Best employee recognition software
Bonusly ranks first on published price: it has a free plan, and its paid Team plan without Bizy is $3 per user a month. PeopleMuster is second at the same $3 per person, and that figure covers awards and shoutouts plus attendance, leave, timesheets and every other module in the product.
How this was judged
Ranked on the lowest published per-person price at which a team can run awards and peer shoutouts, then on what else that price covers.
Four recognition products were compared on 24 September 2026. Each price was read from the vendor's own pricing page that day. Bonusly and PeopleMuster both publish $3 per person, so the tie breaks on the lower starting point: Bonusly's free plan puts it first. Kudos and Achievers show no price, only a demo request, so they follow in alphabetical order. Disclosure: PeopleMuster is our product, and it sits where the method puts it.
The ranking
Bonusly
Free plan. Team without Bizy $3, Team with Bizy $5 per user a month. Organization plan custom. 30-day trial. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A team that wants a recognition tool on its own and would like to start free.
- Where it wins
- A free plan to start, two published paid plans and a 30-day trial.
- Where it falls short
- The Organization plan has no published price, and adding Bizy moves the Team plan from $3 to $5.
PeopleMuster
$3 per person a month, every module included, no tiers. $30 per person a year on annual billing.- Who it suits
- A company that wants recognition to sit on the same record as attendance, leave and projects.
- Where it wins
- You create your own award types, like Employee of the Month, and every award lands in a history by person and department. Shoutouts are scheduled posts with their own types, such as Teamwork or Above & Beyond, a start date and a run length. The dashboard shows recent awards and shoutouts beside birthdays and work anniversaries.
Achievers
No published price. Demo request only. Checked 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A company that expects a sales-led buying process.
- Where it wins
- A dedicated recognition vendor that walks you through a demo before you buy.
- Where it falls short
- No figure on the page, so you can't compare it until you've booked a call.
Kudos
No published price. Demo request only. Checked 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A company that wants a recognition specialist and is ready for a sales call.
- Where it wins
- A dedicated recognition vendor with a guided demo.
- Where it falls short
- The price needs a conversation, which puts it out of reach of a like-for-like comparison.
Questions people ask
What does employee recognition software cost?
Published prices in this set run from free to $5 per user a month. Bonusly has a free plan, then $3 without Bizy and $5 with it. PeopleMuster is $3 per person with recognition and every HR module included. Kudos and Achievers only quote after a demo.
How do shoutouts work in PeopleMuster?
An admin writes the shoutout, picks the people it's for and chooses a type, such as Innovation or Milestone Achievement. You set when it starts showing and how long it runs, and it expires on its own after that. Recent shoutouts and awards appear on the dashboard.
Why would you want recognition inside an HR system?
Because the people are already there. In PeopleMuster an award attaches to the same person record as their department, attendance and projects, so you never keep a second staff list up to date. It's one price too: $3 per person a month covers recognition with everything else.