BambooHR vs PeopleForce (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 2.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BambooHR grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and 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
PeopleForce
Modular HR software for small and mid-size companies
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 PeopleForce if
- Fits if you have 50 or more people and want to add HR modules one at a time
- Works for teams that want hiring, performance and time under one login
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have under 50 people: billing starts at 50 employees, $125 a month
- Tight if you need hiring, performance or time tracking, as all are extra modules with no prices shown
- Watch out: eSignature, API access and single sign-on need the $3 Professional tier
- Skip it if you want to start alone: the trial begins after a demo session
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABambooHRFair | 2.0GPAPeopleForceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$125 a month is the floor, because billing starts at 50 employees; one person pays that, and a team of five pays $25 each against a $5 category middle. |
| 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. | C14-day trial with no card, but it starts after a demo call, not by signing up yourself. No free plan. |
| 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. | CDirectory, leave, onboarding and reports in Core HR. Recruiting, performance, time and surveys are separate modules with no published price. |
| 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. Modules each need switching on and setting up, so it is a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Google Calendar and eRecruiter listed. No desktop app. |
| Best for | small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets | HR modules for companies of 50 or more |
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 PeopleForce. How we grade
Price against what you get
BambooHR starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PeopleForce starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
BambooHR scores higher, and starts $7.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other HR software on the chart, none scores higher than BambooHR for less, and none scores higher than PeopleForce for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- BambooHR also covers reports and payroll.
- PeopleForce also covers surveys and time clock.
At a glance
| BambooHR | PeopleForce | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month | $2.5 per employee / month (Core HR Standard, billing starts at 50 employees) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own | 14-day free trial after a demo call, no card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BambooHR | PeopleForce |
| Price read from | bamboohr.com | peopleforce.io |
| 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.
PeopleForce
- Only Core HR has a published price; Recruit, Perform, Pulse, Time and Desk are quoted through sales.
- Billing starts at 50 employees, so smaller teams pay for 50.
- The pricing page shows monthly prices, and an Annually -20% toggle is offered; the annual figures are not shown.
- The free trial starts after a demo session, not by self-signup.
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.
PeopleForce
- Employee records and leave
- A directory, org chart and employee profiles with self-service, plus leave policies, requests and approvals on a timeline.
- Onboarding and offboarding
- Pre-boarding, onboarding and offboarding task flows, with document templates and asset tracking in Core HR.
- Recruit module
- An applicant tracking system with a Kanban hiring process, career site, scorecards, interview scheduling and offer letters, sold as an add-on.
- Perform module
- One-on-ones, 180 and 360 degree reviews, OKRs and KPIs in a separate performance product.
- Time and Pulse modules
- Time covers timesheets, clock-in and out and attendance policies; Pulse runs engagement and eNPS surveys.
- Desk module
- A case queue for employee requests and complaints, including an anonymous reporting channel.
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.
PeopleForce
Core HR Standard$2.5
per employee / month, billing starts at 50 employees
Directory, org chart, leave, onboarding, basic automation, documents and reports. The page shows $125 a month for 1 to 50 employees.
Core HR Professional$3
per employee / month, billing starts at 50 employees
Everything in Standard plus advanced automation, request forms, eSignature, API access, webhooks and SAML single sign-on.
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.
PeopleForce
- Annual discount
20% off with annual billing
The pricing page offers an Annually -20% option beside monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or PeopleForce?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PeopleForce is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $10 a month for each person for BambooHR. BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and PeopleForce starts at $2.5 per employee / month (Core HR Standard, billing starts at 50 employees).
Which has a free plan, BambooHR or PeopleForce?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BambooHR nor PeopleForce has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.