Software · head to head
Bonusly vs Kudos
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
- They diverge on capability: Bonusly covers Points-based rewards, Kudos covers Manager recognition.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bonusly and Kudos actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Points-based rewards
- Manager awards
- Reward catalog
- Automated milestones
- Public recognition feed
- Analytics & insights
- Custom company values
- BambooHR
Only in Kudos
- Manager recognition
- Social recognition wall
- Points & rewards
- Awards & nominations
- Anniversary celebrations
- Analytics dashboard
- Company values alignment
- ADP
Both cover
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Workday
- Zapier
- SOC2
- GDPR
- Data encryption
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 Kudos
- Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot Kudos
- Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot Kudos
- Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot Kudos
- Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot Kudos
Kudos
- Employee recognitionnot Bonusly
- Culture buildingnot Bonusly
- Employee engagementnot Bonusly
- Retention improvementnot Bonusly
- Values reinforcementnot 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
Kudos
- Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
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
Kudos
$5/month- Plus$5/month
- Peer recognition
- Social recognition wall
- Points system
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Plus
- Awards & nominations
- Advanced analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Bonusly if
- You need points-based rewards.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want manager awards.
Choose Kudos if
- You need manager recognition.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want social recognition wall.
Questions people ask
- Is Bonusly or Kudos better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at $3/month and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bonusly or Kudos?
- Bonusly starts at $3/month and Kudos at $5/month.
- Does Bonusly or Kudos run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
- What can Bonusly do that Kudos cannot?
- Bonusly covers Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog, Automated milestones. Kudos covers Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards, Awards & nominations. Both handle Peer-to-peer recognition, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workday.