12 Microsoft Teams Employee Recognition Apps (2026)

Short answer: for a Teams-first tool that also covers 1:1s, reviews, and surveys, use Teamflect (free for up to 10 users, then $7 per user per month on annual billing, or $9 monthly). For simple peer kudos at the lowest price, Matter starts at $1 per user per month and has a free plan. Bonusly starts at $3 per user per month after a 30-day trial and adds a gift card catalog. If you want gift cards without per seat pricing for everyone, Guusto has a free tier and charges mainly for the people who send rewards. Companies already paying for Microsoft Viva can start with praise in Viva Engage before buying anything new.

Recognition works best when it’s quick and visible. If your company lives in Microsoft Teams, a recognition app that posts kudos in a channel or chat gets used far more than one that needs its own login. Every tool on this list lists Microsoft Teams support on its own site. They differ a lot in pricing models, rewards, and how much else they do.

Pricing checked October 2026 on each vendor’s own site. Prices are in USD.

Quick picks

App	Best for	Starting price	Free plan	Rewards
Teamflect	Teams-native performance plus recognition	$7/user/month annual, $9 monthly (Essential)	Yes, up to 10 users	Points, custom rewards, Tango Card gift cards
Matter	Cheap peer kudos	$1/user/month (Basic, annual)	Yes	Pro plan
Bonusly	Points and a rewards catalog	$3/user/month (Team, without AI)	No (30-day trial)	Yes, at face value
HeyTaco	Playful recognition	$3/user/month (Classic)	30-day trial	Gift cards on Deluxe
Applauz	Recognition plus service awards	$3.75/license/month (Recognition Essentials)	Not listed	Yes
Assembly	Recognition with awards and celebrations	$3/user/month (billed yearly)	Not listed	Yes
Workstars	One flat price with rewards included	$3/employee/month (billed monthly)	Not listed	Yes
Guusto	Gift card rewards for frontline teams	$150/month (Lite)	Yes	Yes
Kudoboard	Group cards for birthdays and milestones	$38/month annual (Pro, 1 to 50 people)	Not listed	Gift cards on boards
Microsoft Viva Engage	Praise inside Microsoft 365	Paid tier from $2/user/month (annual)	Included features vary	No
Mo	Recognition for hybrid and deskless teams	Not published	Not listed	Yes
Vantage Circle	Global rewards, perks, and wellness	Not published	Not listed	Yes

How we picked

We started from the recognition and Slack/Teams tools in our directory and kept only those whose own website lists a Microsoft Teams integration. For each, we checked pricing, free plans, trials, and rewards on the vendor’s site in October 2026. We didn’t use review-site ratings. “Not listed” means we didn’t find it on the vendor’s site. More on our methodology.

Teams-native and peer recognition

1. Teamflect

Teamflect is built for Microsoft Teams. It covers 1:1s, goals, performance reviews, surveys, and recognition, and syncs tasks with Outlook, Microsoft Planner, and To Do. Recognition sits alongside the performance tools rather than being the whole product.

Best for: Microsoft 365 companies that want recognition and performance management in one Teams app.

Key features:

Recognition, 1:1s, goals, and reviews inside Teams
AI summaries of free-form survey answers
Recognition points, leaderboards, and redeemable custom rewards
Tango Card integration to attach gift cards, prepaid Visas, or charity donations to recognition
Outlook, Planner, and To Do task sync

Pricing: Starter is free for up to 10 users. Essential is $7 and Professional $11 per user per month on annual billing ($9 and $14 billed monthly). Enterprise is quoted. 30-day free trial.

Pros:

Free plan for small teams
No separate login for Teams users

Cons:

Gift card rewards depend on a separate Tango Card integration
Slack isn’t listed

Teams / Slack: Teams.

Try Teamflect

2. Matter

Matter runs kudos and feedback inside Teams and Slack. People send recognition tied to company values, and Feedback Friday prompts regular feedback. Pro adds rewards.

Best for: Teams that want simple, low cost peer kudos.

Key features:

Kudos with a template library
Feedback Friday prompts
Celebrations, custom kudos, and analytics on Basic

Pricing: Free plan available. Basic is $1 and Pro $3 per user per month, billed annually. 14-day free trial with no credit card. A Surveys add-on is $2 per user per month.

Pros:

Lowest paid price on this list
Free plan with core kudos

Cons:

Rewards need the Pro plan
Analytics and celebrations need a paid plan

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://matterapp.com

3. Bonusly

Bonusly lets employees give each other small point bonuses. People redeem points for gift cards and other rewards from the Bonusly catalog.

Best for: Companies that want recognition tied to real rewards.

Key features:

Peer recognition with points
Rewards catalog paid at face value
iOS and Android apps

Pricing: No free plan is listed on Bonusly’s pricing page as of November 2, 2026. There’s a 30-day trial. Team is $3 per user per month without AI or $5 with Bizy, Bonusly’s AI assistant. Organization pricing is quoted. Bonusly’s pricing page shows monthly prices, but its FAQ says all plans are billed annually, so confirm billing terms before signing. Rewards are paid at face value, so a $10 gift card costs $10.

Pros:

Teams integration included on the Team plan
No markup on rewards, per Bonusly’s FAQ

Cons:

Reward spend is a separate budget
Annual billing only

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://bonusly.com

4. HeyTaco

HeyTaco turns recognition into a game: teammates give each other tacos in Teams or Slack, and tacos add up to rewards. Deluxe adds automated birthdays, work anniversaries, and gift cards.

Best for: Teams that like a light, playful tone.

Key features:

Tacos as recognition in Teams or Slack
Automated birthdays and anniversaries (Deluxe)
Gift cards with 2,000+ options in 200+ countries (Deluxe)

Pricing: Classic is $3 and Deluxe $5 per user per month. 30-day free trial with Deluxe features. People are added to the subscription when they give or receive their first taco, or you can choose who to pay for with a Team plan.

Pros:

Recognition takes a few seconds in chat
Pay only for active users by default

Cons:

The playful style doesn’t suit every culture
No free plan

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://heytaco.com

Recognition and rewards platforms

5. Applauz

Applauz combines peer recognition, rewards, service awards, and culture insights. Its FAQ says there’s no minimum number of users and no required reward budget on its published pricing.

Best for: Mid-size companies that want recognition and service anniversaries in one place.

Key features:

Peer recognition with points and rewards
Service awards and spot gifting
Culture Intelligence insights tier

Pricing: Recognition Essentials is $3.75 per license per month and Culture Intelligence $5.50. Service Awards are $12 per celebration. Points cost $1 per 10 points, plus administrative and platform fees.

Pros:

No user minimum
Service awards priced per celebration

Cons:

Reward point fees on top of the license
No free plan listed

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://www.applauz.me

6. Assembly

Assembly offers recognition, awards, and celebrations, plus lightweight intranet and workflow features. Its site says Assembly is joining Quantum Workplace, so check the roadmap before signing a long contract.

Best for: Small and mid-size teams that want recognition plus a simple employee hub.

Key features:

Points-based recognition and awards
Celebrations and announcements
Slack, Teams, and BambooHR integrations

Pricing: $3 per user per month billed yearly.

Pros:

Low published price
Works across Teams and Slack

Cons:

Ownership change under way
No free plan listed

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://joinassembly.com

7. Workstars

Workstars charges one per employee price that includes recognition, milestones, rewards, and awards, with integrations and implementation in the same price.

Best for: Companies that want one predictable price with rewards built in.

Key features:

Peer recognition, milestones, and awards
5,000+ reward options in 180 countries
HRIS, SSO, Slack, and Teams integrations

Pricing: $3 per employee per month, billed monthly. The price scales with headcount.

Pros:

Monthly billing
Implementation and support included

Cons:

No free plan or trial listed
You pay for every employee, not just active users

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://www.workstars.com

8. Guusto

Guusto focuses on gift card rewards and prices by sender seats, so you pay mostly for the managers and leaders who send rewards rather than for every employee. That model suits frontline and distributed teams.

Best for: Frontline teams where most people receive rewards but few send them.

Key features:

Digital gift cards and milestone programs
Bulk sending to large groups
Microsoft Teams integration listed in its plan comparison

Pricing: Free tier available, with no minimum reward spend. Lite is $150 a month for 1 sender seat and 250 recipient seats. Essential and Premium charge per sender and recipient seat, with minimum contracts of $200 and $500 a month, billed annually.

Pros:

Free tier for rewards
Pricing suits large frontline teams

Cons:

Which plan includes the Teams integration isn’t clear from the pricing table
Sender seat pricing adds up if everyone sends rewards

Teams / Slack: Teams listed. Slack not confirmed.

Visit: https://guusto.com

9. Kudoboard

Kudoboard makes group cards: everyone adds a message, photo, or video to a board for a birthday, farewell, or work anniversary. Business plans add ongoing recognition.

Best for: Celebrating milestones with group messages.

Key features:

Group boards with messages, photos, GIFs, and video
Gift cards attached to boards
Slack and Teams integrations on Pro

Pricing: Single boards from $6.99. The Pro plan for 1 to 50 people is $38 a month billed annually ($449 a year) or $59 month to month, and includes the Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations.

Pros:

Pay per board for occasional use
Easy for anyone to contribute

Cons:

Not a day-to-day recognition tool
Teams integration requires Pro

Teams / Slack: Both, on Pro.

Visit: https://www.kudoboard.com

Microsoft and enterprise options

10. Microsoft Viva Engage

Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) is Microsoft’s communities app inside Teams and Microsoft 365. People can post, join communities, ask questions, and praise colleagues. Some community features come with Microsoft 365 enterprise plans; premium features sit in the paid Viva tiers.

Best for: Microsoft 365 companies that want basic praise without another vendor.

Key features:

Praise and communities inside Teams
Polls and Q&A
Engagement analytics

Pricing: The Viva Employee Communications and Communities tier starts at $2 per user per month, paid yearly. Check which features your current Microsoft 365 plan already includes.

Pros:

No new vendor if you’re already on Microsoft 365
Lives inside Teams

Cons:

No points or rewards
Praise is one feature in a broad communities product

Teams / Slack: Teams.

Visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/engage

11. Mo

Mo is a recognition and connection app built around “moments” and “boosts,” with support for deskless teams. Its FAQ says it integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and HRIS systems.

Best for: Hybrid and deskless teams that want recognition tied to company values.

Key features:

Recognition moments and boosts
Rewards
Slack, Teams, and HRIS integrations

Pricing: Not published. Mo’s pricing page explains its plans without prices.

Pros:

Built with deskless teams in mind
Says it never charges reward fees

Cons:

Pricing requires a conversation
No free plan listed

Teams / Slack: Both.

Visit: https://mo.work

12. Vantage Circle

Vantage Circle combines rewards, perks, wellness, and pulse surveys in plans you can mix and match. It lists integrations with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Workday, SAP, and many HRIS systems.

Best for: Mid-size and global companies that want rewards, perks, and wellness together.

Key features:

Vantage Rewards and Vantage Perks (Grow plan)
Vantage Fit wellness (Transform plan)
Vantage Pulse feedback and 15+ languages (Scale plan)

Pricing: Not published. The plan table lists the Microsoft Teams app as an add-on.

Pros:

Broad global rewards and perks
Many integrations listed

Cons:

Teams app is an add-on
No public pricing

Teams / Slack: Both (Teams app listed as an add-on).

Visit: https://www.vantagecircle.com

Also consider: Achievers and Workhuman

Both are enterprise recognition and rewards platforms that list Microsoft Teams and Slack support. Neither publishes prices. They suit large organizations with big reward budgets. Visit: https://www.achievers.com and https://www.workhuman.com

How to choose a Teams recognition app

Decide on rewards first. Kudos alone (Matter Free, Viva Engage, Teamflect) cost little and still work. Points and gift cards (Bonusly, HeyTaco Deluxe, Applauz, Workstars, Guusto) need a reward budget on top of the software, so set that number before comparing tools.

Match the pricing model to your headcount. Per user pricing (Matter, Bonusly, HeyTaco) is easy to predict. Guusto charges mainly for senders, which helps when most employees only receive. Kudoboard charges per board or by plan size, which suits occasional celebrations.

Check where recognition shows up. The point of a Teams app is that kudos appear in a channel people already read. During a trial, check that posts land in the right channel and that people get notified.

Think about Slack too. If part of your company uses Slack, pick a tool that supports both. Matter, Bonusly, HeyTaco, Applauz, Assembly, Workstars, Kudoboard, Mo, and Vantage Circle list both. For Slack-first teams, see our list of Slack employee engagement apps.

Don’t stop at recognition. Recognition data tells you who’s appreciated, not how people feel. Pair it with a short pulse survey. Our guide to employee pulse survey software covers tools that also run in Teams, and the recognition and rewards category lists every recognition tool we track.

FAQ

Does Microsoft Teams have built-in recognition?

Teams users can send praise through Microsoft’s Viva features, and Viva Engage includes praise for colleagues. Some features come with Microsoft 365 enterprise plans and others need a paid Viva tier, starting at $2 per user per month for Viva Employee Communications and Communities.

What is the best free recognition app for Microsoft Teams?

Teamflect is free for up to 10 users, and Matter has a free plan with kudos and Feedback Friday. Guusto has a free tier for gift card rewards.

Which Teams recognition apps include gift cards?

Bonusly, HeyTaco (Deluxe), Applauz, Workstars, Guusto, Matter (Pro), and Kudoboard all offer gift cards or rewards. Check whether rewards are charged at face value or with fees.

How much does a Teams recognition app cost?

Published prices range from $1 per user per month (Matter Basic) to $3.75 (Applauz Recognition Essentials) for per user tools. Teamflect, which also covers performance management, is $7 on annual billing ($9 monthly). Rewards are usually paid separately.

Do these apps work in Slack too?

Most do. Matter, Bonusly, HeyTaco, Applauz, Assembly, Workstars, Kudoboard, Mo, and Vantage Circle list both. Teamflect and Viva Engage are Teams only, and Guusto’s Slack support isn’t confirmed on its site.

How we review: every price and free plan on this page was checked on the vendor’s own site in October 2026. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.