Bucketlist stands out from other employee recognition platforms with its extensive reward catalog, intuitive interface, and hands-on customer success model. Plus, its dedicated account management and pilot program are rare perks in the recognition space.
Ratings
Ease of Use
Best For
Key Differentiator
Price
Free Trial
PROS
- The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile.
- The platform supports customizable rewards and peer recognition tied to company values.
- Dedicated onboarding and account managers are provided with every plan.
- Recognition can be automated for milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Leaderboards and competitions help gamify employee performance and engagement.
- Bucketlist supports English, Spanish, and French for multilingual teams.
- Integrations are available with 80+ tools, including Slack, Teams, Outlook, and BambooHR.
CONS
- Though intuitive, the platform's interface is less attractive and modern than some competitors.
- The experiential rewards catalog is limited compared to cash and gift card options.
- The shoutout interface lacks a back button when browsing GIFs.
- Setup and per-employee fees may be too costly for small organizations.
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Bucketlist delivers an employee recognition platform that’s designed for simplicity, engagement, and personalization without sacrificing configurability. During our testing, we were struck by just how intuitive the system feels for end users. Employees can send shoutouts with a few clicks, tag colleagues for contributions, and attach tokens that can be redeemed for a reward of their choosing. On mobile or desktop, it’s incredibly smooth.
The activity feed, complete with emojis, GIFs, and images, fosters a sense of connection and visibility across teams, especially in hybrid environments. We liked how recognition moments stay top of mind thanks to the ongoing stream of shoutouts, which team members can like and comment on, turning small wins into shared celebrations.
For HR admins, Bucketlist’s dashboard brings a nice mix of functionality and usability, which makes this platform more interesting than most of the others in this buyer guide. You can automate recognition for key milestones like anniversaries or birthdays, launch recognition campaigns tied to values or business objectives, and use the built-in leaderboards to gamify performance. During our walkthrough, setting up a competition was straightforward: we defined the goal (volunteer hours), selected eligible participants, and tied rewards to achievement tiers.
One of the platform’s biggest differentiators is the customizable reward catalog. With over 2,500 items from Amazon gift cards and donations to personalized company swag, there’s something for everyone. We were especially pleased to see that admins could add their own branded rewards or local experiences. That said, the experiential rewards catalog still trails behind in variety compared to some larger platforms.
What really won us over here, though, was the support. Every account receives a dedicated implementation specialist and success manager, which makes a noticeable difference. Several customers we interviewed described the onboarding as “white glove” and said their reps were proactive about sharing best practices and helping tailor the setup to their company culture.
Bucketlist doesn’t have the most aesthetic-looking, however. We wouldn’t be surprised if one deems the platform looks dated. Regarding user experience, although we didn’t experience it during testing, some verified users reported friction when configuring advanced goals or tracking redemption history.
We wouldn’t recommend Bucketlist to early-stage companies, given its rate card. While the starting price is just $2 per employee per month, there’s a one-time setup fee, and an annual fee may also be applicable.
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I use Bucketlist a minimum of 3 times a week. I use it to set reminders for birthdays and anniversary milestones. This allows my staff to feel valued and part of a team. Being able to send a quick message or an actual reward has made this program valuable to the company. Having motivational tools increases productivity as well as office morale.
I feel the ease of sending employees rewards is my number one pro of the program. Keeping my team excited and motivated is great. Also, not having to use multiple programs for each task is wonderful. I feel remembering milestones and birthdays is important to my staff and this has very little room for error.
My company was using other software programs to set reminders of anniversaries and birthdays. We then would have a separate email program to send recognition awards. It was a hassle and very time-consuming. It was also easy to make errors because of not having a streamlined program.
I feel that sometimes, the number of options in awards can be overwhelming. The news feed could be organized by department, which would make it geared to that area of the company. I also think being able to make the recognition public to all staff could be motivating to everyone.
Bucketlist was incredibly easy to use, and I feel it is one of the better programs out there. It also is cost-effective and great for time management. I feel that fewer steps taken daily increase HR productivity and keep my team hyped up to do better. It is a great way to encourage staff members to do their best while feeling valued.
I would recommend doing their own research as to whether this program fits their company's needs. They offer a free trial, which I highly recommend utilizing. I feel this program is a wonderful tool, and my advice would be to purchase it.
They are constantly updating their system, adding new tools, and making it easier to navigate.
Tech companies and really, any office with staff members.
Companies such as a restaurant since staff members are not always on a computer.
Motivosity
Motivosity
Nectar
Nectar
Awardco
Awardco
Achievers
Achievers
C.A. Short Company
C.A. Short Company
Bucketlist may not be the best choice for small businesses or startups under 200 employees, especially those looking for budget tools without setup fees.
Bucketlist is used by over 500 organizations in more than 100 countries. Notable clients include RBC, Chick-fil-A, Applebee’s, Storable, Firstbank, and UT Arlington.
- Peer & Manager Recognition: Shoutouts, eCards, and points-based awards.
- Reward Catalog: Over 2,500 gift cards, merchandise, donations, and experiences.
- Custom Awards: Build unique awards aligned with company values.
- Competitions: Create team-based challenges with leaderboards.
- Automation: Trigger recognition on birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones.
- Reporting & Analytics: Track reward usage and engagement trends.
- Multi-language Support: Available in English, Spanish, and French.
- Chat & Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Gmail Add-in.
- HRIS: BambooHR, UKG, ADP, HiBob, and over 80 additional integrations.
- Productivity Suites: Compatibility with G-Suite and Office 365.
Bucketlist pricing ranges from $2–$4 per employee per month, varying based on company size and chosen features. A one-time setup fee and an annual fee may also be applicable. They offer a 14-day free trial and a 90-day money-back guarantee. Custom quotes are available for larger organizations.
Bucketlist is best suited for midsized and large companies (200 to 5,000+ employees) that want a fully supported, customizable employee recognition platform with a strong variety of gift-based reward options.
Implementation is led by a dedicated onboarding team that learns your company culture and configures the platform to reflect your core values and recognition goals. Customers report that onboarding is fast, with proactive support and flexible customization throughout the launch phase.
All clients receive a dedicated account manager post-launch. The customer success team supports feature customization, troubleshooting, and ongoing optimization. Support is available via toll-free phone and email, and feedback is often incorporated into the product roadmap. Users also have access to a searchable knowledge base and onboarding guides.
Founded in Vancouver in 2015, Bucketlist provides employee recognition and rewards software aimed at improving workplace engagement and retention. Its platform supports peer-to-peer recognition, milestone tracking, and incentive programs, with integrations into tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and various HRIS platforms.
With more than 470,000 users across over 100 countries, Bucketlist serves a global customer base ranging from midsize businesses to large enterprises. The company differentiates itself through its customizable rewards catalog and dedicated customer support. While the employee recognition market is competitive, Bucketlist has carved out a niche among organizations prioritizing dedicated customer support and flexible implementation.
Company HQ
Vancouver, BC
Number of Employees
64
Year Founded
2015
Amount Raised
$4.21M
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