BambooHR is an entire human useful resource resolution utilized by greater than 23,500 corporations globally. The platform is fashionable amongst small and mid-sized corporations. It differentiates itself from distributors like Gusto, Rippling, Papaya International, OnPay and others by specializing in superior HR options and payroll and compliance.
Based in 2008, the cloud-based software program helps HR managers with all points of the worker lifecycle, from recruitment to onboarding, efficiency studies, time monitoring and advantages. BambooHR is just not designed for corporations that wish to outsource their total HR departments.
Would you like a completely outsourced HR resolution? Take a look at the greatest PEO corporations for 2023 to be taught extra about alternate options to BambooHR. Our high PEO advice is Justworks, a PEO for U.S.-based corporations that compares favorably to BambooHR.
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BambooHR quick details
Pricing: Out there upon request.
Key options:
- Superior HR lifecycle instruments: From rent to onboarding to efficiency.
- Limitless payroll runs, together with advantages and tax submitting.
- Constructed-in time and attendance.
- Cell app for workers.
- HR and payroll studies to extend visibility and data-driven decision-making.
Pricing
BambooHR doesn’t share its worth on its web site. corporations should contact account executives to get a free worth quote. The platform has been very profitable with small and medium corporations, so pricing could be thought-about accessible.
Companies with 20 or fewer staff are charged a month-to-month flat fee, whereas those that make use of 20 or extra individuals can entry the software program at a worth per-employee per 30 days foundation. BambooHR doesn’t require an annual contract and applies reductions for corporations scaling and hiring new staff.
The answer is on the market below two plans, Necessities and Benefit. The beginning plan affords primary HR options, whereas Benefit provides a number of extra superior HR instruments. Moreover, customers can entry elective add-ons similar to payroll, advantages administration, efficiency administration and others. BambooHR affords a free trial with restricted options, totally purposeful for 30 days.
BambooHR’s key options
BambooHR options are centralized below a single platform to combine siloed programs, separate sources of knowledge and disconnected workflows. Corporations use the cloud platform to modernize and enhance HR groups’ efficiency.
All BambooHR options could be divided into 4 essential classes: HR information and reporting, hiring and onboarding, payroll, time and advantages, worker expertise and efficiency.
HR information and reporting
Corporations use these options to securely and effectively retailer all worker information in a single database. The primary advantages of this expertise embody information safety and privateness, visibility and automatic reporting.
The options permit corporations to trace and report on delicate worker information. On the similar time, its automated expertise leverages over 49 built-in studies, which can be utilized to realize insights and make efficiency modifications all through the group. The central database can also be out there for HR groups and staff via the Bamboo cell App, growing accessibility and staff’ expertise.

Hiring and onboarding
One of many best strengths of BambooHR is its fashionable options, that are designed to enhance the expertise of candidates and new hires. These permit corporations to draw, rent seamlessly and retain expertise.
Options just like the applicant monitoring system allow companies to speak successfully with candidates all through the hiring and onboarding course of. Automated notifications maintain candidates and HR groups knowledgeable and up to date, whereas added permissions permit others within the firm to assessment new candidates. The whole system is automated to maintain the method shifting ahead, with digital paperwork offering fast signatures.
Equally, the platform manages a contemporary expertise for brand new hires and onboarding and offboarding. Corporations have discovered these options useful to construct hybrid and distant groups and to cope with spikes in recruiting and scaling again.

Payroll, time and advantages
The payroll, time and advantages options make BambooHR an integral resolution that goes past strictly HR providers. With these options, groups can visualize worker payroll and advantages in a single dashboard. Moreover, they will handle time-off and time-track staff whereas stopping double-entry and errors, in addition to dashing up guide approval processes.
Corporations use these options to streamline the time-consuming course of, manually coming into information and automating taxes.
The platform affords each nationwide and worldwide payroll (via integrations).
The U.S. payroll resolution supplies:
- A simple, three-step course of.
- Federal and state tax submitting.
- Distinctive buyer help.
- A single supply of knowledge.
Utilizing BambooHR, groups can run studies at any time to extend visibility and make knowledgeable selections. Companies that want world payrolls can use Blue Marble or CloudPay, which combine with BambooHR.

Worker expertise and efficiency
These options are one other ingredient that units BambooHR other than its rivals. They’re used to construct fashionable, two-way communication channels between HR and staff, observe efficiency and provide wellbeing packages.
Options embody:
- Worker satisfaction with eNPS: Suggestions and sentiment instruments constructed into BambooHR to develop communications and take motion, whereas bettering efficiency and constructing tradition and worker expertise. Surveys are used to create scores with in-depth analytics.
- Efficiency administration: Companies can handle their staff´ objectives and efficiency, setting milestones and doing assessments to help staff.
- Worker wellbeing: Surveys permit corporations to test in with their staff and measure happiness, wellness, work-life stability, engagement and work well being.

Execs
- Platform totally devoted to offering all fashionable HR instruments an organization wants for its HR division.
- Can run nationwide and worldwide payrolls.
- Manages tax and compliance.
- Preferrred for constructing firm tradition.
- Helps companies entice and retain expertise.
- Seamless hiring, onboarding and offboarding.
- Glorious visibility and report technology capability.
- Breaks siloes.
- Permits corporations to turn into data-driven.
- Cell and net cloud functions for each the corporate and its staff.
- Clear and straightforward to make use of.
- Can synchronize, observe and handle worker time, schedules, break day, working hours and extra.
Cons
- Value not disclosed on the web site.
- International payroll is barely out there via integrations.
- Not suited to corporations trying to outsource everything of their HR departments.
- No 24/7 help.
BambooHR alternate options
Whereas BambooHR is a strong HR resolution that features payroll and compliance, it is probably not the very best match for your corporation in some cases. In case you are trying to outsource your HR division fully, or when you function internationally and want to fulfill compliance in numerous nations, you is perhaps higher off trying into BambooHR´s rivals, similar to Justworks, Gusto, Rippling or Papaya International.
Justworks
In distinction to BambooHR, which is an in-house software program resolution for small companies, Justworks is a completely outsourced PEO resolution. It has two plans, one which focuses on payroll, hiring, onboarding and different worker administration options, and one which provides worker advantages administration. In contrast to the vast majority of PEOs, Justworks lists its clear pricing upfront: Plans begin at $59 per worker per 30 days.
Learn our full Justworks assessment to be taught extra.
Gusto
Gusto is understood for being a really budget-friendly PEO resolution and contains all of the HR options that BambooHR has. Whereas it lacks superior HR functionalities, its strengths in payroll, tax and advantages, sided with a really user-friendly interface, make it a stable choice.
Learn our full Gusto assessment to be taught extra.
Rippling
Rippling is an all-in-one platform that mixes payroll, advantages, HR, IT and compliance. The platform is designed to automate and streamline the executive duties of managing a workforce. Rippling is extra complete than BambooHR and might combine with over 500 apps. Nonetheless, it might be extra complicated and costly than BambooHR and affords a distinct stage of buyer help.
Learn our full Rippling assessment to be taught extra.
Papaya International
In case you run worldwide operations with strict world compliance and payroll calls for, it’s best to look into Papaya International. The platform is a worldwide payroll and workforce administration resolution that helps corporations rent and pay staff throughout 140 nations. Papaya International is extra versatile and scalable than BambooHR and might deal with a number of currencies and languages. Nonetheless, it doesn’t provide superior HR options like BambooHR does, similar to worker self-service and HR reporting.
Learn our full Papaya International assessment to be taught extra.
Evaluate methodology
To write down our assessment and consider BambooHR’s options, we checked out websites that compile mixture information based mostly on verified person opinions, similar to Trustpilot, Gartner Magic Quadrant, Gartner Peer Insights and others. We additionally reviewed demos on vendor websites, test-drove the software program when doable and scoured via the official websites of every vendor to guage its options, customer support, user-friendliness, worth and scalability.
SEE: The way to Select Payroll Software program