15Five vs Bonusly (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bonusly grades higher than 15Five: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bonusly grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick 15Five if
- Fits if you want reviews, OKRs and 1-on-1s in one tool and already have an HR system
- Works for managers who want meeting notes and coaching tied to review data
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial: neither is listed and you start with a demo
- Not for you if you need payroll or employee records, as it does neither
- Pricey if you add the extras: AI coach is $19 per manager a month and manager content $49
- Watch out: live coaching is sold in credits at $399 each, and a group session uses 5
Pick Bonusly if
- Fits if your team lives in Slack or Teams and wants a points-for-rewards system
- Works for companies that want recognition tied to milestones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want wider HR such as payroll or time off, as it only does recognition
- Watch out: rewards are billed at face value when employees redeem them, on top of the subscription
- Watch out: the pricing page shows monthly billing, but its FAQ says all plans are billed annually
- Tight if you need nominations, spot bonuses or SSO, which are Organization-plan features sold through sales
- Watch out: listed prices apply to new customers only
How we grade them
| 1.8GPA15FiveWeak | 2.2GPABonuslyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$4 to $16 per user a month on annual billing, with the Perform plan at $11 against a category middle of about $7. The AI notetaker ($2), AI coach ($19 per manager) and manager content ($49 per manager) cost extra. | C$5 a user a month billed monthly ($50 a year) with Bizy, or $3 without, against a middle of $5 for HR tools. Rewards are billed separately at face value. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no published trial; the pricing page points to a demo. | CA 30-day free trial of the Team or Organization plan, and no payment information is needed. There's no free plan. |
| Features | CReviews, 360 feedback, OKRs, 1-on-1s and surveys, with a talent matrix. It does no payroll or employee records, so it sits next to an HR system rather than being one. | CPeer recognition, a rewards catalog, milestones and check-ins. That's one smaller job within HR, and nominations, spot bonuses and SSO are Organization-plan features. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Review cycles, OKRs and survey settings all have to be set up before anyone gets value. | CNo rating on record. You connect Slack or Teams and set up points budgets and rewards. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, and integrations with ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, Okta, Jira, Salesforce and Slack. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus Slack, Teams and HRIS links. No desktop app. |
| Best for | reviews, OKRs and 1-on-1s in one place | peer-to-peer employee recognition |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 15Five and Bonusly. How we grade
Price against what you get
15Five starts at $4 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Bonusly starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and 15Five starts $1 a month lower. Of the other HR software on the chart, 2 score higher than 15Five for less, and 2 score higher than Bonusly for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- 15Five also covers meeting notes, goals, AI agents and surveys.
- Bonusly also covers community.
At a glance
| 15Five | Bonusly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $4 per user / month, billed annually | $5 per user / month with Bizy, billed monthly ($50 per user / year billed annually) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of the Team or Organization plan, no payment information needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | 15Five | Bonusly |
| Price read from | 15five.com | bonusly.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
15Five
- No free plan or published trial; the pricing page points to a demo.
- Kona Notetaker costs $2 per employee a month, Kona Coach $19 per manager a month, and manager content $49 per manager a month, all billed annually.
- Live coaching is sold by credit at $399 each; a 1-on-1 session is 1 credit and a group session is 5.
- It is not an HR records or payroll system; it runs alongside an HRIS.
Bonusly
- Rewards are billed separately at face value when employees redeem them, on top of the subscription.
- The pricing page shows monthly billing, but its FAQ says all plans are billed annually; confirm the term before buying.
- The Organization plan is quoted through sales.
- The listed prices apply to new customers only; existing customers are directed to their account manager.
Key features
15Five
- Engagement surveys
- Surveys and eNPS with industry benchmarking, lifecycle surveys for onboarding and exit, heat maps and action planning.
- Performance reviews
- Review cycles with AI-assisted writing, 360 reviews, calibrations and a 9-box talent matrix.
- OKRs, 1-on-1s and check-ins
- Weighted OKRs and goals, 1-on-1 agendas and notes, and weekly check-ins with wins and challenges.
- Kona AI notetaker and coach
- Add-ons for 1-on-1 meeting notes and auto-filled performance snapshots, and for AI coaching aimed at managers.
- Manager training and coaching
- An on-demand learning library and live 1:1 or group coaching sessions with the vendor's experts, bought separately.
- Mobile app
- A mobile app for check-ins, 1-on-1s and surveys, with iOS and Android store links on the 15Five site.
Bonusly
- Peer recognition
- Employees give each other points with a message, with admins setting how much each person can give and receive.
- Rewards catalog
- Points are redeemed for items such as gift cards, with country-specific options. The company pays face value for rewards redeemed.
- Slack and Teams
- Recognition can be given from Slack and Microsoft Teams, and through iOS and Android apps.
- Milestone celebrations
- Birthdays and work anniversaries can be recognized automatically.
- Check-ins and growth tools
- Smart-agenda one-on-ones, performance recaps and manager alerts are part of the Team plan.
- Bizy assistant
- An AI assistant priced at $2 per user / month, included in the Team and Organization plans as listed. The Organization plan includes 1,000 MCP tool calls a month.
Plans
15Five
Engage$4
per user / month, billed annually
Engagement surveys, targeted assessments, action planning, heat maps and benchmarking.
Perform$11
per user / month, billed annually
AI-assisted reviews, OKRs and goals, 360 feedback, talent matrix, career paths and plans, 1-on-1s and check-ins.
Total Platform$16
per user / month, billed annually
Everything in Engage and Perform, plus the HR dashboard and manager-training microlearnings. Marked most popular.
Bonusly
Team + Bizy$5
per user / month, billed monthly ($50 per user / year billed annually)
Peer recognition, Slack and Teams, mobile apps, milestone celebrations, HRIS integrations, 24/7 chat and Bizy. Without Bizy: $3 per user / month.
Organization + BizyCustom
Everything in Team plus announcements, nominations, spot bonuses, company analytics, SAML SSO and a dedicated customer success manager.
Ways to pay less
15Five
No public discounts listed.
Bonusly
- Annual discount
2 months free on annual billing
The pricing page offers two months free when switching from monthly to annual billing, with $50 per user a year against $5 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Bonusly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, 15Five is cheaper to start with: $4 a month for each person, against $5 a month for each person for Bonusly. 15Five starts at $4 per user / month, billed annually, and Bonusly starts at $5 per user / month with Bizy, billed monthly ($50 per user / year billed annually).
Which has a free plan, 15Five or Bonusly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither 15Five nor Bonusly has a free plan. Bonusly has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.