22 Best Employee Recognition Software To Drive Performance

Recruitment has never been more competitive.

In 2025, shifting employee expectations, rapidly developing tech, and widespread skills shortages mean finding, hiring, and holding onto top talent is more complex than ever. 

Furthermore, modern working approches mean many businesses are facing major workforce issues including widespread burnout, a lack of loyalty, and a negative company culture. 

As every leader knows, it’s hard to sustain business performance in times of continuous change. 

In this tricky talent landscape, getting employee recognition right is super important if you are to build — and retain — a high performance workforce. 

Here's why. 

Recognizing employees’ for great work boosts morale, strengthens loyalty, enhances productivity, and fosters a positive work culture — good vibes all around. 

And when you’re enjoying working life and feeling fulfilled and valued in your role, you're much less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere. 

But the benefits don’t end here. 

Recognition doesn’t just keep employees motivated, but it also helps them to focus on the KPIs that are important to you. 

And as remote teams and hybrid work environments become more widespread, it’s more important than ever to make sure recognition is both consistent and meaningful.

After all, we all want to feel connected to our teams — even if we’re in a different city, or even on a different continent! 

Investing in the right employee recognition software plays a pivotal role in engagement and retention as it helps you to make sure appreciation is timely, personalized, and scalable. 

By streamlining recognition processes, these platforms help managers and colleagues acknowledge efforts quickly and efficiently. 

The result?

A culture of continuous recognition 😊. 

The best software will also provide data insights, helping organizations understand what motivates their employees and how to align rewards with company values. 

And — when you choose gamification software — it should inject some fun into daily working life. 

Don't underestimate the importance of this. 

Key takeaway: Investing in the right employee recognition software should drive long-term success via a motivated and loyal workforce.

What to Look for in Employee Recognition Software

Your industry, business size, goals, and budget all play a part in determining what employee recognition software is right for you. 

That said, there are some vital features every good employee recognition software should come with.

These include:

• Gamification to effectively engage your team 

• Customization to personalize the software depending on your team's specific goals and needs

• Integrations to ensure the software seamlessly slides into your existing tech stack 

• Analytics to find out what's working and what's not 

• Scalability so the software (and your employee recognition strategy) can grow as your business does

• User-friendly to ensure no technological barriers to uptake 

It's also important to look at the pricing models of different tools. 

Some will offer free tiers alongside affordable premium packages, while software catering to enterprise-level companies can often be expensive. 

This means that, whatever your budget, you should be able to find a great employee recognition solution that works for you. 

When investing in software, it's admittedly pretty difficult to calculate the exact ROI you would see from each solution. 

However, you can get a good idea of potential ROI by following these steps:

1. Define your objectives such as increased employee morale, higher productivity, or lower turnover.

2. Consider costs, for example subscription fees, implementation costs, administrative costs, or adoption costs.

3. Evaluate benefits like increased engagement, productivity gains, higher retention, or time savings. 

4. Compare features that drive ROI, such as ease of use, integrations, automation and AI, or analytics and reporting. 

5. Read case studies, reviews and testimonials to discover the results similar companies achieved with the software.

6. Test before committing using free trials or demos, and gather feedback from employees on their experience. 

22 Best Employee Recognition Software Platforms in 2025

Ready to find the best employee recognition software for your business?

Read on for a rundown of the 22 top employee recognition platforms in 2025. 

#1 Esteeme 

Esteeme stands out for its game economy approach, which uses gamification to create a more engaging and cost-effective recognition system.

This advanced platform creates a unique game economy for each client, with different targets, events, and rewards. 

This allows leaders to drive the exact behaviours businesses need to hit their goals. 

Employees and managers can award each other badges and coins, while coins can also be earned by completing specific tasks or attending events. 

These coins are redeemable for real-world prizes in the platform's online store. 

But don’t worry — you don’t need to stress out over the price of these rewards. 

Esteeme’s admin panel allows HR to manage the store effortlessly, and you can add no cost rewards (such as a cup of coffee with the CEO) too. 

This gamified approach transforms recognition into a dynamic and engaging experience, with employees earning coins, badges, and rewards reinforcing positive behaviours. 

Esteeme’s events are another of the platform’s major benefits. 

Set up your own events (or challenges) for employees —  complete with rewards — in order to increase employee engagement with internal initiatives.

These can be connected to each employee’s values. 

You can use them to help your team hit whichever goals are most important to you — for example, completing a compliance course, encouraging volunteering days or boosting engagement overall. 

Esteeme also has a proven track record of helping businesses cut costs and drive ROI. 

In fact, its HR budget optimization approach helps companies save up to 39% on HR costs while improving retention and satisfaction.

Other key features include:

✅ Customizable Recognition Features: From peer-to-peer recognition to automated rewards for work anniversaries and achievements, Esteeme allows full customization.

✅ Data-Driven Insights: Esteeme provides robust analytics to measure recognition trends, employee engagement, and performance impact.

✅ Seamless Integration: Works effortlessly with HR software, communication tools, and company intranets.

💰Pricing: Esteeme offers bespoke pricing depending on your company's needs. You can request a demo here.

#2 HiBob 

A comprehensive HR platform designed to enhance productivity, engagement, and retention, HiBob offers a suite of features that streamline HR processes and foster a positive employee experience.

Top employee engagement and recognition features include:

✅ Peer-to-peer and manager-driven shoutouts and kudos

✅ Engagement surveys and feedback

✅ Automated celebrations and milestones

✅ Customizable rewards and incentives

✅ Internal communications hub

✅ People analytics and insights

💰Pricing: HiBob offers custom pricing

#3 Workstars 

Workstars provides a customizable employee recognition platform designed to boost engagement, align company values, and reward employees for great work.

Key features include:

✅ Peer-to-peer and company-wide social recognition

✅ Customizable rewards tailored to company goals

✅ Automated milestone celebrations

✅ Integration with tools including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.

✅ Engagement analytics around employee participation and recognition trends.

💰Pricing: Workstars has three pricing tiers: Entry (£1.50 per user, per month), Pro (£3.00 per user, per month) and Global (£4.00 per user, per month).

#4 Mo 

Mo is an employee recognition platform that helps build a positive company culture by celebrating achievements, boosting engagement, and incentivizing performance.

It covers all bases when it comes to HR, with solutions including company culture, staff rewards, employee recognition, employee engagement, employee incentives, and employee communication. 

Mo's handy features encompass: 

✅ Social recognition for team achievements and milestones

✅ Automated prompts to drive engagement and performance

✅ Customizable rewards catalogue to incentivize high performance

✅ Nominations and awards to create a culture of recognition

✅ Centralized feed for sharing Moments and celebrating successes

✅ Manager tools for empowering team leaders

💰Pricing: Mo provides bespoke pricing depending on your unique circumstances, industry, and budget. 

#5 EachPerson 

If you're looking for an employee recognition and rewards platform with a deep focus on making a positive impact on the planet, as well as on your company culture, EachPerson could be the right software for you.

EachPerson delivers an ultimate 'feel good' package for employees, encompassing personalized benefits, recognition, wellbeing support, and opportunities to help the planet. 

✅ Employee gift cards for rewards

✅ Tax-free gifting options

✅ Automated work anniversaries and milestone celebrations

✅ Ecards for peer-to-peer recognition

✅ Employee nominations for peer recognition

✅ Perks at work with exclusive discounts

✅ Wage access and savings opportunities

💰Pricing: EachPerson offers bespoke pricing.

#6 Bucketlist Rewards

Bucketlist Rewards is a platform that helps organizations create an engaging culture through recognition, a wide variety of personalized rewards, and performance-driven incentives.

This software automates, personalizes, and measures recognition, empowering HR teams to boost engagement, cut turnover and drive culture change while saving time! 

Key features include:

✅ Built-in recognition for employee achievements

✅ Personalized rewards with over 4,000 options

✅ Customized incentives to encourage milestone completion

✅ Automated achievement tracking

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition for team engagement

✅ Integration with HRIS, messaging tools, and more

💰Pricing: Bucketlist rewards offers three pricing plans: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. For an exact figure, contact the sales team. 

#7 Qarrot

Qarrot motivates teams by celebrating achievements, reinforcing company values, and tracking performance through engaging incentive campaigns.

This employee recognition platform aims to improve performance and engagement, help you build a stronger workplace culture, and lessen administrative workload. 

Qarrot's main features include: 

✅ Incentive campaigns to motivate goal completion

✅ Peer recognition to strengthen workplace culture

✅ Automated performance tracking for objectives

✅ Customizable reward points system

✅ Integrated with Slack and Microsoft Teams

✅ Real-time feedback and celebration tools

💰Pricing: Qarrot offers several pricing options. You can opt for a 30-day free trial with unlimited users, pay $4 per user per month for the Pro package, or contact the business for a bespoke solution with custom pricing. 

#8 Assembly 

Assembly aims to help your team feel happier and more engaged at work by fostering a sense of community, making everyone feel valued, cultivating a 'brag-worthy' culture, and delivering actionable insights. 

It offers seamless recognition and rewards tools used by more than 4,000 companies. 

Here are Assembly's main features: 

✅ Recognition for achievements across teams

✅ Personalized rewards, including gift cards and culture-based options

✅ Contests and challenges to motivate employees

✅ Peer-to-peer feedback and nominations for greater engagement

✅ Integration with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workday

✅ AI-driven insights for tracking engagement and satisfaction

💰Pricing: There are four Assembly pricing tiers: Recognition ($2.00 per member, per month), Engagement ($4.00 per member, per month), Culture Suite ($6.00 per member, per month), and Custom (bespoke pricing for large organizations).

#9 Bonusly

Bonusly brings all your employee recognition efforts together into one single platform. 

It harnesses the power of meaningful recognition, performance management, and customizable rewards to enhance employee engagement and help you build high-performing teams. 

Key features include:

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition to celebrate achievements

✅ Customizable rewards catalogue, including gift cards and cash

✅ Automated milestones for birthdays, anniversaries, and onboarding

✅ Manager tools to track goals and feedback

✅ Insights into recognition trends and team participation

✅ Stories to amplify values and reinforce company culture

💰Pricing: Choose between three Bonusly pricing plans. Appreciate ($2 per seat per month), Connect ($5 per seat per month), and Achieve ($7 per seat per month). 

#10 Kudos 

A comprehensive employee recognition and rewards platform, Kudos emphasizes meaningful recognition of the values and behaviours that matter most to your organization and impactful rewards, from merchandise and gift cards to experiences.

Check out its key features:

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition to strengthen workplace connections

✅ Personalized rewards catalogue, including gift cards and experiences

✅ AI-powered recognition assistant to streamline the process

✅ Employee milestones and celebrations for recognition

✅ Real-time performance and culture analytics

✅ Group eCards for team-wide appreciation

✅ Pulse surveys to measure employee sentiment

💰Pricing: Kudos pricing is bespoke. 

#11 Lattice

Lattice is a comprehensive performance management platform that helps organizations drive employee engagement, alignment, and development through goal-setting, feedback, and recognition.

If you're looking for an all-in-one HR solution, Lattice is a great choice, but it could be overly complex for smaller businesses that only need an employee recognition and rewards platform.

Here are some of Lattice's key features around employee recognition:

✅ Goal-setting and performance tracking for alignment

✅ Continuous feedback to foster growth

✅ Employee engagement surveys with actionable insights

✅ Employee recognition tools to celebrate achievements

✅ Career development and progression tracking

✅ Integration with other HR tools like Slack and Workday

💰Pricing: Lattice provides highly-scalable pricing plans with plenty of adds ons. However, its core HRIS package starts at £10 per seat per month, while its basic talent management bundle is $11 per seat per month.

#12 Workhuman

Workhuman emphasizes creating a culture of appreciation, connection, and continuous feedback through meaningful recognition experiences.

This employee recognition and performance management platform is supported by 'Human Intelligence' — an AI tool that encompasses an assistant, data insights, and more. 

Key features include: 

✅ Peer-to-peer social recognition to foster collaboration

✅ Real-time feedback to support growth and development

✅ Employee milestones and personalized rewards

✅ Engagement surveys to measure employee sentiment

✅ Integration with other HR systems

✅ Recognition aligned with company values

💰Pricing: Pricing is bespoke, but Workhuman offers an interesting twist — if you don't see the results it guarantees by the end of the first year, you'll get a refund. 

#13 Reward Gateway

Engagement, motivation, and retention are the three main goals at Reward Gateway. 

This employee experience platform is designed to foster a culture of appreciation, motivation, and well-being through recognition, rewards, and communication tools.

There's an emphasis on discounts and wellbeing, too. 

Check out Reward Gateway's key features below:

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition and manager-led awards

✅ Customizable reward marketplace with gift cards and experiences

✅ Employee well-being programs for mental, physical, and financial health

✅ Discounts on everyday purchases for employees

✅ Employee surveys to gather feedback and insights

✅ Seamless integration with existing HR systems

💰Pricing: Reward Gateway offers custom pricing.

#14 Fond

An employee rewards and recognition platform designed to create a culture of appreciation, Fond delivers meaningful rewards, recognition, and perks.

Fond's key features include: 

✅ Social recognition to celebrate employee milestones and accomplishments

✅ Customizable service awards for work anniversaries

✅ Performance analytics to track program success

✅ Pre-negotiated corporate discounts on entertainment, fitness, and travel

✅ Wide selection of rewards, including gift cards and experiences

✅ Seamless integration for easy use by employees

💰Pricing: Pricing is based on company size. 

#15 Achievers

Achievers promises to take you 'beyond thanks' and deliver recognition that motivates.

Peer-to-peer recognition, performance rewards, and real-time feedback are at the heart of this comprehensive recognition platform. 

Achievers' key features are as follows: 

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition for continuous appreciation

✅ Personalized rewards and a global rewards marketplace

✅ Integration with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workday

✅ Real-time performance insights and recognition tracking

✅ Employee listening tools to gather feedback and improve engagement

✅ Frequent recognition options to reinforce desired behaviors

💰Pricing: Custom. 

#16 Motivosity

Increase employee engagement, automate recognition programs, and give instant, global rewards with recognition and rewards platform Motivosity. 

This people-first solution aims to help companies engage their employees, enhance culture, and streamline the recognition process.

✅ Automated employee recognition to save time and boost engagement

✅ Peer-to-peer recognition to celebrate contributions

✅ Global rewards marketplace with millions of meaningful options

✅ Performance-based challenges to motivate employees

✅ Service awards for milestones and anniversaries

✅ Surveys for gathering employee feedback and insights

💰Pricing: Motivosity offers Standard, Pro, and Custom tiers. Contact the sales team for a quote. 

#17 Officevibe by Workleap

Officevibe by Workleap is an effective engagement and employee recognition tool that delivers custom surveys, anonymous real-time feedback, and peer-to-peer recognition. 

Features include: 

✅ Pulse surveys for continuous employee feedback

✅ Customizable recognition cards to celebrate wins

✅ Anonymous feedback for candid responses

✅ Manager tools for 1-on-1 meetings and goal setting

✅ Reporting tools to analyze feedback and track trends

✅ Onboarding and DEIB surveys to enhance employee experience

💰Pricing: Officevibe alone costs $5 per user, per month, or you can get the full Workleap platform experience for $12 per user, per month, with an annual commitment. 

#18 Teamphoria

Employee engagement platform Teamphoria delivers impactful tools to boost recognition, performance reviews, and real-time employee feedback. 

The result? Enhanced company culture. 

Here's what you need to know about Teamphoria's key features: 

✅ Employee recognition to boost morale and engagement, with four award levels

✅ 360-degree performance reviews and goal setting

✅ Analytics to measure employee engagement and company culture

✅ Secure communication with private social feeds and mobile apps

✅ Employee surveys for tracking culture and engagement

💰Pricing: Teamphoria is free for up to five users. There are three paid plans: Engage ($3 per employee per month), Perform ($3 per employee per month), and Full Suite ($5 per employee per month). Enterprise-level companies can get in touch for custom pricing. 

#19 PeopleFluent

One of the more corporate options on this list, PeopleFluent provides a suite of talent management and development solutions aimed at improving workforce engagement, compliance, and performance. 

This complex software is targeted at sophisticated organizations in regulated industries.

Key features around employee engagement include: 

✅ Comprehensive talent management to align performance and development

✅ Customizable compensation and reward programs

✅ Real-time performance tracking and development plans

✅ Integrated learning tools to support continuous employee growth

✅ Employee feedback and engagement tools to monitor satisfaction and development

💰Pricing: Pricing is bespoke. 

#20 WorkTango

Employee experience platform WorkTango focuses on employee recognition, surveys, and insights to help businesses improve engagement, drive performance, and create a culture of appreciation.

WorkTango offers 'Employee Surveys & Insights' and 'Recognition & Rewards' features either individually or bundled within its holistic Employee Experience Platform.

Key features include: 

✅ Employee recognition and rewards programs to amplify core values

✅ Automated milestone celebrations like years of service and birthdays

✅ Comprehensive engagement surveys to gather feedback

✅ Actionable insights and dashboards for employee sentiment

✅ Customizable recognition programs to incentivize desired behaviours

✅ Leader tools for performance management and feedback

💰Pricing: Custom pricing depending on which features you select. 

#21 Culture Amp

Culture Amp harnesses the power of data science and AI to help organizations improve employee engagement, performance, and culture through feedback-driven insights.

Read on for the key features of this employee experience platform:

✅ Employee engagement surveys to gather feedback

✅ Real-time recognition and feedback tools to enhance performance

✅ Performance management tools to track goals and competencies

✅ Actionable insights powered by AI to drive decisions

✅ Leadership development resources based on People Science

✅ Employee well-being and development tracking

💰Pricing: Culture Amp customers are invited to build a plan that fits their business, so pricing is custom no matter the size of your company. 

#22 Recognize

Recognize is a social recognition platform that helps organizations celebrate achievements, boost engagement, and motivate employees.

The employee recognition app achieves this through gamification, meaningful rewards, and feedback.

Key features include:

✅ Employee recognition with both monetary and non-monetary rewards

✅ Customizable reward catalogue with Amazon products, gift cards, and company swag

✅ Milestone and anniversary celebrations to mark key events

✅ Gamification features like badges and points to incentivize recognition

✅ Employee surveys for continuous feedback and insights

✅ Integration with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Outlook for seamless recognition

Checklist: How to Choose the Best Employee Recognition Platform for Your Organization

Investing in employee recognition platforms can be costly, so it's super important to make sure you're making the best decision for your business. 

Follow our handy checklist below to ensure you've covered every base. 

🔍 1. Define Your Goals & Objectives

• What are your key objectives? (e.g, increase engagement, reduce turnover, improve productivity)

• What metrics will you use to measure success? (e.g, participation rates, retention, employee satisfaction scores)

• Do you need a platform for peer-to-peer recognition, manager recognition, or both?

💰 2. Establish Budget & ROI Expectations

• What is your budget for implementation and ongoing costs?

• Have you calculated potential ROI based on improved retention and engagement?

• Are there hidden costs (e.g, training, integration, or reward fulfillment fees)?

🛠️ 3. Assess Platform Features & Functionality

• Ease of Use: Is the platform user-friendly and intuitive?

• Automation: Can it automate recognition based on milestones (e.g, work anniversaries, birthdays)?

• Customizability: Can you tailor the program to fit your company culture?

• Social Features: Does it allow for public recognition, comments, and reactions?

• Rewards System: Does it support points-based rewards, gift cards, or experiences?

• Mobile Access: Is there a mobile app for on-the-go recognition?

🔗 4. Check for Seamless Integration

• Can it integrate with your existing HR, payroll, and communication tools?

• Does it sync with performance management or engagement survey tools?

📊 5. Evaluate Reporting & Analytics

• Can you track recognition trends, employee participation, and impact?

• Are there real-time dashboards and customizable reports?

• Does it provide insights on employee engagement and retention impact?

🔐 6. Ensure Security & Compliance

• Does it meet applicable data privacy regulations?

• What security measures are in place to protect employee data?

• Can you set different permission levels for managers and HR?

🚀 7. Test the Platform Before Committing

• Can you access a free trial or pilot program?

• Have you gathered feedback from key stakeholders?

• Are there case studies or references from similar-sized companies?

🤝 8. Assess Vendor Support & Customer Service

• What level of customer support is offered (e.g, 24/7, email, live chat)?

• Is there onboarding assistance and training for employees?

• Does the provider offer ongoing support, updates, and new features?

✅ Final Decision & Implementation Plan

• Compare shortlisted vendors based on features, cost, and ROI.

• Get executive buy-in and approval.

• Develop an implementation and rollout strategy.

• Train employees and managers on how to use the platform.

• Continuously measure impact and optimize the program.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Choosing Your Employee Recognition Software 

If you follow the checklist above, you should be well on your way to choosing the right employee recognition software for your organization. 

🎉 Woohoo! 

However, for best results, it's also crucial to avoid the following common pitfalls: 

• Not defining clear goals and success metrics

• Prioritizing features over cultural fit 

• Ignoring user experience and adoption rates

• Overlooking the importance of integration with existing systems

• Focusing only on monetary rewards

• Not getting employee and manager input

• Underestimating the importance of analytics and reporting 

• Choosing the cheapest option without considering long-term value

• Neglecting training and change management

• Not opting for a free trial

➡️ And remember - employee recognition software is just a tool. 

The real impact comes from how leadership fosters a culture of appreciation. 

Regular communication, leadership involvement, and embedding recognition into daily workflows is key to long-term success.

Why Esteeme Stands Out as the Best Recognition Software in 2025

If you're looking for employee recognition software that is highly scalable and customizable, uses gamification to engage, and boasts culture-boosting features, Esteeme is the answer. 

This game-like recognition platform can be tailored to companies of all sizes, from startups to enterprises. 

It offers a wide variety of fun features designed to boost company culture, including public and private badges, recognition events, and coins that can be redeemed for attractive, real-world incentives. 

What’s more, Esteeme is a cost-effective and high-impact software that will save your business money while also delivering tangible improvements in employee engagement.  

Want proof? 

Check out our client testimonials and case studies to find out how Esteeme revolutionized employee engagement and recognition at Roosh Investment Group or how we enabled Room 8 Group to achieve 30-45% savings on recognition costs.

Conclusion

To recap, if you're considering investing in employee recognition software, it's worth checking out the following platforms:

1. Esteeme

2. HiBob

3. Workstars

4. Mo

5. EachPerson 

6. Bucketlist Rewards

7. Qarrot

8. Assembly

9. Bonusly

10. Kudos

11. Lattice

12. Workhuman

13. Reward Gateway

14. Fond

15. Achievers

16. Motivosity

17. Officevibe

18. Teamphoria

19. PeopleFluent

20. WorkTango

21. Culture Amp

22. Recognize 

➡️ Sure, all of these platforms aim to recognize outstanding work and positively impact employee engagement – but their features and prices do vary. 

Looking for an employee recognition software that encompasses:

• A game economy approach?

• Customizable recognition features?

• Data-driven insights?

• HR budget optimization?

• Seamless integration?

Then schedule an Esteeme demo here today!