BambooHR review
HR platform for small and mid-sized firms, with payroll and benefits sold separately
This BambooHR review scores the HR platform 7.1 out of 10, with a Capterra rating of 4.6 from 3,343 reviews and published Core, Pro and Elite pricing of $10, $17 and $25 per employee per month. It suits small and mid-sized US teams that want a simple interface, but payroll, benefits administration and time tracking cost extra, and reviewers report limited customization.
BambooHR score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of results | 30% | 7.5/10 |
| Output quality | 25% | 7.0/10 |
| Ease of use | 15% | 7.5/10 |
| Pricing and value | 15% | 6.5/10 |
| Customer support | 10% | 6.0/10 |
| Security and compliance | 5% | 7.5/10 |
What BambooHR is and who it is for
BambooHR is a cloud HR software platform for small and mid-sized businesses, and it keeps employee records, hiring and applicant tracking, onboarding, time off, benefits, performance and payroll in one system. The vendor states that it was founded in 2008 by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders. Sources disagree on its size: the vendor claims more than 34,000 customers, while a third-party profile estimates about 26,000.
BambooHR is best for small and mid-sized US teams that want a tidy HR system of record and approachable workflows without an IT-heavy rollout, which matches what reviewers on Capterra praise. Teams that want HR, payroll and IT managed on one platform may prefer Rippling, and teams whose main need is payroll may prefer Gusto.
What BambooHR does
The vendor lists three plans. Core covers employee records, reporting, hiring and onboarding basics, time-off and benefits tracking, employee satisfaction surveys (eNPS) and an AI assistant that answers questions about HR data. Pro adds performance management with 360-degree reviews and 1:1s, an employee community, recognition and rewards, and an AI assistant that answers policy questions. Elite adds compensation management with planning, benchmarking, levels and bands, custom dashboards and analytics, and an advanced AI assistant. The vendor also lists compliance courses by plan, from 1 on Core to more than 300 on Elite.
Payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, and global employment through Remote are add-ons. Payroll and benefits administration are US only, according to the vendor. Reviewers on Capterra, in a snapshot updated May 6, 2026, praise the clean interface and centralized records. Their most consistent complaints are limited customization, unclear pricing, and payroll that needs manual work because of limited integration.
On security, the vendor states that it undergoes annual third-party SOC 1 and SOC 2 audits, with the SOC 2 Type 2 report available through its Trust Center after registration and an NDA. Multi-factor authentication is native, and data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Customers can have data hosted in the US, Canada or Ireland.
BambooHR pricing
Prices below are vendor-sourced, per employee per month, from the BambooHR pricing page.
- Core: $10, or a flat $250 per month for 25 or fewer employees.
- Pro: $17, or a flat $425 per month for 25 or fewer employees.
- Elite: $25, or a flat $650 per month for 25 or fewer employees.
Capterra lists the same $10, $17 and $25 figures and shows a free trial but no free version (review platform). Sources disagree on exact amounts: the vendor's own FAQ on the same page gives $10.25 for Core and $17.50 for Pro, while its table shows $10 and $17. The vendor page directs buyers to request a quote for final pricing, and volume discounts apply automatically by employee count. Combining Payroll and Benefits Administration with any plan earns 15% off in the US, and registered nonprofits get an additional 15% off.
Entry price and total cost diverge. Add-on prices are not published, so a team that needs payroll, benefits administration, time tracking or global employment pays more than the table shows.
BambooHR pros
- Capterra shows a 4.6 rating from 3,343 reviews (review platform, snapshot updated May 6, 2026), and G2 shows 4.4 from 5,042 reviews on a comparison page.
- Reviewers consistently describe the interface as clean and the employee records as well organized.
- Pricing for the three plans is published, with flat monthly rates for teams of 25 or fewer.
- Vendor-published customer stories report turnover falling 37% at New Moms and 54% at Whitaker Construction, and a 25% rise in performance review completion at END.
- The vendor states annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 audits and native multi-factor authentication.
BambooHR cons
- Payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, and global employment cost extra, and their prices are not published.
- Payroll and benefits administration are available in the US only, according to the vendor.
- Reviewers on Capterra report limited customization and unclear pricing.
- Reviewers describe payroll as lacking integration and requiring manual work.
How BambooHR compares
- Rippling: choose it when you want HR, applicant tracking and IT managed on one platform, which Software Advice names as its draw.
- Gusto: choose it when payroll is the main purchase, since BambooHR sells payroll as a separate US-only add-on.
Featured in: Best HR software
Last researched: October 29, 2026.
Reviewed by Greylisting Team.
BambooHR verdict
BambooHR earns a solid score for a well-rated, easy-to-adopt HR system of record with transparent base pricing. It will not give you deep customization, and its payroll and benefits modules add cost on top of the listed plans. It is right for small and mid-sized US teams that value a simple interface and published prices, and less right for teams that need heavy configuration or a single platform spanning HR, payroll and IT.