BambooHR vs HR Cloud (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 HR Cloud if

• Fits if you run a frontline workforce and want onboarding and I-9 handled
• Works for HR teams that would rather quote a flat price than count seats

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price before a demo, as none is published
• Tight if you want recruiting, time off or performance, which need Growth, and engagement needs Full Suite
• Watch out: a separate SMB pricing page exists for companies under 250 employees, and we didn't read it
• Too light for anyone who wants listed integrations, as none are named
• Tight if you want to try before talking to sales, since no trial is listed

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.

HR Cloud

• No prices are published: all three plans are Get a quote.
• A separate SMB pricing page exists for companies under 250 employees; it was not read.
• Recruiting, time off and performance need the Growth plan, and engagement needs Full Suite.

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.

HR Cloud

Onboarding

New-hire onboarding and offboarding with forms, documents, e-signatures, checklists and branded portals, plus an AI guide called Maya.

Recruiting

The Growth plan adds an ATS with job boards, interviews and offer letters.

Time off and performance

Growth also includes leave requests, approvals and calendars, plus goals, reviews and feedback.

Employee engagement

The Full Suite plan adds Workmates for recognition and rewards, announcements, surveys and polls, and communities.

I-9 and E-Verify

The homepage lists I-9 and E-Verify handling as part of its hiring and onboarding flow.

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.

HR Cloud

Pricing could not be confirmed. See hrcloud.com.

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.

HR Cloud

No public discounts listed.