How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Bonusly costs $3 per user per month for Team, or $5 with Bizy, with a free tier up to 8 users, but it is recognition-first with limited analytics.
- Matter at $1 to $3 per user per month with a free forever plan is the cheapest credible entry for Slack and Teams-first teams.
- Guusto suits frontline and deskless teams with simple gift cards and no points system, starting free with paid tiers from $150 per month.
- Awardco's packages start at $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer, making it an enterprise pick with Amazon Business-integrated rewards.
- Rewards are almost always a second budget beyond the platform fee, so ask every vendor for platform fee, reward budget, fees, and minimums as separate lines.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Matter | Slack and Teams-first small budgets | $1 per user per month | Yes |
 Guusto | Frontline and deskless teams | Free | Yes |
 Assembly | Recognition plus workflow automation | $3 per user per month | No |
 Motivosity | SMB teams, simple recognition | $2 per user per month | No |
 ThriveSparrow | Recognition plus engagement surveys | $2 per employee per month | No |
 Nectar | Recognition bundled with comms | See website | No |
 Awardco | Enterprise Amazon-integrated rewards | $3,000 package | No |
 Kudos | Values-tagged recognition | See website | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
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The best Bonusly alternatives
#1Matter
Best for: Slack and Teams-first small budgets4.7/5 on
G2 (1,190 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit matterapp.com
Starting price$1 per user per month
Free planYes
Matter is the cheapest published price in this category, at $1 per user per month billed annually for Basic and $3 for Pro, with a free forever plan covering unlimited users. It is Slack and Teams native, so recognition happens where teams already work, with customizable kudos and automated prompts such as Feedback Friday.
Reward spend is billed only when an admin approves a redemption, and custom rewards cost nothing, which keeps the reward budget honest. For a 100-person team, published tiers land between $1,200 and $6,000 a year before rewards, and Matter sits at the bottom of that range.
Surveys cost $2 extra per user, and the reward catalog centers on eGift cards. Pick Matter when a Slack or Teams-first team needs recognition on a small budget. Pick Bonusly when Bonusly's social feed leads.
What we like- Free forever plan with unlimited users
- Basic $1 and Pro $3 per user per month
- Slack and Teams native
Watch out for- Surveys cost $2 extra
- Reward catalog is eGift cards
- Analytics basic compared with enterprise tools
#2Guusto
Best for: Frontline and deskless teams4.9/5 on
G2 (6,133 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit guusto.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Guusto suits frontline and deskless teams with simple gift cards and no points system, which matters for workers without laptops: a manager sends a gift card directly, and the recipient redeems it without learning a points economy. The free tier covers 1 sender and 250 recipients, with Lite at $150 per month.
Essential pricing runs $4.00 per sender plus $0.70 per recipient with a $200 monthly minimum, while Premium runs $5.00 plus $1.00 with a $500 minimum. That sender-plus-recipient model suits frontline teams where few managers recognize many workers.
The catalog is North America-first with 100 or more merchants, and there is no points system for teams that want one. Pick Guusto when frontline simplicity leads. Pick Matter when office chat integration leads.
What we like- Simple gift cards, no points system
- Free tier with 1 sender and 250 recipients
- 100+ merchants
Watch out for- Lite $150 per month
- Essential has a $200 monthly minimum
- North America-first catalog
#3Assembly
Best for: Recognition plus workflow automation4.8/5 on
G2 (4,186 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit joinassembly.com
Starting price$3 per user per month
Free planNo
Assembly combines recognition with lightweight workflow automation at $3 per user per month billed yearly for the entry plan, with an Enterprise tier custom-priced. Teams automate recognition flows, such as work anniversary or onboarding shoutouts, without a separate automation tool.
Custom rewards suit companies with branded merchandise or unique perks, and the workflow layer reduces the manual effort of running recognition programs. For a team that wants recognition plus automation in one tool, Assembly covers both.
Analytics are limited compared with enterprise platforms, and there is no published free tier. Pick Assembly when recognition plus workflow automation leads. Pick Matter when the lowest price leads.
What we like- Entry plan $3 per user per month billed yearly
- Recognition plus lightweight workflow automation
- Custom rewards
Watch out for- Enterprise tier custom-priced
- Analytics limited
- No published free tier
#4Motivosity
Best for: SMB teams, simple recognition4.7/5 on
G2 (3,735 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit motivosity.com
Starting price$2 per user per month
Free planNo
Motivosity suits SMB teams at $2 to $3 per user per month, with gift cards plus custom rewards and a simple recognition model. It is the budget SMB pick alongside Matter, with a focus on peer recognition rather than engagement surveys.
The $3,000 annual minimum matters for very small teams: a 20-person team at $2 per user pays $480 a year on paper but $3,000 under the minimum, so small teams should confirm the floor before comparing per-user rates. Modules add cost beyond the base.
No engagement surveys means teams needing listening tools must buy a second platform. Pick Motivosity when SMB recognition with custom rewards leads. Pick ThriveSparrow when surveys matter too.
What we like- $2 to $3 per user per month
- Gift cards plus custom rewards
- SMB-friendly
Watch out for- $3,000 annual minimum
- No engagement surveys
- Modules add cost
Starting price$2 per employee per month
Free planNo
ThriveSparrow combines peer recognition, 800 or more global gift card rewards, pulse surveys, and AI-driven sentiment analysis starting at $2 per employee per month. It is the pick for recognition plus engagement together, where one platform replaces two tools.
The survey layer adds listening depth that pure recognition tools lack, and sentiment analysis helps managers spot trends before they become attrition. For a team that wants both jobs in one subscription, ThriveSparrow's $2 entry is strong value.
Benchmarking is limited compared with Culture Amp-style platforms, and the vendor is smaller. Pick ThriveSparrow when recognition plus surveys leads. Pick Matter when recognition alone suffices.
What we like- Peer recognition plus 800+ gift card rewards
- Pulse surveys
- AI-driven sentiment analysis
Watch out for- Limited benchmarking
- Smaller vendor
- Engagement plus recognition may exceed simple needs
#6Nectar
Best for: Recognition bundled with comms4.7/5 on
G2 (8,667 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit nectarhr.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Nectar bundles recognition with communications and engagement in product packages covering Recognize, Engage, Comms, and Flows, behind a "Get pricing" demo form. Earlier comparisons cited $2.75 to $4 per user per month, but current pricing is not published, so teams should request a quote.
The bundle suits teams wanting recognition, internal comms, and engagement flows from one vendor rather than three. Amazon and gift card rewards cover the standard catalog, and the Teams integration suits Microsoft shops.
Analytics are basic, and the catalog is North America-first. Pick Nectar when a recognition plus comms bundle leads. Pick ThriveSparrow when published pricing and surveys lead.
What we like- Product bundles covering Recognize, Engage, Comms, and Flows
- Amazon and gift card rewards
- Teams-friendly
Watch out for- Pricing behind a demo form
- Basic analytics
- North America-first catalog
#7Awardco
Best for: Enterprise Amazon-integrated rewards4.9/5 on
G2 (6,539 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit awardco.com
Starting price$3,000 package
Free planNo
Awardco leans on its Amazon Business catalog, with five named plans and one published figure: packages starting at $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer. No per-user rate is published, which makes it an enterprise pick evaluated by quote rather than by price comparison.
The Amazon integration suits US-heavy companies whose employees value Amazon's selection over a curated gift card catalog. For enterprise teams, the scale and catalog depth justify the quote-based model.
Small teams face the $3,000 floor, and the international selection is smaller. Pick Awardco when Amazon-integrated enterprise rewards lead. Pick Guusto when frontline simplicity leads.
What we like- Amazon Business-integrated rewards
- Five named plans
- Enterprise scale
Watch out for- Packages start at $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer
- No per-user rate published
- US-centric catalog
#8Kudos
Best for: Values-tagged recognition4.8/5 on
G2 (3,135 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit kudos.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Kudos focuses on values-tagged recognition and culture analytics, letting teams tie each recognition to a company value and track which values get lived most. Custom rewards suit companies with unique perks, and the analytics layer helps culture leaders see patterns.
The pricing page is absent, returning 404 in 2026 checks, and comparisons place Kudos at a higher pricing tier. That opacity means teams must request a quote and compare it against published alternatives before committing.
Global fulfilment is limited compared with enterprise platforms. Pick Kudos when values-tagged recognition and culture analytics lead. Pick Matter when published low pricing leads.
What we like- Values-tagged recognition
- Culture analytics
- Custom rewards
Watch out for- No pricing page, 404 on pricing URL
- Higher pricing tier in comparisons
- Limited global fulfilment
How we chose
We compared tools that replace Bonusly's core job, peer-to-peer micro-recognition, using vendor pages and September 2026 comparison data. We favored published prices and marked quote-based tools as such, since several recognition platforms hide pricing behind demo forms. We also split the list by team type, since frontline, Slack-first, and enterprise teams need different tools.
Recognition software is priced three ways: a published per-user subscription, a quote with a published floor, or a pure quote. Matter, Assembly, and ThriveSparrow publish per-user rates from $1 to $3 monthly, while Awardco and Motivosity set $3,000 floors, and Nectar, Achievers, Workhuman, Kudos, and others quote only.
Rewards are almost always a second budget. On Bonusly, rewards billing is separate with an 8 percent convenience fee on pay-as-you-go or 5 percent on Flex prepaid, and no fee only on a Fixed prepayment of $2,500 or higher. WorkTango bills points as redeemed with zero markup, while Achievers requires no annual points commitment.
Ask every vendor for platform fee, reward budget, fees, and minimums as separate lines before signing. A tool that looks cheap per user can cost far more once reward fees and minimums are added, and the cheapest headline price often loses to the pricing model that matches the team's size and reward spend.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Bonusly cost?
Bonusly costs $3 per user per month for Team, or $5 with Bizy, with a free tier up to 8 users. It is recognition-first with limited analytics, and rewards billing is separate with fees depending on the prepayment model.
What is the cheapest Bonusly alternative?
Matter at $1 per user per month for Basic, with a free forever plan for unlimited users, is the cheapest credible entry. ThriveSparrow at $2 per employee per month adds surveys at the same low price point.
Which alternative suits frontline workers?
Guusto suits frontline and deskless teams with simple gift cards and no points system, starting free with 1 sender and 250 recipients. Managers send gift cards directly, and recipients redeem without learning a points economy.
Which alternative combines recognition and surveys?
ThriveSparrow combines peer recognition, 800 or more gift card rewards, pulse surveys, and sentiment analysis from $2 per employee per month. Matter adds surveys for $2 extra per user on top of its recognition plans.
How much should a 100-person team budget?
Published tiers land between $1,200 and $6,000 a year before rewards for a 100-person team, depending on the platform. Add the reward budget, platform fees, and any minimums as separate lines before comparing quotes.
Which alternative has the best reward catalog?
Awardco's Amazon Business integration offers the broadest catalog for US-heavy enterprises, while ThriveSparrow's 800 or more gift cards suit global teams. Guusto's 100 or more merchants suit North American frontline teams.
Sources we checked (6)
- https://www.rewordin.com/blog/best-employee-recognition-software-2026
- https://thrivesparrow.com/blog/bonusly-alternatives-and-competitors
- https://www.effy.ai/blog/employee-engagement-software
- https://rankite.com/blog/best-employee-experience-platforms
- https://matterapp.com/blog/employee-recognition-software
- https://matterapp.com/blog/bonusly-alternatives
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.