5 Happl Alternatives Worth Considering For Your People Team

Quick Summary

Choosing the right employee benefits platform directly impacts how engaged your people feel and how much admin your HR team carries. In this guide, we break down the top five Happl alternatives, comparing features, pricing models, and real-world use cases so you can confidently choose the platform that fits your team.

Looking for an Alternative to Happl?

Happl does flexible benefits and employee perks well, but there are some gaps worth knowing about. 

There are no published reviews on G2 or Capterra, so it's hard to validate real-world performance. Pricing isn't listed on their site. And if you need core benefits like health insurance or pensions, Happl isn't really built for that.

This guide covers five alternatives: Kota, Perkbox, ADP Workforce Now, and BambooHR. We'll look at what each does best and which teams they suit.

Why Trust Us?

At Kota, we work daily with top companies managing employee benefits across multiple countries. 

We speak to HR leaders, finance teams, and employees every week about what works, what doesn’t, and why teams switch platforms. That real-world exposure puts us in a strong position to evaluate Happl alternatives fairly.

What Is Happl?

Happl is an employee engagement and benefits platform focused on perks, recognition, and flexible rewards. 

It helps companies boost morale through discounts, vouchers, and lifestyle benefits.

Key Features

• Intelligent flexible benefits 

• Employee discounts across retail, food, and lifestyle brands

• Peer-to-peer recognition tools

• Engagement campaigns and challenges

• Centralized perks and rewards dashboard

• Integrates with over 100+ systems

Why Look For Happl Alternatives?

Happl stands out for its strong focus on employee engagement and perk-driven motivation.

That said, while the platform is powerful, it has limitations, such as:

1. Limited Third-Party Validation

Happl currently has no published customer reviews on major B2B software review platforms like G2, Capterra, or GetApp. 

Without substantial user feedback, it's challenging to validate real-world performance, implementation experiences, or customer satisfaction levels before making a purchasing decision.

2. Unclear Pricing

Another issue is that Happl’s prices are unclear. The pricing page displays package tiers (Starter, Growth, Enterprise) but requires you to "Book a demo" to receive actual pricing information. 

No costs are published upfront on their website. 

If your finance team needs to compare costs quickly or requires predictable budgeting without sales conversations, this lack of transparent pricing can slow down your evaluation process. 

3. UK-Centric Market Focus

While Happl advertises capabilities across 160+ countries, the platform originated in London and appears optimized primarily for the UK market. 

If you're headquartered in the US or have significant American operations, you might find alternatives with deeper US carrier relationships and compliance expertise more suitable.

4. No Core Benefits

Happl leans heavily towards intelligent flexible benefits, acting as the platform for personalized choice.

While the company claims to source and implement core benefits like Health and Pension for you, in reality, they don’t. 

If you want to automate core benefits effectively, you should look elsewhere.

5 Happl Alternatives Compared

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty.

1. Kota

Kota replaces the traditional broker model with a modern platform that automates the entire benefits lifecycle. From HRIS sync to provider enrolment, everything runs through one system - giving your team a complete benefits solution without the broker overhead.

The platform connects directly to insurance carriers and pension providers, eliminating the back-and-forth with brokers while giving employees a clean, mobile-first experience to manage their benefits.

Key features

• Centralised Benefits: Handle health, life, retirement, and flex benefits from a single platform

• Flexible Benefits Wallet: Employees select perks that suit their needs with just a few clicks

• Broker-level Support: Over 50 years of benefits expertise to design your package and support employee queries

• Provider Integrations: Links with Allianz, Smart Pension, and Vitality cut down on paperwork

• Automatic HRIS and Payroll Sync: Maintains up-to-date records of joiners, leavers, and salary adjustments without manual data entry

• Detailed Analytics: Monitor spending and utilisation across various benefits and locations

• Employee App: Enables employees to self-manage their enrolment and benefits

What Kota offers over Happl

Kota takes a different approach to benefits by prioritising core financial benefits like healthcare and pensions, while also supporting perks and allowances. The latter has historically been Happl’s focus.

While Happl works with brokers to offer core benefits, Kota links directly to insurers, which:

• Removes necessity for brokers

• Leads to faster implementation

• Reduces administrative friction through technical automation

This infrastructure-first approach means fewer manual processes, clearer tax treatment, and better visibility for finance teams. Customers report that Kota feels more like essential business infrastructure than an engagement add-on.

G2 rating

5/5

Biggest Con

Not a full HRIS solution.

Pricing

Kota uses transparent per-employee pricing with no hidden markups:

• Startup £199 base monthly platform fee (up to 20 ppl)

• Scale-ups £9 per employee monthly platform fee (21-100 ppl)

• Mid-market £6 per employee monthly platform fee (101-500)

Best for

Growing SMBs in the UK, Europe, and beyond.

2. Perkbox

Perkbox is an employee engagement platform centred on perks, rewards, and recognition. It seeks to boost morale through everyday discounts.

The platform serves over 7,500 businesses globally, with a particularly strong presence in the UK public sector, the NHS specifically.

Key features

• Perks & Discounts: Access thousands of deals from top global brands

• Recognition Tools: Celebrate wins publicly to motivate and build community

• Online GP: Ask for advice or book an appointment and be seen within minutes

• Reward Points: Get flexible non-cash incentives

• Mental Health Support: Have access to licensed counsellors 24/7

What Perkbox offers over Happl

Happl and Perkbox focus heavily on perks, recognition, and flexible benefits, but Perkbox goes further in several ways.

It offers a broader discount network, stronger recognition features, and more comprehensive wellbeing tools like 24/7 mental health support and online GP access. Customers report higher engagement when rewards are tied to everyday savings rather than one-off vouchers.

G2 rating

4.5/5

Biggest drawback

Reviews often mention limited customisation and weaker coverage outside the UK.

Pricing

Custom per employee, with prices varying based on company size, with volume discounts available

Best for

UK-centric teams prioritising engagement and recognition over core benefits.

3. ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now is a global HR and payroll platform. 

It offers payroll, benefits administration, compliance, talent management, time management, and workforce management at enterprise scale.

The platform aims to boost workforce efficiency and reduce administrative burden.

Key features

• Global Payroll: Pay employees compliantly worldwide

• 900+ Insurance Carriers: Automates plan setup, billing, and enrolment updates

• Reporting Tools: Measure enrolment and  employee engagement

• Comprehensive Benefits: Manage dental, medical, vision, 401(k), FSA, HSA, commuter benefits, and more

• Self-service Portal: Access and manage benefits on mobile or desktop.

What ADP offers over Happl

With 900+ carrier integrations, ADP offers deeper integrations than Happl, which links with only 100 systems.

Its vast, integrated ecosystem allows it to:

• Provide comprehensive benefits.

• Handle complex needs for large employers.

• Replace multiple systems at once.

Also, ADP offers unmatched deep automated regulatory support locally and across borders (140 countries) with its flagship ADP SmartCompliance® solution. It's the perfect fit for large, multinational companies with a footprint in many regions.

G2 rating

4.2/5 

Biggest drawback

Reviews frequently cite complexity and slower setup times compared to lighter platforms.

Pricing

Custom, module-based enterprise pricing.

Best for

Large organisations needing robust payroll and compliance across regions.

4. CharlieHR

CharlieHR is a UK-focused HR platform built for small businesses that need simple, effective people management. It handles core HR tasks like time-off tracking, onboarding, performance reviews, and employee records while also offering perks and discounts through its integrated marketplace.

Key features

• Time-Off Management: Track holidays, sick leave, and absences with automatic allowance calculations

• Employee Onboarding: Self-service checklists for new starters and their teams

• Performance Reviews: Built-in review cycles and 360-degree feedback tools

• Perks Marketplace: Access 30,000+ discounts at no extra cost (included with subscription)

• Document Storage: Centralised employee records and company documents

What CharlieHR offers over Happl

CharlieHR takes a simpler, more focused approach to HR compared to Happl's benefits-heavy platform.

While Happl emphasises flexible benefits and personalisation across 160+ countries, CharlieHR concentrates on core HR administration for UK small businesses. The platform excels at everyday tasks like leave tracking and onboarding that UK teams need immediately.

CharlieHR also includes perks and discounts as part of the base subscription rather than as a paid add-on, making it more accessible for budget-conscious small businesses.

G2 rating

4.6/5

Biggest Con

Limited to UK market with minimal international expansion capabilities.

Pricing

Per-employee, per-module pricing. Core HR platform pricing scales with team size, with optional add-ons including Charlie Recruit (from £55/month) and Charlie Advice (from £179/month).

Best For

UK small businesses (under 100 employees) wanting straightforward HR with integrated perks.

5. BambooHR

BambooHR is a Human Resources (HR) platform that centralises and automates HR tasks for small to medium-sized businesses. In addition to its strong HR core focused on employee records, performance, and reporting, the platform also has robust benefits management features.

It allows you to simplify and streamline benefits enrolment, management, and reporting.

Key features

• Employee Database: Keep all employee organisational data in one place

• Mobile App: Enrol, update, and manage your benefits on your phone anywhere.

• Reporting Dashboards: Get HR and benefits insights at a glance

• Broker Management: Export enrolment data to brokers or give them access directly in BambooHR

• Payroll: Pay your employees on time every time and file taxes automatically

What BambooHR offers over Happl

Undoubtedly, Happl stars in global benefits administration and AI-powered personalisation.

But that’s overload if you don’t need personalised global benefits. If all you want is an efficient, trusted HR solution and essential benefits on top, BambooHR is the answer.

BambooHR delivers solid core HRIS functionality that's easy to implement and use, with benefits as an additional feature. This makes BambooHR more appropriate for straightforward US-based operations that don't require complex global benefits management.

Choose it over Happl if structure, documentation, and reporting matter more than rewards.

G2 rating

4.5/5 

Biggest Con

Lacks advanced benefits management features compared to dedicated tools. 

Pricing

BambooHR Benefits Administration is a custom-priced add-on solution to the HR core platform. Plans start at $10/month per employee.

Best For

SMBs building structured HR processes that want a solid benefits system on top. 

Choosing the Right Happl Alternative For Your People Team

Get a Happl alternative if perks and recognition are not your main focus. 

If you want solid, unified HR, payroll, and benefits, BambooHR, ADP, and CharlieHR would be good options. For wellbeing benefits, you won’t go wrong with Perkbox. 

For growing SMBs that are tired of fragmented systems and want an all-in-one solution for core and flexible benefits, Kota will do the job for you and then some.

👉 Book a demo today