Best Employee Recognition Software

In today's workplace, many companies are facing a quiet crisis: disengagement, turnover, and a lack of meaningful connection between employees and their organizations. Despite billions spent annually on employee engagement, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work. Consistently recognizing employees is a strategic approach that many organizations underestimate in its impact.

Employee recognition—acknowledging and appreciating workers for their contributions— plays a vital role in boosting engagement, enhancing company culture, and fostering workplace purpose. When recognition is timely, authentic, and tied to organizational values, it reinforces the behaviors that drive performance and builds a culture of appreciation. This helps employees feel seen, valued, and connected to their work—key elements in maintaining high engagement and motivation. According to Gallup, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll leave their job within a year, making consistent recognition essential for retaining talent and cultivating a thriving, purpose-driven workforce.

Here are key things to consider when selecting employee recognition software:

G2 score: 4.7/5

Achievers is a high-adoption platform that integrates directly into tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace, and Zoom, allowing employees to recognize peers without disrupting workflow. Its global rewards marketplace spans 190 countries and offers localized, tax-compliant, and markup-free options ranging from gift cards to charitable donations. The platform is also backed by AI-driven insights and customizable reporting, enabling HR teams to track program performance, participation, and recognition trends in real time. Users frequently highlight its ease of implementation, intuitive admin controls, and seamless integrations as standout strengths. However, some note that peer-to-peer recognition tools feel limited in expressiveness, with fewer GIF or emoji options than other social-style platforms. In addition, customization of the social feed experience is somewhat restricted for teams seeking a more branded or interactive environment.

G2 score: 4.8/5

Assembly strengthens culture in hybrid and remote teams through real-time feedback, community building, and automation. Its Spaces feature encourages collaboration via interest-based forums and AI-generated prompts, while Boost allows users to award points directly within comment threads for seamless peer recognition. With customizable rewards catalogs, automated milestone bots, and flexible challenge and announcement tools, Assembly makes it easy to embed appreciation into the daily flow of work. While praised for its simple implementation and wide feature set, some users report limitations in global reward variety, a need for more advanced reporting, and a slight learning curve due to the platform’s many capabilities.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Bonusly helps organizations build a culture of consistent recognition through peer-to-peer shoutouts that align with company values. Its unique point-based system, multimedia messages, and global rewards catalog—including gift cards, donations, curated gifts, and easy cash-out options—make appreciation feel personal and engaging. Bonusly also includes tools like 1:1s, pulse checks, and real-time insights, equipping managers with context to support development and monitor team sentiment. Users consistently praise the platform’s simplicity, frequent usage, and positive impact on culture, though some note limitations in language support and flexibility of the points model for larger or highly globalized teams.

G2 score: 4.8/5

Bucketlist supports frontline and hybrid workforces through a social recognition feed, automated awards, and a global rewards catalog. Employees can send peer or manager shoutouts tied to company values and redeem rewards ranging from gift cards to custom experiences like skydiving or VIP perks—all while receiving ongoing support at every plan level. The platform stands out for its mobile readiness and frontline accessibility, offering QR-code posters, tablet kiosks, and digital displays to make recognition visible and easy to access in any work environment. While Bucketlist excels in ease of use and dedicated support, some users note limitations in experiential reward variety, interface limitations (e.g., no back navigation when browsing GIFs) and a pricing model that may be less cost-effective for smaller teams.

G2 score: 4.6/5

Connecteam is a mobile-first platform built to streamline workforce management for deskless and frontline teams, offering tools for time tracking, scheduling, communication, and HR processes. Its recognition and rewards system allow managers to issue digital badges, send shoutouts, and award tokens redeemable for gift cards from popular vendors like Adidas, Amazon, and Starbucks. Managers can automate recognition based on system activity or key events (e.g., birthdays, night shifts) and monitor usage with a built-in analytics dashboard. While the recognition tools are flexible and well-integrated into daily operations, they are not sold separately and may feel secondary to the platform’s broader operational focus. New users may also experience a learning curve due to the platform’s wide range of features.

G2 score: 4.9/5

Cooleaf unifies employee recognition, feedback, and performance incentives within a single experience. Employees and managers can send real-time recognition tied to company values, automate milestone celebrations, and integrate the platform with everyday tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, and Salesforce via mobile or desktop. Cooleaf also includes pulse surveys and engagement dashboards that help leaders use AI to uncover what teams need, how they feel, and which initiatives are driving impact. A standout feature is its Customer Success Team, offering hands-on onboarding, quarterly performance reviews, and curated engagement programming tailored to organizational goals. However, the platform does not offer gamification features like leaderboards, and some users report a limited rewards catalog and restrictions with points redemption.

G2 score: 4.6/5

Empuls by Xoxoday is a comprehensive employee engagement platform that extends well beyond recognition to include rewards, surveys, communication tools, lifestyle spending accounts, and sales gamification. Built for large, global organizations, the platform offers culturally relevant rewards across 175+ countries and integrates additional solutions like Plum for rewards and Compass for sales incentives. While Empuls stands out for its breadth and customization, some users report occasional reward redemption delays, navigation complexity, and unclear point-expiration rules, which may require additional oversight from administrators. As a result, the platform is best suited for companies that can fully leverage its scale and are prepared to manage a more robust system.

G2 score: 4.9/5

Guusto is designed for full workforce inclusivity, offering versatile delivery options like SMS, email, QR codes, and printable rewards ideal for deskless, frontline, and hourly workers. Instead of a points-based system, Guusto allows managers to send real gift cards directly from allocated budgets, ensuring instant, tangible value with no recipient fees. The platform supports over 60,000 global merchants, offers full credit for unclaimed gifts, and allows companies to launch recognition programs at any scale, starting with a free plan. While Guusto is praised for its simplicity and frontline accessibility, some users note limited real-time tracking of redemptions and the need for improved filtering of available merchants to streamline the experience.

G2 score: 4.8/5

Kudos combines AI-assisted recognition messaging, automated eCards, internal announcements, and real-time analytics to streamline peer-to-peer appreciation while reinforcing company values. While some users note limitations in the global rewards catalog and point redemption process, the platform is widely praised for its flexible budgeting, intuitive interface, and built-in pulse surveys. With gamification features like leaderboards, recognition badges, and participation goals, Kudos helps foster a culture of consistent engagement and celebration across teams.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Matter is a simplified, impactful recognition and feedback platform designed specifically for teams working in Slack and Microsoft Teams. It enables peer-to-peer kudos, coin-based rewards, and automated celebrations for milestones—all delivered where employees already communicate. With features like Feedback Friday™, onboarding and pulse surveys, and customizable challenges, Matter helps build daily habits of recognition while boosting engagement with minimal lift. While its intuitive interface and quick setup make it ideal for fast-moving teams, larger organizations may find it lacks the advanced reporting depth and global customization offered by more complex platforms. Additionally, some users report that the platform’s notifications can feel excessive and overwhelming at times and desire a more streamlined integration.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Motivosity is a people-first recognition platform that blends social connection, rewards, and performance insights to foster a positive workplace culture. Employees can send real-time shoutouts, earn badges and awards, and redeem rewards through Amazon integration, global gift cards, and the flexible ThanksMatters card, which supports spending on what matters most to them. The platform also includes features like Lifestyle Spending Accounts, automated milestone celebrations, and a social activity feed that encourages ongoing peer interaction. While Motivosity’s intuitive, mobile friendly design and robust customization options earn high marks, some users report that fixed monthly budgets for recognition can feel limiting and that deeper analytics or global reward nuances may require higher tier plans or add ons.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Nectar is a flexible recognition platform that helps organizations build a culture of appreciation through peer shoutouts, milestone celebrations, and highly customizable recognition programs like nominations and approval workflows. A standout capability is its Challenges feature, which enables leaders to drive engagement in wellness, learning, and team-building initiatives by tying meaningful rewards to participation and completion. The platform also supports a broad range of reward options (although limited local and small business options) and integrates seamlessly with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and leading HRIS systems, so recognition happens in the flow of work. However, some users reported frustrations with point expiration, limited redemption flexibility for high-value rewards, and occasional login or mobile access issues—especially when combined with frequent notifications that can disrupt focus.

G2 score: 4.6/5

Qarrot is a cloud-based platform that combines peer-to-peer praise, milestone celebrations, and gamified incentive campaigns to boost employee engagement and performance. Its standout feature—outcome-based incentive campaigns—encourages healthy competition by allowing teams to track progress, view leaderboards, and celebrate achievements in real time. With personalized badges, automated milestone awards, and a rewards catalog spanning 200+ global brands, Qarrot helps organizations build a culture of appreciation that’s easy to implement and scale. While the platform is praised for its intuitive interface and campaign tools, some users report navigation issues on mobile and desire more flexibility in rewards and international options.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Recognize is designed for remote and hybrid teams looking to streamline engagement without overcomplicating the process. The platform supports multi-level recognition, nominations, anniversary tracking, and customizable badges—all within a social hub that encourages peer-to-peer interaction. With robust controls, synced HRIS permissions, and gamification, Recognize allows organizations to tie recognition to company values, performance goals, and engagement metrics (e.g., eNPS, employee happiness). Its a la carte model lets organizations pick only the features they need, while employees benefit from a wide global rewards catalog, including gift cards in 80+ countries, Amazon products, and live events. While praised for its affordability and integrations, some users note the interface feels dated; mobile navigation can be clunky; and deeper analytics may be limited without premium tiers.

G2 score: 4.6/5

Reward Gateway is a global employee engagement platform best known for its expansive, on-demand rewards and recognition capabilities. In addition to peer-to-peer and manager-led recognition with custom eCards and seamless Amazon-integrated rewards at no markup, the platform includes a Wellbeing Center with on-demand content, employee pulse surveys to surface sentiment and engagement drivers, and internal communication tools that help share culture-building messages. While Reward Gateway excels in its core rewards engine, its internal communications and content tools can feel outdated compared to more modern engagement platforms, limiting its utility as a full-spectrum employee experience solution.

G2 score: 4.6/5

Terryberry, a 100+ year-old company, combines recognition, wellness, and feedback in one platform built for distributed teams across remote, field, and desk-based roles. Features like automated milestones, AI-assisted messages, and research-backed engagement tools help HR teams connect recognition to outcomes such as employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) and retention. Its Custom Awards Lab adds a unique touch with heirloom-quality physical awards that stand out from digital-only options. While Terryberry delivers a deep feature set and strong support, some users find the interface less intuitive and more dated than newer platforms, and the global rewards catalog (including Amazon Business) is still expanding in regional availability.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Vantage Circle offers a consolidated platform for employee recognition, wellness, perks, and engagement surveys, making it an appealing choice for organizations looking for an integrated solution. Recognition tools include peer, manager, and panel awards, customizable badges, and automated milestone celebrations, all supported by a global rewards catalog across 59+ countries. Users appreciate the ease of reward transfers and the flexibility to convert points into cash cards, enhancing personalization and speed. However, while the platform covers a broad feature set, advanced capabilities like analytics and reporting are only available as addons, potentially increasing total costs. Additionally, some users report a less intuitive experience on the mobile app.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Wellable is a holistic employee engagement platform that uniquely combines wellness, recognition, and rewards into one all-in-one experience. Its wellness technology and services include educational content, on-demand fitness and mindfulness classes, and virtual or in-person coaching experiences, creating a broader wellness framework that embeds recognition into everyday well-being. Rewards and recognition tools, such as the peer-to-peer recognition feed, automated milestone celebrations, and the robust Rewards Wallet (featuring over 800 gift card brands across 55+ countries), are fully integrated with wellness challenges and activities. This powerful combination reinforces engagement, encourages healthy behaviors, and fosters a deeper sense of workplace purpose and connection—all within a single, streamlined platform. While the platform offers robust functionality across every dimension of the employee experience, organizations primarily seeking a lightweight or recognition-only tool may find its full feature set more comprehensive than necessary.

G2 score: 4.7/5

Workhuman is a comprehensive platform designed to foster meaningful appreciation, strengthen connections, and measure cultural health across distributed teams. With features like Inclusion Advisor, an AI-powered tool that flags and coaches inclusive language in real time, and support for 34 languages globally, Workhuman helps organizations embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into everyday recognition practices. The platform’s social recognition feed, milestone celebrations, customizable award programs, and robust analytics give HR leaders actionable insights into engagement, performance, and retention-related outcomes. While users praise its intuitive interface, deep analytics, and seamless integrations, some reviewers note limitations around reward variety, points valuation, and the complexity or cost for smaller teams or less mature programs.

G2 score: 4.8/5

Workvivo, now part of Zoom, is a modern Employee Experience Platform (EXP) that merges communication, recognition, community spaces, and engagement analytics into one mobile-first digital hub. Designed to feel like a social network that’s tailored for the workplace, Workvivo enables employees to post updates, recognize colleagues with public shoutouts or award nominations, and interact across interest-based spaces. While users consistently praise its intuitive design and community-building tools, some users note a desire for more granular content filters, notification controls, and content-delivery customization to better manage the platform's open, social layout.