Softwr

Employee Engagement · head to head

Fond vs GrowSurf

Fond logo

Fond

Employee Engagement

Employee experience platform for modern teams

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
GrowSurf logo

GrowSurf

Affiliate Marketing

Referral software for tech companies

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GrowSurf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fond fond.co redirects to Reward Gateway. No pricing plans or costs are published on Reward Gateway's website; GrowSurf startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • They diverge on capability: Fond covers Social recognition, GrowSurf covers Referral tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fond and GrowSurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Fond and GrowSurf differ
AttributeFondGrowSurf
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryEmployee EngagementAffiliate Marketing
Founded20132017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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 Fond

  • Social recognition
  • Engagement tools
  • Culture programs
  • Mobile app
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Manager resources
  • Customizable workflows
  • Reporting

Only in GrowSurf

  • Referral tracking
  • Automated rewards
  • Fraud detection
  • Custom branding
  • Developer API
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Intercom

What people use each for

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

Fond

  • Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees send each othernot GrowSurf
  • Redeeming points against a rewards cataloguenot GrowSurf
  • Corporate perks and discounts for staffnot GrowSurf
  • Running a recognition programme across international officesnot GrowSurf

GrowSurf

  • Launching customer referral programs without engineering overheadnot Fond
  • White-label referral systems matching brand appearancenot Fond
  • AI-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generationnot Fond
  • Integrations with Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot, Slack, PayPal, Salesforcenot Fond

Where each one falls short

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

Fond

  • Fond.co redirects to Reward Gateway. No pricing plans or costs are published on Reward Gateway's website
  • Requires contacting the company through demo request forms and ROI calculators for custom quotes

GrowSurf

  • Startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • Startup and Business tiers include only email support, not real-time
  • Requires upgrade to Business tier for custom referral portal domain
  • Custom tier requires 25,000+ participants and quote-based pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Fond

On request
  • Fond Platform$undefined/month
    • Recognition
    • Engagement tools
    • Culture building

GrowSurf

Free
  • Startup$179/month
    • 2,500 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Startup$279/month
    • 5,000 participants
    • 2 referral programs
    • 2 team members
  • Business$449/month
    • 10,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members
  • Business$1429/month
    • 150,000 participants
    • 5 referral programs
    • 5 team members

Which should you pick?

Choose Fond if

  • You need social recognition.
  • You also want engagement tools.
Fond review

Choose GrowSurf if

  • You need referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automated rewards.
GrowSurf review

Questions people ask

Is Fond or GrowSurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Fond starts at On request and GrowSurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fond or GrowSurf?
GrowSurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fond and Free for GrowSurf.
Does Fond or GrowSurf run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use GrowSurf for free?
Yes. GrowSurf has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fond starts at On request.
What is Fond best used for?
Fond is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition with points employees send each other, redeeming points against a rewards catalogue, corporate perks and discounts for staff, running a recognition programme across international offices. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition with points employees send each other and redeeming points against a rewards catalogue are not what GrowSurf is typically brought in for.
What can Fond do that GrowSurf cannot?
Fond covers Social recognition, Engagement tools, Culture programs, Mobile app. GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Automated rewards, Fraud detection, Custom branding.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fond: Is Fond still operating under that brand?

Fond.co redirects to Reward Gateway, suggesting Fond has been acquired or rebranded under the Reward Gateway brand.

Source
GrowSurf: Is there a free trial for GrowSurf?

Yes, all paid plans include a 14-day free trial with access to paid features and integrations. No credit card required.

Source
Fond: How does Reward Gateway publish pricing?

Reward Gateway does not disclose specific pricing tiers or costs on their website. Prospective customers must contact the company through demo requests or ROI calculators.

Source
GrowSurf: How does GrowSurf pricing scale with participants?

GrowSurf pricing is based on the number of participants (people who refer or are referred). Startup plans range from $179-$279/month for 2,500-5,000 participants. Business plans range from $449-$1,429/month for 10,000-150,000 participants. Plans auto-scale on a prorated basis.

Source
GrowSurf: Do higher GrowSurf tiers include more integrations?

Yes. Startup includes Stripe, HubSpot, Zapier, Slack, and Tango Card. Business adds PayPal, Salesforce, Chargebee, Recurly, Marketo, and CDP integrations.

Source
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