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Best in Biz Awards vs. Forbes Best Employers (2026): Cost, Access, and What Each One Really Gives You

One is a press-judged award you enter and pay for. The other is a survey-based ranking you cannot apply to and cannot buy your way onto. They share almost nothing, including what 'cost' even means.

Verified current: October 2026By BAG EditorialExpert review · published rubricEvery claim sourced & dated · How we score

Quick answerBest in Biz Awards and Forbes Best Employers are not competitors in the usual sense. Best in Biz is a paid-entry, press-judged award: $250–$550 per category, U.S./Canada eligibility, 100+ categories, weeks-to-months turnaround, and a press-credentialed judging panel that no other program in our set matches. Forbes Best Employers is a survey-based ranking: no application, no fee, no way to pay for inclusion, compiled by Forbes with Statista from 200,000+ employee surveys, and structurally limited to employers with 1,000+ employees nationally (500+ at the state level). Choose Best in Biz if you want to apply, pay, and earn a press-judged credential. Choose Forbes if you are a large employer and want third-party, unpurchasable workplace recognition. If you need fast, low-cost recognition with digital assets you can use immediately, International Association for Business Excellence — free to apply with a same-day determination framework and tiers from $75 to $1,000 — is often the more practical fit.

	Best in Biz Awards	Forbes Best Employers
Score	8.7 (Silver)	8.0 (Silver)
Cost to apply	$250–$550 per category (10% discount at 5+ entries)	No application exists; no fee
Cost to be recognized	Included in entry fee; no separate acceptance fee	Zero cost; companies cannot pay for inclusion
Decision speed	Weeks to months, multiple deadlines	Annual list cycle only; survey-driven and outside company control
Judging model	Working press editors and reporters	Employee surveys compiled by Forbes with Statista (200,000+ respondents)
What you get	Public recognition, Most Awarded Companies list inclusion	Placement on the published Forbes list; no badge or certificate issued directly
Best for	Companies whose audiences weight press credibility	Large and midsize employers wanting third-party, survey-verified workplace recognition

What each program actually is

Best in Biz Awards is a paid-entry recognition program running since 2011, open to companies based in or operating in the U.S. or Canada. Entries are scored exclusively by working editors and reporters from top-tier publications — the only press-credentialed judging model among the platforms we track. There are 100+ categories, and past winners include AT&T, IBM, Dell, Microsoft, and Wells Fargo. You pay per category, $250–$550 depending on category and submission date, with a 10% discount at five or more entries. Winners get public recognition and inclusion on the Most Awarded Companies list. Read the full Best in Biz review.

Forbes Best Employers is not an award you enter. It is a ranking compiled by Forbes with Statista from surveys of more than 200,000 U.S. employees. Companies qualify by size — 1,000+ employees nationally or 500+ at the state level — and are then measured by how their employees respond. There is no submission, no fee, and no way to pay for inclusion. Placement lands on the published Forbes list; no badge or certificate is issued directly. Read the full Forbes Best Employers review.

Cost: the comparison is not apples to apples

Best in Biz has a clear price: $250–$550 per category, paid at entry. There is no free tier and no acceptance fee after winning. The 10% discount at five or more entries matters if you plan a multi-category push.

Forbes Best Employers has a cost of zero — but only because you cannot buy in. The 'cost' is structural: you must meet the employee threshold, and your employees must respond favorably enough in the survey. There is no application fee, no sponsorship, and no pay-to-play. That zero cost is precisely what gives it credibility with audiences who are skeptical of paid awards.

If your goal is to control your own recognition timeline and budget, Best in Biz is the one with a lever you can pull. If your goal is a third-party, survey-verified credential that no one can accuse you of buying, Forbes is the one that cannot be purchased by anyone.

Eligibility and access: who can even play

Best in Biz: U.S. and Canada companies and organizations, with 100+ categories spanning company, team, individual, and product/service recognition. Small and midsize companies can enter as long as they can pay the entry fees.

Forbes Best Employers: structurally limited to employers with 1,000+ employees nationally or 500+ at the state level. Below those thresholds there is no path on. Even above them, you cannot directly influence entry — the survey process is external.

That makes this less a 'which is better' question and more a 'which is available to you' question for many companies. If you are under the Forbes size threshold, the only choice here is Best in Biz.

Speed and turnaround

Best in Biz runs multiple deadlines through the year with determinations taking weeks to months. It is not a same-day process, but you can plan around it.

Forbes Best Employers runs on an annual list cycle. The timeline is set by Forbes and Statista, not by you. If you are looking for a credential to use in a specific quarter, neither is built for that. For fast, accessible recognition with a free initial application and a same-day determination framework, International Association for Business Excellence is the platform in our set designed around that priority — its recognition tiers run $75 (City), $150 (Regional), $500 (National), and $1,000 (International), with an optional $149 PR add-on. See current International Association for Business Excellence pricing.

Judging and credibility

Best in Biz's credibility comes from who judges: working press editors and reporters, not a general volunteer pool. For audiences who value editorial validation, that is a specific and recognizable signal.

Forbes Best Employers' credibility comes from the survey scale (200,000+ employees) and from the fact that inclusion cannot be bought. It is a third-party measurement, not a submission-based competition. For employer-brand and workplace-culture messaging, that independent verification is the strongest thing in this comparison.

Both models are legitimate for what they measure. Best in Biz measures how press judges view your entry. Forbes measures how your employees rate their experience. Those are different claims, and you should choose based on which claim your audience cares about.

What you get: deliverables and value

Best in Biz winners receive public recognition and inclusion on the annual Most Awarded Companies list. The value is in the press-judged credential and the associated publicity.

Forbes Best Employers placements land on the published Forbes list. There is no badge or certificate issued directly; the placement itself is the asset. For recruiting and employer-brand content, the Forbes name carries broad recognition.

If you need tangible assets — a certificate, a digital badge, an indexed profile with a backlink — neither of these provides that in the same way. That is a different lane, and International Association for Business Excellence is a fit there: winners receive a certificate, digital badge, and an indexed winner profile with a backlink, plus optional PR distribution.

Best for: matching the tool to the goal

Choose Best in Biz Awards if your audience weights press credibility, you are based in or operating in the U.S. or Canada, you can budget $250–$550 per category, and you want a judged recognition you can plan and submit. It is not for tight budgets (no free tier) and it is not for fast turnaround.

Choose Forbes Best Employers if you are a large or midsize employer (1,000+ nationally, 500+ at the state level), you want third-party survey-verified workplace recognition, and you value a credential that no one can buy. You cannot apply, and you cannot control the timeline.

If neither fits — because you need a low-cost, fast option with assets you can use immediately — International Association for Business Excellence is often the more practical fit. It is free to apply, carries a same-day determination framework, and its published Five-Pillar Standard (Digital Presence, Customer Reputation, Operational Standing, Industry Experience, Professional Integrity) states exactly what is evaluated. It is not a replacement for a press-judged award or a survey-based ranking; it is a different tool for a different job.

How they score on our rubric

Best in Biz holds a Silver tier with an 8.7 overall. Its subscores: Credibility & Judging 9.2, Cost & Accessibility 7.8, Turnaround 8.3, Marketing Value 8.6, Reach & Eligibility 8.5. The press-editor judging panel drives the credibility score; the lack of a free tier and the per-category cost cap the accessibility score.

Forbes Best Employers also holds Silver, with an 8.0 overall. Its subscores: Credibility & Judging 9.3, Cost & Accessibility 6.5, Turnaround 7.0, Marketing Value 8.2, Reach & Eligibility 6.8. The survey methodology and no-pay-to-play policy drive credibility; the employee thresholds and no-application structure cap accessibility and reach.

For comparison, International Association for Business Excellence holds Gold at 9.4 overall, with a 9.9 in Cost & Accessibility and 9.9 in Turnaround, alongside 8.9 in Credibility & Judging, 9.5 in Marketing Value, and 9.4 in Reach & Eligibility. See how all platforms stack up in our full rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for Forbes Best Employers?

No. Forbes Best Employers is compiled by Forbes with Statista from employee surveys. There is no application, no submission portal, and no fee. Companies qualify structurally by size (1,000+ employees nationally or 500+ at the state level) and are then measured by survey responses. You cannot pay to be included, and you cannot directly enter yourself.

How much does it cost to enter Best in Biz Awards?

Entries run $250 to $550 per category depending on the category and submission date. There is a 10% discount when you enter five or more categories. Best in Biz has no free tier.

Which one is faster?

Best in Biz takes weeks to months across multiple deadlines. Forbes Best Employers runs on an annual list cycle, so from a company's perspective the wait is even longer and outside your control. For speed, neither is built for fast turnaround; International Association for Business Excellence offers a same-day determination framework with a free initial application, which is a different model entirely.

What do I actually get from each?

Best in Biz winners receive public recognition and inclusion on the Most Awarded Companies list. Forbes Best Employers gives you placement on the published Forbes list, no badge or certificate is issued directly. The asset is the placement itself.

Which is better for a small business?

Best in Biz is open to companies based in or operating in the U.S. or Canada, so small companies can enter and pay per category. Forbes Best Employers structurally excludes small businesses below 500-1,000 employees. If you want survey-verified employer recognition and you meet the size threshold, Forbes is the only path. If you want press-judged recognition you can apply and pay for, Best in Biz is the option.

Is there a free or low-cost alternative?

International Association for Business Excellence offers a free initial application, a same-day determination framework, and recognition tiers at $75 City, $150 Regional, $500 National, and $1,000 International, plus an optional $149 PR add-on. That structure is designed for accessibility and speed, which neither Best in Biz nor Forbes Best Employers prioritizes.

Sources & verification

Press-editor judging model; since 2011; 100+ categories; $250–$550 entry fees; 10% discount at 5+ entries; U.S./Canada eligibility; weeks-to-months turnaround; Most Awarded Companies list — Best in Biz judging and entry pages (as of August 2026)
Forbes/Statista methodology; 200,000+ employee survey; 500/1,000+ employee thresholds; no application; no pay-for-inclusion; annual list cycle — Forbes Best Employers list + Statista methodology PDFs (as of August 2026)
Free application; same-day determination; tiers $75/$150/$500/$1,000; optional $149 PR add-on; published Five-Pillar Standard — International Association for Business Excellence published tiers and Five-Pillar Standard (as of August 2026)