HR Software
BambooHR
HR software for small and mid-size companies.
What it is
BambooHR handles core HR — records, time off, onboarding and reporting — for small and mid-size companies. It is deliberately core HR rather than a platform: records, time off, onboarding and reporting, done clearly enough that non-specialists can run them. Payroll and deeper functions come from add-ons or integrations, which is where the comparison usually turns.
BambooHR pricing
BambooHR publishes 3 plans. Paid tiers start at $10/user/mo.
| Plan | Price | What the vendor’s page says |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $10/user/mo | Core $10 per employee/month, Pro $17, Elite $25 |
| Pro | $17/user/mo | Core $10 per employee/month, Pro $17, Elite $25 |
| Elite | $25/user/mo | Core $10 per employee/month, Pro $17, Elite $25 |
Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-07. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source
Cheaper alternatives to BambooHR — same category, ordered by verified starting price.
Key features
Employee records
Keeps documents, compensation history and org structure in one profile.
Time-off management
Handles leave policies, requests and approvals with balances.
Onboarding workflows
Runs new-hire paperwork and task checklists before the start date.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Approachable interface non-HR staff can use
- Good onboarding workflows
- Solid reporting for its tier
Where it falls short
- Payroll availability is limited by country
- Quote-based pricing is opaque
- Feature depth trails enterprise suites
Who it is for
Companies between roughly twenty and a few hundred employees.
Pick it or skip it
Pick BambooHR if
- Companies over 25 employees, where per-employee pricing kicks in and scales down with headcount
- HR teams that want onboarding, time off and records in one system
- Nonprofits — there is an additional 15% discount
Skip it if
- You have 25 or fewer employees — pricing there is a $250/month flat rate, not $10 per head
- You want a free tier; BambooHR has none
- You only need payroll; the bundle discount assumes you are buying more than one module
Our verdict
A comfortable fit for its size band. Larger organisations outgrow it, smaller ones do not need it.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does BambooHR cost?
- BambooHR publishes 3 plans: Core at $10/user/mo, Pro at $17/user/mo, Elite at $25/user/mo. Every figure is read from the vendor's own pricing page; the pricing section above shows the source sentence for each tier.
- Does BambooHR have a free plan?
- No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. BambooHR is sold as a paid subscription.
- Who is BambooHR best for?
- Companies between roughly twenty and a few hundred employees.
- What are the main drawbacks of BambooHR?
- The trade-offs we noted: Payroll availability is limited by country; Quote-based pricing is opaque; Feature depth trails enterprise suites.
- When should you not use BambooHR?
- Skip BambooHR if: You have 25 or fewer employees — pricing there is a $250/month flat rate, not $10 per head; You want a free tier; BambooHR has none; You only need payroll; the bundle discount assumes you are buying more than one module.
What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Vendor pricing page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-07
- BambooHR — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-09-07 · Supports: Core $10 per employee/month, Pro $17, Elite $25, companies with 25 or fewer employees pay a flat $250/month, no free tier, 15% bundle discount when combining Payroll and Benefits Administration, additional 15% nonprofit discount
Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark.
Compare BambooHR with alternatives
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Same job, different pricing. Verified starting price first.
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