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Guusto

guusto.com

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Spec score 9.0 #2 of 35 in Employee Recognition Software

What it is

Guusto provides employee recognition and rewards software intended for both frontline and office workers. Programs can cover milestones, anniversaries, birthdays, peer recognition, manager awards, nominations, performance awards, safety incentives, and learning incentives. Rewards can be sent by email or SMS, printed, displayed as QR codes, or routed to a manager for in-person delivery. Recipients can redeem Guusto cards for gift cards, company swag, charity donations, or custom rewards. Program managers get workspaces with separate budgets and admins, approval workflows, cost-center pools, real-time reporting, and taxable-benefit reporting. Integrations include HRIS, single sign-on, and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and UKG Pro; the API supports recognition and reporting connections. The service is available on Android, iOS, web, and API. A free plan is listed, and the pricing note includes a 30-day trial. Essential costs $4 a month per sender seat and $0.70 a month per recipient seat, with a $200 monthly minimum and annual billing. Premium costs $5 a month per sender seat and $1 a month per recipient seat, with a $500 monthly minimum and annual billing.

Spec sheet

What it does
Guusto is a hosted employee-recognition and rewards platform aimed at office, frontline, deskless and distributed workers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Purpose
Guusto provides employee recognition and rewards software intended to reach both frontline and office workers.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Integrations
Guusto advertises HRIS, single-sign-on, collaboration and learning-system integrations, including Microsoft Teams, Outlook and SharePoint.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Support
Guusto states an average support response time under 10 minutes and a 95% support satisfaction rating.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Headquarters
Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaRead 23 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Founded
2012Read 23 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
AI insights
AI recognition scores and manager insights identify overlooked employees and suggest recognition opportunities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
API capabilities
The public API exposes endpoints for sending rewards, retrieving budgets, tracking activity and obtaining manager insights.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.guusto.com
API documentation depth
Developer docs include authentication, environments, gift ordering, reports, workspace budgets and response-code guidance; the documentation page says it was last updated one year ago.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.guusto.com
API technology
API documentation describes resource-oriented Reactive REST endpoints, JSON responses, standard HTTP status codes, API-token authentication and a test environment.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.guusto.com
Budget controls
Administrators can run multiple programs with separate budgets, cost-center limits, manager permissions and real-time spend reporting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Company history
Guusto’s company story dates its start to 2012 and says it was originally inspired by sending a drink to a friend or client.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Company legal name
Crunchbase identifies the legal name as Guusto Gifts Inc. and lists founders Joe Facciolo and Skai Dalziel.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Company profile
LinkedIn lists Guusto as privately held, founded in 2013, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with 51–200 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Frontline delivery
Rewards can be delivered by email, SMS, push notification, QR code, printed material or manager handoff for workers without contact details.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Funding disclosure
Crunchbase lists two equity-crowdfunding rounds but obscures the funding amounts and dates in its public profile.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Intended audience
Guusto says it helps HR leaders build recognition programs that affect frontline retention and highlights healthcare, hospitality, retail, construction, manufacturing, and financial services.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Limit: analytics and customization
Some reviewers want more granular analytics, advanced reporting, branding and customization controls.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Limit: mobile login and stability
Google Play reviews include complaints about app crashes, download failures and a confusing Android login control.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Limit: pricing
GetApp reviewers mention fees, limited free-plan scope and a lack of bulk discounts as pricing drawbacks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Limit: regional catalog
Reviewers report that available merchants and reward choices can shrink substantially outside North America or vary by recipient location.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Limit: Trustpilot complaints
Trustpilot contains isolated complaints about payment blocking, gift access problems and an alleged incentive for positive reviews; Trustpilot reports no recent review invitations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Management tools
The platform provides workspaces with separate budgets and admins, approval workflows, cost-center pools, real-time reporting, and taxable-benefit reporting.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Named platforms
The product page names Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, and UKG Pro among its integrations, and says report exports can be scheduled over SFTP.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Notable news
Guusto’s Q1 2026 product update described new manager recognition tools and quarterly product showcases.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.guusto.com
Praise: reward choice
Review summaries frequently praise the broad merchant selection and recipients’ ability to choose, combine or split gift-card rewards.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Praise: usability and delivery
Independent reviewers repeatedly praise the simple interface, quick digital or email delivery and ease of sending and redeeming rewards.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Pricing limits
Essential and Premium subscriptions have minimum costs of USD $200/mo and $500/mo respectively, and the page says these tiers are billed annually.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Privacy and hosting
Guusto says personal information is encrypted in transit and stored on secure servers in Canada with access limited to selected personnel.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Programs
Programs include milestones, anniversaries, birthdays, manager recognition, peer shoutouts, nominations, performance awards, safety incentives, and learning incentives.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Rating on Apple App Store
4.0 out of 5 from 45 ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Capterra
4.9 out of 5 from 3,847 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
4.9 out of 5 from 6,095 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
4.7 out of 5 from 17 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Rating on GetApp
4.9 out of 5 from about 3,800 reviews (3,846 verified reviews analyzed).Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Google Play
3.7 out of 5 from 248 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Trustpilot
4.0 out of 5 from 61 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Rating on TrustRadius
10 out of 10 from 12 reviews and ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Recognition delivery
Rewards can be sent by email or SMS, printed, shown as QR codes, or routed to a manager for in-person delivery.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Recognition programs
The product supports milestone, anniversary and birthday automation, manager and peer recognition, shoutouts, nominations, and performance incentives.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Reward catalog
Recipients can redeem cards at hundreds of merchants worldwide and choose branded merchandise, charity donations or custom rewards.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Reward choices
Recipients can redeem Guusto cards for gift cards, company swag, charity donations, or custom rewards.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com
Security and compliance
Guusto’s trust page lists PCI DSS and SOC 2 compliance and identifies audit logging, data security, multi-factor authentication, access monitoring, backups, and encryption at rest as security topics.Read 29 Sep 2026 · security.guusto.com
Security compliance
Guusto’s trust center lists PCI DSS and SOC 2 compliance and provides a SOC 2 report for customer review.Read 15 Oct 2026 · security.guusto.com
Security controls
The trust center lists audit logging, multifactor authentication, encryption at rest, backups, access monitoring, AWS hosting and anti-DDoS protections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · security.guusto.com
Social features
Higher plans include social feeds, leaderboards and automated random draws.Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Support resources
A public Help Center provides setup, sender, integration and API articles, while the API site supplies structured developer guides.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.guusto.com
Unclaimed rewards
For Lite and higher tiers, unclaimed gifts are credited back in full.Read 29 Sep 2026 · guusto.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Free account for redeeming rewards; web, mobile and print redemption; 100+ merchants Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Essential $4 a month Sender Seat $4.00/mo; Recipient Seat $0.70/mo; minimum contract $200/mo HRIS integration · manager insights · social feeds · leaderboards · automated draws · up to 5 workspaces Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Premium $5 a month Sender Seat $5.00/mo; Recipient Seat $1.00/mo; minimum contract $500/mo API · unlimited workspaces · Microsoft Teams and SharePoint integrations · TV/kiosk display · global rewards · custom reports · enhanced budget controls Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Lite $150 a month $150/mo 1 sender seat · 250 recipient seats · milestone automation · bulk rewards · cancel unclaimed gifts Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com
Enterprise Priced on request Talk to Sales Enterprise-grade customization, automation and integrations Read 15 Oct 2026 · guusto.com

Every Guusto plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Rewards can be delivered through email, SMS, print, or QR.
  • Workspaces support separate budgets and admins.
  • Lists HRIS, SSO, and collaboration integrations.
  • Unclaimed gifts are credited back in full on Lite and higher.

Limits

  • Essential has a $200 monthly minimum.
  • Premium has a $500 monthly minimum.
  • Essential and Premium are billed annually.

Who it suits

Guusto suits HR teams building recognition programs for frontline and office staff. It highlights industries including healthcare, hospitality, retail, construction, manufacturing, and financial services.

Guusto in depth

Read the full write-up

Guusto is employee recognition software for employers coordinating rewards across frontline and office teams. It is best suited to HR groups that need flexible delivery and controls across several programs. The free plan offers a low-commitment starting point, but paid tiers can have substantial annual minimums.

Overview

Guusto brings peer appreciation, manager awards, formal nominations and incentive programs into one service. Recipients can redeem rewards for gift cards, company swag, charity donations or custom rewards. Founded in 2012, the company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

For category comparisons, browse Employee Recognition Software, Employee Rewards Software and Total Rewards Software.

Key features

Recognition that reaches beyond desks

Programs cover birthdays, anniversaries, peer shoutouts, manager recognition, nominations, performance awards, safety incentives and learning incentives. Rewards can be delivered by email or SMS, printed, shown as QR codes or routed to a manager for an in-person handoff. That flexibility is useful for mixed workforces, particularly where employees may not regularly use workplace software.

Budgets, approvals and reporting

Separate workspaces can have their own budgets and administrators. Approval workflows and cost-center pools give HR teams ways to govern spending across programs; real-time and taxable-benefit reporting help track activity and rewards. These controls make Guusto more compelling for organizations managing multiple initiatives than for a small team seeking only informal peer praise.

Integrations and security

Guusto offers HRIS, single sign-on and collaboration integrations, plus an API for sending recognition and integrating reporting. Named integrations include Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint and UKG Pro, and report exports can be scheduled over SFTP. Its trust page identifies PCI DSS and SOC 2 compliance and covers audit logging, data security, multi-factor authentication, access monitoring, backups and encryption at rest.

Guusto states an average support response time under 10 minutes and a 95% support satisfaction rating. Those figures are a positive signal for teams that may need help administering recognition at scale.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and has no minimum reward spend. It includes reward sending, a mobile app and 100+ merchant options, making it a sensible way to start without committing to paid seat costs.

Essential costs $4 a month per sender seat and $0.70/mo per recipient seat, with a $200/mo minimum contract. Premium costs $5 a month per sender seat and $1.00/mo per recipient seat, with a $500/mo minimum contract. Both are billed annually. The higher tier costs more and has a higher minimum, so it is a better fit only when its additional capabilities justify that floor; the supplied plan details do not enumerate those differences.

Lite costs $150/mo and includes 1 Sender Seat, 250 Recipient Seats, bulk sending to unlimited recipients and cancellation of unclaimed gifts. Its fixed monthly price and seat limits may suit a defined group, but it is less flexible than seat-based plans for changing populations. Enterprise has custom pricing and offers enterprise-grade recognition, customization, automation and integrations.

For Lite and higher tiers, unclaimed gifts are credited back in full. The free plan has no minimum reward spend, while Essential and Premium require annual contracts at their respective monthly minimums.

Platforms

Guusto supports web, Android and iOS, and provides an API. Its mobile apps and several delivery methods are relevant for distributed and frontline teams; SFTP exports and named integrations support organizations incorporating recognition into existing systems.

Who it's for

Guusto is aimed at HR leaders building recognition programs for frontline retention, including organizations in healthcare, hospitality, retail, construction, manufacturing and financial services. Its mix of program types, delivery routes and budget controls fits employers coordinating recognition across locations or departments. A small organization that needs only a simple, informal rewards channel may find the paid minimums hard to justify.

Pros and cons

Pros

Multiple delivery routes: Email, SMS, print, QR codes and manager handoffs help reach employees with different work patterns.

Useful governance: Separate budgets, approval workflows, cost-center pools and reporting support oversight across programs.

Free entry point: No minimum reward spend lets organizations begin sending rewards without paid-plan minimums.

Unclaimed gifts return in full: Lite and higher tiers credit back unclaimed gifts, reducing the cost of unused awards.

Cons

Paid minimums are sizable: Essential starts at $200/mo and Premium at $500/mo, both billed annually, which can rule them out for smaller teams.

Seat costs are layered: Essential and Premium charge separately for sender and recipient seats, so the entry per-sender rate is not the whole cost.

Lite is capped by recipient seats: Its 250 Recipient Seats may constrain organizations with larger groups, despite unlimited-recipient bulk sends.

Alternatives

Choose Bonusly if a free plan capped at 8 users, peer recognition and guidance, Slack and Teams integrations, and iOS and Android apps better match a small team’s needs.

Choose TotalRewards Software for planning, building, designing and producing employee statements with spreadsheet data uploads.

Conduent Life@Work Total Rewards is another paid option for Android, iOS and web.

Aon Activate is a paid option available on Android, iOS, web and through an API.

WTW Total Rewards Portal is a paid web, Android and iOS option with custom pricing.

Choose Motivosity if its custom-priced Celebrating People plan, unlimited milestone celebrations and corporate gifting, global reward marketplace, and native mobile app suit your needs.

Pave Market Data is a web-based alternative with free U.S. and one additional market benchmarks for startups with 1–200 employees.

Choose Achievers for a paid recognition platform with monetary and non-monetary recognition, a global rewards marketplace, nomination-based awards and HCM integrations.

Verdict

Guusto is a strong fit for HR teams that need recognition to reach both frontline and office workers, with multiple reward channels and practical budget oversight. Its free plan makes a low-risk starting point, but the annual minimums on Essential and Premium are the main reason smaller organizations should look elsewhere or stay free.

Verdict

Guusto covers multiple recognition programs and delivery methods, with tools for budgets, approvals, and reporting. The free plan is available, but Essential and Premium have annual billing and monthly minimum costs.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to GuustoAll alternatives →