BambooHR vs BrightHR (2026): which should you pick?

Pick BambooHR if

• Fits if you're moving staff details out of spreadsheets
• Works for US companies that want hiring, onboarding and time off in one system

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you're well under 25 people, as you pay the full $250 a month anyway
• Tight if you hire a lot on Core, which allows 5 job openings
• Skip it if you need payroll outside the US, as the add-on is US only
• Watch out: payroll and benefits are add-ons with no price published
• Watch out: the plan cards say $10 and $17 per employee for Core and Pro, the FAQ $10.25 and $17.50

Pick BrightHR if

• Fits if you run a small UK firm and want an employment-law advice line with the software
• Works for shift-based teams that need rotas and holiday cover on one screen

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you are in the US, as no US edition was found
• Pricey if you add support: £21.20 for the advice line, £31.30 with health and safety
• Watch out: prices exclude tax, and insurance is quoted separately
• Watch out: contract length isn't stated beyond 'fixed-term', and the FAQ says quotes come from a demo

BambooHR

• Teams of 25 or fewer pay the flat monthly fee whatever their size; per-employee pricing, with volume discounts, starts above 25 employees.
• Payroll and benefits administration are add-ons for US employees only, and their prices are not published.
• The plan cards show $10 and $17 per employee for Core and Pro, while the FAQ on the same page says $10.25 and $17.50.
• Job openings are capped by plan: 5 on Core, 25 on Pro and 50 on Elite.

BrightHR

• Prices are in pounds, excluding tax, and the site is aimed at UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; no US edition was found.
• The FAQ says prices start from £3.00 per person depending on business size and that quotes come from a demo.
• The pricing page does not state the contract length beyond calling them fixed-term contracts.
• Insurance is not in the online prices; it is quoted separately.

BambooHR

Employee records and reports

One database for people data, with a custom report builder, dashboards and built-in workflows for approving changes and time-off requests.

Hiring and onboarding

Post jobs to job boards, track candidates, send offer letters from templates, and give new hires a packet with e-signatures and an onboarding checklist.

Time off

Unlimited custom time-off policies with accruals, approvals and a shared calendar of who is out.

Performance and recognition

On Pro and Elite, run 360-degree review cycles, schedule 1:1s, track goals and give recognition points staff can redeem for gift cards.

Ask BambooHR

An AI assistant answers employees' questions about time off and holidays from company data, and on higher plans about policies and benchmarks.

Payroll, benefits and time add-ons

Add US payroll with tax filing, benefits enrollment with carrier connections, and time tracking with shift scheduling and an iPad kiosk.

BrightHR

Holiday and absence management

A staff holiday planner with booking and approvals, plus tools for recording sick leave and lateness across the team.

Shifts and rotas

Create and edit shifts across any working pattern, including an open shifts feature, and let staff clock in and out from the Blip app.

Expenses, documents and reporting

Expense tracking, HR document storage and a custom reporting system sit in the core package.

Advice lines and templates

Higher packages add a 24/7 HR and employment law advice line and a library of HR document templates.

Health and safety software

Accident and near-miss reporting, 600+ risk assessment templates, task reminders and hazardous substances management.

Payroll navigator and payroll service

A payroll navigator is in the core package, and a separate payroll software and managed payroll service is sold on its own pages.

BambooHR

• Core$250

  per month for up to 25 employees

  Records, reports, time off, hiring with 5 job openings, onboarding and the AI assistant. Above 25 employees, $10 per employee a month ($10.25 in the FAQ).

• Pro$425

  per month for up to 25 employees

  Core plus performance reviews, 1:1s, recognition and rewards, and 25 job openings. Above 25 employees, $17 per employee a month ($17.50 in the FAQ).

• Elite$650

  per month for up to 25 employees

  Pro plus compensation planning with Mercer benchmarks, custom dashboards, HR benchmarks and 50 job openings. Above 25 employees, $25 per employee a month.

BrightHR

• Core HR software£16.67

  per employee / month, excluding tax

  Holiday planner, rotas, absence, performance, overtime and expense tools, reporting, and a payroll navigator. £83.35 a month at 5 employees.

• Enhanced HR support£21.20

  per employee / month, excluding tax

  Core package plus a 24/7 HR and employment law advice line and document templates. Insurance is quoted separately. £106 a month at 5 employees.

• Full HR, health and safety support£31.30

  per employee / month, excluding tax

  Enhanced package plus health and safety software and advice and a wellbeing portal. £156.50 a month at 5 employees.

BambooHR

• Nonprofit

  15% off for registered nonprofits

  BambooHR takes an additional 15% off for registered nonprofit organizations.

• Other savings

  15% off when bundling payroll and benefits

  Combining the Payroll and Benefits Administration add-ons with any plan gives a 15% discount, for employees based in the US.

BrightHR

No public discounts listed.