Is there a free alternative to Thank It Back?

Yes — Appreiz, Nomify, Bonusly offer free tiers or trials suitable for small teams and individuals.

Last updated: October 1, 2026

7 Thank It Back Alternatives Ranked by Real Users — Free Picks Included (2026)

Q: What are the best alternatives to Thank It Back?

The top-rated alternatives to Thank It Back are Appreiz, ChatFox, Bonusly. Compare all 7 alternatives at https://www.spotsaas.com/list/thank-it-back-free-alternative.

Explore 7 alternatives to Thank It Back — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

Thank It Back alternatives: the 7 best options at a glance

Quick answer

Need a Thank It Back alternative fast? Consider Appreiz, Nomify and Bonusly. Appreiz holds the top SpotScore (8.5) with a 5★ rating. The full comparison of all 7 on score, rating, and price is below.

Ready to move on from Thank It Back? These 7 employee recognition software free alternatives are the picks worth testing first. Our ranking leans on SpotScore, which weighs verified satisfaction against market presence, then star ratings and pricing model. Editors check each tool. Start with the table for a fast read, then go section by section below.

Product	SpotScore	Rating	Pricing	Best for
AppreizElevate your team's performance.	8.5	★★★★★ 5(1)	Freefrom $90/mo	teams of all sizes
NomifyElevate your team's happiness and productivity.	—	★★★★☆ 4(1)	Freefrom $49.04/mo	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
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

8.5

SpotScore

Appreiz

Elevate your team's performance.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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5.0

1 verified reviews

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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, ...

Nomify

Elevate your team's happiness and productivity.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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4.0

1 verified reviews

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What is Nomify?

Nomify is a software solution designed to foster better engagement and appreciation for your employees. With our tool, you can easily recognize and award talented colleagues, manage time off, book holidays, and see allowance balances in an easy-to-view calendar. Perfect for organizations of any ...

Bonusly

Boost productivity and show appreciation effortlessly.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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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

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4.4

947 verified reviews

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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

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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 ...

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 ...

The main Thank It Back competitors

There are 7 direct Thank It Back competitors in Employee Recognition Software. The ones that come up most often are Appreiz, Nomify and Bonusly. Each is compared against Thank It Back on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

What else works like Thank It Back?

Searches for "sites like Thank It Back" and "apps like Thank It Back" land on the same shortlist as "Thank It Back alternatives" — the 7 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

Why each option earned its place

Appreiz8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Intuitive interface

Watch for: Limited customization options

NomifyBest for teams of all sizes

Fosters employee appreciation

Watch for: Limited advanced features

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.

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.

How to evaluate a Thank It Back alternative

How the 7 employee recognition software free alternatives compare, plainly: 7 offer a free tier; paid plans run $49.04–$90, with Nomify the cheapest entry point; and Appreiz is the highest rated at 5★ across 1 reviews.

How we put this in order.

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 Thank It Back?

The top-rated alternatives to Thank It Back are Appreiz (5.0★), ChatFox (5.0★), Bonusly (4.8★). Compare all 7 alternatives side-by-side above.

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

When evaluating alternatives to Thank It Back, prioritize: Peer-to-Peer Recognition, Social Recognition, 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 Thank It Back to an alternative?

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

How to land on the right Thank It Back alternative

On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Appreiz, Nomify and Bonusly 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: Appreiz has the highest Spotsaas Score (8.5) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Ready to leave Thank It Back?

Getting off Thank It Back cleanly comes down to preparation. Export everything, verify the new tool can import it, and check feature parity for your day-to-day work. Run a small pilot first, then migrate fully, keeping Thank It Back as backup until you're done. Free trials above lower the risk.

Compare top products

Gusto

HiFives

Nomify