The Verdict
Choose HeyTaco if you want simple, transparent pricing with no employee minimums.
Choose Awardco if you're an enterprise (100+ employees) needing Amazon rewards integration and complex program types.
Highlights
HeyTaco Wins On:
No minimum requirement, transparent pricing ($3-5/user), 5-minute setup vs 2-8 weeks, and $5K-17K annual savings for SMBs
Awardco Wins On:
Amazon Business integration, multiple program types (spot, service, incentive), and enterprise-scale features
Bottom line: Teams under 500 employees save significantly with HeyTaco's focused approach while avoiding enterprise complexity and 100+ employee minimums.
Quick Comparison: HeyTaco vs. Awardco
This side-by-side comparison breaks down the key features of HeyTaco and Awardco, highlighting how each platform performs in critical areas of employee recognition.
| Feature | HeyTaco | Awardco |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition Model | Daily taco allowance (5/day) | Unlimited recognition with points |
| Primary Focus | Peer-to-peer daily habit | Enterprise total rewards platform |
| Where It Lives | Fully native in Slack/Teams | Web platform + integrations |
| Minimum Company Size | No minimum (ideal 10-500) | 100+ employees typically required |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 2-8 weeks (enterprise implementation) |
| Gamification | Leaderboards, Tacotars, stickers, levels | Social feed, badges, competitions |
| Reward Catalog | 1,000+ gift cards + unlimited custom rewards | Millions via Amazon Business partnership |
| Reward Pricing | Dollar-for-dollar (no markups) | Zero markups claimed (users report otherwise) |
| Point Distribution Control | Daily limits prevent gaming | Unlimited (risk of favoritism) |
| Multi-Program Support | Single focused recognition program | Multiple program types (spot, service, incentive) |
| Pricing Model | $3-5/user/month, transparent pricing | Custom enterprise pricing (contact sales) |
| Free Trial | 30 days, no card required | Demo only |
| Best For | Teams 10-500 wanting daily recognition in chat | Enterprise (100+) needing total rewards platform |
What Awardco Does Well
Awardco is an enterprise recognition platform. It has real strengths:
Awardco's Strengths
- Amazon Business partnership: Access to millions of Amazon products for rewards
- Enterprise-grade capabilities: Built for 100+ employees. Supports service awards, spot recognition, and incentive programs
- Physical reward cards: Works for deskless and offline employees
- Extensive customization: Branded swag stores, custom programs, automated service awards
- Global rewards: Travel booking, charitable donations, multi-currency support
- Comprehensive reporting: Enterprise analytics for recognition spend and ROI
Where Teams Experience Friction
Many teams find challenges:
- 100+ employee minimum: Smaller teams can't access the platform
- Reward markup concerns: Users report rewards cost more than buying direct from Amazon—despite "zero markup" claims
- Platform complexity: Confusing navigation. Steep learning curve. Requires training
- Slow implementation: Setup takes 2-8 weeks
- Hidden pricing: No public pricing. Requires sales calls for quotes
- Favoritism risk: Unlimited points let employees concentrate recognition on favorites. "Recognition cliques" form
"I started HeyTaco because I saw too many recognition programs fail—not because the intentions were wrong, but because the tools made it too hard. Recognition should live where your team already works, cost what a small team can afford, and be fun enough that nobody needs a reminder to use it."
Doug Dosberg, Founder of HeyTaco
Which Is More Affordable: HeyTaco or Awardco?
Here's what each platform costs.
HeyTaco Pricing
HeyTaco Classic Plan: $3/user/month
- Unlimited recognition sends and receives
- Public and private leaderboards
- Custom daily taco limits
- Custom and collaborative rewards
- Gamification with stickers, levels, and Tacotars
- Company/individual insights and tracking
- Integrations (Slack, Teams)
- Unlimited teams, channels, and spaces
- Migration support from other platforms
- World class customer support
- Monthly or annual billing
- Secure login with SSO
HeyTaco Deluxe Plan: $5/user/month
- Everything in Classic
- Automated milestone celebrations (birthdays, work anniversaries)
- Instant gift cards (2,000+ options in 200+ countries)
- Dedicated account manager to help you customize, optimize, and scale your recognition strategy
No hidden costs:
- No setup fees
- No additional transaction fees
- No per-redemption charges
- No minimum commitment
- No minimum company size
Awardco Pricing
Custom Enterprise Pricing (contact sales required)
No public pricing. Based on user reports:
- Estimated range: $3-8+/user/month depending on company size and features
- 100+ employee minimum typically required
- Multiple plan tiers (Starter, Growth, Enterprise)
- Additional fees for extra program types
- Implementation and onboarding fees may apply
- Annual commitment typically required
Additional costs to consider:
- Reward costs separate from platform fees
- Users report reward markups despite "zero markup" claims
- Enterprise implementation support fees
- Additional program types may require extra fees
Note: Awardco requires contacting sales for specific pricing. Estimates based on user reports and industry benchmarks.
Cost Comparison for a 200-person team
HeyTaco Deluxe:
- Platform: $1,000/month ($12,000/year)
- All features: Included
- Recognition: Unlimited
- Setup: Free (5 minutes)
- Total: $12,000/year
Awardco (estimated based on user reports):
- Platform: ~$1,000-1,600/month ($12,000-19,200/year)
- Implementation: $5,000-10,000 one-time
- Reward costs: Additional (with reported markups)
- Annual commitment: Required
- Total: $17,000-29,000+/year (first year)
Potential savings with HeyTaco: $5,000-17,000+/year
Cost Comparison for a 50-person team
HeyTaco Deluxe:
- $250/month = $3,000/year
- No minimum commitment
- No minimum company size
Awardco:
- Typically requires 100+ employees
- Not accessible for smaller teams
HeyTaco advantage: Accessible for teams of any size with transparent pricing
Winner for Pricing: HeyTaco — transparent $3-5/user pricing with no minimums vs. hidden enterprise quotes requiring 100+ employees
Detailed Feature
Comparison
Which Recognition Model Is Better: Daily Limits or Unlimited Points?
HeyTaco: Daily Taco Allowance
Everyone gets 5 fresh tacos each day.
- Use them or lose them: Creates daily urgency
- Prevents favoritism: Can't send all to one person
- Drives habits: Teams recognize daily
- Equalizes giving: Everyone gets the same allowance
- Stays in chat: Send tacos in Slack/Teams
Result: 4x more consistent recognition. No one can monopolize by always rewarding the same friends.
Awardco: Unlimited Recognition with Points
No limits on recognition.
- No sending limits: Give as much as you want
- Point-based: Each recognition includes points
- Multiple programs: Spot, service awards, incentives
- Platform-centric: Recognition on Awardco platform
- Risk of gaming: Can concentrate points on favorites
Trade-off: More flexibility, but favoritism is common. HeyTaco sees 67% daily active users. Platform-based tools require visiting a separate system.
Winner for Recognition Mechanics: HeyTaco — daily limits prevent favoritism and drive 4x more consistent recognition vs. unlimited points
Where Does Recognition Happen: HeyTaco or Awardco?
HeyTaco: Lives in Slack/Teams
Recognition stays in your chat.
- In-channel: Give tacos in any channel
- In threads: Recognize in conversation context
- Simple: Type @person :taco: with a reason
- No switching: Never leave your conversation
- Visible: Team sees recognition in real-time
Result: Recognition becomes habitual. No separate login or apps.
Awardco: Separate Platform
Recognition happens on a dedicated platform.
- Web platform: Main interface for recognition
- Social feed: Recognition appears in a feed
- Mobile app: Dedicated app for on-the-go
- Physical cards: For deskless workers
- Integrations: Slack/Teams notifications
Trade-off: More features, but requires visiting a separate system. Friction reduces spontaneous recognition.
Winner for Where Recognition Happens: HeyTaco — 100% native in Slack/Teams vs. a separate platform that creates friction
Which Has Better Rewards: HeyTaco or Awardco?
HeyTaco: Custom + Gift Card
- Custom rewards: Extra PTO, parking, WFH days (cost $0)
- 1,000+ gift cards: Global options in Deluxe plan
- No markups: Dollar-for-dollar value
- Team rewards: Pool tacos for group rewards
- Company swag: Add branded merchandise
Key advantage: Non-monetary rewards cost $0 but employees value them highly.
Awardco: Amazon Integration
- Millions of products: Amazon Business partnership
- Travel booking: Hotels and experiences
- Charitable donations: Donate points to causes
- Swag stores: Branded merchandise
- Physical/digital cards: Versatile options
Key issue: Users report items cost more than buying direct from Amazon—despite "zero markup" claims.
Winner for Reward Value: HeyTaco — dollar-for-dollar rewards with no markups and $0-cost custom rewards vs. reported hidden markups
Which Platform Prevents Favoritism: HeyTaco or Awardco?
HeyTaco: Built-in Fairness
Daily limits prevent gaming.
- Can't monopolize: 5 tacos/day forces spreading
- No trading: Can't swap tacos back and forth
- Visible: Everyone sees who gets recognized
- Self-regulating: Social pressure prevents abuse
Awardco: Unlimited Model
No limits on distribution.
- Can concentrate points: Send most to favorites
- Cliques form: Same people always recognizing each other
- Feels unfair: Recognition becomes imbalanced
- Requires monitoring: Admins must watch for abuse
Bottom line: Unlimited points create favoritism. Daily limits solve this by design.
Winner for Fairness: HeyTaco — built-in daily limits prevent favoritism by design vs. unlimited points that require admin monitoring
Why Teams Choose HeyTaco Over Awardco
Awardco Friction:
- Over-engineering: Too many program types
- 100+ employee minimum: Excludes growing teams
- 2-8 week setup: Delays impact
- Complex navigation: Requires training
- Hidden pricing: Lengthy sales process
HeyTaco Solution:
- One thing done well: Daily peer recognition
- No minimums: Teams from 10-500+
- 5-minute setup: Live in minutes
- Chat-native: Zero training
- Transparent pricing: $3-5/user
What Awardco users say:
- "Items cost more than buying from Amazon"
- "Same item costs less elsewhere"
- Hidden markup despite "zero markup" marketing
HeyTaco's approach:
- Non-monetary rewards cost $0
- Gift cards at face value
- No hidden fees
Awardco:
- Visit a separate platform
- Remember to check the feed
- Log in separately
- Changes employee habits
HeyTaco:
- 100% in Slack/Teams
- No separate platform
- Real-time, in context
- Zero friction
Awardco:
- Unlimited sounds appealing
- Creates favoritism
- Cliques form
- Requires monitoring
HeyTaco:
- Fresh tacos every morning
- Fairness built in
- Consistent rhythm
- No monitoring needed
How Deputy Scaled Recognition Across 5 Countries with HeyTaco
Deputy, a global workforce management platform, needed recognition that worked across distributed teams in the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. Luis, a Senior Software Engineering Manager, championed the initiative.
The result?
What started as an engineering grassroots initiative became company-wide adoption—with quarterly town halls highlighting top givers and annual "Taco Wrapped" recognition reports.
"HeyTaco democratizes recognition. It's not top-down—it's everyone, every day." —Luis, Senior Software Engineering Manager
Deputy layered in custom rewards tailored for remote international employees—swag, meal vouchers, and training expenses. The key insight? Celebrating top givers, not just receivers, sustains the culture.
How We Compared HeyTaco and Awardco
This comparison is based on publicly available pricing, features listed on each company's website as of , verified G2 reviews, and conversations with teams who evaluated both platforms.
Sources
- HeyTaco on G2 — 4.8/5 rating (500+ reviews)
- Awardco on G2
- HeyTaco Pricing — $3/user/month (Classic), $5/user/month (Deluxe)
- Awardco Website
Related Comparisons
See how HeyTaco compares to other recognition platforms:
Frequently Asked Questions: HeyTaco vs. Awardco
How is HeyTaco different from Awardco?
HeyTaco is simple. Awardco is enterprise-complex.
Key differences:
- HeyTaco: Teams of 10-500. Awardco: 100+ employees required
- HeyTaco: 5 tacos/day prevents favoritism. Awardco: Unlimited can create cliques
- HeyTaco: Lives in Slack/Teams. Awardco: Separate platform
- HeyTaco: $3-5/user transparent. Awardco: Contact sales for quotes
Is HeyTaco cheaper than Awardco?
Yes, often much cheaper.
- HeyTaco: $3-5/user/month. No minimums. No hidden fees
- Awardco: Custom pricing (~$3-8+/user + implementation). Requires 100+ employees. Users report markups despite "zero markup" claims
For a 200-person team, HeyTaco saves $5,000-17,000+ per year.
Can teams under 100 employees use Awardco?
Usually no. Awardco requires 100+ employees. Smaller teams can't access it or find it too expensive.
HeyTaco has no minimum. Works for teams from 10-500+.
What about Awardco's Amazon Business partnership?
Awardco offers millions of Amazon products. Great variety.
However, users report items cost more than buying direct from Amazon—despite "zero markup" claims.
HeyTaco's approach: Custom rewards (extra PTO, parking, WFH days) that cost $0, plus 1,000+ gift cards at face value.
Does HeyTaco work for enterprise organizations?
HeyTaco works well for teams up to 500.
Need multiple programs (service awards, spot recognition, incentives)? Awardco may be worth the complexity.
For most teams wanting peer recognition, HeyTaco's simplicity drives better daily engagement.
What about physical recognition cards for deskless workers?
Awardco offers physical cards for deskless and offline employees. Good for frontline workers without computer access.
HeyTaco works best for teams using Slack or Teams. If your team doesn't use chat, consider this.
Can I keep my Awardco recognition history when switching?
Yes. We import your complete history. Points convert to tacos at your preferred ratio. Nothing gets lost.
How long does it take to switch from Awardco to HeyTaco?
Setup takes 5 minutes.
Full migration:
- Under 50 employees: 1-2 days
- 50-200 employees: 2-3 days
- 200-500 employees: 3-5 days
Compare to Awardco's 2-8 week implementation.
Will my team actually use HeyTaco more than Awardco?
Yes. HeyTaco sees 67% daily active users.
Why? Recognition happens in Slack/Teams—where people already work. Platform tools require visiting a separate system, which creates friction.
Daily limits also create consistent habits vs. burst patterns.
What if we need Awardco's service awards automation?
HeyTaco Deluxe ($5/user) includes milestone celebrations for birthdays and work anniversaries. Upload a CSV or have team members opt-in.
Need complex multi-year programs with tiered gifts? Awardco may fit better. But most teams find HeyTaco's automation sufficient and simpler.
