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Employee Engagement · head to head

Perkbox vs ReferralCandy

Perkbox logo

Perkbox

Employee Engagement

Employee perks, discounts, recognition and a wellbeing hub in one benefits platform

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
ReferralCandy logo

ReferralCandy

Affiliate Marketing

Customer referral program for e-commerce

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ReferralCandy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Perkbox perkbox no longer publishes any pricing, plan names or minimum headcount, so buyers must run a full sales process before they can compare it against Reward Gateway or Vantage Circle on price.; ReferralCandy limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • They diverge on capability: Perkbox covers Perks and discounts, ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Perkbox and ReferralCandy actually diverge.

Attributes where Perkbox and ReferralCandy differ
AttributePerkboxReferralCandy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Shopify
CategoryEmployee EngagementAffiliate Marketing
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: 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 Perkbox

  • Perks and discounts
  • Perkbox Recognition
  • Wellbeing hub
  • Celebrations
  • Flexi points
  • Multi country delivery
  • Admin reporting
  • Mobile app

Only in ReferralCandy

  • Automated referral tracking
  • Customizable rewards
  • Email campaigns
  • Fraud detection
  • A/B testing
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

What people use each for

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

Perkbox

  • A United Kingdom employer wanting a benefits perk that employees can see the value of immediately, where the discount catalogue is deepestnot ReferralCandy
  • An organisation replacing several separate suppliers for discounts, recognition and wellbeing with one platform and one loginnot ReferralCandy
  • A company with high volume frontline staff where a few pounds a month of real redeemable saving matters more than an abstract wellbeing programmenot ReferralCandy
  • An HR team that wants automated celebration prompts so managers stop missing work anniversariesnot ReferralCandy

ReferralCandy

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Perkbox
  • Workflow automationnot Perkbox
  • Reportingnot Perkbox

Where each one falls short

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

Perkbox

  • Perkbox no longer publishes any pricing, plan names or minimum headcount, so buyers must run a full sales process before they can compare it against Reward Gateway or Vantage Circle on price.
  • The value depends entirely on redemption, and a catalogue weighted toward metropolitan retail and hospitality delivers much less to a distributed workforce in smaller towns, which is exactly the workforce most likely to have been sold on the saving.
  • Recognition points are funded by the employer on top of the platform fee, and that reward budget is usually the larger of the two numbers, so a quote that looks cheap can hide the real annual cost.
  • Catalogue depth outside the United Kingdom is thinner, so a multinational rolling out one platform gives materially different value to employees in different countries while paying a similar rate for each.
  • Perks platforms have low switching costs and high substitutability, which means renewal negotiations are competitive but also that Perkbox has limited ability to differentiate beyond catalogue and price.

ReferralCandy

  • Limited transparency on pricing tiers without account registration
  • Primary focus on Shopify integration limits effectiveness for non-Shopify platforms
  • Email CC/BCC limitations for looping in stakeholders

Pricing, plan by plan

Perkbox

On request
  • Perkbox$undefined/year
    • Quote only, with no plan names, rates or minimum headcount published
    • Recognition points funding is an employer cost separate from the platform fee
    • Rate varies by headcount, country mix and which modules are included

ReferralCandy

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ReferralCandy review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Perkbox if

  • You need perks and discounts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want perkbox recognition.
Perkbox review

Choose ReferralCandy if

  • You need automated referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Shopify.
  • You also want customizable rewards.
ReferralCandy review

Questions people ask

Is Perkbox or ReferralCandy better?
Neither clearly leads. Perkbox starts at On request and ReferralCandy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Perkbox or ReferralCandy?
ReferralCandy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Perkbox and Free for ReferralCandy.
Does Perkbox or ReferralCandy run on more platforms?
Perkbox runs on Web, iOS, Android. ReferralCandy runs on Web, Shopify.
Can I use ReferralCandy for free?
Yes. ReferralCandy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Perkbox starts at On request.
What is Perkbox best used for?
Perkbox is most often used for a united kingdom employer wanting a benefits perk that employees can see the value of immediately, where the discount catalogue is deepest, an organisation replacing several separate suppliers for discounts, recognition and wellbeing with one platform and one login, a company with high volume frontline staff where a few pounds a month of real redeemable saving matters more than an abstract wellbeing programme, an hr team that wants automated celebration prompts so managers stop missing work anniversaries. Of those, a united kingdom employer wanting a benefits perk that employees can see the value of immediately, where the discount catalogue is deepest and an organisation replacing several separate suppliers for discounts, recognition and wellbeing with one platform and one login are not what ReferralCandy is typically brought in for.
What can Perkbox do that ReferralCandy cannot?
Perkbox covers Perks and discounts, Perkbox Recognition, Wellbeing hub, Celebrations. ReferralCandy covers Automated referral tracking, Customizable rewards, Email campaigns, Fraud detection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Perkbox: Does Perkbox publish pricing?

No. The pricing page offers flexible packages and a quote form with no plan names, per employee rates or minimum headcount.

ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy work with Shopify?

Yes, ReferralCandy integrates natively with Shopify with one-click installation, making it easy to set up referral programs on Shopify stores.

Source
Perkbox: Is there a minimum number of employees?

None is published. Perkbox has moved upmarket from its earlier self service positioning, so smaller employers should confirm eligibility early in the conversation.

ReferralCandy: What types of rewards can I offer?

ReferralCandy supports multiple reward types including store credit, discount coupons, PayPal cash transfers, gift cards, and free products.

Source
Perkbox: Is recognition reward budget included?

No. Recognition points are funded by the employer separately from the platform fee, and that budget is typically larger than the licence itself.

ReferralCandy: Does ReferralCandy include fraud detection?

Yes, ReferralCandy includes built-in fraud detection to catch self-referrals and leaked coupon codes before payouts are processed.

Source
Perkbox: Does it work outside the United Kingdom?

Yes, in Australia and parts of Europe, but the discount catalogue is much deeper in the United Kingdom and value per employee differs accordingly.

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