# A free BambooHR alternative, and the other options

Why companies look past BambooHR, how five alternatives compare on price and fit, and what moving your records across takes.

Updated 26 October 2026 · Based on public information as of October 2026

[Start free](https://www.squadrahr.com/get-started/)

## Why companies look past BambooHR

BambooHR combines HR records with options for recruiting, benefits and US payroll. If you are comparing it with another system, start with the modules you use and the total price at your headcount.

-   **The price climbs with every employee.** Its US pricing page lists three plans at $10, $17 and $25 per employee a month. A 40-person company on the middle plan pays about $680 a month before any add-on, and prices outside the US are quoted on request.
-   **There’s no free plan.** A small company gets a 7-day trial, then pays like everyone else.
-   **Payroll stops at the US border.** Payroll is an add-on for US employees only. Everyone else runs payroll somewhere else and keeps two systems in step.

Compare the HR work, payroll coverage and setup support you need before choosing an alternative.

## The alternatives compared

|  | Squadra HR | BambooHR | Personio | HiBob | Factorial |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Yes, up to 3 employees | No, a 7-day trial | No, a 14-day trial | No, a demo | No, a 14-day trial |
| Price | €4 per employee a month, €6 from 100 | $10, $17 or $25 per employee a month (US) | Quote after a demo | Custom proposal, per employee | From $8 per employee a month, otherwise a quote |
| Minimum contract | None | Month to month or longer | 12 months, plus a setup fee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Payroll | Excel export for your provider | Add-on, US only | Germany only | UK and US, a hub for other providers | Integrations with local tools in seven countries |
| Two-factor sign-in | Required for everyone | Admins can require it | Admins can turn it on | Through your SSO provider | Admins can enforce it |
| Set up for you | Yes, in a day | Self-serve | Setup project, with a fee | Not stated | Not stated |

Our column follows what Squadra HR ships today. The rest comes from each vendor’s own public pages, and our [comparison pages](https://www.squadrahr.com/compare/) list the source for every fact.

## Who each one suits

-   **Squadra HR**, if you want connected records, leave approvals and reports, with setup done for you, published pricing and a choice of EU or US data storage.
-   **BambooHR**, if you’re a US company that wants payroll, benefits and recruiting from one vendor.
-   **Personio**, if you have 50 or more people and run payroll in Germany.
-   **HiBob**, if you run payroll in the UK or US, work across many countries, or want hiring, learning and compensation modules.
-   **Factorial**, if you want HR, expenses, procurement and IT management from one vendor, or shift management with time clocks.

## What Squadra HR includes

The product includes:

-   **People records**: one record per person, with contracts, documents, emergency contacts, pay history and visas.
-   **Time off**: counted in hours against each person’s schedule and public holidays, with nightly accrual, carry-over and approvals from the phone.
-   **The org chart**, built from each person’s manager and exported as a PDF.
-   **Reports**: people and leave reports you build and export, plus an audit log of every change and every look at pay or ID data.
-   **Pay transparency** for employers in the EU: pay bands, pay requests and the gender pay gap report.
-   **Sign-in** with Microsoft or Google, and a second factor required for everyone.

See the [full product](https://www.squadrahr.com/product/) or the [pricing](https://www.squadrahr.com/pricing/).

## Moving from BambooHR

You don’t retype anything. Squadra HR connects to BambooHR with an API key and brings across your people, their managers, their leave balances and your leave history. Before anything is saved, you see every change it will make, and you can undo the whole import afterwards.

The [BambooHR import guide](https://www.squadrahr.com/docs/import-bamboohr/) shows the steps. The move usually takes a day, and you can keep both systems running in parallel until you’re sure.

## Questions

### What is the best BambooHR alternative?

Compare the HR work you need, where you run payroll and the cost at your headcount. Squadra HR offers records, leave, approvals and reports, with setup done for you and a published price. Personio includes German payroll; HiBob has UK and US payroll options.

### What should we compare if our BambooHR renewal costs more?

Compare the total bill at your headcount, including add-ons and setup. Squadra HR is free up to 3 employees, with published per-employee prices above that size and no setup fee or contract. Keep your payroll costs in the comparison if you use BambooHR for payroll.

### Is there a free BambooHR alternative?

Yes. Squadra HR is free for companies of up to 3 employees, with no time limit and no card. BambooHR itself lists no free plan, only a free trial.

### Which BambooHR alternative suits a small business?

One with a free plan or a low per-employee price, no minimum contract and setup done for you. Squadra HR fits that, and it imports your people and leave history from BambooHR through its API.

### Which BambooHR alternative suits remote teams?

One that works in the phone's browser, counts leave in hours against each person's own schedule and public holidays, and signs people in with Microsoft or Google. Squadra HR does all three.

### Which BambooHR alternative has onboarding built in?

Squadra HR runs joiners and leavers as checklists, with an owner and a due date for each task, so the laptop, the contract and the first-day plan don't depend on who remembers.

## Free for companies of up to 3 employees

Tell us about your company. We set it up on your domain with your public holidays and leave policies, and your team books its first leave the same day.