Looking for a HeyTaco alternative without the per-seat pricing? OpenCulture delivers peer recognition with Kudos, plus anonymous feedback and polling—all at a flat team-based price that doesn't punish growth.
Pricing Comparison at a Glance
HeyTaco charges $3-5/user/month depending on the plan. That fun taco theme comes with the same per-seat pricing problem as every other recognition tool. OpenCulture uses flat team-size tiers instead.
| Team Size | OpenCulture (pricing) | HeyTaco Classic (pricing) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 users | $10/mo ✅ | $90/mo |
| 100 users | $30/mo ✅ | $300/mo |
| 300 users | $100/mo ✅ | $900/mo |
Note: HeyTaco's Deluxe plan costs $5/user/month for automated milestones and gift cards. The numbers above use their Classic plan at $3/user/month.
The HeyTaco Pricing Problem
HeyTaco is fun. The taco theme is memorable. But underneath the playful branding is the same per-seat pricing that makes recognition tools expensive at scale:
- 30-person team: $90/month with HeyTaco vs $10/month with OpenCulture
- 100-person company: $300/month with HeyTaco vs $30/month with OpenCulture
- 300-person org: $900/month with HeyTaco vs $100/month with OpenCulture
That's $3,240/year in savings for a 100-person team on the Classic plan. Choose the Deluxe plan at $5/user, and you're looking at $5,640/year in savings.
HeyTaco does offer a 30-day free trial, but once you're hooked on the taco economy, every new hire adds to your monthly bill. OpenCulture's team-size tiers mean you can grow from 31 to 100 people without your recognition costs changing.
What You Get with OpenCulture
Kudos — Recognition Without the Gimmicks
OpenCulture's Kudos feature delivers peer recognition directly in Slack—without points, leaderboards, or virtual currencies to manage.
With /openculture kudos, anyone can publicly celebrate a colleague's contribution. The recognition appears in the channel for everyone to see. No taco limits to track. No points to redeem. Just genuine appreciation, instantly visible.
Why skip the gamification? Points and leaderboards can accidentally turn recognition into competition. Who gave the most tacos this week? Who's hoarding points? These mechanics can make recognition feel performative rather than genuine. OpenCulture keeps it simple: give kudos when someone does great work. That's it.
Anonymous Feedback — What HeyTaco Can't Do
Here's the real differentiator: HeyTaco is recognition-only. It's great for celebrating wins, but what about the concerns people are afraid to voice?
OpenCulture includes:
- Anonymous Q&A channels — Let team members ask questions without revealing identity
- Moderated submissions — Review questions before they go public
- Town hall and AMA support — Collect honest questions for leadership sessions
- Anonymous poll responses — Get truthful feedback on sensitive topics
Healthy team culture needs both: celebrating what's working and surfacing what isn't. OpenCulture handles both. HeyTaco only does half the job.
Polls — Quick Team Decisions
OpenCulture also includes full polling capabilities:
- Anonymous voting — Voters stay hidden, even from poll creators
- Multiple choice — Let people select more than one option
- Results visibility control — Show results live or after voting ends
- Auto-close deadlines — Polls close automatically at a set time
Need to make a quick team decision? Run a poll. HeyTaco doesn't offer this—you'd need a separate tool.
When HeyTaco Might Still Make Sense
We'll be honest: HeyTaco has built something special with their brand and gamification features. For some teams, those features are worth the premium.
| Feature | OpenCulture | HeyTaco |
|---|---|---|
| Peer Recognition | ✅ Kudos | ✅ Tacos |
| Anonymous Q&A | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Anonymous Polls | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Leaderboards | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Points/Currency | ❌ No | ✅ Tacos |
| Custom Rewards Shop | ❌ No | ✅ Taco Shop |
| Gift Cards | ❌ No | ✅ Deluxe plan |
| Birthday/Anniversary | ❌ No | ✅ Deluxe plan |
| Gamification | ❌ No | ✅ Stickers, levels |
| Slack Integration | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Pricing | ✅ Team tiers | $3-5/user/mo |
Our take: If your team loves gamification—leaderboards, stickers, levels, a rewards shop—HeyTaco delivers a polished experience. But if you want recognition plus honest feedback channels, without managing a virtual taco economy, OpenCulture does more for less.
The Bottom Line
HeyTaco made recognition fun with tacos and gamification. But fun comes at a cost: $3-5 per person, per month, forever.
OpenCulture takes a different approach:
- ✅ Peer recognition that's instant and genuine (no taco math)
- ✅ Anonymous feedback channels for honest conversations
- ✅ Polls for quick team decisions
- ✅ Simple pricing that doesn't scale with headcount
- ✅ Zero gamification overhead—no points to track or redeem
For a 100-person team, that's $30/month vs $300/month—and you get anonymous feedback tools that HeyTaco doesn't offer at any price.
Start your 14-day free trial today and see why teams choose OpenCulture for recognition and feedback that's simple, honest, and affordable.
