HeyTaco adds peer recognition, rewards and celebrations to Slack and Microsoft Teams. Plans start at $3 per user per month with a 30-day free trial.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated October 26, 2026
HeyTaco is employee recognition software that runs inside Slack and Microsoft Teams. Teammates thank each other by mentioning a colleague, adding a taco emoji and writing a short message. The product began in 2016 as a Slack bot built by product designer Doug Dosberg, and the company says more than 5,000 teams have used it since then.
HeyTaco LLC describes itself as customer-funded, with no outside investors, and is based in the Washington, DC area. It lists SOC 2 Type II under security. The company reports 46 million or more tacos sent and a 4.8 rating on G2 from over 700 reviews, though these figures come from its own website.
An admin installs HeyTaco in Slack or Microsoft Teams, which the company says takes a few minutes. Each person then receives 5 tacos a day by default. To recognize someone, a user types the teammate's name, adds a taco emoji and explains why. The recognition posts in the channel so the whole team can see it and add their own tacos.
Tacos do not roll over, and admins can raise or lower the daily limit. Tacos received accumulate on leaderboards and can be redeemed for rewards the team chooses. Participation and recognition trends appear in reports, which gives managers a view of how often recognition happens.
The core feature is peer-to-peer recognition, open to every teammate rather than only managers. Around it sit customizable leaderboards, Taco TV, stickers, levels and Tacotars. Quests reward specific actions and habits, and values tagging connects each taco to a company value so leaders can see which behaviors get noticed.
Rewards run through the Taco Shop, where teams create their own options such as PTO, swag, donations or gift cards. Deluxe adds automated birthday and work anniversary posts, instant gift cards across 2,000+ options in 100+ countries, and advanced analytics. A Leaderboard API and SSO are included on both plans.
HeyTaco is employee recognition software for Slack and Microsoft Teams. Teammates give each other virtual tacos with a short message of thanks. The company says it has been used by 5,000+ teams since 2016.
Classic costs $3 per user per month and Deluxe costs $5 per user per month, billed monthly with no contracts. A 50-person team would pay $150 a month for Classic or $250 a month for Deluxe. Teams of 200+ can get custom pricing.
Yes. HeyTaco offers a 30-day free trial that includes Deluxe features and requires no credit card. The company says it will extend the trial if a team needs more time.
HeyTaco works inside Slack and Microsoft Teams. The sources name no other third-party integrations, though a Leaderboard API is included in the plans.
Each person gets 5 tacos a day to give, and unused tacos do not roll over. Admins can raise or lower the limit. HeyTaco says the cap keeps each taco intentional and keeps participation equitable.
It suits teams that already use Slack or Microsoft Teams, including startups, mid-size companies and remote or hybrid teams. The company says it works for teams from 10-person startups to Fortune 500 companies.
People are added to the subscription when they first give or receive a taco, so inactive staff are not billed. A Team plan also lets you choose exactly who you pay for.
The company lists SOC 2 Type II for security, and both plans include secure login with SSO. It also links to a Trust Center, a GDPR page and a security page on its site.