The BambooHR Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about BambooHR in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
BambooHR
The Insider’s Guide
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from BambooHR’s own pages.
Made by BambooHR · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from BambooHR’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on BambooHR’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 5 of the 9 other HR software we grade
BambooHR is an HR system for small and mid-sized companies that keeps employee records, time off, hiring and onboarding in one database. Higher plans add performance reviews, recognition and compensation planning, and payroll, benefits administration and time tracking are sold as add-ons. Teams of 25 or fewer pay a flat monthly fee; larger ones pay per employee.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about BambooHR, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets
BambooHR is the HR system plenty of small US companies grow into: records, time off, hiring and onboarding in one place, with a phone app people rate well.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month.
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Time off
Unlimited custom time-off policies with accruals, approvals and a shared calendar of who is out.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 5 of 9
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace BambooHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
BambooHR at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- BambooHR, since 2008
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 12,758 ratings
The report card
Best for small US companies leaving HR spreadsheets
BambooHR is the HR system plenty of small US companies grow into: records, time off, hiring and onboarding in one place, with a phone app people rate well. But below 25 people you pay a flat $250 a month whatever your size, which is a lot for a team of ten.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Core 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a free trial with no card that ends on its own rather than turning into a bill. |
| Features | B | Records 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. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.66 from 12,758 App Store ratings, which is a lot of happy people for HR software. Just under the 4.7 that would make it an A. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS. No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who BambooHR is for
- Great if you're done keeping staff details in spreadsheets
- Handy when you want hiring, onboarding and time off in one system
- Good for US companies that may add payroll and benefits later
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Small and mid-sized US companies replacing spreadsheets for HR
- Teams that want hiring, onboarding and time off in one system
- US employers that may add payroll and benefits later
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10
A month to start, for each person
BambooHR is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month.
It buys records, time off, hiring and onboarding.
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.
Trying it first
Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own
Read from bamboohr.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Nonprofit
15% off for registered nonprofits
BambooHR takes an additional 15% off for registered nonprofit organizations.
Stated on bamboohr.comOther 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.
Stated on bamboohr.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, reports, payroll, applicant tracking, employee records, time off.
The whole job, with US payroll and benefits as add-ons.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Slack
- Greenhouse
- Checkr
- Culture Amp
- Remote
- Indeed
- TalentLMS
BambooHR is made by BambooHR, and has been around since 2008.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5/9
Other HR software it is graded above
BambooHR's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 9 other HR software we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 9 of 9) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month for each person, against a middle price of $9 for the category: 4 of the 6 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. BambooHR’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 9
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 9
- BFeaturesAbove 1 of 9
- BEase of useAbove 9 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 7 HR software. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. BambooHR is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace BambooHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $120 a year.
What you could make
- Employee records, time off, applicant tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Greenhouse and Checkr among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. BambooHR’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
HiBob, Zoho People, Namely, Rippling and Personio
The 5 tools BambooHR is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
HiBob
Paid
- 2.4GPA
Zoho People
Free plan · from $3/mo
Low-cost HR records, attendance, shifts and reviews from Zoho.
- Zoho People has a free plan. BambooHR does not, though it has a free trial.
- BambooHR also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
- Zoho People also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
- 2.0GPA
Namely
From $9/mo
US HR, payroll and benefits for mid-sized firms, with managed services.
- Namely also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
- 2.4GPA
Rippling
Paid
HR, IT and finance platform with US and global payroll, by quote.
- BambooHR also covers reports, applicant tracking, employee records and time off.
- Rippling also covers workflow automation, time tracking and expense tracking.
- 1.8GPA
Personio
Paid
European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting.
- BambooHR also covers reports and payroll.
- Personio also covers time tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is BambooHR free?
No, BambooHR is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial, no credit card required; it ends on its own.
How much does BambooHR cost?
BambooHR lists 3 plans. Core: $250 per month for up to 25 employees.
What platforms does BambooHR work on?
BambooHR is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does BambooHR offer any discounts?
BambooHR publicly lists the following: 15% off for registered nonprofits; 15% off when bundling payroll and benefits.
How is BambooHR rated?
BambooHR's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 12,758 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does BambooHR have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. BambooHR is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does BambooHR have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. BambooHR is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is BambooHR open source?
BambooHR is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does BambooHR integrate with?
BambooHR's listing names Slack, Greenhouse, Checkr, Culture Amp, Remote, Indeed and TalentLMS.
Who makes BambooHR?
BambooHR is made by BambooHR. It dates from 2008.
What are the alternatives to BambooHR?
The closest alternatives to BambooHR in our directory are HiBob, Zoho People, Namely, Rippling and Personio.
How does BambooHR compare with other HR software?
BambooHR's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 5 of the 9 other HR software we grade, and level with 3.
Is BambooHR good value for money?
ToolGPA grades BambooHR D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $10 a month for each person, against a middle price of $9 for the category: 4 of the 6 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of BambooHR?
To replace BambooHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from BambooHR’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from BambooHR's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by BambooHR. Prices change, so check bamboohr.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- BambooHR, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/bamboohr
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "BambooHR: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/bamboohr
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/bamboohr/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after BambooHR, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- CharlieHR Insider's GuideHR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket2.4 GPA
- Sesame HR Insider's GuideModular HR from Spain built around clock-ins, time off and shifts2.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what BambooHR’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. BambooHR is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by BambooHR. Prices and plans change: check bamboohr.com before you buy.