Is Bonusly or SmartHR better?

Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at Free and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Bonusly or SmartHR?

Bonusly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bonusly and On request for SmartHR.

Does Bonusly or SmartHR run on more platforms?

Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SmartHR runs on Web.

Can I use Bonusly for free?

Yes. Bonusly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartHR starts at On request.

What is Bonusly best used for?

Bonusly is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other, redeeming points for gift cards and rewards, recognition inside slack or microsoft teams, tracking recognition patterns across teams. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other and redeeming points for gift cards and rewards are not what SmartHR is typically brought in for.

What can Bonusly do that SmartHR cannot?

Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog.

HR · head to head

Bonusly vs SmartHR

Bonusly

Employee recognition that builds culture

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

SmartHR

Japanese back-office cloud for labor management, payroll and talent management

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Bonusly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; SmartHR no specific pricing published on vendor website
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonusly and SmartHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonusly and SmartHR differ
Attribute	Bonusly	SmartHR
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	freemium	quote
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, Ios, Android, Api	Web
Founded	2012	Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Bonusly

Peer-to-peer recognition
Points-based rewards
Manager awards
Reward catalog
Automated milestones
Public recognition feed
Analytics & insights
Custom company values

Only in SmartHR

Nothing recorded that Bonusly does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bonusly

Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each othernot SmartHR
Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot SmartHR
Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot SmartHR
Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot SmartHR
Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot SmartHR

SmartHR

Reducing combined processing time by 88% across HR functionsnot Bonusly
Centralizing employee information through onboarding to offboardingnot Bonusly
Distributing payroll and salary statements via mobile appnot Bonusly
Automating document distribution and employee communicationsnot Bonusly
Integrating with 120+ external systems for extended functionalitynot Bonusly

Where each one falls short

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

Bonusly

The free plan is capped at 8 users
Reward funding is separate from the subscription: a $10 gift card costs $10 on top of the per-user fee
The Bizy AI assistant costs $2 per user per month more, at $5 against $3
SAML single sign-on, awards programmes and a dedicated success manager are on the quote-only Organization tier
Advanced analytics and automations start at the Team tier

SmartHR

No specific pricing published on vendor website
Requires direct quotation for customized pricing
Multiple plan options create complexity in pricing structure

Pricing, plan by plan

Bonusly

Free

FreeFree
- Up to 8 users
- Peer recognition
- Slack and Teams integrations
Team + Bizy$5/month
- Unlimited seats
- Advanced analytics
- Milestone celebrations
Team + Bizy$60/year
- Annual plan saves 2 months
Team Without Bizy$3/month
- Everything in Team + Bizy except Bizy AI

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonusly if

You need peer-to-peer recognition.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
You also want points-based rewards.

Bonusly review

Choose SmartHR if

Nothing in the data separates SmartHR from Bonusly on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SmartHR review

Questions people ask

Is Bonusly or SmartHR better?: Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at Free and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonusly or SmartHR?: Bonusly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bonusly and On request for SmartHR.
Does Bonusly or SmartHR run on more platforms?: Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. SmartHR runs on Web.
Can I use Bonusly for free?: Yes. Bonusly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartHR starts at On request.
What is Bonusly best used for?: Bonusly is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other, redeeming points for gift cards and rewards, recognition inside slack or microsoft teams, tracking recognition patterns across teams. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other and redeeming points for gift cards and rewards are not what SmartHR is typically brought in for.
What can Bonusly do that SmartHR cannot?: Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bonusly: How much does Bonusly Team plan cost?

Bonusly Team + Bizy plan costs $5 per user per month with annual billing offering 2 months free. A Team plan without Bizy AI costs $3 per user per month ($30/year).

Source

SmartHR: How much does SmartHR cost?

SmartHR pricing is customized per organization based on features and user count. The vendor does not publish standard pricing rates. Customers must use the estimation tool or contact the vendor directly to receive a personalized quote. No additional charges are assessed beyond monthly usage fees.

Source

Bonusly: Is there a free Bonusly plan?

Yes, Bonusly offers a free plan for up to 8 users, including peer recognition, Slack and Teams integrations, and mobile apps. No credit card is required.

Source

SmartHR: What is SmartHR's free tier?

SmartHR offers a free plan (¥0プラン) for small businesses with up to 30 employees. This tier provides basic employee data management without additional charges, making it suitable for very small organizations or trials.

Source

Bonusly: What does the Bizy AI add-on cost?

Bizy AI add-on costs $2 per user per month separately from the Team plan subscription.

Source

SmartHR: What are SmartHR's plan options?

SmartHR provides multiple plans including HR Strategy Plan (labor and talent management), Essential Plan (labor management focus), Talent Management Plan (employee growth focus), and a specialized plan for companies with 50 or fewer employees. Optional add-ons including payroll, attendance tracking, and recruitment are available.

Source

Bonusly vs SmartHR

Bonusly

SmartHR

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Bonusly

Only in SmartHR

What people use each for

Bonusly

SmartHR

Where each one falls short

Bonusly

SmartHR

Pricing, plan by plan

Bonusly

SmartHR

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonusly if

Choose SmartHR if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Bonusly

More on SmartHR

Keep looking

Other head to heads