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Software · head to head

CharlieHR vs Bonusly

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

Software

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bonusly logo

Bonusly

Software

Employee recognition that builds culture

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CharlieHR limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms; Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users
  • They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Bonusly actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Bonusly differ
AttributeCharlieHRBonusly
Starting price£5/month$3/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20152012

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 CharlieHR

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off Management
  • Onboarding
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Microsoft 365
  • Web support

Only in Bonusly

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

CharlieHR

No use cases recorded yet. See the CharlieHR review.

Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each othernot CharlieHR
  • Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot CharlieHR
  • Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot CharlieHR
  • Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot CharlieHR
  • Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot CharlieHR

Where each one falls short

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

CharlieHR

  • Limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • Pricing structure geared toward UK and Europe, with limited localization for other regions
  • Add-on services like Charlie Recruit and Charlie Advice incur additional costs
  • Smaller employee base (approximately 30 people) compared to enterprise HR competitors

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

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

£5/month
  • Core HR (Teams 1-4)$5/month
    • Employee onboarding
    • Time off management
    • Document storage

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

Which should you pick?

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want time off management.
CharlieHR review

Choose Bonusly if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want points-based rewards.
Bonusly review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Bonusly better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Bonusly at $3/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Bonusly?
CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Bonusly at $3/month.
Does CharlieHR or Bonusly run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What can CharlieHR do that Bonusly cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

Source
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

Source
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source
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Related pages

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