Head to head

Empuls vs Guusto

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

Empuls

Sales-quoted

Empuls is still Xoxoday's employee engagement platform, sold under the Empuls name. Pricing is a per-employee, per-month SaaS model based on headcount and the modules you turn on. The vendor pricing page does not print a dollar rate.

Where Empuls fits

  • HR teams that want recognition, surveys, and a social intranet from one Xoxoday product
  • Companies that will add perks later rather than buy the whole suite day one
  • Global employers already looking at Xoxoday Plum for rewards catalogs
  • Mid-market internal-comms leads who want a feed plus rewards, not only an intranet

Guusto

$150/mo Free tier 30 day free trial

Guusto is a recognition and rewards product built for frontline teams. A free plan lets you send rewards with no subscription. Paid Lite is $150 per month for 1 sender and 250 recipient seats, with a 30-day trial.

Where Guusto fits

  • Frontline and deskless teams that need SMS, print, and QR redemption
  • HR teams starting on a $0 plan before buying Lite at $150/mo
  • Mid-market programs that will hit Essential's $200/mo annual minimum
  • Companies that want senders billed higher than members so more budget hits the gift, not the seat

At a glance

DetailEmpulsGuusto
Starting priceSales-quoted$150/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialNot on record30 day free trial
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underInternal communications, Recognition & rewardsRecognition & rewards
Capterra4.5 from 109 reviews4.9 from 3,831 reviews

Where they pull apart

Empuls

Stands out: You pick modules (recognition, surveys, perks, social intranet) instead of a forced bundle, and AI is described as built into every module. Slack and Microsoft Teams are named deployment surfaces.

Watch out: Reward catalog spend is billed when employees redeem, on top of the platform fee. Minimum employee counts and contract lengths are handled in sales. Third-party $2/employee/month teaser copy is not on the pricing table.

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers who need a printed $99/mo checkout
  • Teams that only need a free Slack kudos app

Guusto

Stands out: You pay full price only for senders. Recipients cost less on Essential ($4 sender + $0.70 recipient, $200/mo minimum) and Premium ($500/mo minimum). Rewards also go out by SMS, print, and QR, not just email.

Watch out: Essential and Premium minimums are billed annually. API access sits on Premium. Unclaimed rewards can be cancelled on Lite, which matters for frontline programs where emails bounce.

Not the right fit for

  • Enterprises that need a full culture suite with surveys and wellbeing in the base SKU
  • Buyers who refuse annual billing on Essential and Premium

Pros and cons

Empuls

  • Modular PEPM so you are not forced into a full culture suite
  • Recognition, surveys, and a social intranet in one Xoxoday product still branded Empuls
  • Capterra 4.5 from 109 matching Xoxoday Empuls reviews
  • No public dollar table on the Empuls pricing page
  • Reward redemptions bill separately from the platform fee
  • Implementation is a sales-led rollout, not a credit-card signup

Guusto

  • Permanent free plan plus a $150/mo Lite with a 30-day trial
  • SMS, print, and QR reach frontline staff who do not live in Slack
  • Capterra 4.9 from 3,831 matching Guusto reviews
  • Essential $200/mo and Premium $500/mo minimums are annual
  • API is Premium-only
  • The subscription does not include the gift-card spend

What each one costs

Empuls

Sales-quoted

Empuls is priced per employee per month based on headcount and the modules you activate. Recognition, surveys, perks, and the social intranet can be mixed. Reward catalog spend is billed on redemption, separate from the platform fee. The vendor does not print a dollar rate. A demo produces a quote. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Guusto

$150/mo

A free plan sends rewards with no subscription fee. Lite is $150 per month for 1 sender seat and 250 recipient seats, with a 30-day trial. Essential is $4 per sender plus $0.70 per recipient with a $200 per month minimum, billed annually. Premium has a $500 per month minimum, billed annually, and adds SSO, HRIS integrations, global rewards, and API. Reward spend is separate. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Empuls or Guusto for free?
Guusto carries a free tier on our listing. Guusto offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?