Essentials
Save ~20% with annual billing
What's included:
- Employee records
- Time-off tracking
- Reporting
Complete pricing breakdown for BambooHR. Compare plans, features, and find the best value.
BambooHR starts at $6/month for the Essentials plan. 2 plans available.
Save ~20% with annual billing
Save ~20% with annual billing
| Tool | Starting Price | Free Tier | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B BambooHR Current | $6/mo | SMBs | ||
| Ri Rippling | $0/mo | Fast-growing startups and enterprises with 2-2,000+ employees | Compare | |
| Jw Justworks | $49/mo | Startups and small businesses (5-100 employees) scaling with benefits needs | Compare | |
| De Deel | $49/mo | Global hiring and onboarding of contractors and employees | Compare | |
| G Gusto | $40/mo | Small businesses | Compare | |
| G Greenhouse | $6000/mo | Growing companies | Compare |
BambooHR uses a tiered subscription model with quote-based pricing that varies significantly based on company size and selected features. The platform doesn't publish exact pricing, requiring potential customers to contact sales for custom quotes, which can be frustrating for businesses seeking transparent cost information.
The pricing structure differs based on your employee count. Companies with 1-25 employees pay a flat monthly rate, while organizations with 26 or more employees are charged on a per-employee, per-month (PEPM) basis. This model includes automatic volume discounts as your headcount grows, helping control costs during expansion periods.
The entry-level Core plan includes essential HR functions like employee records management, time-off tracking, basic onboarding workflows, document storage, and standard reporting. This plan works well for small businesses needing to digitize basic HR processes without advanced features. Based on user reports, pricing typically starts around $6 per employee per month for the Core plan, though exact costs depend on your specific configuration.
The Pro tier adds performance management capabilities, employee community features, advanced workflows, eNPS surveys, and enhanced reporting tools. This plan targets growing companies that need more sophisticated HR processes and employee engagement tools. Pro plan pricing is generally higher but offers significantly more functionality for companies ready to invest in comprehensive HR management.
The top-tier Elite plan includes everything in Pro plus advanced analytics dashboards, compensation planning tools, benchmarking data, and premium support. This plan serves larger organizations requiring detailed workforce analytics and strategic HR planning capabilities.
BambooHR's add-on modules can significantly impact your total cost. Payroll processing, benefits administration, and time tracking are separate purchases, each adding to your monthly bill. Payroll and benefits administration are only available for U.S.-based employees, which limits international companies.
The modular approach allows flexibility in building your ideal HR stack, but costs can escalate quickly. Small businesses often find that adding multiple modules pushes the total cost beyond their budget, especially compared to all-inclusive competitors.
BambooHR offers month-to-month contracts without long-term commitments, which provides flexibility but may result in higher per-month costs compared to annual agreements. Non-profit organizations receive a 15% discount, and bundling multiple modules can provide additional savings. However, the lack of transparent pricing makes it difficult to budget accurately without going through the sales process.
| Feature | Essentials | Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Database | ||
| Time-off Management | ||
| Onboarding | ||
| Performance Management | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Integrations | ||
| ATS |
BambooHR offers solid value for its feature set. It's best suited for SMBs and Growing companies. Starting at $6/mo, it's accessible for most budgets.
BambooHR delivers exactly what it promises: a user-friendly, comprehensive HR solution designed for growing businesses that value simplicity over complexity. The platform excels at streamlining core HR processes while maintaining an intuitive interface that requires minimal training. Its employee self-service philosophy successfully reduces administrative burden on HR teams, and the modular approach allows companies to add features as they grow.
However, BambooHR's limitations become apparent for organizations with specialized needs. The rigid customization options, basic ATS capabilities, and limited reporting flexibility can frustrate power users or companies with complex requirements. The quote-based pricing model and additional costs for essential modules like payroll and time tracking can also make it expensive for smaller businesses when fully configured.
BambooHR is ideal for companies with 50-500 employees seeking to modernize their HR operations without the complexity of enterprise solutions. It's particularly well-suited for growing businesses, remote teams, and organizations prioritizing employee experience over advanced functionality.
If BambooHR doesn't fit your needs, consider Gusto for smaller businesses requiring integrated payroll, Workday for enterprise-level requirements, or dedicated ATS solutions like Greenhouse for recruitment-heavy organizations. BambooHR earns a solid recommendation for its target market, but ensure the total cost including necessary add-ons aligns with your budget before committing.
BambooHR costs $6/month for the Essentials plan. 2 plans available ranging up to $9/month.
No, BambooHR doesn't offer a permanent free plan. Pricing starts at $6/month for the Essentials plan. However, they may offer a free trial period.
The Essentials plan ($6/mo) includes: Employee records; Time-off tracking; Reporting. Higher tiers add more advanced features.
BambooHR is affordable for small teams at $6/mo. Best for: SMBs and Growing companies. Highly rated (4.6/5).
BambooHR starts at $6/mo vs Rippling at $0/mo. BambooHR is more affordable. Compare features side-by-side to decide.
Yes, most hr software tools including BambooHR offer 10-20% discounts when you pay annually instead of monthly. This can save you approximately $14 per year depending on your plan.