11 Best Bonusly Alternatives in 2025 (Features, Pricing & Comparisons)

You’ve probably heard good things about Bonusly. It’s often praised as an easy way to roll out peer-to-peer recognition, with quick shout outs and gift card rewards. For many teams, it’s the first step toward building a recognition culture.

But before you commit, it’s worth asking: will Bonusly still work when your team grows? 

Many HR leaders and managers find that over time, rewards feel repetitive, global options are limited, analytics don’t go deep enough, and costs rise quickly at scale.

That’s why it’s smart to compare Bonusly with other recognition platforms before signing up. 

In this guide, we’ll cover the most common pain points teams faced with Bonusly, the key features to evaluate, and 11 Bonusly alternatives to consider in 2025. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of which platform fits your culture today and grows with you tomorrow.

Why Organizations Look for Bonusly Alternatives

On paper, Bonusly makes recognition simple. But when HR leaders dig deeper, they often face these common drawbacks in the Bonusly; 

1. Repetitive rewards - Gift cards and donations cover the basics, but global teams say it gets stale. Employees want more meaningful, localized options.

2. Shallow analytics - Bonusly shows activity, but doesn’t connect recognition to outcomes like engagement or retention. Leaders need insights they can take to the C-suite.

3. Integration gaps - Slack and Teams work smoothly, but HRIS, payroll, and SSO integrations can feel clunky or incomplete.

4. Costs that don’t scale - At ~$3 per user/month plus rewards, Bonusly feels affordable for 50 employees but expensive at 500. Many teams hit a pricing wall as they grow.

5. Limited global coverage - Strong in the U.S., but thinner internationally. Multi-country teams face gaps in local options, currencies, and compliance.

6. Rigid admin tools - Budget approvals, flexible policies, and audit trails are limited. HR teams often patch together spreadsheets to fill the gaps.

How to Evaluate a Recognition Platform

A recognition program isn’t just about sending points but it’s about building employee engagement that lasts. 

The right platform should work for your culture today and still deliver value when your company doubles in size. 

So, what should you look for if Bonusly isn’t the long-term fit? The best recognition platforms share a few must-have qualities. Use this checklist as you compare Bonusly competitors:

Core Criteria

1. Recognition Types - Peer-to-peer shout outs are great, but they shouldn’t be the only option. Look for a platform that supports manager recognition, milestone awards, and values-based recognition. That way, every type of contribution gets celebrated.

2. Reward Fulfillment -  Look for a global catalog with the flexibility to add your own perks, branded items, or experiences. This ensures recognition resonates across countries and cultures.

3. Analytics & ROI Tracking - Participation rate is not enough metrics. You need insights that connect recognition to retention, morale, and productivity. 

4. Integrations - Slack and Teams are table stakes. The real value comes when recognition connects with HRIS, SSO and payroll for seamless workflows.

5. Admin Controls -  Choose a platform with budget controls, approvals, and audit-ready reporting. Without these, HR teams end up back in spreadsheets, defeating the purpose of automation.

Advanced Factors

1. Built-in engagement tools - Some platforms go beyond recognition with extras like surveys or goal tracking. This gives you a fuller picture of employee morale and performance.

2. Global Compliance - If you have distributed teams, ensure the platform handles tax and compliance across countries.

3. Scalability - Recognition should scale smoothly from 100 employees to 1,000. Pricing, features, and admin tools should grow with you, not against you.

4. Flexibility for Hybrid Teams - Recognition should work as well for remote workers as it does for in-office celebrations.

5. Employee Experience - The best tool is the one people actually use. Prioritize intuitive design, mobile access, and a fun, engaging interface that makes recognition a habit.

11 Best Alternatives to Bonusly (Top Employee Recognition Platform)

1. Assembly: All-in-One Engagement & Recognition

Assembly is a complete employee engagement platform built to scale with your company. 

While Bonusly focuses mainly on peer-to-peer points, Assembly combines everything you need to build culture: recognition, rewards, announcements, challenges, awards, milestones, gifting, performance insights, and engagement surveys in a single platform.

For employees, it feels effortless. Recognition flows naturally in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the web app, making it easy to celebrate wins in the flow of work. 

Rewards go beyond generic gift cards, giving teams the freedom to create custom perks, branded swag, or experiences that actually resonate.

For HR leaders and managers, Assembly provides the analytics Bonusly lacks. Instead of “participation numbers,” you get dashboards that connect recognition activity to outcomes like engagement, retention, and productivity. That makes it easier to justify budgets and prove ROI of Recognition & engagement programs. 

You also get simple budget controls, global reward fulfillment, and built-in tax/compliance handling for international teams. It’s recognition that scales, without turning into busywork.

Key Strengths

• Recognition & Rewards + Milestones: Assembly offers features like peer recognition, awards, automated celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries), and challenges.
• Integrations: It integrates with HRIS systems, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and supports SSO and secure authentication.
• Security & Compliance: SOC 2 Type II and GDPR-compliant, giving HR leaders peace of mind that recognition programs are secure and audit-ready.
• Automation with ADP & sync: Integrates with HRIS systems like ADP to sync employee data automatically, saving HR teams hours of manual work.
• Automated Milestones: You can automatically celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and key milestones, so every employee feels valued without HR needing to track dates manually.
• Reward Catalog: Employees can choose from personalized options from local gift cards to custom perks. This experience ensures recognition feels meaningful everywhere across global countries.
• AI / DoraAI: AI assistance helps employees craft recognition messages and gives leaders insights, making recognition easier and more impactful.

Plans & Pricing

• Free plan: Start with gifting-only or basic recognition; pay only for rewards sent
• Recognition: $2 per employee/month
• Engagement: $4 per employee/month
• Enterprise Digital HQ: Contact sales

Assembly Limitations

• You might feel like “too much platform” if you only want lightweight peer-to-peer points.

Explore our full comparison here: Assembly vs Bonusly.

Assembly Best For

Assembly is best for organizations that want more than just points and gift cards. It’s a strong fit for companies looking to unify recognition, rewards, and engagement in one platform instead of juggling multiple tools. Especially valuable for growing teams that need global reach, seamless integrations, and ROI insights to prove impact to leadership.

Start Free Using the Assembly Today

2. Nectar HR

Nectar HR is a popular Bonusly alternative known for its affordability and simplicity. It enables peer-to-peer recognition, integrates with collaboration tools, and offers a growing rewards catalog. 

Many small to mid-sized businesses choose Nectar as an entry-level platform for recognition.

Strengths

• Affordable and transparent pricing.
  
• Customizable rewards, including company-branded perks.
  
• Integrations with Slack, Teams, and other workplace tools.
  
• Wellness add-ons to promote healthy habits alongside recognition.

Pricing

• Standard: $2.75 per employee/month
• Plus: Adds SSO, Amazon integration, and account management

Limitations

• Analytics are less robust than enterprise-grade platforms.
  
• Global reward options are more limited compared to competitors.
  
• May lack advanced engagement tools beyond recognition.
  

Best For

Small to midsize companies looking for a cost-effective, straightforward recognition tool without needing deeper analytics or engagement features.

3. Awardco

Awardco is a recognition and rewards platform best known for its partnership with Amazon Business. This integration gives employees access to millions of reward options from everyday items to travel and experiences.

Awardco is built primarily for larger organizations as its focus on scale, compliance, and admin controls. 

Strengths

• Huge reward catalog through Amazon plus additional global options.
  
• Flexible recognition programs: peer-to-peer, manager-driven, milestones, and incentives.
  
• Enterprise-ready with compliance, reporting, and advanced admin controls.
  
• Scalable for global teams with employees in multiple regions.
  

Pricing
Awardco does not list pricing publicly. You need to request a custom quote.

Limitations

• Heavy reliance on Amazon may not fit every culture or reward preference.
  
• Reporting features exist but can feel complex to navigate.
  
• Less appealing for small companies due to pricing and scope.

Best For
Enterprises that want huge catalog variety and already operate in the Amazon ecosystem.

4. Motivosity

Motivosity blends recognition with a social, community-driven experience. Beyond peer-to-peer rewards, it offers a feed where employees can publicly celebrate each other, boosting visibility across teams. 

Motivosity also extends into leadership coaching and manager development, making it broader than traditional recognition platforms.

Strengths

• Social feed makes recognition highly visible and engaging.
  
• Add-ons for manager development and employee feedback.
  
• Affordable entry-level pricing.
  
• Strong focus on community and culture building.

Pricing

• Standalone: $2 for each standalone tier (Community, Recognition, Manager Development, Insights)
• Full Suite: $8 for the full suite

Limitations

• Interface can feel overwhelming to some users.
  
• Advanced features may require extra costs.
  
• Rewards catalog not as expansive as global-first competitors.
  

Best For
Culture-driven teams that want recognition plus community-building and leadership development.

5. Guusto

Guusto is a recognition and rewards platform built around digital gift cards. Its simplicity makes it attractive for teams that want a no-frills, easy-to-launch program. Guusto emphasizes flexibility, admins only pay for the rewards employees actually use.

Strengths

• Simple, lightweight recognition platform.
  
• Pay-as-you-go pricing with no minimums.
  
• Wide selection of gift card partners.
  
• Easy to set up and manage without heavy admin lift.
  

Pricing

• Free: Single user
• Lite: $125/month for Unlimited Recipients
• Essential: $2.5/mo/member 
• Premium: $3.5/mo/member

Limitations

• Recognition programs are limited in scope beyond gift cards.
  
• Fewer advanced analytics or engagement tools.
  
• Not ideal for scaling into a global recognition strategy.
  

Best For
Small teams or startups that want an easy, low-commitment way to recognize employees with digital rewards.

6. Kudos

Kudos is a recognition platform designed to strengthen culture and align employees with company values. Instead of focusing only on points, Kudos emphasizes meaningful messages of appreciation that reinforce behaviors and values leaders want to see more of. 

With its social feed, employees can see and celebrate recognition across teams, helping boost visibility and morale.

Strengths

• Values-based recognition that ties kudos directly to company culture.
  
• Social feed increases visibility of recognition moments.
  
• Integrations with Slack, Teams, and HRIS systems.
  
• Good balance of recognition + community feel.

Pricing
Kudos doesn’t list pricing publicly. You need to request a quote based on team size and features.

Limitations

• Smaller rewards catalog compared to global-first providers.
  
• Analytics are available but not as ROI-driven as enterprise-grade platforms.
  
• Less attractive for companies that want tangible, transactional rewards.
  

Best For
Organizations that want to reinforce company values and culture with message-driven, community-focused recognition.

7. Achievers

Achievers is an enterprise-grade recognition and engagement platform trusted by large global organizations. It combines peer-to-peer recognition with global rewards fulfillment, advanced reporting, and AI-driven insights. 

The platform is built for scale and compliance, making it popular with multinational companies.

Strengths

• 2.5x increase in retention reported by customers
• Advanced analytics and AI-powered insights.
• Deep enterprise integrations with HRIS and payroll.
• Strong track record in large-scale recognition programs.

Pricing
Custom pricing only. 

Limitations

• Can be complex to implement and manage.
  
• Higher cost compared to SMB-focused competitors.
  
• May feel too feature-heavy for smaller companies.
  

Best For
Large, global enterprises that need robust analytics, compliance support, and a scalable recognition program.

8. WorkTango

WorkTango is a recognition and engagement platform that blends peer-to-peer appreciation with employee voice tools. 

WorkTango also offers surveys and feedback modules, allowing HR teams to connect recognition data with employee sentiment. It’s designed for companies that want recognition tied into a broader engagement strategy.

Strengths

• Recognition integrated with surveys and feedback.
• Engagement data alongside recognition for a holistic view.
• Simple peer-to-peer recognition features.
• Good fit for organizations building continuous listening programs.
  

Pricing
Contact sales team. 

Limitations

• Rewards options are more limited compared to global-first competitors.
• Can feel more like a survey tool than a recognition-first platform.
• Setup complexity increases when adopting multiple modules at once.

Best For
Organizations that want recognition and engagement data together in one solution, especially those running regular employee surveys.

9. Workhuman

Workhuman is one of the oldest recognition platform providers, widely known for powering large-scale, global programs. 

It goes beyond recognition with continuous performance management, peer feedback, and global compliance support. For enterprises, Workhuman offers a proven, highly credible platform trusted by many Fortune 500 companies.

Strengths

• Global recognition and rewards fulfillment.
• Serving 180+ countries and 34 language
• Deep expertise in enterprise-scale recognition programs.
• Additional features for performance management and peer feedback.
• Strong HR tech brand credibility with established success stories.

Pricing
Custom pricing only. Typically designed for enterprise budgets.

Limitations

• Expensive for small to mid-sized companies.
• The platform can feel complex for teams only seeking recognition.
• Best features often reserved for higher-tier plans.

Best For
Large enterprises seeking a global recognition partner with added performance management capabilities.

10. Bucketlist Rewards

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Bucketlist is a recognition and rewards platform designed for small to midsize businesses that want something simple, affordable, and impactful. 

Its focus is on making recognition easy to launch and maintain, while offering customizable rewards and experiences that fit different company cultures.

Strengths

• Affordable and straightforward setup.
  
• Customizable rewards and experiential options.
  
• Simple admin tools for budget control and reporting.
  
• Friendly user experience suited to smaller teams.
  

Pricing
You need to contact the sales team. 

Limitations

• Not as robust in analytics compared to enterprise solutions.
  
• Limited global reward options.
  
• May feel too basic for complex organizations.
  

Best For

Small to mid-size companies seeking an affordable, easy-to-use recognition platform with customizable rewards.

11. Mo

Mo (also known as Mo.Work) is a recognition and rewards tool focused on building moments of appreciation and connection within teams. Its design emphasizes habit-building, encouraging managers and employees to share regular recognition and feedback that strengthen culture over time.

Strengths

• Focuses on habit-building for ongoing recognition.
• Encourages connection through social features and team moments.
• Simple, modern interface that’s easy for employees to adopt.
• Good option for companies prioritizing culture reinforcement.

Pricing
Contact sales team. 

Limitations

• Smaller reward catalog compared to larger vendors.
• Analytics and reporting are lighter than enterprise-grade competitors.
• May lack advanced integrations found in bigger platforms.
  

Best For
Mid size companies that want to build consistent recognition habits and improve team connection, especially in hybrid or remote settings.

How to Choose the Right Alternative for Your Company

The “best” Bonusly alternative isn’t the same for every company and depends on what you’re solving for.

If your team is small and budget-conscious, lightweight tools like Nectar or Guusto might make sense. If you’re an enterprise with global operations, Awardco, or Achievers,can deliver the scale and compliance you need. 

For culture-focused organizations, Kudos and Motivosity excel at building community and reinforcing values. And if you’re prioritizing employee voice alongside recognition, WorkTango integrates surveys and feedback directly into its platform.

But many HR leaders don’t want to settle for a tool that only solves one piece of the puzzle. They want recognition that feels meaningful, rewards that work across borders, analytics that prove ROI, and engagement features that actually move the needle.

That’s where Assembly fits naturally. Unlike single-purpose tools, Assembly brings recognition, global rewards, engagement surveys, and performance insights into one platform. 

Recognition flows seamlessly through Slack or Teams, rewards are flexible and global, and HR leaders finally get dashboards that link recognition to retention and engagement.

It’s not just about giving points but it’s about building a recognition culture that scales with your company and delivers measurable impact.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Recognition tools should build a culture that keeps employees engaged, motivated, and connected. That’s why many companies move beyond Bonusly to solutions that deliver measurable impact.

Assembly makes that shift easy. By combining recognition, global rewards, engagement surveys, and ROI dashboards in one platform, Assembly gives you everything you need to prove value and scale a culture of appreciation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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