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Employee Engagement · head to head

Reward Gateway vs Viral Loops

Reward Gateway logo

Reward Gateway

Employee Engagement

Total rewards and engagement platform

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Viral Loops logo

Viral Loops

Affiliate Marketing

Viral and referral marketing made simple

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Viral Loops has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Reward Gateway the pricing URL resolves to a contact and demo request page with no plan, no per-employee rate and no minimum published; Viral Loops pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • They diverge on capability: Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration, Viral Loops covers Campaign templates.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Reward Gateway and Viral Loops actually diverge.

Attributes where Reward Gateway and Viral Loops differ
AttributeReward GatewayViral Loops
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryEmployee EngagementAffiliate Marketing
Founded19972016

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 Reward Gateway

  • Benefits administration
  • Recognition programs
  • Engagement tools
  • Rewards catalog
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Mobile app
  • Reporting
  • Integrations

Only in Viral Loops

  • Campaign templates
  • Milestone rewards
  • Leaderboards
  • Referral widgets
  • Viral analytics
  • Shopify
  • Mailchimp
  • Klaviyo

What people use each for

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

Reward Gateway

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

Viral Loops

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Reward Gateway
  • Workflow automationnot Reward Gateway
  • Reportingnot Reward Gateway

Where each one falls short

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

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

Viral Loops

  • Pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • Advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans, limiting smaller businesses
  • Limited customization without technical development for highly branded campaigns
  • Customer support response times may vary by region and time zone

Pricing, plan by plan

Reward Gateway

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

Viral Loops

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 participants
    • All templates
    • Basic features

Which should you pick?

Choose Reward Gateway if

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

Choose Viral Loops if

  • You need campaign templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want milestone rewards.
Viral Loops review

Questions people ask

Is Reward Gateway or Viral Loops better?
Neither clearly leads. Reward Gateway starts at On request and Viral Loops at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Reward Gateway or Viral Loops?
Viral Loops has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Reward Gateway and Free for Viral Loops.
Does Reward Gateway or Viral Loops run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Viral Loops for free?
Yes. Viral Loops has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Reward Gateway starts at On request.
What is Reward Gateway best used for?
Reward Gateway is most often used for employee recognition and reward programs with a points based currency, employee discount and benefits marketplace, internal communications and pulse surveys for frontline workforces. Of those, employee recognition and reward programs with a points based currency and employee discount and benefits marketplace are not what Viral Loops is typically brought in for.
What can Reward Gateway do that Viral Loops cannot?
Reward Gateway covers Benefits administration, Recognition programs, Engagement tools, Rewards catalog. Viral Loops covers Campaign templates, Milestone rewards, Leaderboards, Referral widgets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Viral Loops: What does Viral Loops pricing start at?

Viral Loops pricing starts at $35/month and ranges up to $208/month depending on the plan. The platform offers a 14-day free trial, flat-rate pricing (no per-campaign charges), and 30% discount for annual billing.

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
Viral Loops: What types of campaigns can Viral Loops create?

Viral Loops allows creation of referral programs, giveaways, waiting lists, and sweepstakes/competitions. Campaigns can be integrated into websites or mobile apps within minutes using pre-built templates.

Source
Viral Loops: Does Viral Loops offer custom pricing?

Yes. Beyond the standard $35-208/month plans, Viral Loops offers custom pricing for larger teams and enterprises with specific feature requirements.

Source
Viral Loops: What happens to campaigns after I cancel Viral Loops?

Users can export large files of mailing lists in several data formats, allowing campaign data to be migrated to another platform if needed after cancellation.

Source
Viral Loops: How quickly can I launch a campaign with Viral Loops?

Campaigns can be launched within minutes using Viral Loops' template-based, intuitive interface that requires no technical expertise or coding knowledge.

Source
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