Culture software
is boring.
Tacos aren't.

Employee recognition software — sometimes called employee appreciation software — helps teams acknowledge and reward great work. Instead of waiting for annual reviews, employees can recognize each other in real time—celebrating wins, thanking teammates, and reinforcing company values as they happen. The best recognition tools integrate with platforms teams already use, like Slack and Microsoft Teams, so appreciation flows naturally rather than feeling like a separate task.

Employee appreciation software helps teams recognize and celebrate great work as it happens, making gratitude a daily habit rather than an annual event. Also called employee recognition software, it replaces infrequent top-down awards with continuous peer-to-peer appreciation. HeyTaco is employee appreciation software built into Slack and Microsoft Teams — teams give each other tacos as recognition, driving 67% daily engagement.

Employee recognition is important because it directly impacts engagement, retention, and profitability. When employees feel appreciated for their work, they're more motivated, productive, and likely to stay with the company. Research from Gallup shows recognition-driven organizations see up to 23% higher profitability. Recognition strengthens culture, reinforces values, and builds psychological safety — turning appreciation into a competitive advantage.

Read more about the business case for employee recognition and the ROI of employee recognition.

HeyTaco is employee recognition software for Slack and Microsoft Teams that lets teammates give each other virtual tacos as appreciation. Each person gets 5 tacos daily to recognize colleagues, creating visible peer-to-peer recognition. Used by 3,000+ teams, HeyTaco drives 67% daily engagement vs. the industry average of 35-45%.

HeyTaco is best for:

• Remote and hybrid teams — Over 60% of HeyTaco customers work remotely. Recognition bridges distance and time zones.
• Startups and mid-size companies (5-500+ employees) — No minimum users, scales as you grow, simple enough to run without dedicated admins.
• Teams using Slack or Microsoft Teams — HeyTaco lives where your team already works. No new platform to log into.
• Companies building culture intentionally — Leaders who want to make values visible and recognition habitual.

HeyTaco is used by 3,000+ teams worldwide, from 10-person startups to Fortune 500 companies.

HeyTaco works by giving each team member 5 tacos daily to send as recognition directly in Slack or Microsoft Teams. Building engagement with HeyTaco is simple and happens in three steps:

1. Install HeyTaco in your Slack or Microsoft Teams (takes a few minutes)
2. Each team member automatically receives 5 tacos every day to give as recognition—creating daily moments of appreciation
3. Send tacos to teammates directly in chat by typing their name and adding :taco: with a message explaining why they deserve recognition

Tacos accumulate in each person's account and create a visible record of appreciation that boosts morale. The daily limit ensures equitable participation and prevents silos—everyone's voice matters equally in your engagement culture.

HeyTaco costs $3-$5 per user per month, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required. HeyTaco offers three engagement-focused pricing plans:

• HeyTaco Classic: $3 per user/month - unlimited peer recognition, leaderboards that celebrate team contributions, custom rewards, and engagement analytics.
• HeyTaco Deluxe: $5 per user/month - everything in Classic plus automated milestone celebrations (birthdays & work anniversaries), 2,000+ instant gift cards, and dedicated account support to maximize engagement.
• HeyTaco Supreme: Custom pricing - includes everything in Deluxe plus custom emoji tracking, custom branding, recognition segmentation, enhanced analytics & insights, bi-annual recognition program review with dedicated account manager

All plans include:

• 30-day free trial (no credit card required)
• No setup fees
• No per-transaction charges
• No contracts
• Cancel anytime

For example, a 50-person team would pay $150/month for Classic or $250/month for Deluxe. Learn more about pricing

No, HeyTaco is not free, but it offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, pricing starts at $3 per user/month for the Classic plan.

While HeyTaco isn't free long-term, it's one of the most affordable employee recognition platforms available—25% less expensive than many competitors. The free trial gives you a full month to test all features with your team before committing.

What's included in the free trial:

• All Deluxe plan features
• Unlimited recognition
• Full access to analytics
• Custom rewards
• Integrations with Slack or Teams
• Help from our team if you're switching from another platform

Tacos can be collected as visible peer recognition or redeemed for rewards like gift cards, extra PTO, and company perks. They serve two purposes in your engagement strategy:

As appreciation:

• Each taco represents recognition from a teammate
• Your taco count shows team appreciation visibly
• Leaderboards celebrate top receivers and givers
• Tacos create a tangible record of contributions

As rewards (optional):

• Redeem tacos for 2,000+ gift cards (Amazon, Starbucks, etc.)
• Redeem tacos for custom company rewards like:
• Extra PTO day
• Premium parking spot
• Lunch with CEO
• Donation to charity of choice
• Team lunch budget
• Work-from-home day

You set the redemption rate. Many teams use 1 taco = $0.50, but you have full flexibility. Some teams use tacos purely for recognition without monetary rewards—it works both ways. Learn more about rewards

HeyTaco lives inside Slack and Microsoft Teams (no separate app), uses daily taco limits to prevent favoritism, sets up in under a minute, and costs 25% less than competitors. It differs from traditional recognition platforms in four engagement-critical ways:

• Lives in your chat tools: HeyTaco works inside Slack or Microsoft Teams—no separate platform to log into. Competitors often require visiting their website.
• Daily taco limits prevent favoritism: Everyone gets the same 5 tacos per day, so you can't send everything to close friends. This prevents "recognition cliques" that plague unlimited systems.
• Quick setup: Install and start using immediately. Many recognition platforms take 30-60 minutes to configure.
• Focused on recognition only: HeyTaco does one thing exceptionally well rather than bundling recognition with surveys, feedback tools, and community features you may not need. This keeps costs 25% lower than competitors.

Result: 67% daily active users vs. 35-45% for typical recognition platforms.

Compare recognition software side-by-side →

Yes! Small teams (5-50 people) actually see the highest engagement with HeyTaco because recognition is more personal, visible, and meaningful.

Why HeyTaco drives engagement for small teams:

• No minimum user requirements
• Pricing is affordable at scale ($150/month for 50 people)
• Simple enough that small teams don't need dedicated admins
• Setup takes less than a minute—no complex implementation
• Recognition builds tight-knit culture in growing companies

Small team advantages:

• Everyone sees everyone's recognition (builds connections)
• Easier to track culture health with smaller datasets
• Quick to see impact (high engagement within first week)
• Can start with 5 people and scale to 500+

HeyTaco is used by teams ranging from 10-person startups to Fortune 500 companies. Your employee engagement culture grows with you, and our guide to employee engagement software covers what to look for at every size.

Yes, HeyTaco rewards are fully customizable. You can offer extra PTO, gift cards from 2,000+ brands, company swag, or custom perks like premium parking or lunch with leadership. You set the redemption rates and can change them anytime.

Custom reward options include:

• Non-monetary rewards (most popular):
  • Extra PTO day (e.g., 100 tacos = 1 day off)
  • Premium parking spot for a month
  • Lunch with leadership
  • Work-from-home days
  • Team outing budget
  • Charity donation in employee's name
  • Office perks (standing desk, better chair, etc.)
• Instant gift cards (Deluxe plan):
  • 2,000+ options including Amazon, Starbucks, Target
  • Available in 200+ countries
  • Digital delivery within minutes
• Company swag:
  • Branded merchandise
  • Custom company items
  • Team apparel
• Collaborative rewards:
  • Teams can pool tacos for group rewards
  • Department outings or team celebrations

You set the redemption rates and can change them anytime. Many companies create tiered rewards (25 tacos for coffee gift card, 100 tacos for PTO day, 500 tacos for major reward). Learn more about rewards

By default, each person receives 5 tacos per day—the optimal amount for building consistent engagement:

• Encourages daily recognition habits
• Prevents favoritism (can't send everything to one person)
• Feels generous but not overwhelming
• Creates urgency (use them or lose them)

The daily limit is fully customizable:

• You can increase to 10+ tacos for larger, more active teams
• You can decrease to 3 tacos for smaller teams
• Admins can adjust limits per individual
• Limits reset every 24 hours at midnight in your timezone

Why daily limits matter: Teams with daily limits show 67% active participation vs. 35-45% for platforms with unlimited recognition. The constraint actually drives more thoughtful, meaningful recognition.

Yes! HeyTaco is ideal for remote and hybrid teams. In fact, over 60% of HeyTaco customers are fully remote or hybrid, and they see exceptional engagement results.

Why HeyTaco works for remote teams:

• Lives where remote teams already work (Slack, Teams)
• Makes appreciation visible when you can't high-five in person
• Bridges time zones—recognition happens asynchronously
• Creates connection in distributed cultures
• No in-office events required

Remote team features:

• Recognition happens in public channels (builds camaraderie)
• Global gift card options (200+ countries)
• Async participation (give tacos anytime)
• Creates virtual "watercooler moments"
• Helps remote workers feel seen and valued

Remote teams report that HeyTaco solves the "out of sight, out of mind" problem where distributed teammates receive less recognition than in-office colleagues. Daily tacos ensure equal participation and visibility regardless of location.

Switching to HeyTaco takes minutes, not weeks. Recognition history generally doesn't migrate between platforms—and mostly doesn't need to. Recognition starts fresh in your channels, with everyone on equal footing.

Switching process:

1. Export analytics from your current platform for the record
2. Let employees redeem outstanding points before cancellation (points often expire—check your terms)
3. Install HeyTaco in Slack or Microsoft Teams and set your options
4. Recreate the rewards you want to keep offering
5. Run both platforms in parallel for 1-2 weeks (optional)
6. Complete cutover when your team is ready

Most teams are up and running the same day—especially compared to implementing their original platform, which often took weeks. Common switches: Bonusly to HeyTaco, Awardco to HeyTaco, Kudos to HeyTaco.