Bonusly vs. Motivosity [2024 Unbiased Comparison]

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Employee recognition tools play a pivotal role in fostering a positive company culture. Two leading platforms in this space are Bonusly and Motivosity, both offering dynamic solutions to help businesses increase employee engagement, reward performance, and promote collaboration. However, selecting the right platform depends on understanding how each tool aligns with your organization's goals.

In this comparison, we'll explore the key differences between Bonusly and Motivosity, covering their features, integration options, pricing, customer support, and user reviews. Whether looking for Motivosity alternatives or considering Motivosity competitors, this guide will provide all the crucial information needed to make a well-informed decision. We'll also introduce Matter, a standout employee recognition software that provides an effective alternative to Bonusly and Motivosity.

Let's dive into the detailed comparison to determine which solution fits your business needs best.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Overview comparison

Bonusly and Motivosity offer dynamic platforms to enhance employee recognition and engagement, though they focus on slightly different aspects of the recognition process.

Bonusly emphasizes peer-to-peer recognition, making it simple for employees to reward colleagues for everyday contributions through a user-friendly platform. Each employee is given a monthly allowance of "points" that they can distribute to peers, managers, and direct reports. 

These points may subsequently be exchanged for a variety of incentives like gift cards, donations, or custom company perks. Bonusly integrates seamlessly with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other communication platforms, making recognition quick and visible in real time. This system encourages frequent, spontaneous recognition that aligns with company values, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction across teams​.

On the other hand, Motivosity takes a broader approach to employee engagement, focusing not just on peer-to-peer recognition but also on automating rewards, employee engagement surveys, and creating a cohesive company culture. It offers tools like a public social recognition wall highlighting achievements, automated birthday and anniversary celebrations, and personalized rewards. Additionally, Motivosity allows for more comprehensive employee feedback through pulse surveys and detailed reporting features that help track engagement and recognition trends. The platform's flexibility makes it well-suited for both small teams and large organizations, particularly those looking to build a more connected workplace culture​.

Bonusly is ideal for companies seeking a straightforward, peer-to-peer recognition tool with frequent and visible rewards. Motivosity provides a more comprehensive suite of tools that include recognition, feedback, and engagement insights to help foster a people-first workplace culture.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Features 

Both Bonusly and Motivosity offer comprehensive employee recognition platforms with unique features to boost engagement and foster a positive company culture. However, depending on your organization's needs, you may find one a better fit than the other. This comparison will help you explore these Bonusly alternatives and Motivosity competitors.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Platform
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Platform

Bonusly emphasizes peer-to-peer recognition, allowing employees to recognize each other's contributions through an easy-to-use platform. Users receive a monthly point allowance to reward peers, which can be redeemed for various rewards, including gift cards, donations, and company-specific perks. With Bonusly, public recognition posts keep everyone informed of the great work happening across the organization. The platform is compatible with widely used applications such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts, encouraging frequent recognition and engagement. Bonusly's features include:

  • Public recognition feed: A transparent feed that increases the visibility of accomplishments.
  • Customizable rewards: Employers can add custom company rewards alongside a wide selection of gift cards​.
  • Detailed analytics: Managers gain insight into recognition trends to help optimize team performance​.
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Platform
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Platform

Meanwhile, Motivosity is a robust employee engagement platform that goes beyond just recognition. It's particularly well-suited as a Motivosity alternative for companies implementing a broader engagement strategy. While peer recognition is a key feature, Motivosity also offers tools for automating rewards, conducting employee engagement surveys, and promoting a connected workplace culture. Notable features include:

  • Recognition wall: A social space where employees can see and celebrate each other's achievements​.
  • Automated milestones: Automatically celebrate work anniversaries, birthdays, and other important dates​.
  • Employee feedback tools: Detailed surveys and reporting allow a deeper understanding of team dynamics​.

Bonusly is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a straightforward peer recognition tool, Motivosity is ideal for companies seeking a more comprehensive engagement software with built-in feedback and celebration tools. Both platforms serve as top contenders among Bonusly competitors and Motivosity alternatives, catering to different business needs.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Integration options

Regarding integration, both Bonusly and Motivosity allow businesses to seamlessly embed recognition into their existing workflows. Whether your team uses Slack, Microsoft Teams, or HRIS systems, these platforms ensure smooth integration to streamline the recognition process. Bonusly focuses on straightforward integrations to enhance peer recognition, while Motivosity offers a more extensive range of integrations, including custom options for larger enterprises.

Bonusly integrations:

  • Slack and Microsoft Teams: Bonusly integrates directly with these popular communication tools, allowing employees to give recognition without leaving their workflows. This makes it easy for teams to stay engaged while recognizing peers in real-time​.
  • HRIS systems: Bonusly supports integration with HR platforms like BambooHR, helping automate employee data syncing and ensuring that milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries are never missed​.
  • Single Sign-On (SSO): Bonusly also offers SSO integrations with providers like Google and Okta, providing employees with a secure and seamless login experience​.

Motivosity integrations:

  • Slack and Microsoft Teams: Like Bonusly, Motivosity integrates with Slack and Microsoft Teams, ensuring that recognition is easily accessible within communication tools​.
  • HRIS systems: Motivosity provides integrations with a wider range of HR platforms, such as Workday and BambooHR, allowing for smoother synchronization of employee data and automating recognition for key milestones​.
  • Custom API and SSO: Motivosity stands out with its Open API, enabling businesses to create custom integrations. It also supports advanced SSO integrations with providers like Azure and Okta, offering flexibility for complex organizational needs​.

Both platforms excel at embedding recognition into everyday workflows, but Motivosity offers broader HR integration and custom API options, making it a strong choice among Motivosity competitors for larger organizations. On the other hand, Bonusly alternatives may prefer its simplicity and peer-to-peer focus within communication tools.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Pricing and plans

When selecting an employee recognition software, pricing is an essential factor, and both Bonusly and Motivosity provide adaptable solutions that accommodate businesses of differing scales. However, they take different approaches to pricing.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Recognition
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Recognition

Bonusly pricing:

  • Appreciate: $2/user/month, billed annually
  • Connect: $5/user/month, billed annually
  • Achieve: $7/user/month, billed annually

Have a look at a more detailed overview of Bonusly's plans and pricing.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Recognition
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Recognition

Motivosity pricing:

  • $3,000 Minimum annual spendsome text
    • Standard
    • Pro
    • Custom
    • Add-Ons: Communications, Spaces, Surveys, Meetings.

Have a look at a more detailed overview of Motivosity's plans and pricing.

While Bonusly is ideal for enterprises needing a custom pricing model for scalability, Motivosity's pay-per-active-user approach offers a flexible, cost-effective solution for smaller organizations. Both platforms provide comprehensive options, but Motivosity's model is particularly advantageous for enterprises seeking to minimize expenses related to dormant consumers.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Customer support

When selecting an employee recognition software, customer support is important to ensure smooth onboarding and ongoing success. Both Bonusly and Motivosity offer robust customer support services but with different approaches.

Bonusly customer support:

  • Help center: Bonusly offers a comprehensive Help Center, where users can find various articles on account setup, billing, integrations, and troubleshooting. This self-service resource covers both admin and user-level questions​.
  • Email support: For more personalized help, Bonusly provides email support where users can contact the team directly. Admins can contact their Customer Success Manager for help with tasks such as setting up custom recognition allowances for different roles.
  • Proactive notifications: Bonusly also provides email notifications to remind users to use their monthly allowances and to alert admins about pending reward requests and catalog updates, helping to ensure smooth platform usage​.

Motivosity customer support:

  • Customer success manager: Motivosity offers a dedicated Customer Success Manager to help businesses with onboarding, best practices, and ongoing platform optimization​.
  • Help articles: Like Bonusly, Motivosity has a range of self-service articles on integrations, software features, and HRIS syncing, helping users resolve common issues​.
  • Custom demos and training: Motivosity provides custom demos and training sessions, allowing businesses to get a hands-on understanding of the platform's capabilities​.

Both platforms offer strong customer support, but Motivosity might appeal to businesses that prefer a more hands-on approach through dedicated managers and custom training. Bonusly, on the other hand, offers more extensive self-service resources through its detailed Help Center.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Customer reviews

Real-world experiences provide valuable insights when comparing employee rewards 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 Bonusly and Motivosity on trusted review platforms like G2 and Capterra.

Bonusly customer reviews

G2 review: Bonusly holds a G2 score of 4.7/5 based on over 1,500 reviews.

  • Bonusly is highly regarded for its ease of use, a broad variety of reward options, and the simplicity of its peer-to-peer recognition system. However, some users feel the reward options could be expanded, especially for international teams.
  • "The recognition method and how it can interact with the whole team. It is a great idea to use the Social Media way of posting. Reports and settings are a bit unstable, and the format will not load correctly occasionally." - Diego V., VP of Operations & HR.
  • "I dislike the fact that the rewards catalogue has almost no options, the country switch was removed due to taxing issue like that is a users problem, which is not. We pay for this service, it's not free, but we get nothing but the same copy paste reply from support that nothing can be done to add either vouchers for existing vendors or new vendors, but they can add donations from various countries around the world that have nothing to do with my area. How can you spam us to donate for USA and when we ask for amazon vouchers it cannot be done?" - Verified User in Computer Software (Customer G2 Review).
  • "I love the idea of rewarding co workers for their assistance and attitude in the office. Although I think the idea is great, I have purchased 2 $25. visa cards to be mailed to me but never received them…" - Verified User in Legal Services.

Motivosity customer reviews

G2 review: Motivosity holds a G2 score of 4.7/5 based on over 1,000 reviews.

  • Motivosity is appreciated for its community-building features, easy integration with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and strong peer-to-peer recognition capabilities. However, some users mention issues with missed notifications and minor technical glitches.
  • "That it always defaults to showing my entire company in stead of just my team. Also that the verification emails seem to take forever to hit my inbox; bot sure if that's a Motivosity issue or a server issue on our end." - Corbett S., Customer Service Representative (Customer G2 Review).
  • "Customer service is horrible. Overpriced for the value provided. Login and password forced dual authentication EVERY TIME I try to access the app makes it nearly impossible to use the app and is why we have a difficult time getting staff engagement with the app." - Verified User in Hospital & Health Care (Customer G2 Review).
  • "The UI is easy to navigate, this is very accessible to anyone end user of any skill level. The tool is mostly fluff. The useful parts of this tool (ie recognition and reward) already exist in either tools we use or other 3rd party tools, and anything unique about the tool is fluff, such as the personality matching." - Verified User in Computer Software (Customer G2 Review).

Both Bonusly and Motivosity receive high praise from their users, though each platform could improve in some areas. Bonusly is well-loved for its simplicity and broad reward options, while Motivosity is celebrated for its community-building and deeper engagement features. However, Bonusly's international reward options and Motivosity's notification system are areas that users feel could be enhanced.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Which is the right tool for you?

Choosing between Bonusly and Motivosity depends on your company's specific needs, workplace culture, and the goals of your employee recognition program. Both platforms offer excellent 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.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Rewards
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Bonusly Rewards

Choose Bonusly if:

  • Your company values a simple, peer-to-peer recognition system that encourages frequent, positive feedback between employees, managers, and teams​.
  • You need a wide range of reward options, including gift cards, donations, and personalized company rewards, making it an ideal choice for teams looking to offer flexible rewards​.
  • Integration with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and other communication systems is a priority to seamlessly embed recognition into daily workflows​.
  • You're looking for a cost-effective, pay-per-user model that scales with your company's size and allows for easy budgeting based on active user count, making it one of the top Bonusly alternatives.
  • Custom reporting and analytics are important for tracking employee engagement and recognition trends, helping managers make data-driven decisions​.

Check out our Bonusly vs. Matter guide for a full comparison.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Rewards
Bonusly vs. Motivosity: Motivosity Rewards

Choose Motivosity if:

  • You need a more comprehensive employee engagement platform that handles peer recognition and provides tools for feedback, employee engagement surveys, and performance tracking​.
  • Your company prefers a reward system based on points redeemable for gift cards, charity donations, or other rewards while promoting engagement through a public recognition wall.
  • You're looking for integration with HRIS systems like Workday, BambooHR, and ADP to sync employee data and automate milestone celebrations such as birthdays and work anniversaries​.
  • Community-building features like shared interest groups and personalized recognition badges are a priority, helping foster stronger team connections and a sense of belonging among employees​.
  • If your company is focused on creating a positive culture through engagement insights and customizable recognition programs, Motivosity competitors may find it a great fit.

Check out our Motivosity vs. Matter guide for a full comparison.

Both Bonusly and Motivosity are powerful tools for fostering employee engagement and recognition. The right choice depends on your company's size, goals, and recognition preferences. If you're exploring a Bonusly or Motivosity alternative, Matter offers a balanced solution that combines ease of use with comprehensive engagement tools, making it an excellent fit for growing businesses.

Matter: The Best Alternative to Bonusly and Motivosity

Suppose you're exploring Motivosity alternatives or Bonusly competitors. In that case, Matter offers a comprehensive and user-friendly solution that stands out for its ease of use, Slack and Teams integrations, and innovative features. Here's why Matter could be the ideal choice for your company's employee recognition needs:

  • Slack-first and Teams-first integrations: Matter integrates seamlessly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, allowing recognition to happen where your team already works. This makes peer-to-peer recognition quick and effortless, embedding the process in daily workflows.
  • Customizable kudos cards: With Matter, employees can send personalized, beautifully designed kudos cards that are fun to use and customize. Whether for celebrating company values, inside jokes, or team accomplishments, kudos cards help make recognition more meaningful​.
  • Effortless setup and automation: Matter is designed to be simple from start to finish. The platform can be installed in just 2 minutes; most customizations take 5-10 minutes. After setup, it's fully automated, requiring no additional administrative effort​.
  • Feedback Friday: Matter encourages regular recognition through its unique Feedback Friday feature. This fully customizable, automated tool prompts employees to give kudos at the end of the week, helping everyone close out on a positive note​.
  • Automated celebrations: Matter makes celebrating employee milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries easy. It even has an innovative, self-serve system that asks employees to provide their celebration dates, making it easy to automate and personalize rewards for these events​.
  • Incentivized surveys and rewards: Surveys can be easily distributed through Slack or Teams, and Matter incentivizes participation with rewards, ensuring higher engagement and meaningful feedback collection​.
  • Unique rewards system: Matter offers a wide range of rewards, including charity donations, digital gift cards, prepaid Visa/Mastercards, and custom-branded rewards like company merchandise, lunch with the CEO, or even an extra vacation day​.
  • Coin system for frequent recognition: Unlike many other platforms, Matter resets its coin system on a weekly basis. This higher frequency encourages employees to give recognition more authentically and regularly, promoting a positive culture of frequent appreciation​.

Matter combines the best aspects of both Bonusly and Motivosity, from robust integrations to various customizable rewards. It also provides distinctive characteristics that make it an excellent choice for businesses seeking an alternative. Its ease of use, automation, and creative approach to recognition make Matter a compelling option for organizations of all sizes looking to enhance employee engagement and celebrate accomplishments effectively.

Bonusly vs. Motivosity: FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions to help you determine whether Bonusly or Motivosity best fits your company's employee recognition program.

Q: How do Bonusly and Motivosity compare in terms of features?

A: Bonusly is known for its simple peer-to-peer recognition system, which allows employees to reward each other using points redeemed for gift cards, donations, or cash payouts. It also features customizable rewards, a public recognition feed, and basic analytics.

Motivosity, on the other hand, goes beyond recognition by adding features like engagement surveys, feedback tools, and a community-building recognition wall. It offers more comprehensive employee engagement options and deeper insights into team dynamics​.

Q: Which platform is better suited for large organizations?

A: Motivosity is better suited for larger organizations due to its comprehensive engagement tools, HRIS integrations, and ability to handle feedback and surveys in addition to recognition. It excels at fostering a community-driven culture through shared interest groups and leaderboards​.

Bonusly is ideal for smaller to mid-sized companies looking for a straightforward, scalable recognition tool with frequent, public recognition and customizable rewards​.

Q: How do the platforms handle activity tracking and performance management?

A: Bonusly offers basic tracking and reporting to help managers see who is recognizing and being recognized, with insights available through its analytics dashboard​.

Motivosity provides deeper tracking, offering insights into employee engagement, participation, and feedback trends. It also offers tools for tracking milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries​.

Q: How do they integrate with existing tools?

A: Both platforms integrate seamlessly with Slack and Microsoft Teams, enabling employees to give recognition directly within these platforms​.

Motivosity offers additional integrations with HRIS systems like Workday and BambooHR, which makes it easier for larger organizations to automate recognition tied to milestones​.

Q: How do Bonusly and Motivosity handle customer support?

A: Bonusly provides customer support through email, live chat, and an extensive help center. For larger clients, there is also a dedicated customer success team​.

Motivosity offers similar support options, including phone, email, and live support, as well as detailed documentation and training​.

Q: How do these platforms manage recognition automation?

A: Motivosity excels in automating milestone celebrations such as birthdays, work anniversaries, and performance-based recognition through its HRIS integrations​.

Bonusly automates the recognition process by reminding employees to use their monthly points allowance, ensuring recognition remains frequent and public​.

Q: Are there any alternatives to Bonusly and Motivosity?

A: Yes, if you're looking for Bonusly alternatives or Motivosity competitors, Matter is a great option. Matter integrates seamlessly with Slack and Teams, offering customizable kudos cards for peer recognition. It also automates milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries, providing a more frequent coin reset system than other platforms and encouraging ongoing engagement​.

Q: How do these platforms manage user interaction and engagement?

A: Bonusly encourages regular interaction through its points-based system and customizable rewards, ensuring frequent participation. Its simple interface makes recognition easy to give and track​.

Motivosity promotes more in-depth engagement through community-building features like recognition walls, shared interests, badges, and broader engagement tools for feedback and performance​.

Both Bonusly and Motivosity provide robust employee recognition solutions. However, they cater to a variety of business needs. Bonusly is perfect for smaller businesses seeking frequent public recognition with flexible rewards. At the same time, Motivosity offers a more comprehensive platform ideal for larger organizations seeking to build a more connected and engaged workforce. If you're looking for a balanced solution, Matter combines the best of both platforms with automated recognition and customizable features that foster frequent engagement and a positive workplace culture.

Bonusly and Motivosity are powerful tools for enhancing employee recognition and engagement. Bonusly excels with its simple, points-based recognition system and simple interaction with popular programs such as Slack and Teams, making it perfect for businesses focused on quick, frequent recognition. On the other hand, Motivosity offers a more comprehensive solution with additional features like engagement surveys, feedback tools, and a community-driven recognition wall, which is ideal for larger organizations aiming to foster deeper employee connections.

If you're looking for an alternative that balances the ease of use and automation of these platforms while also offering customizable kudos cards and automated celebrations, Matter is the perfect fit. With seamless Slack and Teams integration, automated milestone celebrations, and a flexible coin system that encourages regular participation, Matter can take your employee recognition program to the next level.

Ready to elevate your employee engagement? Get started with Matter for free today and experience the benefits for yourself!

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