Awardco vs Nectar

Awardco8.3/10

Nectar6.5/10

Scored in Employee Recognition Software

The short answer

Both sell recognition with points and a global reward catalog and both state SOC 2 Type II. Awardco publishes starter packages from $3,000 and adds ISO 27001:2022 and HIPAA. Nectar quotes bundles that join recognition with engagement surveys and internal communications.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Nov 5, 2026Based on 12 sources, most recently checked Nov 8, 2026

Awardco

Best for: Companies of any size that want a very large reward catalog with local currencies

Choose Awardco if

You want a published starting point: starter packages for 100 employees or fewer start at $3,000.
You want reward options in 135 countries and 163 currencies.
You need ISO 27001 or HIPAA as well as SOC 2.

Awardco plans and prices Awardco competitors

Nectar

Best for: Frontline and deskless teams that need recognition without a work email

Choose Nectar if

You want surveys and internal communications in the same bundle.
You reach frontline staff by text as well as Slack and Teams.
You run UKG, Paycor or Rippling.

What Nectar costs Nectar HR alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

Awardco wins 3Nectar wins 0

Awardco vs Nectar by dimension
Dimension	Awardco	Nectar
PricingAwardco publishes starter packages from $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer. Nectar publishes no prices; its bundles are quoted. Partly published1	Partly published	Quote only
SecurityAwardco lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, HIPAA and GDPR. Nectar states SOC 2 Type II and self-assessed GDPR compliance. Yes2	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR	SOC 2, GDPR
IntegrationsAwardco lists HRIS sync with Workday, ADP Workforce Now, BambooHR, HiBob, Deel, Gusto, Justworks and Paycom. Nectar names Slack, Teams, UKG, ADP, Rippling, Paycor, Workday and Okta. Workday, ADP Workforce Now, BambooHR, HiBob, Deel, Gusto, Justworks, Paycom, Greenhouse, Lattice, 15Five, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Outlook, Amazon Business3	24 documented	20 documented

Key differences

Where Awardco and Nectar differ (2)
Attribute	Awardco	Nectar
Pricing model	Tiered plans1	Quote only4
Price transparency	Partly published1	Quote only4

Show 6 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (6)
Attribute	Awardco	Nectar
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises5	Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises6
Mobile apps	iOS, Android7	8
API	3	9
Single sign-on	3	4
SOC 2 Type II	2	10
GDPR program	2	10

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Awardco publishes starter packages from $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer. Nectar publishes no prices; its bundles are quoted.

Security. Awardco lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, HIPAA and GDPR. Nectar states SOC 2 Type II and self-assessed GDPR compliance.

Integrations. Awardco lists HRIS sync with Workday, ADP Workforce Now, BambooHR, HiBob, Deel, Gusto, Justworks and Paycom. Nectar names Slack, Teams, UKG, ADP, Rippling, Paycor, Workday and Okta.

Neither one?

Bonusly

Bonusly has the highest LeadChange Score in Employee Recognition Software after excluding these two (8.8/10).

From $3/user/mo11

Bonusly review

More Awardco comparisons

More Nectar comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Awardco or Nectar?

Neither publishes a full price list. Awardco shows starter packages from $3,000 for 100 employees or fewer; Nectar quotes its Recognize, Engage and Comms bundles after a demo.

Who owns Awardco?

Awardco, LLC was founded in 2015 by cousins Steve and Mike Sonnenberg; its site names no outside owner.

What companies use Awardco?

Awardco sells to small businesses, mid-size companies and enterprises, with industry programs for manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, hospitality, education, the public sector and retail.

Are Awardco and Nectar SOC 2 compliant?

Both state SOC 2 Type II. Awardco adds ISO 27001:2022 and HIPAA; Nectar describes its GDPR compliance as self-assessed.

What does Nectar include besides recognition?

Nectar Engage adds engagement and eNPS surveys, and Nectar Comms adds an email builder and texting; Nectar One bundles all three.

Which other recognition tools compete with Awardco and Nectar?

Achievers, Workhuman and O.C. Tanner compete with Awardco for large programs, while Bonusly, Motivosity and Assembly are the usual alternatives to Nectar’s bundles. Against Nectar, Awardco adds ISO 27001 and HIPAA to SOC 2 Type II.

Who are Awardco’s biggest competitors?

Awardco ranks #3 of 8 in our employee recognition software ranking. Besides Nectar, the highest-scored are Bonusly, Assembly, and Motivosity. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: Awardco alternatives.

How this page was made

What it is built from
23 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 8, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Awardco vs Nectar

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Sources

The 12 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources

Awardco awardco.com/plans“New startups and small businesses with 100 employees or less can reach out to our sales team for details on flexible packages starting at $3,000.” “The primary difference is the number of Recognition Types available for the organization’s programs”
Awardco trust.awardco.com“SOC 2 Type II ISO 27001:2022 HIPAA GDPR CCPA”
Awardco awardco.com/platform/integrations“Easily integrate with Slack, Teams, HRIS platforms, Outlook, and more to make recognition a natural part of the workday.” “Open API integrations for ultimate data flexibility.”
Nectar nectarhr.com/pricing“Get pricing Peer-to-peer & manager recognition” “Recognition analytics & engagement reporting HRIS & SSO integrations”
Awardco awardco.com/solutions/business-size“From small businesses to enterprise organizations, meet a scalable solution that fits every employee recognition and engagement need.”
Nectar nectarhr.com/faq“Whether you're a scrappy startup or a global enterprise, we've designed our platform to grow with you and meet your unique needs.”
Awardco (Apple App Store listing) apps.apple.com/us/app/awardco/id6657991179“Recognize, reward, and redeem points any time, anywhere with mobile employee rewards and recognition at your fingertips.”
Nectar nectarhr.com“Recognition, announcements, and surveys reach people by text, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the mobile app”
Nectar help.nectarhr.com/en/articles/10770969-open-api“Nectar's Open API currently has limited endpoints able to be accessed. The endpoints available are: Financial Reports User Upsert (can get and put data) = gather user data and create users Sending Custom Awards”
Nectar nectarhr.com/security“SOC 2 (Type II as of Nov 30 2024)” “GDPR, CCPA/CPRA (processor and service provider compliant, un-audited)”
Bonusly bonusly.com/pricing“Team plan available without Bizy AI for $3/user/month or $30/user paid annually.”
Awardco awardco.com/about-us“Cousins Steve and Mike Sonnenberg founded Awardco in 2015.”