BambooHR review: features, real costs and a free alternative
What BambooHR does well, what it costs once you add it up, and who should look elsewhere.
The short version
BambooHR is a well-run HR suite with a long track record. It’s strongest for US companies that want payroll, benefits, recruiting and performance reviews from one vendor. It’s weakest on price for small teams, and on payroll and hosting for companies outside the US.
What BambooHR does well
- Breadth. Records, time off, applicant tracking, 360 performance reviews on its Pro plan, compensation tools, and payroll and benefits for US employees.
- Recruiting. Applicant tracking is included, with the number of open jobs capped per plan.
- Compensation. Levels, bands and benchmarking for pay decisions.
- Security paperwork. SOC 1, SOC 2 Type 2 and PCI DSS reports, which larger customers’ procurement teams ask for.
- Integrations and apps. A large integrations marketplace and native iOS and Android apps.
What it costs
Its US pricing page lists three plans at $10, $17 and $25 per employee a month. Prices outside the US are quoted on request, and payroll is a separate add-on for US employees only.
| Company size | At $10 | At $17 | At $25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | $100 a month | $170 a month | $250 a month |
| 40 people | $400 a month | $680 a month | $1,000 a month |
| 120 people | $1,200 a month | $2,040 a month | $3,000 a month |
That’s before payroll, benefits administration or any add-on. There’s no free plan, only a 7-day trial.
Where it falls short
- No free plan. A company of three pays like a company of thirty.
- Payroll stops at the US border. Companies with staff elsewhere run payroll in a second system and keep the two in step.
- Hosting. Data sits in the US, Canada or Ireland. That suits some companies and raises questions for others.
- Two-factor sign-in is optional. Admins can require it, but it isn’t required by default.
Who should pick BambooHR
A US company of 30 or more people that wants payroll, benefits, recruiting and performance reviews from one vendor, and has the budget for it.
A free alternative
Squadra HR connects people records, time off, approvals, the org chart and reports. It is free up to 3 employees, then €4 per employee a month, with €6 from 100. Two-factor sign-in is required for everyone, your company chooses EU or US data storage, and we set it up for you in a day.
Moving from BambooHR takes an API key: Squadra HR brings across your people, managers, leave balances and leave history, shows you every change before saving, and can undo the import. See the BambooHR import guide, the comparison with BambooHR, or all BambooHR alternatives.