Softwr

HR · head to head

Kudos vs Motivosity

Kudos logo

Kudos

HR

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Motivosity logo

Motivosity

HR

Recognition that actually matters

From
$3000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kudos no pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact; Motivosity no published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • They diverge on capability: Kudos covers Manager recognition, Motivosity covers Spot bonuses.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kudos and Motivosity actually diverge.

Attributes where Kudos and Motivosity differ
AttributeKudosMotivosity
Starting price$5/month$3000/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded20102013

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Kudos

  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • Oracle HCM

Only in Motivosity

  • Spot bonuses
  • Social recognition feed
  • Manager insights
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pulse surveys
  • Rewards marketplace
  • BambooHR
  • Gusto

Both cover

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Company values alignment
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Workday
  • ADP
  • HRIS systems
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Data encryption

What people use each for

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Motivosity
  • Culture buildingnot Motivosity
  • Employee engagementnot Motivosity
  • Retention improvementnot Motivosity
  • Values reinforcementnot Motivosity

Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonusesnot Kudos
  • Service milestones and work anniversariesnot Kudos
  • Pulse surveys on employee sentimentnot Kudos
  • Rewards and lifestyle spending accountsnot Kudos
  • Nominations and awards programmesnot Kudos

Where each one falls short

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

Kudos

  • No pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact

Motivosity

  • No published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • Minimum annual spend of 3,000 USD for small business plans; no monthly options available
  • Custom module pricing starts around 1 USD PEPM with no published rate cards

Pricing, plan by plan

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

Motivosity

$3000/year
  • Small Business$3000/year
    • 20-250 employees
    • Annual investment range 3,000-10,000 USD
    • Platform fee approximately 0-2 USD PEPM
  • Mid-Market$7500/year
    • 250-5,000 employees
    • Annual investment range 7,500-75,000 USD
  • Enterprise$40000/year
    • 5,000+ employees
    • Annual investment range 40,000-300,000+ USD

Which should you pick?

Choose Kudos if

  • You need manager recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want social recognition wall.
Kudos review

Choose Motivosity if

  • You need spot bonuses.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want social recognition feed.
Motivosity review

Questions people ask

Is Kudos or Motivosity better?
Neither clearly leads. Kudos starts at $5/month and Motivosity at $3000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kudos or Motivosity?
Kudos starts at $5/month and Motivosity at $3000/year.
Does Kudos or Motivosity run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Kudos best used for?
Kudos is most often used for employee recognition, culture building, employee engagement, retention improvement. Of those, employee recognition and culture building are not what Motivosity is typically brought in for.
What can Kudos do that Motivosity cannot?
Kudos covers Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards, Awards & nominations. Motivosity covers Spot bonuses, Social recognition feed, Manager insights, 1-on-1 meetings. Both handle Peer-to-peer recognition, Company values alignment, Slack, Microsoft Teams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kudos: How much does Kudos cost?

Kudos does not publish standard pricing on its website. To learn pricing, contact Kudos for a 30-minute demo or reach out directly at +1 (888) 915-8367 or [email protected].

Source
Motivosity: How much does Motivosity cost?

Motivosity uses custom per-employee pricing (PEPM) model. Small businesses (20-250 employees) invest 3,000-10,000 USD/year; mid-market (250-5,000) invests 7,500-75,000 USD/year; enterprise (5,000+) invests 40,000-300,000+ USD/year.

Source
Kudos: How can I get Kudos pricing information?

Contact Kudos through their website demo request form or directly at [email protected] to discuss pricing and setup for your organization.

Source
Motivosity: What is the platform fee per employee?

Motivosity charges approximately 0-2 USD per employee per month (PEPM) as a platform fee, with additional module costs starting around 1 USD PEPM.

Source
Motivosity: Is there a minimum contract?

Yes, Motivosity requires a minimum annual investment of 3,000 USD for small business plans with annual contract terms.

Source
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