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Kudos vs Zenefits

Kudos logo

Kudos

Software

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenefits logo

Zenefits

Software

All-in-one HR platform for growing companies

From
$8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021); Zenefits product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • They diverge on capability: Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Zenefits covers HR Administration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kudos and Zenefits actually diverge.

Attributes where Kudos and Zenefits differ
AttributeKudosZenefits
Starting price$5/month$8/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded20102013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Only in Zenefits

  • HR Administration
  • Benefits Management
  • Payroll
  • Time and Scheduling
  • Compliance
  • Performance Management
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Kudos

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

Zenefits

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zenefits review.

Where each one falls short

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

Kudos

  • Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)

Zenefits

  • Product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • Remaining customers forced to migrate to more expensive TriNet products

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

Zenefits

$8/month
  • Essentials$8/month
    • HR Administration
    • Time Off Tracking
    • Scheduling
  • Growth$16/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Compensation Management
    • Performance Management

Which should you pick?

Choose Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Choose Zenefits if

  • You need hr administration.
  • You also want benefits management.
Zenefits review

Questions people ask

Is Kudos or Zenefits better?
Neither clearly leads. Kudos starts at $5/month and Zenefits at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kudos or Zenefits?
Kudos starts at $5/month and Zenefits at $8/month.
Does Kudos or Zenefits run on more platforms?
Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zenefits runs on Web.
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 Zenefits is typically brought in for.
What can Kudos do that Zenefits cannot?
Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Zenefits covers HR Administration, Benefits Management, Payroll, Time and Scheduling. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zenefits: Is Zenefits still available as a standalone product?

No. Zenefits was discontinued as a standalone product after TriNet's acquisition in 2022. Existing customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus (ASO) or TriNet PEO at higher costs.

Source
Zenefits: What were Zenefits' main features before discontinuation?

Zenefits provided HR, benefits management, payroll as optional add-on, time and attendance tracking, and compliance tools for small to mid-sized businesses with 10-200 employees.

Source
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