Written by
Jessica Dennis, Lead Writer
Read more by Jessica →
Reviewed by
Kaiti Norton, Managing Editor
Read more HR content →
Written by
Jessica Dennis, Lead Writer
Read more by Jessica →
Reviewed by
Kaiti Norton, Managing Editor
Read more HR content →
In this article...
Employee recognition software platforms are a type of human resources (HR) program aimed at increasing employee retention and satisfaction through public and private appreciation. Most employee recognition systems also offer rewarding capabilities, like virtual gift cards, company swag, and other perks, to motivate excellent employee performance and collaboration with peers.
Integrating employee recognition software into your current HR tech stack is strategic since it doesn’t cover critical features like payroll and benefits administration. Instead, its goal is to improve the employee experience by fostering an inclusive, supportive, and positive company culture.
After reviewing 10 of the top employee recognition software options on the market today, I’ve narrowed it down to the best of the best:
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Our Rating: 4.09/5
Our Rating: 3.77/5
Our Rating: 3.45/5
Our Rating: 3.29/5
Our Rating: 3.21/5
Several employee recognition apps had similar scores to our favorites. If the top five don’t quite fit your needs, one of our honorable mentions might.
Alternative for: Assembly or Mo.
When to choose Motivosity: If you’re looking for an all-in-one employee engagement and recognition platform with manager development features like AI to assist managers with writing praise, constructive criticism, and meeting agendas.
Why it didn’t make the list: You have to purchase Motivosity’s base community and connection module plus its recognition and reward add-on for access to all of its appreciation features. This makes it more expensive to start than Assembly.
Our Rating: 3.58/5
Motivosity is one of our favorite employee engagement platforms because it offers strategic and tactical ways to combat employee disengagement. Learn more by checking out our Employee Engagement Software Guide.
Alternative for: Awardco.
When to choose Kudos: Choose Kudos if you are already an established enterprise and want to transition to a program you can customize through white-labeling, open API, and interface widgets.
Why it didn’t make the list: Kudos does not disclose its pricing, so it’s hard to compare its cost-effectiveness to competitors with transparent pricing and features like Awardco.
Our Rating: 3.57/5
Alternative for: Bonusly.
When to choose Nectar: Use Nectar if you want to start recognizing and rewarding employees immediately with a simple interface and analytics features included in both price plans. Employees also have access to a corporate discount program.
Why it didn’t make the list: Nectar costs the same as Bonusly for a month-to-month subscription but has a minimum monthly charge of $99. This means you pay more for Nectar than competitors like Bonusly if you have fewer than 33 employees.
Our Rating: 3.49/5