Is there a free alternative to EmpowerPoints?

Yes — Workmates, Nectar HR, Qualified offer free tiers or trials suitable for small teams and individuals.

Last updated: August 26, 2026

9 Best Free EmpowerPoints Alternatives in 2026

Q: What are the best alternatives to EmpowerPoints?

The top-rated alternatives to EmpowerPoints are Appreiz, ChatFox, Bonusly. Compare all 9 alternatives at https://www.spotsaas.com/list/empowerpoints-free-alternative.

Explore 9 alternatives to EmpowerPoints — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

The 9 leading free EmpowerPoints alternatives, compared

Quick answer

The best free replacements for EmpowerPoints are Workmates, Nectar HR and Qualified. Workmates ranks first with a SpotScore of 8 and a 4.58★ rating. Compare all 9 on score, rating, and pricing below.

If you're weighing whether EmpowerPoints still fits, this shortlist helps. These 9 employee recognition software free alternatives are the top contenders, ordered by SpotScore, a measure of verified satisfaction and market presence, plus star ratings and pricing model. Each one passes editorial review. Use the table to compare, then explore the breakdowns below.

Product	SpotScore	Rating	Pricing	Best for
WorkmatesEmpower your employees, elevate your success.	8	★★★★★ 4.58(13)	FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
Nectar HRBoost engagement and recognition in your workplace.	—	★★☆☆☆ 2(3)	Freefrom $1 /User/Month	small & mid-size businesses
QualifiedAccelerate sales, maximize your website's potential.	—	★★★★★ 4.6(25)	FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
BonuslyBoost productivity and show appreciation effortlessly.	9.8	★★★★★ 4.77(2644)	FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
GustoModern HR for Growing Businesses	9.7	★★★★☆ 4.38(947)	FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Based	small & mid-size businesses
QarrotImprove culture, motivate performance with Qarrot.	8.8	★★★★★ 4.52(248)	FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
AppreizElevate your team's performance.	8.5	★★★★★ 5(1)	FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
HiFivesEmpowering engagement, one employee at a time.	8.3	Not yet rated	FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes
ChatFoxEmpower your team with ChatFox.	7.9	★★★★★ 5(5)	FreeFreemium · Subscription · Quotation Based	teams of all sizes

8.0

SpotScore

Workmates

Empower your employees, elevate your success.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.6

13 verified reviews

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What is Workmates?

Introducing Workmates – the revolutionary platform that allows you to effectively engage and acknowledge your employees. Boost employee morale, productivity, and overall financial performance. Bring everything together with one platform that combines communication, engagement, recognition, and ...

Nectar HR

Boost engagement and recognition in your workplace.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

Start Free Trial

2.0

3 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Nectar HR?

Nectar HR provides a comprehensive solution that encourages engagement between employees and the management. Our employee recognition software is designed to recognize peers, social contributions and company values while also allowing users to provide feedback through Engagement Surveys. Plus, ...

Qualified

Accelerate sales, maximize your website's potential.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.6

25 verified reviews

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What is Qualified?

Qualified leverages the current website of companies to identify leads and get the best return on investment. This comprehensive developer assessment helps start meaningful sales conversation, convert outbound and digital adverts, and further analyse clues of buying intent. This software helps ...

Bonusly

Boost productivity and show appreciation effortlessly.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.8

2644 verified reviews

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What is Bonusly?

Introducing Bonusly, the comprehensive SaaS platform that makes tracking and rewarding team work effortless. With advanced engagement metrics, customizable reward options, and detailed reports, Bonusly helps boost productivity in any organization. Managers can easily recognize their team's ...

Gusto

Modern HR for Growing Businesses

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

HIPAA

Start Free Trial

4.4

947 verified reviews

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Watch Demo

What is Gusto?

Gusto is a comprehensive HR platform designed to help businesses of all sizes thrive. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling rapidly, Gusto provides the tools and guidance you need to grow and nurture your team. Trusted by over 300,000 businesses across the U.S., Gusto combines payroll, ...

Qarrot

Improve culture, motivate performance with Qarrot.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

248 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Qarrot?

Qarrot is a cloud-based employee rewards and recognition software for growing businesses. Qarrot powers outcome-based rewards and recognition to strengthen culture and improve performance. Built for the needs of both teams and organizations, Qarrot is simple to use, requires minimal set-up, and ...

Appreiz

Elevate your team's performance.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

5.0

1 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Appreiz?

Enhance employee engagement and optimize talent and performance management with Appreiz. This intuitive software simplifies the process of recognizing and acknowledging peers based on their demonstrated values, competencies, and skills. With features to set and track team and individual goals, ...

HiFives

Empowering engagement, one employee at a time.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is HiFives?

Introducing HiFives, the ultimate employee engagement software with the tagline "Best employee engagement software." It offers an automated, transformative, and computerized experience for employees, partnering with startups, large enterprises, and small and medium industries globally. With its ...

ChatFox

Empower your team with ChatFox.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

5.0

5 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is ChatFox?

Introducing ChatFox – the ultimate employee engagement tool with a simple yet powerful tagline, "Improve employee engagement with ChatFox". This innovative software takes the hassle out of scheduling meetings with its easy-to-use automated Icebreakers for teams on Slack. With ChatFox, you can ...

Why each one belongs on this list

Workmates8Best for teams of all sizes

Comprehensive engagement tools

Watch for: May require training for full use

Nectar HRBest for small & mid-size businesses

Comprehensive engagement features

Watch for: Complex setup process

QualifiedBest for teams of all sizes

Lead identification

Watch for: Requires website integration

Bonusly9.8Best for teams of all sizes

Easy to set up and understand, making it user-friendly for both setup and daily use.

Watch for: Limited customization and complex features can be overwhelming for new users without proper guidance.

Gusto9.7Best for small & mid-size businesses

Handles payroll processing and tax compliance without requiring accounting expertise.

Watch for: Occasional reports of errors in support communication or inconsistencies in handling complex account issues.

Qarrot8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Encourages a positive culture of recognition and appreciation among coworkers.

Watch for: Some users find the platform overwhelming due to a wide range of features and customizations.

Appreiz8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Intuitive interface

Watch for: Limited customization options

HiFives8.3Best for teams of all sizes

Automated recognition

Watch for: Limited customization

ChatFox7.9Best for teams of all sizes

Boosts employee engagement and connection, especially for remote and distributed teams.

What to consider when replacing EmpowerPoints

Side by side, the 9 free alternatives break down like this: 9 offer a free tier; paid plans run $1, with Nectar HR the cheapest entry point; and Appreiz is the highest rated at 5★ across 1 reviews.

Our ranking, explained simply.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

What are the best alternatives to EmpowerPoints?

The top-rated alternatives to EmpowerPoints are Appreiz (5.0★), ChatFox (5.0★), Bonusly (4.8★). Compare all 9 alternatives side-by-side above.

What features should I look for in a Employee Recognition Software alternative?

When evaluating alternatives to EmpowerPoints, prioritize: Performance Metrics, Dashboard, Rewards Management, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

How difficult is it to migrate from EmpowerPoints to an alternative?

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply EmpowerPoints is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend shortlisting 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Which EmpowerPoints alternative wins for your team?

On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Workmates, Nectar HR and Qualified let you evaluate without paying upfront.
If real-user ratings matter most: Appreiz has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
Want the safest pick: Workmates has the highest Spotsaas Score (8) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Switching from EmpowerPoints the smart way

Plan your EmpowerPoints migration around your data. Export it, confirm the new tool imports it without loss, and check that the workflows you depend on still work. Run a pilot on a free plan first, and keep EmpowerPoints open until the switch is complete.

Compare top products

Nectar HR

Qarrot

Bonusly

HiFives

Qarrot

HiFives

Gusto

Qarrot

Appreiz

ChatFox

Qarrot

Appreiz

Qualified

ChatFox

Nectar HR

Appreiz

Workmates

Bonusly

About the reviewer

Rajat Gupta

Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas. Over the past two years, he has reviewed 2,000+ tools across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — applying hands-on product research and a background in commerce and the CFA program to evaluate software through a business and ROI lens. His goal: help teams make software decisions they won't regret.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

9 Best Free EmpowerPoints Alternatives in 2026

The 9 leading free EmpowerPoints alternatives, compared

Workmates

Empower your employees, elevate your success.

Nectar HR

Boost engagement and recognition in your workplace.

Qualified

Accelerate sales, maximize your website's potential.

Bonusly

Boost productivity and show appreciation effortlessly.

Gusto

Modern HR for Growing Businesses

Qarrot

Improve culture, motivate performance with Qarrot.

Appreiz

Elevate your team's performance.

HiFives

Empowering engagement, one employee at a time.

ChatFox

Empower your team with ChatFox.

Why each one belongs on this list

What to consider when replacing EmpowerPoints

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which EmpowerPoints alternative wins for your team?

Switching from EmpowerPoints the smart way

Compare top products

Nectar HR

Qarrot

Bonusly

HiFives

Qarrot

HiFives

Gusto

Qarrot

Appreiz

ChatFox

Qarrot

Appreiz

Qualified

ChatFox

Nectar HR

Appreiz

Workmates

Bonusly

Research Popular Software and Services

About the reviewer

Compare top products

Nectar HR

Qarrot

Bonusly

HiFives

Qarrot

HiFives

Gusto

Qarrot

Appreiz

ChatFox

Qarrot

Appreiz

Qualified

ChatFox

Nectar HR

Appreiz

Workmates

Bonusly

Research Popular Software and Services

About the reviewer