BambooHR vs Rise People (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. Rise People 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
Rise People
Canadian HR, payroll, time tracking and benefits in one system
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 Rise People if
- Fits if you run a Canadian business and want HR and payroll in one system
- Works for a team that needs T4s and CRA remittances handled inside the product
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you pay staff outside Canada, because payroll is Canadian
- Watch out: every tier carries a base fee the page does not state
- Pricey if you want more than Start, as Grow and Optimize have no published price
- Watch out: time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons
- Skip it if you want to try first, since no free plan or trial is listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABambooHRFair | 1.6GPARise PeopleWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CC$8 per employee a month for Start plus a base fee that the page does not state. Grow and Optimize are quoted, so the real cost is unknown. |
| 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 on record in the listing, and a money-back guarantee would not count as one. |
| 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. | CPeople management, Canadian payroll, onboarding, time off and a mobile app. Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons, so the whole job is not in one 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. Payroll with CRA remittances and T4s has setup work before the first pay run. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. | CThe listing records web only, and no integrations are named. |
| Best for | small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets | Canadian HR and payroll with a base fee |
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 Rise People. How we grade
Where they differ
- BambooHR also covers reports.
- Rise People also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
At a glance
| BambooHR | Rise People | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month | C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee |
| 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 | Rise People, Inc. |
| Price read from | bamboohr.com | risepeople.com |
| 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.
Rise People
- Pricing is in Canadian dollars and every tier carries a base fee that the page does not state.
- Only the Start tier has a published price; Grow and Optimize are quoted on request.
- The page covers Canadian payroll (CRA remittances, T4s), so it is not a fit for payroll outside Canada.
- Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons; benefits give 30% off Rise platform fees.
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.
Rise People
- People management
- A people directory with HR documents, custom roles and permissions, on-demand pay stubs and people reports.
- Canadian payroll
- Automated payroll with direct deposit, automatic tax remittance and automatic T4 generation.
- Onboarding and time off
- Self-onboarding, offer letters and task lists, and custom time off policies with multi-step approvals.
- Recruiting and performance
- An applicant tracking system with a careers page, plus performance reviews, 360-degree feedback and templates.
- Time tracking and scheduling
- Add-ons for timesheets, geofenced mobile punches, shift scheduling and one-click syncing to payroll.
- Benefits and managed payroll
- Digital health benefits enrollment and a managed payroll service, both sold as add-ons.
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.
Rise People
StartC$8
per month, plus a base fee, per employee
People management, payroll, onboarding, time off and the mobile app. All tiers are subject to a base fee.
GrowCustom
Described as solutions that work together. Quoted on request; no price is published.
OptimizeCustom
Marked most popular and described as a full employee experience. Quoted on request; no price shown.
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.
Rise People
- Other savings
30% off platform fees with benefits
The pricing page says adding Rise employee benefits takes 30% off the Rise platform fees.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Rise People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and Rise People starts at C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee.
Which has a free plan, BambooHR or Rise People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BambooHR nor Rise People has a free plan. BambooHR has a free trial.
Which platforms do BambooHR and Rise People 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.