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BambooHR vs isolved (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 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA

BambooHR grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. isolved grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features.

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

Free trial · from $250/mo

isolved

HR, payroll, benefits and talent software on one platform

Paid

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 isolved if

  • Fits if you are a US employer who wants payroll, benefits and HR in one suite
  • Works for firms that want to add modules in stages

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want a price, as none is published
  • Skip it if you are outside the US, since payroll outside the US is not described
  • Watch out: what a price covers depends on which modules the quote includes
  • Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed

How we grade them

2.4GPABambooHRFair1.8GPAisolvedWeak
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; the site offers a pricing request form and a demo.
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.
BHR and payroll, hiring, benefits, workforce management and talent management. The listing names no gap in the core HR work.
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. A suite with payroll, benefits and workforce modules needs implementation 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, with no apps or integrations list on record.
Best forsmall US companies leaving HR spreadsheetsUS employers wanting HR and payroll in one

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 isolved. How we grade

Where they differ

  • BambooHR also covers time off.
  • isolved also covers time clock.
In commonWebAI featuresReportsPayrollApplicant trackingEmployee records

At a glance

BambooHRisolved
PricingFree trialPaid
Starts at$250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / monthNot published
Free planNoneNone
Free trialFree trial, no credit card required; it ends on its ownNone listed
Web
iOS
Android
Made byBambooHRisolved
Price read frombamboohr.comNot confirmed
CheckedOct 18, 2026Nov 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.

isolved

  • No prices are published; the site offers a pricing request form and a demo.
  • The site markets to US employers; its pages do not describe payroll outside the US.
  • The modules are modular, so what a given price includes depends on the quote.

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.

isolved

HR and payroll
An HR and payroll area in the same platform as benefits and talent tools, so employee data is entered once.
Talent acquisition
Applicant tracking and recruiting, which the site lists as one of its main solution areas.
Benefits
Open enrollment guidance with personalized recommendations for each employee, plus a separate benefits portal login.
Workforce management
A workforce management area for hours and scheduling, listed alongside HR and payroll.
Talent management
Performance, engagement and learning management, which the vendor describes as modular parts of one HCM platform.
AI and analytics
AI features and workforce reports and insights across the modules.

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.

isolved

Pricing could not be confirmed. See isolvedhcm.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.

isolved

No public discounts listed.

Common questions

Which is cheaper, BambooHR or isolved?

As of Nov 12, 2026, BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and isolved has no price we could confirm.

Which has a free plan, BambooHR or isolved?

As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BambooHR nor isolved has a free plan. BambooHR has a free trial.

Which platforms do BambooHR and isolved 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.
How we review and grade