Compare/Head to head

Empuls vs Motivosity

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

Starting price

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

Motivosity

Sales-quoted

Peer bonuses, milestones, and a culture feed for mid-market teams. Motivosity says pricing is 100 percent custom, with a $3,000 minimum on the small-business bundle.

Where Motivosity fits

  • Mid-market companies that want peer bonuses and a social feed in one product
  • Global teams that need a multi-currency rewards marketplace and ThanksMatters Visa cash-out
  • Healthcare and multi-location employers that want a named industry bundle
  • HR teams that may add pulse surveys and employee spaces later

At a glance

DetailEmpulsMotivosity
Starting priceSales-quotedSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underInternal communications, Recognition & rewardsRecognition & rewards
Capterra4.5 from 109 reviews4.8 from 1,182 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

Motivosity

Stands out: The vendor prints popular bundles (Celebrating People, Scaling Globally, Small Business, Engagement, Healthcare) and calls out a $3,000 minimum spend for companies under 250 employees.

Watch out: There is still no per-user grid. motivosity.com/pricing is a custom-quote page. The $3,000 figure is a floor on one bundle, not a Starter PEPM you can check out.

Not the right fit for

  • Startups that need a free Slack kudos tier today
  • Enterprises standardized on Workhuman IQ and Inclusion Advisor

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

Motivosity

  • ThanksMatters Visa and a global marketplace, not gift cards only
  • Named $3,000 small-business minimum so tiny shops know there is a floor
  • Capterra 4.8 from 1,182 reviews
  • Still a custom quote. There is no checkout grid next to the $3,000 floor
  • Free Slack-style kudos tools will be cheaper for very small teams
  • Pulse surveys and manager tools sit in other bundles, not the cheapest mix

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 4 Nov 2026

Motivosity

Sales-quoted

Motivosity pricing is custom. The vendor says it designs recognition solutions from about 75 to 10,000-plus employees. Popular bundles include Celebrating People, Scaling Globally, Engagement, and Healthcare. The Small Business bundle lists a $3,000 minimum spend. There is no public per-user checkout grid. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Empuls or Motivosity for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?