BambooHR vs WorkBright (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 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BambooHR grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. WorkBright grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on 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
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 WorkBright if
- Fits if you hire in the US and need I-9s done right
- Works for employers who'd rather hand off I-9 tasks at $25 a record
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you hire outside the US, as it covers US employment eligibility rules
- Pricey if you file a lot of I-9s, because $25 a record adds up
- Watch out: subscription prices aren't published
- Too light for general HR: it does I-9 and E-Verify
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABambooHRFair | 1.8GPAWorkBrightWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$25 per I-9 record on WorkBright+, which we can't set against per-seat prices, and the subscription has no price. C by default. |
| 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 listed. You start with a demo request. |
| 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. | CI-9 and E-Verify do the job in full, and it is a narrow one, so C. |
| 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, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with three listed integrations. No phone or desktop app. |
| Best for | small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets | I-9 and E-Verify compliance |
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 WorkBright. How we grade
Where they differ
- BambooHR also covers reports, payroll, applicant tracking and time off.
- WorkBright also covers workflow automation and forms.
At a glance
| BambooHR | WorkBright | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | WorkBright |
| Price read from | bamboohr.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
WorkBright
- Subscription prices are not published; the site asks buyers to book a demo.
- WorkBright+ is priced at $25 per I-9 record on the homepage.
- The product covers US employment eligibility rules.
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.
WorkBright
- I-9 verification
- Guided I-9 completion with, the site says, 150+ automated compliance checks and fraud detection on documents.
- E-Verify
- A built-in case manager for E-Verify, so employers do not need a separate system.
- Onboarding forms
- Access to 200+ state and federal forms, with groups of forms assigned by position.
- Notices and posters
- Digital distribution of required state notices and labor law posters.
- WorkBright+
- A managed service where AI and compliance staff handle I-9 and E-Verify tasks for the employer.
- Audit and migration
- Compliance experts help with I-9 audits and moving existing records.
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.
WorkBright
Pricing could not be confirmed. See workbright.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.
WorkBright
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or WorkBright?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month, and WorkBright has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, BambooHR or WorkBright?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BambooHR nor WorkBright has a free plan. BambooHR has a free trial.
Which platforms do BambooHR and WorkBright run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.