Pulsido vs Bonusly
Bonusly pairs peer recognition with 1:1s and performance recaps. Pulsido pairs it with rewards, a weekly ritual, and pulse surveys. Here's how to choose.
Bonusly is one of the best-known peer recognition tools. People give each other points, spend them on rewards, and managers get help with 1:1s and performance recaps from an AI assistant called Bizy. Pulsido also does peer recognition with coins and rewards, but leans toward rituals and listening: a weekly round in Slack, pulse surveys, and confidential feedback.
The short version
- Pick Bonusly if you need Microsoft Teams, native iOS and Android apps, HRIS provisioning, or 1:1 and performance features in the same tool.
- Pick Pulsido if you want a free plan, a lower price, a weekly recognition ritual in Slack, or pulse surveys and eNPS with strict confidentiality rules.
Side by side
| Pulsido | Bonusly | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Web (works on phones) and Slack | Web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, iOS and Android apps |
| Free plan | Yes, with no time limit | Not on Bonusly's pricing page. A 30-day trial |
| Price | Pro $2, Business $4 per person per month (yearly) | Team $3 per user per month, or $5 with the Bizy AI add-on; Organization is a custom quote |
| Rewards | Your own perks, gift cards and donations through your Tremendous account, swag | Rewards catalog billed at face value |
| Nominations and awards | Spot awards and challenges (Pro) | Organization plan |
| Company-wide analytics | Pro | Organization plan |
| 1:1s and performance recaps | No | Yes |
| Pulse surveys and eNPS | Business plan | Not listed on Bonusly's pricing page |
| SSO (SAML) | Not yet | Organization plan |
| HRIS integration | Not yet | Yes |
Where Bonusly is ahead
- Platforms. Microsoft Teams and native mobile apps. Pulsido works on phones through the browser and has no app store app.
- Manager tools. 1:1 agendas, performance recaps, and manager alerts.
- Enterprise needs. SAML single sign-on and HRIS provisioning.
Where Pulsido is different
- Free to start. Peer recognition, values, and celebrations are free for any number of people.
- Lower price for rewards. Spot awards, challenges, and company-wide analytics are on Pulsido Pro at $2. On Bonusly, nominations, awards, and company-wide analytics are on the custom Organization plan.
- A ritual that runs itself. The weekly round posts a kickoff, reminders, and a recap with an MVP, and nudges people who haven't joined in yet.
- Surveys with real confidentiality. Scores show only when three or more people answered, small teams are protected, and managers can reply to confidential feedback without seeing who wrote it.
For 100 people
Bonusly Team is $3,600 a year at $3, or $6,000 with Bizy at $5. Pulsido Pro is $2,400 a year, and Business with surveys is $4,800.