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How I Replaced WorkHuman with Custom Software (And Added AI)

•7 min read
How I Replaced WorkHuman with Custom Software (And Added AI)

Our team: "Wait... this employee recognition software costs what per year?!"

Me: "Actually, give me a couple of weeks."

After 17 years in healthcare tech, I've learned that sometimes the best SaaS solution is the one you build yourself. When our team needed an employee recognition platform like WorkHuman, I didn't just recreate the features—I made it better.

Here's how I built a custom alternative that saved us thousands annually, delivered exactly the features we needed, and included AI-powered assistance that even the expensive platforms don't offer.

The WorkHuman Sticker Shock

Employee recognition platforms like WorkHuman, Bonusly, and Kudos aren't cheap. Pricing typically ranges from $3-8 per employee per month, which adds up fast:

  • 50 employees: $1,800 - $4,800/year
  • 100 employees: $3,600 - $9,600/year
  • 200+ employees: $7,200 - $19,200+/year

Plus setup fees, admin fees, and the inevitable "enterprise features" upsells.

For our organization, the quote came back at around $4,800 annually for the features we actually needed. That's when the classic build vs. buy debate started.

Why We Needed Recognition Software

Employee recognition isn't just a nice-to-have—it's critical for engagement, retention, and culture. Our team wanted:

Core requirements:

  • Peer-to-peer recognition (anyone can recognize anyone)
  • Department and company-wide visibility
  • Recognition categories (above and beyond, team player, innovative thinking, etc.)
  • Easy submission process (can't be complicated or nobody uses it)
  • Admin dashboard for tracking trends
  • Mobile-friendly

The problem with existing solutions:

  • Too expensive for our budget
  • Bloated with features we'd never use (points systems, gift card integrations, gamification)
  • Rigid workflows that didn't match our culture
  • Generic recognition categories that felt corporate and impersonal
  • Limited customization without paying for "enterprise tier"

We didn't need a full rewards marketplace. We needed simple, authentic recognition that fit how our team actually works.

The Build vs. Buy Decision

I've built enough custom software to know when it makes sense. Here's how I evaluated it:

Factors favoring "build":

  • ✅ Core functionality is straightforward (form submission, database, display)
  • ✅ Our workflow is specific (wouldn't fit perfectly into any off-the-shelf solution)
  • ✅ Development cost pays back in <1 year
  • ✅ I have the skills and bandwidth to build it
  • ✅ Simple enough to maintain long-term

Factors that would favor "buy":

  • ❌ If we needed complex integrations (payroll, HRIS, etc.)
  • ❌ If the platform required constant feature updates
  • ❌ If we had no technical resources
  • ❌ If customization wasn't important

The math was simple: Two weeks of development time vs. $4,800/year recurring cost. After one year, we're ahead. Every year after that is pure savings.

Decision: Build it.

What I Built

The custom employee recognition platform includes everything the team needed, plus a few innovations the expensive platforms don't offer.

Core Features

Peer-to-peer recognition:

  • Any employee can recognize any other employee
  • Select from customized recognition categories (team player, problem solver, goes above and beyond, innovative thinking, etc.)
  • Write a personal message explaining the recognition
  • Optional: make it private (just recipient) or public (whole company)

Visibility and engagement:

  • Company-wide feed showing recent recognitions
  • Department-specific views
  • Individual profile showing all recognitions received
  • Admin dashboard with recognition trends and analytics

Workflow:

  • Submit recognition in under 60 seconds
  • Automatic email notification to recipient
  • Optional Slack integration (posts to #recognition channel)
  • Mobile-responsive design (recognize from phone)

The AI Enhancement

Here's where it gets interesting. The one complaint about recognition platforms? People struggle to write meaningful messages. They default to generic "Great job!" comments that feel hollow.

The solution: AI writing assistance.

I integrated Claude's API to help employees write better recognition messages. Here's how it works:

User inputs:

  • Who they're recognizing
  • Recognition category
  • Brief notes: "helped me debug that production issue yesterday"

AI suggests:

  • 2-3 personalized message options
  • Professional but warm tone
  • Specific to the context
  • Easy to edit or use as-is

Example:

User enters: "Mike, problem solver, helped debug production issue"

AI suggests:

"Mike, your debugging skills saved the day yesterday! When that production issue hit, you jumped in immediately and methodically tracked down the root cause. Your calm problem-solving approach under pressure is exactly the kind of teamwork that makes this company great. Thank you for always being someone we can count on!"

Users can accept, edit, or ignore the AI suggestion. Most use it as a starting point and personalize it further.

The result: Recognition messages are more thoughtful, specific, and meaningful. Employees feel genuinely appreciated, not just checked off a list.

Technical Implementation

Stack:

  • Backend: Laravel (PHP framework)
  • Frontend: Vue.js + Tailwind CSS
  • Database: MySQL
  • AI: Claude API for message assistance
  • Hosting: Existing company VPS (zero additional cost)

Key technical decisions:

Why Laravel:

  • Rapid development (built-in auth, ORM, routing)
  • Easy to maintain
  • Our team already uses it for other internal tools

Why Vue.js:

  • Reactive UI for real-time updates
  • Component-based (recognition card, feed, submission form)
  • Lightweight and fast

Why Claude API:

  • Best-in-class writing quality
  • Understands context and tone well
  • Affordable API pricing
  • Easy integration

Development time:

  • Week 1: Core features (submission, display, admin)
  • Week 2: AI integration, polish, testing
  • Total: ~60 hours of development

Ongoing maintenance:

  • ~2-3 hours per month (minor tweaks, monitoring)
  • Zero hosting costs (existing infrastructure)
  • Minimal API costs (~$15/month for Claude usage)

The Results

Cost savings:

  • WorkHuman quote: $4,800/year
  • Our solution: $180/year (just API costs)
  • Annual savings: $4,620
  • Over 3 years: $13,860 saved

Development cost amortization:

  • Development time: 60 hours
  • Break-even: ~3 months
  • Everything after = pure savings

Engagement impact:

  • Recognition submissions up 3x compared to previous manual system
  • Average message length increased (AI helps people write more)
  • Employee feedback: "feels more personal than corporate platforms"
  • Admin time reduced (automated workflows vs. manual tracking)

Feature advantages over WorkHuman:

  • AI writing assistance (not available in WorkHuman)
  • Customized recognition categories for our culture
  • Exact workflow we wanted (no compromise)
  • Instant updates when we need new features
  • No per-employee licensing costs (scales for free)

Lessons Learned

1. Start with core features, not everything I built the MVP in one week, then added AI enhancement in week two. Don't try to match every feature of the commercial product—build what you actually need.

2. AI integration is easier than you think The Claude API integration took ~8 hours total. Modern AI APIs are developer-friendly and well-documented. Don't be intimidated.

3. User experience matters more than features Our platform has 1/10th the features of WorkHuman but better UX for our specific use case. That's more valuable.

4. Maintenance is minimal for simple tools I spend 2-3 hours per month on this platform. Good architecture and simple features mean low overhead.

5. Customization is the real value Being able to change recognition categories, adjust workflows, or add features in hours instead of months is worth more than any feature checklist.

6. The build vs. buy calculation changes with scale For 20 employees, maybe buy. For 200+ employees, definitely consider building. The more employees, the faster custom software pays back.

Conclusion

Building our own employee recognition platform wasn't about saving money (though $4,620/year is nice). It was about getting exactly what we needed without compromise.

The AI-powered writing assistance? That's not available in any commercial platform I've seen. The custom recognition categories that match our culture? Can't buy that. The ability to add features on demand? Priceless.

The result: A platform our team loves, at 5% of the commercial cost, with features the expensive alternatives don't offer.

After replacing WorkHuman, Zoho, Brandfolder, and half a dozen other SaaS tools with custom alternatives, I'm convinced: the best software for your business might be the software you build yourself.

Total investment: 60 hours of development
Annual savings: $4,620
Return on investment: Infinite (it's just better)

Sometimes the build vs. buy debate isn't really a debate at all.

Have you ever looked at your software subscriptions and thought "I could build this better"? I'd love to hear about similar challenges and how your team tackled them. Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

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