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Employee Engagement · head to head

Firstup vs Reward Gateway

Firstup logo

Firstup

Employee Engagement

Intelligent communication platform for workforce engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Reward Gateway logo

Reward Gateway

Employee Engagement

Total rewards and engagement platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Firstup none of the three packages carries a published price; every tier shows Get a Quote and the page directs buyers to Talk to sales; Reward Gateway the pricing URL resolves to a contact and demo request page with no plan, no per-employee rate and no minimum published
  • They diverge on capability: Firstup covers AI-powered delivery, Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Firstup and Reward Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Firstup and Reward Gateway differ
AttributeFirstupReward Gateway
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Founded20081997

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Employee Engagement).

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 Firstup

  • AI-powered delivery
  • Personalized content
  • Multi-channel communication
  • Analytics and insights
  • Campaign management
  • Employee segmentation
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack

Only in Reward Gateway

  • Benefits administration
  • Recognition programs
  • Engagement tools
  • Rewards catalog
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Reporting
  • ADP
  • BambooHR

Both cover

  • Mobile app
  • Integrations
  • Workday

What people use each for

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

Firstup

  • Targeted internal communications to email, mobile app and desktop channelsnot Reward Gateway
  • Reaching frontline and deskless employees who lack corporate emailnot Reward Gateway
  • Automated employee journeys for onboarding and lifecycle momentsnot Reward Gateway

Reward Gateway

  • Employee recognition and reward programs with a points based currencynot Firstup
  • Employee discount and benefits marketplacenot Firstup
  • Internal communications and pulse surveys for frontline workforcesnot Firstup

Where each one falls short

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

Firstup

  • None of the three packages carries a published price; every tier shows Get a Quote and the page directs buyers to Talk to sales
  • AI content creation, intelligent delivery timing, translations and user generated content all require the Professional package
  • Employee journey automation, the flow builder and journey analytics require the top Premier package
  • Intranet capabilities are a paid add-on on top of any package rather than part of the platform
  • No free tier, trial price or self-serve signup is published

Reward Gateway

  • The pricing URL resolves to a contact and demo request page with no plan, no per-employee rate and no minimum published
  • The only routes offered are a 30-minute demo request, a broker referral or a phone call
  • The platform is split into separately named products for recognition, wellbeing, commuter benefits and discounts, none of which carries a published price
  • The company now trades as Reward Gateway | Edenred following the Edenred acquisition

Pricing, plan by plan

Firstup

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • AI personalization
    • Multi-channel delivery
    • Analytics

Reward Gateway

On request
  • Reward Gateway Suite$undefined/month
    • Benefits platform
    • Recognition
    • Engagement programs

Which should you pick?

Choose Firstup if

  • You need ai-powered delivery.
  • You also want personalized content.
Firstup review

Choose Reward Gateway if

  • You need benefits administration.
  • You also want recognition programs.
Reward Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Firstup or Reward Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Firstup starts at On request and Reward Gateway at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Firstup or Reward Gateway?
Firstup starts at On request and Reward Gateway at On request.
Does Firstup or Reward Gateway run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Firstup best used for?
Firstup is most often used for targeted internal communications to email, mobile app and desktop channels, reaching frontline and deskless employees who lack corporate email, automated employee journeys for onboarding and lifecycle moments. Of those, targeted internal communications to email, mobile app and desktop channels and reaching frontline and deskless employees who lack corporate email are not what Reward Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Firstup do that Reward Gateway cannot?
Firstup covers AI-powered delivery, Personalized content, Multi-channel communication, Analytics and insights. Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration, Recognition programs, Engagement tools, Rewards catalog. Both handle Mobile app, Integrations, Workday.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Firstup: What are Firstup's pricing tiers?

Firstup offers three main tiers: Essential (basic employee communication reach), Professional (intelligent delivery with AI content creation), and Premier (hyper-personalized experiences at scale). An Employee Intranet add-on is available for any tier.

Source
Reward Gateway: How much does Reward Gateway cost?

Reward Gateway does not publish pricing on its website. The company uses a custom pricing model determined through direct consultation with prospects, tailored to organizational size, feature requirements, and specific needs.

Source
Firstup: How much does Firstup cost?

Actual dollar amounts are not published. Customers must request a quote or speak directly with Firstup's sales team to receive pricing information.

Source
Reward Gateway: How do I get a price quote from Reward Gateway?

Interested organizations can request a 30-minute demo at https://www.rewardgateway.com or contact the sales team directly. This indicates Reward Gateway requires direct engagement with sales representatives to discuss pricing.

Source
Firstup: Do you offer volume discounts?

Firstup's pricing page includes a FAQ header for this question but does not provide the answer in the published content. This requires direct contact with sales.

Source
Firstup: Is pricing built to scale with workforce growth?

Yes. Firstup describes its pricing as built to grow with your workforce, meaning the cost structure adjusts as your organization changes.

Source
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