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Employee Engagement · head to head

Awardco vs UpPromote

Awardco logo

Awardco

Employee Engagement

Employee recognition powered by Amazon Business

From
$2.5/month
Free plan
No
UpPromote logo

UpPromote

Affiliate Marketing

Top-rated Shopify affiliate marketing app

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only UpPromote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Awardco tiers are defined by how many recognition programme types you may run, two on Standard and four on Scale, rather than by features or headcount; UpPromote shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms
  • They diverge on capability: Awardco covers Peer recognition, UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awardco and UpPromote actually diverge.

Attributes where Awardco and UpPromote differ
AttributeAwardcoUpPromote
Starting price$2.5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Shopify
CategoryEmployee EngagementAffiliate Marketing
Founded20152019

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Awardco

  • Peer recognition
  • Amazon reward catalog
  • Service milestones
  • Incentive programs
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Social recognition wall
  • Manager tools

Only in UpPromote

  • Affiliate recruitment
  • Multi-level marketing
  • Custom commission structures
  • Auto-tier commission
  • PayPal mass payment
  • Shopify
  • PayPal
  • Klaviyo

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Awardco

  • Service award and milestone recognitionnot UpPromote
  • Spot recognition and peer awardsnot UpPromote
  • Rewards redeemable against a large cataloguenot UpPromote
  • Running several recognition programmes under one systemnot UpPromote

UpPromote

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Awardco
  • Workflow automationnot Awardco
  • Reportingnot Awardco

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Awardco

  • Tiers are defined by how many recognition programme types you may run, two on Standard and four on Scale, rather than by features or headcount
  • Small organisations under 100 employees start at $3,000, so there is a floor regardless of size
  • The A-Pay card, Company Store and Awardco Engage are premium add-ons
  • No per-employee price is published; larger organisations must go through sales

UpPromote

  • Shopify-exclusive platform with no support for WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms
  • Free plan limited to 200 affiliate orders per month
  • Dual pricing model combines fixed monthly fees with percentage-based performance fees on approved sales
  • Free plan lacks in-app messaging system for direct communication with affiliates

Pricing, plan by plan

Awardco

$2.5/month
  • Core$2.5/month
    • Recognition platform
    • Amazon rewards
    • Milestones
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom integrations
    • Dedicated support

UpPromote

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic affiliate management
    • Limited to 200 affiliate orders/month
    • No in-app messaging
  • Growth$24.99/month
    • Unlimited programs
    • Auto-generated coupons
    • Email automation

Which should you pick?

Choose Awardco if

  • You need peer recognition.
  • You also want amazon reward catalog.

Choose UpPromote if

  • You need affiliate recruitment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Shopify.
  • You also want multi-level marketing.

Questions people ask

Is Awardco or UpPromote better?
Neither clearly leads. Awardco starts at $2.5/month and UpPromote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awardco or UpPromote?
UpPromote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.5/month for Awardco and Free for UpPromote.
Does Awardco or UpPromote run on more platforms?
Awardco runs on Web. UpPromote runs on Web, Shopify.
Can I use UpPromote for free?
Yes. UpPromote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Awardco starts at $2.5/month.
What is Awardco best used for?
Awardco is most often used for service award and milestone recognition, spot recognition and peer awards, rewards redeemable against a large catalogue, running several recognition programmes under one system. Of those, service award and milestone recognition and spot recognition and peer awards are not what UpPromote is typically brought in for.
What can Awardco do that UpPromote cannot?
Awardco covers Peer recognition, Amazon reward catalog, Service milestones, Incentive programs. UpPromote covers Affiliate recruitment, Multi-level marketing, Custom commission structures, Auto-tier commission.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Awardco: What does Awardco cost for startups?

New startups and small businesses with 100 or fewer employees can reach out to the Awardco sales team for flexible packages starting at $3,000 annually.

Source
UpPromote: What does UpPromote cost?

UpPromote offers a free plan, Growth plan at $24.99/month, Professional plan at $74.99/month, and Enterprise plan at $166.66/month. Paid plans also charge a performance fee on approved referral sales (approximately 2% on Growth, 1.5% on Professional, 1% on Enterprise).

Source
Awardco: What plan tiers does Awardco offer?

Awardco offers Standard (two program types), Scale (four program types), and Enterprise (unlimited program types) plans. Exact pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
UpPromote: Is UpPromote only for Shopify?

Yes. UpPromote is exclusively built for Shopify and does not support WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or other e-commerce platforms, making it limited to Shopify merchants.

Source
Awardco: Does Awardco offer add-on services?

Yes, premium add-ons include A-Pay (physical or digital payment card), Company Store (no-minimum swag solution), and Awardco Engage (comprehensive engagement solution).

Source
UpPromote: What does the free plan include?

The free plan includes basic affiliate program management, limited to 200 affiliate orders per month, and lacks advanced features like in-app affiliate messaging, approval/denial of individual referral orders, and multi-level commissions.

Source
UpPromote: What integrations does UpPromote have?

UpPromote integrates with email marketing platforms, page builders, subscription apps, payment processors (PayPal, Store Credit), and offers API/Webhook access for custom integrations.

Source
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