwide famous names like Hulu, SurveyMonkey and ZipRecruiter among their client list, their pricing plans make them very accessible.
Company HQ
Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees
11-50
Year Founded
2012
Amount Raised
12.5M
Listed in our research about Employee Recognition Software
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