Software · head to head
Bonusly vs Breathe HR
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; Breathe HR pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- They diverge on capability: Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Breathe HR covers Employee Database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bonusly and Breathe HR actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bonusly | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $3/month | £13/month |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Api | Web, Ios, Android |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2012).
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 Bonusly
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Points-based rewards
- Manager awards
- Reward catalog
- Automated milestones
- Public recognition feed
- Analytics & insights
- Custom company values
Only in Breathe HR
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Document Storage
- HR Reporting
- Performance Management
- Training
- Microsoft 365
- Xero
Both cover
- Slack
- Google Workspace
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bonusly
- Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each othernot Breathe HR
- Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot Breathe HR
- Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot Breathe HR
- Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot Breathe HR
- Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot Breathe HR
Breathe HR
- Holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a UK small businessnot Bonusly
- Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot Bonusly
- Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot Bonusly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bonusly
- The free plan is capped at 8 users
- Reward funding is separate from the subscription: a $10 gift card costs $10 on top of the per-user fee
- The Bizy AI assistant costs $2 per user per month more, at $5 against $3
- SAML single sign-on, awards programmes and a dedicated success manager are on the quote-only Organization tier
- Advanced analytics and automations start at the Team tier
Breathe HR
- Pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- Plans are capped by band up to 151 to 200 people, so it is not sold to organisations above that range on the published ladder
- The free trial is 14 days
- Health and safety, e-learning and other modules are sold as add-ons on top of the core HR plan
- Pricing is quoted in pounds and the product is marketed to UK SMEs
Pricing, plan by plan
Bonusly
$3/month- Core$3/month
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Points-based rewards
- Reward catalog
- Pro$5/month
- Everything in Core
- Manager awards
- Automated milestones
- Custom$undefined/month
- Everything in Pro
- Custom rewards
- API access
Breathe HR
£13/month- Core$13/month
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Documents
- People Management$18/month
- All Core features
- Performance
- Goals
Which should you pick?
Choose Bonusly if
- You need peer-to-peer recognition.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want points-based rewards.
Choose Breathe HR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want absence management.
Questions people ask
- Is Bonusly or Breathe HR better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at $3/month and Breathe HR at £13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bonusly or Breathe HR?
- Bonusly starts at $3/month and Breathe HR at £13/month.
- Does Bonusly or Breathe HR run on more platforms?
- Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- What is Bonusly best used for?
- Bonusly is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other, redeeming points for gift cards and rewards, recognition inside slack or microsoft teams, tracking recognition patterns across teams. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other and redeeming points for gift cards and rewards are not what Breathe HR is typically brought in for.
- What can Bonusly do that Breathe HR cannot?
- Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog. Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace.