Head to head

Bonusly vs Recognize

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Bonusly

$3/user/mo Free tier 30 day free trial

Peer recognition and rewards. Free for up to 8 users; cheapest paid Team is $3/user/mo without Bizy, or $5/user/mo with Bizy included.

Where Bonusly fits

Teams starting peer recognition in Slack or Teams
Companies under 8 people (free)
HR teams that want points and a rewards shop without an enterprise suite
Orgs willing to trial 30 days

Recognize

Sales-quoted Free trial

Social employee recognition inside Microsoft 365, Slack, and your HRIS. Start-Up, Mid-Market, and Enterprise are quote-based.

Where Recognize fits

Microsoft 365 workplaces that want recognition in Teams
HR teams automating birthdays and work anniversaries
Companies redeeming gift cards and Amazon rewards
Global employers that need multi-currency catalogs

At a glance

Detail	Bonusly	Recognize
Starting price	$3/user/mo	Sales-quoted
Free tier	✓Yes	–No
Free trial	30 day free trial	Yes
MCP server	–No	–No
Public API	✓Yes	✓Yes
Listed under	Engagement, Recognition & rewards	Recognition & rewards
Capterra	4.8 from 1,611 reviews	4.8 from 576 reviews

Where they pull apart

Bonusly

Stands out: A real free plan plus a $3/user public Team seat, with Slack and Teams in the flow of work rather than a separate rewards portal nobody opens.

Watch out: Bizy, the AI recognition sidekick, is included on the $5 Team plan (or $2/user/month extra). Organization is quoted. HRIS provisioning is not on Free.

Not the right fit for

Enterprises that need Workhuman-scale programs
Buyers who want Bizy on the $3 seat
Companies that will not put recognition in Slack

Recognize

Stands out: Peer badges, gift cards, and anniversary posts run in Teams, Outlook, and Viva Engage instead of a separate app.

Watch out: Billing is annual. A 30-day refund after signing is not a free trial. AI summaries are Enterprise-only.

Not the right fit for

Buyers who want a public per-user price
Teams that need AI summaries on a cheap tier

Pros and cons

Bonusly

Free plan up to 8 users
Public $3/user/mo Team seat
30-day trial with Bizy included

Bizy is extra on the $3 seat
Organization is quoted
Not a full engagement suite

Recognize

Runs in Teams, Outlook, and Slack
Gift cards on the Start-Up tier
SSO and HRIS user sync included

Quote-only annual contracts
AI reporting is Enterprise-only
No published per-user rate

What each one costs

Bonusly

$3/user/mo

Free plan for up to 8 users. Paid Team from about $3 per user a month without Bizy, or $5 with Bizy. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 12 Sep 2026

Recognize

Sales-quoted

Sales-quoted. Annual subscription priced on organization headcount, with Start-Up, Mid-Market, and Enterprise packs. User counts can change during the year at no mid-term price change and are re-evaluated at renewal. First-month refund after signing if it is not a fit. Rewards balances return on cancel minus a $50 processing fee. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Bonusly or Recognize for free?

Bonusly carries a free tier on our listing. Bonusly offers a 30 day free trial. Recognize offers a free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Bonusly alternatives All Recognize alternatives Every Engagement tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 12 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?