Software · head to head
Bonusly vs Nectar
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; Nectar no price is published for any tier, and no minimum user count or reward point cost is stated on the pricing page
- They diverge on capability: Bonusly covers Manager awards, Nectar covers Custom company rewards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bonusly and Nectar 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
- Manager awards
- Reward catalog
- Automated milestones
- Public recognition feed
- Analytics & insights
- Custom company values
- Workday
- Zenefits
Only in Nectar
- Custom company rewards
- Amazon reward catalog
- Wellness challenges
- Birthday celebrations
- Anniversary milestones
- Recognition feed
- Gusto
- Rippling
Both cover
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Points-based rewards
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- BambooHR
- Zapier
- SOC2
- GDPR
- Data encryption
- SSO
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 Nectar
- Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot Nectar
- Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot Nectar
- Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot Nectar
- Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot Nectar
Nectar
- Peer recognition and rewards programmes for employeesnot Bonusly
- Internal communications and engagement surveys alongside recognitionnot 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
Nectar
- No price is published for any tier, and no minimum user count or reward point cost is stated on the pricing page
- The product is split into Recognize, Engage and Comms which are sold in combinations rather than as one platform
- Every route to a figure goes through a demo or a separate get pricing page
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
Nectar
$2.75/month- Standard$2.75/month
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Points & rewards
- Custom rewards
- Plus$4/month
- Everything in Standard
- Wellness challenges
- Anniversary celebrations
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Plus
- Advanced analytics
- API access
Which should you pick?
Choose Bonusly if
- You need manager awards.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want reward catalog.
Choose Nectar if
- You need custom company rewards.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want amazon reward catalog.
Questions people ask
- Is Bonusly or Nectar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at $3/month and Nectar at $2.75/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bonusly or Nectar?
- Bonusly starts at $3/month and Nectar at $2.75/month.
- Does Bonusly or Nectar 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 Nectar is typically brought in for.
- What can Bonusly do that Nectar cannot?
- Bonusly covers Manager awards, Reward catalog, Automated milestones, Public recognition feed. Nectar covers Custom company rewards, Amazon reward catalog, Wellness challenges, Birthday celebrations. Both handle Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Slack, Microsoft Teams.