BambooHR vs Employee Navigator (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 1.6.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BambooHR grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. Employee Navigator grades higher on value for money.
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
Employee Navigator
Benefits administration and HR platform sold through insurance brokers
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 Employee Navigator if
- Fits if you are a US employer whose broker already offers it
- Works for brokers who want enrollment and ACA reporting for their clients
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price, as every tier says Contact Sales
- Not for you if you are outside the US, as it is built for US benefits and ACA
- Watch out: 834 EDI feeds cost $0.45 per employee a month on Enhanced Plus and Elite
- Tight if you want PTO tracking or onboarding, as they start at Elite
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABambooHRFair | 1.6GPAEmployee NavigatorWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo price is published; every tier says Contact Sales. The page is written for brokers, and an employer buys through one. |
| 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 on record in the listing or on its pricing page. |
| 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. | CBenefits enrollment, ACA reporting, carrier and payroll feeds and HR records. Onboarding and PTO tracking only start at Elite, and there is no payroll. |
| 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. Open enrollment needs plans, carriers and rules loaded in before staff can use it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. | CWeb only. Carrier and payroll feeds are described, but no integrations list or apps are on record. |
| Best for | small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets | benefits enrollment through a broker |
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 Employee Navigator. How we grade
Where they differ
- BambooHR also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| BambooHR | Employee Navigator | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month | Not published |
| 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 | Employee Navigator |
| Price read from | bamboohr.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Employee Navigator
- No prices are published: every tier on the pricing page says Contact Sales, so the cost is unverified.
- The pricing page is written for brokers, with tiers named Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite and Platinum; an employer buys through a broker.
- 834 EDI feeds are listed at $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, free on Platinum, with additional fees noted.
- New hire onboarding and PTO tracking start at the Elite tier.
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.
Employee Navigator
- Benefits administration
- Online enrollment, new hire and open enrollment, life events and beneficiary tracking, and customizable plan libraries.
- ACA reporting
- ACA reporting and compliance tools are included in every broker plan tier.
- Carrier and payroll integrations
- The site says it connects with 600+ partners, including carriers, TPAs and payroll providers, and 834 EDI feeds are available on higher tiers.
- Onboarding and HR records
- New hire onboarding, recurring task management and PTO and vacation tracking are listed from the Elite tier.
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.
Employee Navigator
Pricing could not be confirmed. See employeenavigator.com.
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.
Employee Navigator
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Employee Navigator?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and Employee Navigator has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, BambooHR or Employee Navigator?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BambooHR nor Employee Navigator has a free plan. BambooHR has a free trial.
Which platforms do BambooHR and Employee Navigator run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.