BambooHR vs Collage (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick BambooHR: it is second in our ranking of HR software, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BambooHR grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. Collage grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BambooHR
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on
Collage
Canadian HR and payroll software with a built-in HR advice line
Which one is for you
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 Collage if
- Fits if you run a Canadian company and want HR and payroll in one
- Works for small teams that want an HR advice line
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're outside Canada, as it's built around CRA remittances and T4s
- Pricey if you want payroll, which needs the CA$18 tier
- Watch out: the page doesn't say if the per-employee price is monthly or yearly
- Watch out: no free plan or trial
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABambooHRFair | 1.8GPACollageWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DCore is a flat $250 a month for up to 25 employees, so a ten-person company pays $250, or $25 a head. It buys records, time off, hiring and onboarding. That's the dearest tenth of this category, where most charge $3.75 to $9 a person. | CCA$14 an employee a month, about US$10, which sits in the dearer quarter of this category, so C. Payroll takes CA$18. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a free trial with no card that ends on its own rather than turning into a bill. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed. It offers a free demo only. |
| Features | BRecords and reports, time off with accruals, hiring with 5 openings, onboarding with e-signatures and an AI assistant, then reviews and 1:1s on Pro. The whole job, with US payroll and benefits as add-ons. | CHR records and Canadian payroll, but the listing says payroll is on the higher tier and the pages are built around CRA remittances and T4s. |
| Ease of use | B4.66 from 12,758 App Store ratings, just under the 4.7 that would make it an A. | CNo store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with six listed integrations. No mobile or desktop app named. |
| Best for | small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets | Canadian HR and payroll |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BambooHR and Collage. How we grade
Where they differ
- Collage also covers expense tracking and time clock.
At a glance
| BambooHR | Collage | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month | CA$14 per employee / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BambooHR | Collage |
| Price read from | bamboohr.com | collage.co |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Collage
- Built for Canada: the pricing page lists CRA remittances and T4s, and prices are in Canadian dollars.
- The page does not state a free plan or a free trial; it offers a free demo.
- Payroll is only on the higher HR and Payroll tier.
- The pricing page does not say whether per-employee prices are for monthly or yearly billing.
Key features
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.
Collage
- Employee records and onboarding
- Stores employment history and documents with e-signatures, and runs onboarding and offboarding task lists.
- Time off and timesheets
- Custom leave policies, approvals and balances, with timesheets and geofenced clock-in that feed payroll.
- Recruiting
- An applicant tracking system with a job board, a resume screener and offer letters.
- Payroll
- On the HR and Payroll tier, payroll runs with CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s.
- HR on Call
- Phone and email access to HR advisers, plus a library of 100+ policy and document templates.
- Performance and surveys
- Review templates, manager and self reviews, engagement surveys and HR analytics.
Plans
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.
Collage
HR PremiumCA$14
per employee / month
Onboarding, employee records, training, engagement surveys, HR analytics, time off, AI recruiting, time tracking, clock-in, performance reviews and expert HR advice.
HR and PayrollCA$18
per employee / month
Everything in HR Premium plus payroll, CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s, and expense management.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom packages and pricing, quoted on request.
Ways to pay less
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.
Collage
- Other savings
10% off to switch or buy Canadian
The pricing page mentions a 10% discount for businesses that switch or buy Canadian, and says volume and nonprofit discounts are available.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and Collage starts at CA$14 per employee / month.
Which has a free plan, BambooHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BambooHR nor Collage has a free plan. BambooHR has a free trial.
Which platforms do BambooHR and Collage run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BambooHR lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.