Softwr

HR & Recruiting · head to head

Bonusly vs SmartRecruiters

Bonusly logo

Bonusly

HR & Recruiting

Employee recognition that builds culture

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartRecruiters logo

SmartRecruiters

Recruitment & ATS

Talent acquisition suite for hiring success

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; SmartRecruiters no native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution
  • They diverge on capability: Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonusly and SmartRecruiters actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonusly and SmartRecruiters differ
AttributeBonuslySmartRecruiters
Starting price$3/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryHR & RecruitingRecruitment & ATS
Founded20122010

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Points-based rewards
  • Manager awards
  • Reward catalog
  • Automated milestones
  • Public recognition feed
  • Analytics & insights
  • Custom company values

Only in SmartRecruiters

  • Applicant Tracking
  • CRM
  • Recruiting Marketing
  • AI Matching
  • Onboarding
  • Analytics
  • Marketplace
  • LinkedIn

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Workday

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 SmartRecruiters
  • Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot SmartRecruiters
  • Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot SmartRecruiters
  • Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot SmartRecruiters
  • Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters

No use cases recorded yet. See the SmartRecruiters review.

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

SmartRecruiters

  • No native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution
  • Reporting tools lack advanced customization; creating custom reports is difficult
  • Mobile app functionality is limited compared to desktop version
  • Integration with external HR systems can be unreliable with synchronization problems
  • Limited customization options to capture position-specific information
  • Subscription fees locked during contract term even if company headcount decreases

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

SmartRecruiters

On request
  • SmartRecruiters$undefined/month
    • ATS
    • CRM
    • Recruiting Marketing

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.
Bonusly review

Choose SmartRecruiters if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You also want crm.
SmartRecruiters review

Questions people ask

Is Bonusly or SmartRecruiters better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at $3/month and SmartRecruiters at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonusly or SmartRecruiters?
Bonusly starts at $3/month and SmartRecruiters at On request.
Does Bonusly or SmartRecruiters run on more platforms?
Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SmartRecruiters runs on Web.
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 SmartRecruiters is typically brought in for.
What can Bonusly do that SmartRecruiters cannot?
Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog. SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking, CRM, Recruiting Marketing, AI Matching. Both handle Slack, Workday.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartRecruiters: Does SmartRecruiters have a free tier?

No. As of 2026, SmartRecruiters discontinued the free SmartStart tier. The platform requires a demo and evaluation call; entry-level Essential tier pricing starts around $15,000 per year.

Source
SmartRecruiters: How does SmartRecruiters billing work?

SmartRecruiters charges by total company headcount, not by recruiter seats. Subscription fees cannot decrease during a contract term even if headcount shrinks mid-contract.

Source
SmartRecruiters: What integrations does SmartRecruiters support?

SmartRecruiters integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and offers a Slack marketplace integration for sending interview notifications and scheduling updates directly to channels.

Source
SmartRecruiters: What are SmartRecruiters' core features?

SmartRecruiters offers end-to-end recruiting including Winston AI talent matching, job distribution, career site builder, applicant tracking, interview scheduling, analytics, and onboarding tools.

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