When creating a strong company culture, an efficient staff appreciation scheme can make all the difference. Two leading platforms in this space, Awardco and Nectar, have built powerful tools to help businesses engage employees, boost morale, and increase productivity. However, selecting the right employee recognition software depends on your organization's unique needs.
In this comparison, we'll dive into Awardco vs. Nectar, examining their features, integrations, pricing, customer support, and reviews. Whether you're looking for Nectar alternatives or exploring Nectar competitors, this guide will furnish you with the information required to make an informed decision. Plus, we'll introduce Matter, a standout platform that offers a robust alternative to both Awardco and Nectar.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Overview comparison
Awardco and Nectar are two of the most widely used employee recognition and rewards platforms. While they share similar goals of boosting employee engagement and retention through recognition, their approaches and key features vary significantly.
Awardco: Awardco distinguishes itself with its global reward network, offering millions of rewards through its exclusive partnership with Amazon Business. This partnership enables businesses to provide incentives, from gift cards to unique experiences, with no markup fees. Awardco is especially attractive to organizations with large, globally dispersed teams, as it simplifies the reward process and ensures cost-efficiency. Additionally, Awardco offers customizable recognition programs, allowing companies to tailor their rewards to fit specific business needs, including automating service awards, sales incentives, and peer recognition.
Awardco's platform is highly flexible, integrating seamlessly with HRIS systems like Workday and collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
This flexibility, combined with its robust reporting and analytics features, helps organizations manage recognition programs efficiently.
Nectar: Nectar, on the other hand, significantly emphasizes peer-to-peer acknowledgment, making it easy for employees to recognize each other in real time to embody company values. Nectar's platform is built to increase employee engagement by encouraging frequent and meaningful recognition from managers and peers. The platform's points-based reward system allows employees to accumulate and utilize points for various incentives, including gift cards, custom swag, and donations. Nectar also drives engagement through core value-based recognition, ensuring every shoutout ties back to the company's mission. Additionally, Nectar automates recognition for key milestones such as work anniversaries and birthdays. Like Awardco, Nectar integrates with popular communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, streamlining the recognition process across teams.
Awardco excels in providing a global rewards marketplace with custom recognition programs and robust automation, making it ideal for larger organizations. Nectar, however, shines with its focus on peer recognition and alignment with company values, making it a great fit for businesses looking to foster a collaborative culture.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Features
Awardco and Nectar provide robust employee recognition and rewards platforms, but their approaches and features differ.
Awardco features:
- Global reward network: Awardco partners with Amazon Business, offering millions of rewards with zero markups, allowing users to access a global catalog that includes gift cards, experiences, and physical rewards.
- Custom recognition programs: Awardco allows organizations to build customized recognition programs, including peer-to-peer and bulk recognition. Their automation features cover service anniversaries, onboarding milestones, and more.
- Social recognition and engagement: Awardco integrates social recognition into its platform, enabling employees to send recognition in real-time via social feeds, Slack, or Microsoft Teams.
- Integrations and flexibility: Awardco offers a wide range of integrations with major HRIS systems, single sign-on options (SSO), and collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Nectar features:
- Peer-to-peer recognition: Nectar encourages peer-to-peer recognition, allowing employees to send "shoutouts" tied to core company values and reward them with points that may be redeemed for rewards.
- Reward options: Nectar offers a broad selection of rewards, including direct integration with Amazon Business, gift cards, company-branded swag, and the ability to create custom rewards.
- Milestones and challenges: Automated recognition for work anniversaries and birthdays and the ability to set up custom challenges (e.g., wellness activities) make Nectar highly customizable to suit company needs.
- Data-driven insights: Nectar provides powerful reporting and analytics features, giving insights into employee engagement and recognition trends.
Both platforms offer flexibility, automation, and rich reward options. Still, Awardco excels with its global marketplace and direct Amazon integration, while Nectar stands out with its emphasis on peer recognition and core value-driven rewards.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Integration options
Regarding integrations, both Awardco and Nectar enable businesses to seamlessly embed recognition into their existing workflows. Whether your team utilizes Slack, Microsoft Teams, or HRIS systems, both platforms ensure smooth integration to streamline the recognition process. Awardco emphasizes flexibility for large enterprises with complex organizational structures, while Nectar provides easy access to peer-to-peer recognition within everyday tools.
Awardco integrations:
- Slack and Microsoft Teams: Awardco integrates with popular communication tools, allowing employees to send recognition and rewards without leaving their workflows. This keeps recognition simple and accessible.
- HRIS systems: Awardco integrates with HRIS platforms like Workday, BambooHR, and ADP Workforce Now, making it easier to sync employee data and automate processes like birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Single sign-on (SSO) and security: Awardco supports SSO integrations with providers such as OKTA and Google, offering a secure and seamless login experience.
Nectar integrations:
- Slack and Microsoft Teams: Nectar integrates directly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing employees to give shoutouts and recognize peers directly from these platforms.
- HRIS systems: Nectar supports popular HR platforms like BambooHR, Workday, and ADP, which helps automate employee data synchronization and ensures milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries are recognized.
- Single sign-on (SSO): Nectar offers SSO integrations with providers like Okta and Azure, ensuring secure access without needing multiple credentials. Both platforms excel in providing seamless integration options that fit within everyday workflows. However, Awardco offers broader integration with HR systems and advanced SSO capabilities, rendering it a more suitable option for larger enterprises with more intricate needs. On the other hand, Nectar is ideal for teams looking for simplicity and peer-to-peer recognition within communication platforms.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Pricing and plans
When selecting an employee recognition platform, pricing is a critical factor to consider. Awardco and Nectar provide adaptable options for businesses of varying sizes but have distinct pricing schemes.
Awardco Pricing: Pricing is not listed on the website. To learn more about pricing, you'll need to schedule a demo/sales call with Awardco.
Nectar Pricing:
- Plus $5/user/month, billed annually
- Premium $6/user/month, billed annually
- Custom [Book Demo for Quote]
Have a look at a more detailed overview of Nectar's plans and pricing.
While Awardco offers a more tailored approach for larger enterprises with complex recognition needs, Nectar's pay-per-active-user model provides flexibility for businesses that want to minimize costs associated with inactive users. Both platforms offer scalable options, but Nectar's pricing model is more adaptable for smaller businesses looking for predictable, low-cost solutions.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Customer support
The seamless implementation and ongoing utilization of employee recognition platforms such as Nectar and Awardco are contingent upon the availability of customer support. Both platforms offer a range of support options, but their levels of service and availability differ in certain ways.
Awardco customer support: Awardco offers a dedicated account manager for larger clients, ensuring someone is always available to help with onboarding, customization, and troubleshooting.
This personalized support is ideal for larger organizations that may require more complex setups or frequent assistance with program optimization.
- Dedicated account manager: For enterprise-level clients, Awardco provides a personalized account manager to assist with setup, customization, and ongoing support.
- Help center and resources: Awardco offers a comprehensive online help center, FAQ section, and video tutorials to guide users through common issues and platform features.
- 24/7 support: Although details on availability aren't explicit, Awardco's robust support structure indicates that they offer 24/7 assistance for critical issues.
Nectar customer support: Nectar offers a dedicated account manager for higher-tier plans, ensuring that businesses get personalized attention as needed. Their customer support focuses on helping clients maximize the platform's features and integrations.
- Live chat and email support: Nectar provides standard customer service from their website, which is available by live chat and email. This ensures users have direct access to support during business hours.
- Help center: Like Awardco, Nectar features an extensive help center containing articles and instructions to aid users in addressing frequent issues and comprehending the platform's functionalities.
- Dedicated support for premium plans: Nectar's Premium plan includes access to a dedicated account manager, providing personalized assistance for more complex setups.
Key differences:
- Awardco offers more personalized support through its dedicated account managers for large clients, making it better suited for enterprises with complex needs.
- Nectar, while providing strong customer support, focuses more on self-service through its help center and email support, with personalized account management only available for its higher-tier customers.
Both platforms offer solid customer support options, but Awardco may provide a more hands-on experience, particularly for larger clients that require ongoing assistance. Nectar offers solid customer service and dedicated account management for businesses on higher pricing plans, making it a good fit for those who need more structured support as they scale.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Customer reviews
Real-world experiences provide valuable insights when comparing employee recognition platforms. A great way to assess if a platform fits your company's unique needs is by looking at reviews from real users. Here's what users say about Awardco and Nectar on G2, a trusted software review platform.
Awardco customer reviews
G2 review: Awardco holds a G2 score of 4.8/5 based on over 1,500 reviews.
- Awardco is praised for its large rewards catalog, powered by its partnership with Amazon, which offers users extensive reward options with no markups. However, some users mention that the platform can initially feel complex, particularly for new users or companies with less technical expertise.
- "The system does provide a full selection of Amazon item - the ones that are really good aren't typically available. The biggest issue is with delivery and tracking the status on the UI is very poor on giving the shipping status. No email updates are provided so you need to log in and see that a poorly worded status has changed which may indiciate that an item has been delivered." - Verified User in Computer Software (Customer G2 Review).
- "Awardco lacks that "extra" element that other programs capture really well. While you can recognize peers, you can't add those extra personalized touches with GIFs and emojis. The over UI of Awardco is lackluster. Compared to others, the branding, company voice, and personality is missing. It is definitely not an obvious point to consider, but, it is something both as an Admin and a user I felt was extremely noticeable. Employees vocalized this thought too." - Verified User in Computer Software (Customer G2 Review).
- "They promise to investigate and reply the next day and after that, you hear nothing from them. It took 3 months to process my request. During this time a war has started in my country and now the certificates are useless. They can't refund them or send compensation. All I can hear is that they are sorry or ask the vendor. Also one of the certificates is not the one I ordered." - Anton A., Onboarding Tech (Customer G2 Review).
Nectar customer reviews
G2 review: Nectar holds a G2 score of 4.7/5 based on over 200 reviews
- Nectar is well-reviewed for its ease of use and seamless integration with tools like Amazon, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. However, some users feel that the platform could be more engaging for all employees to avoid any sense of favoritism or exclusion.
- "The fact that I'm only reminded about it when I have points left to give since it isn't yet established as a resource in my routine. The criteria you need in order to complete a post (hashtags and such). The fact that giving points out to everyone in a single post has to be a set number, I bet that's fair, but if some help more than others in the same avenue then I have to make separate posts for varying point allocations." - Verified User in Civil Engineering (Customer G2 Review).
- "App is a little clunky. Not all website features are available on the app." - Verified User in Hospital & Health Care (Customer G2 Review).
- "Its fun to be able to support co workers and receive in return. I wish it had more local charities that I could support." - Verified User in Computer Software.
Both Awardco and Nectar are highly regarded by their users, though there are areas where each platform could improve. Awardco is lauded for its extensive reward catalog and global reach, but it can be complex to set up. On the other hand, Nectar is appreciated for its ease of use and flexibility, though its recognition system may sometimes foster competition among employees.
Awardco vs. Nectar: Which is the right tool for you?
Choosing between Awardco and Nectar depends on your company's unique needs, workplace culture, and the type of employee recognition program you want to implement. Both platforms offer valuable solutions for boosting employee engagement but cater to different business models and priorities. Here's a breakdown to help you decide which platform aligns best with your business goals.
Choose Awardco if:
- Your company prioritizes a global rewards network and access to millions of rewards, including gift cards, experiences, and physical items through Amazon Business.
- You need flexible and customizable employee recognition software that integrates seamlessly with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and major HRIS systems such as Workday and ADP Workforce Now.
- You're looking for a recognition platform that can handle large-scale employee recognition and automate milestone celebrations like birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Your company values cost-efficiency, with zero markups on rewards, ensuring that every dollar goes directly to recognizing employees, making it one of the top Awardco alternatives.
- You prefer a tailored pricing model that allows flexible scaling based on your business needs, especially if managing complex recognition workflows across global teams.
Check out our Awardco vs. Matter guide for a full comparison.
Choose Nectar if:
- You need a peer-to-peer recognition system that ties recognition directly to your company's core values, encouraging employees to give meaningful shoutouts. Your company prefers a pay-per-active-user model, which helps manage costs effectively by only paying for employees who actively use the platform.
- Integration with HR systems such as BambooHR, ADP, or Workday is a priority for automating recognition based on real-time employee data.
- You're seeking a wide range of reward options through Amazon Business, offering employees personalized choices for rewards programs, including gift cards, company-branded swag, and donations.
- Your company is interested in creating custom recognition trends and running challenges to boost employee morale, making Nectar competitors more focused on fostering a positive workplace culture through engagement.
Check out our Nectar vs. Matter guide for a full comparison.
Ultimately, both Awardco and Nectar are powerful tools for fostering a positive workplace culture and rewarding employees. The correct decision will rely on the size of your business, goals, and the type of recognition system you want to implement. Suppose you're looking for an Awardco alternative or Nectar alternative that balances ease of use with scalability. In that case, Matter offers a competitive solution featuring a comprehensive recognition program designed to boost employee engagement as your business grows.
Matter: The best alternative to Awardco and Nectar
With the additional insights about Matter, why it stands out as a leading alternative to Awardco and Nectar becomes even clearer. Matter combines robust features with ease of use, making it a top choice for companies looking for a flexible, user-friendly, automated employee recognition platform.
Why Matter stands out:
- Slack-first and Teams-first integration: Matter integrates seamlessly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, making it a perfect fit for companies that rely on these tools for communication. This ensures that employees can give and receive recognition without ever leaving their workflow. Unlike other platforms, Matter is designed specifically with Slack and Teams in mind, prioritizing ease of use within these environments.
- Customizable kudos cards: Matter makes peer-to-peer recognition engaging by offering customizable kudos cards. Employees can create fun, personalized cards that reflect company values, inside jokes, or specific occasions, enhancing the sense of appreciation and camaraderie within teams.
- Automated and easy-to-use platform: Matter is built with automation at its core. With a 2-minute installation and 5-10 minutes for customization, the platform can be set up quickly and requires minimal ongoing management. Automated features like Feedback Friday encourage employees to give kudos regularly, making it easy to sustain recognition efforts.
- Celebrations and rewards: Matter automatically celebrates employee milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries, rewarding them with personalized options such as digital gift cards or charity donations. Employees can even self-serve their celebration dates through the platform, ensuring no one is left out.
- Flexible rewards system: Matter offers a variety of reward options, including digital gift cards, prepaid Visa/Mastercard options, and custom-branded rewards like company merchandise or experiences. The platform's coin system resets weekly, encouraging more frequent participation and authentic recognition compared to competitors.
Key features of Matter:
- Peer-to-peer recognition with kudos cards: Employees can send beautiful, customizable kudos cards aligned with company values, making recognition fun and meaningful.
- Automation and ease of use: The platform facilitates key processes like Feedback Friday and celebrations, with quick setup and minimal need for ongoing management.
- Custom rewards and coins: Matter's system refreshes weekly, promoting consistent recognition. Employees can redeem their coins for a variety of meaningful rewards.
- Incentivized surveys: Matter encourages survey participation by offering rewards, which can be easily distributed through Slack or Teams for quick and efficient responses.
Matter is a robust and flexible alternative to Awardco and Nectar, offering intuitive features that are highly customizable and automated. Its seamless integration with Slack and Teams, combined with its focus on continuous recognition and feedback, makes it the optimal choice for enterprises of all sizes looking to improve engagement and foster a positive workplace culture. Whether your company values ease of use, automation, or a wide range of reward options, Matter delivers a complete solution that can grow with your business.
Awardco vs. Nectar: FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions to help you determine whether Awardco or Nectar is the best fit for your company's employee recognition program.
Q: How do Awardco and Nectar compare in terms of features?
A: Awardco is known for its global rewards network powered by Amazon Business, which offers millions of rewards with zero markups. It also excels at automating milestone celebrations like birthdays and service anniversaries.
On the other hand, Nectar focuses on peer-to-peer recognition tied to company values, offering flexible reward options such as gift cards, custom-branded swag, and charitable donations.
Q: Which platform is better suited for large, global organizations?
A: Awardco is more suited for large organizations with international teams due to its robust HRIS integrations with platforms like Workday and ADP Workforce Now. It is ideal for companies seeking comprehensive automation of employee recognition at scale.
Nectar, while effective for mid-sized businesses, focuses more on fostering company culture through peer recognition.
Q: How do the platforms handle activity tracking and performance management?
A: Awardco offers advanced activity tracking and performance management features, which help organizations monitor employee recognition trends and ensure rewards align with performance goals.
While also offering tracking, Nectar emphasizes engagement by encouraging frequent recognition tied to company values rather than deep performance analytics.
Q: How do they integrate with existing tools?
A: Both platforms integrate seamlessly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing employees to give recognition directly within these tools. Awardco integrates more deeply with HR systems, automating the tracking of milestones. At the same time, Nectar is easier to implement for small and medium-sized businesses, supporting similar integrations with less setup complexity.
Q: How do Awardco and Nectar handle customer support, and do they offer a live rep?
A: Awardco provides robust customer support with a dedicated account manager for larger clients and offers 24/7 support for critical issues. While it doesn't explicitly mention a live rep, their support team promptly addresses concerns.
Nectar offers live chat support and email assistance, ensuring users can reach out easily when needed.
Q: How do these platforms handle recognition automation?
A: Awardco provides full automation for milestones like birthdays, work anniversaries, and performance milestones, which makes it ideal for reducing manual tasks. It also automates many of the complex elements related to reward verification, ensuring that all data is accurate and synchronized.
Nectar, similarly, automates milestones but adds a social element, encouraging employees to celebrate achievements in real-time through Slack or Teams.
Q: Are there any alternatives to Awardco and Nectar?
A: Yes, if you're looking for Awardco alternatives or Nectar competitors, Matter is an excellent choice. Matter integrates with Slack and Teams to offer peer recognition through customizable kudos cards. It automates milestone celebrations and uses a flexible coin system that resets weekly to encourage frequent participation.
Q: How do these platforms manage user interaction and connection with the system?
A: Awardco simplifies user interactions by offering a user-friendly interface for global reward distribution and automating milestones, allowing employees to engage without manual input. It ensures the verification and tracking of rewards across multiple systems.
Nectar focuses on making human interactions more meaningful by tying recognition to core values, with automated prompts to encourage peer recognition.
Both Awardco and Nectar provide effective employee recognition options but are tailored to distinct corporate needs. Awardco is perfect for large enterprises seeking automated recognition and global rewards, while Nectar is an excellent option for businesses focused on fostering engagement through simple, peer-to-peer recognition.
If you're looking for the best of both worlds, Matter is an excellent alternative. It balances the automation and integration capabilities of Awardco with Nectar's engagement and peer recognition features, offering a flexible and easy-to-use platform designed to enhance workplace culture. Get started with Matter for free today.
