Last Updated
Key Takeaways
Generated from the text of customer reviews
BambooHR is a unified HR ecosystem designed for HR teams and employees across SMBs in the technology, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. Users consistently praise its intuitive interface and all-in-one data centralization, although a few cite that analytics could be more detailed. Recent developments include the launch of the Compensation Management feature. BambooHR has also added Xero Payroll integrations for the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Our Verdict
BambooHR serves as a foundational HRIS, making it highly recommended for small and midsize organizations transitioning from manual processes. While the per-employee pricing can become expensive for scaling companies, the system delivers immense value by automating onboarding and time-off requests. We recommend BambooHR for businesses prioritizing immediate usability and high employee adoption over deep, complex enterprise-level customization.
Overall Rating
Based on 455 users reviews
4.3
Rating Distribution
Positive
89%
Neutral
9%
Negative
2%
Starting Price
$10
per employee per month
BambooHR Specifications
- Employee Information Management
- Recruitment and Applicant Tracking
- Performance Management
- Attendance and Time Tracking
What Is BambooHR?
Founded in 2008, BambooHR is a fully connected human resources ecosystem that helps startups, SMBs, and enterprises manage the entire employee lifecycle. Its unified data model, embedded AI, and native apps simplify essential tasks, such as onboarding, hiring, payroll, time tracking, and benefits administration.
Moreover, the platform is built around interconnected HR modules, offering employee engagement tools, performance management, reporting, payroll, and 150+ integrations, which provide organizations with a single hub for all HR functions. With features like ‘Ask BambooHR®,’ its AI-powered assistant, and mobile access, the software reduces manual work and delivers actionable insights, which helps companies create stronger workplace cultures.
What Is BambooHR Best For?
The software is known for its time-off management feature that keeps employees leave planning simple and transparent. Employees can view balances and request leave from any device, along with using the time-off calculator to see available days at any given date. Managers review and approve requests while automated notifications keep teams updated without manual follow-ups. The system also supports multiple approval workflows, department-based policies, detailed reporting, and a ‘Who’s Out’ calendar showing all approved time-offs. This way HR teams gain visibility into trends and planning insights.
How Much Does BambooHR Cost?
BambooHR offers a free trial and three different pricing plans, starting at just $10/employee/month for the Core plan. This plan is suitable for building an HR foundation through features like employee records, workflows, and ATS for limited job openings. The contract is on a month-to-month basis. Other plans are:
- Pro: $17/employee/month; provides tools for employee satisfaction and wellbeing tracking, AI assistance and performance management tools
- Elite: $25/employee/month; all features in Pro and custom dashboards, compensation management and more.
Additionally, an ‘Employer of Record’ feature for global hiring is available as an add-on for all plans, providing a global cost calculator, managed payroll and benefits, and compliant employment forms. Other add-ons are ‘Payroll,’ ‘Benefits Administration,’ and ‘Time & Attendance.’
Companies with 25 or fewer employees are charged at a flat rate starting at $250/month. Additionally, volume-based discounts and a 15% discount for registered nonprofit organizations are also available. A free trial is also available.
Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.
BambooHR Integrations
The software integrates with over 150 tools operating in different categories, including:
How Does BambooHR Work?
Log in to your BambooHR software account to access a unified platform and follow the given steps to benefit from its features:
- Build employee records to store personal details, compensation, and documents in one central hub
- Manage the entire hiring process by tracking applicants and sending offer letters directly through the system
- Onboard new hires by sending welcome packets and completing checklists for a seamless day one experience
- Track employee hours by approving timesheets and managing time-off requests with automated accrual policies
- Run payroll in minutes by syncing hours, benefits, and deductions automatically
- Manage performance by setting goals, gathering peer feedback, and conducting assessments within the platform
- Generate reports with pre-built templates and custom dashboards to analyze key HR metrics
Who Is BambooHR For?
The platform caters to over 30,000 businesses working in various industries and sectors, including:
- Technology
- Construction
- Healthcare
- Education
- Finance
- Nonprofit
BambooHR Use Cases
Based on our analysis of product capabilities and extensive user feedback, we have identified key operational scenarios where BambooHR provides significant value for HR teams in small and midsize organizations:
Transitioning From Spreadsheets To Centralized Data Mastery
BambooHR might be an ideal fit for businesses that have reached an inflection point where relying on scattered spreadsheets, paper files, and email trails for personnel records has become inefficient and risky. The platform establishes a secure, cloud-based employee database that acts as a single source of truth for all critical information, including compensation, benefits, and organizational charts.
Streamlining High-Volume Hiring And Onboarding
The system is a good fit for companies experiencing rapid or continuous hiring, where inefficient processes can lead to significant cost and time expenditures. With a native Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that integrates with major job boards and automated onboarding workflows, BambooHR ensures consistency and speed in candidate management. Automation handles paperwork and regulatory requirements, ensuring that new hires receive a seamless, positive first impression.
Proactive Management Of Employee Culture And Engagement
Organizations that prioritize their employer brand and cultural health as strategic assets benefit significantly from BambooHR’s tools. The platform moves beyond transactional HR by incorporating Employee Satisfaction features, such as eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) surveys. It allows leaders to proactively ‘identify successes and gaps in their company culture’ and use performance management tools to influence talent retention.
Reducing HR Administrative Interruptions
The platform is suited for HR teams seeking to increase their capacity for strategic tasks by eliminating constant interruptions from employee requests. BambooHR empowers employees through an intuitive Self-Service Portal and mobile application. Employees can manage core processes themselves, such as updating banking details, requesting time off, and clocking in/out.
BambooHR User Sentiments
| Most Positive Sentiments | Least Positive Sentiments |
Ease Of Use & Interface Design
Users consistently appreciate the system’s intuitive design, finding the navigation simple, clean, and quick to master. A user said: "I love it's simple format! I use it as my brain for HR as I move away from too many spreadsheets. I love how everything is available and at my fingertips quickly." | Pricing & Escalating Cost Structure
A recurring complaint is the system's escalating cost, driven by the per-employee fee model and changes to subscription tiers. A user stated: "The price is very cost prohibitive for a small business. We fluctuate between 10-18 employees... The company recently switched us to a new plan (about 30% higher in cost) without notice." |
HR Process Automation & Efficiency
Reviewers highly value the comprehensive automation of core HR tasks, including onboarding, offboarding, and centralized employee data management. One user shared: "It streamlines the hiring process with integration with Ziprecruiter and Indeed. I also like that I can automate onboarding for employees and look up info on employees quickly." | Functional Limits & Customization
Many users report frustration with the lack of advanced architectural flexibility, specifically the inability to add custom fields to data tables or fully customize payroll-related reports. One reviewer noted: "The inability to add custom fields to standard tables requires the creation of separate custom tables that are not connected to standard tables and requires the duplication of data." |
Customer Support Excellence
Users consistently describe the support team as highly responsive, exceptionally friendly, and effective at resolving complex issues. A reviewer wrote: "The Bamboo support team is also top notch - super responsive and easy to reach." | International Scope
For international organizations or those with complex global needs, some features are limited to US users. As a user notes: “Not good if you need to hire international contractors.” |
Is BambooHR Right For You?
If you find yourself constantly switching between different systems and dealing with data sync issues, BambooHR can be the right fit. Built on connected native apps, this complete HR platform streamlines core HR functions like hiring, onboarding, payroll, performance, and reporting, all from a single easy-to-use dashboard, eliminating the need to juggle multiple tools.
Trusted by 30,000+ businesses such as Quora, Florida International University, Harvard Medical School, OpenAI, and Zapier, BambooHR has earned a strong reputation not only for its powerful capabilities but also for its award-winning customer service and support. Moreover, BambooHR protects user data using Defense in Depth and Zero Trust models, with safeguards like encryption, MFA, firewalls, continuous monitoring, SOC I & II audits, penetration testing, and an active bug bounty program.
If you are still unsure whether BambooHR is the ideal platform for you, we are here to assist you. Contact us at (661) 384-7070, and we will help you make a well-informed decision.
BambooHR Features
Recruiting And Onboarding
BambooHR optimizes hiring and onboarding with a native Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It allows businesses to post jobs directly to popular boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. HR teams can manage candidates efficiently using customizable pipelines, automated status triggers, and templated emails, ensuring no application is lost in the process. To make sure new hires settle in smoothly, BambooHR automates onboarding tasks with due date tracking and makes HR workflows organized and efficient.
Employee Records
Centralizing all employee information in a secure and organized database, BambooHR allows teams to access tabs for personal details, job, and compensation information, important documents, training, and benefits, all in one place. Employees can also update their own info in the software through self-service. The platform also lets users quickly search for other employees by department, location, or team. They can also view results across local time zones and apply filters, while easily downloading or exporting data.
Payroll Processing
Businesses can simplify payroll with automated, accurate, and compliant processing. The dashboard provides visibility into employee hours, reminders, and gross wages with instant calculations showing cash requirements. Moreover, it provides employees access to digital pay stubs, direct deposit details, and tax updates, making payroll seamless for everyone.
Time Tracking
BambooHR time tracking feature allows employees to clock in and out using a mobile app. It automatically calculates balances, accruals, and future leave. Breaks are tracked directly on employee timesheets, giving managers and HR clear visibility into timing and duration with less manual effort. It also features multiple time categories with flexible pay rates, as the data syncs with payroll efficiently. Built-in overtime calculations across all 50 U.S. states help ensure accurate compliance.
Benefits Administration
The platform offers easy and connected benefits administration for everyone. HR professionals can manage employee benefits in one place, enabling them to add and update plans from within the platform. It also provides real-time visibility into dependent coverage costs. BambooHR supports auto-enrollment for eligible plans and offers seamless data exports for carriers and brokers, ensuring accuracy in benefits.
Performance Management
BambooHR helps organizations build stronger teams through one-on-ones and customizable performance assessments. With the help of 360-degree feedback, managers and employees can ensure well-rounded evaluations that drive growth. The solution also supports pre-built review templates for quick setup or allows managers to create fully customized review cycles tailored to their team’s needs.
Reporting And Analytics
The software has 50+ standard reports covering crucial aspects like headcount, EEO1, audit trails, turnover rates, and candidate pipelines. Organizations can even utilize the report builder to create customized reports with real-time previews. Dashboards and visualization offer drag-and-drop capabilities to explore data trends in depth, which helps managers make informed decisions, identify workforce patterns, and proactively plan for growth and engagement.
Global Employment
BambooHR features an embedded Employer of Record (EOR) service, powered by Remote, which manages hiring and onboarding compliance across regions. Teams can opt for region-tailored settings like currencies, international holidays, ID Types, and phone formats. Moreover, the platform is available in multiple languages, including Simplified Chinese, French, and Japanese.
Compliance Intelligence
Powered by VirgilHR, the software delivers real-time updates across city, federal, and state regulations, keeping organizations informed of changing requirements. The software includes built-in access to legal advisory support, customizable employee handbook templates, and partner integrations to simplify compliance management. With compliance tools, personalized coaching, and ongoing training, businesses can reduce the risk of penalties and make sure policies are consistently followed.
Compensation Management
Integrated with Mercer data, BambooHR supports competitive salary benchmarking and ensures equitable pay across roles. The software offers tools for defining job labels, career paths, and salary bands. Comprehensive workflows handle compensation cycles, budgeting, currency conversions, approvals, and change communications, ensuring HR teams manage pay transparently and efficiently.
Pros And Cons of BambooHR
Pros
Offers flexible pay schedules and payment options
Automates tax filing and payroll providers duties
Assists with compliance with local payroll laws
Cons
Doesn’t have any option for mass timesheet download
BambooHR currently allows to set only 10 goals/employee, which can be limiting for some organizations
BambooHR Reviews
Total 455 reviews
4.3
All reviews are from verified customers
Rating Distribution
5
Stars47%
4
Stars42%
3
Stars8%
2
Stars1%
1
Stars2%
Share your experience
Blake
Information Technology and Services, 101-500 employees
More than a year
“top-notch but needs more flexibility
Pros
The user experience is top-notch. It is simple and only shows the most important info. The approval system lets us exchange comments with other approvers and clearly tracks where each request is in the process.
Cons
Not being able to add custom fields to standard tables means we have to create separate custom tables that are not linked to the main ones, leading to data duplication. Approval workflows could also be more flexible allowing us customization of the order and number of approvers and even dynamically assigning them based on conditions.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
9
Value for money
9
Customer Support
7
Functionality
5
Rose
Textiles, 11-50 employees
More than a year
“Clear layout but an older layout feel
Pros
BambooHR has been simple to navigate thanks to its clear and simple layout. It is especially helpful for checking who's going to be out of the office.
Cons
The interface can feel a bit outdated and clunky at times though that might just be a generational preference. I feel like it would also help if switching between languages was easier as my Portuguese-speaking employees often need assistance.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
9
Value for money
10
Customer Support
10
Functionality
9
Christelle
Construction, 500+ employees
Less than a year
“Great HR platform for our needs
Pros
It is way too easy to use because everything we need for HR is in one platform. The best part is that we can pick which features you want to pay for and use which keeps things simple and affordable.
Cons
Recruitment platforms are not included yet and document templates are not provided either.
Rating Distribution
Ease of use
10
Value for money
10
Customer Support
10
Functionality
9
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BambooHR a good all-in-one HR software?
As a comprehensive human resource software, BambooHR's primary appeal lies in its full-suite functionality. It connects with various tools, providing an end-to-end solution for the entire employee lifecycle. The platform's pricing models are flexible to fit specific needs, which makes it a scalable solution.However, like most full-suite HR vendors, some modules are reviewed better than others.
Does BambooHR offer an API?
Yes, BambooHR offers a RESTful API with API key or OpenID authentication, enabling data access, reporting, and webhooks.
Is BambooHR a PEO?
It partners with PEOs through BambooHR marketplace so organizations can seamlessly integrate their people data with their PEO provider. The platform offers tools for hiring, onboarding, payroll, benefits, and employee data, however, it is not a PEO in itself.
What languages does BambooHR support?
The software operates in over 190 countries and supports eight languages which are English, French, Spanish, German, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and Japanese.
What other apps does BambooHR integrate with?
BambooHR software offers integration with a wide range of third-party apps, including Slack, Greenhouse, Deel, TalentLMS, Okta, indeed, NetSuite, and Checkr.
Does BambooHR support mobile devices?
Yes, it supports offers dedicated mobile apps for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
What types of pricing plans does BambooHR offer?
BambooHR provides a free trial and three flexible plans: Core ($10/employee/month), Pro ($17/employee/month), and Elite ($25/employee/month). The pricing is based on a per-employee, per-month model, though companies with 25 or fewer employees are subject to a flat rate starting at $250/month.
Who are the typical users of BambooHR?
BambooHR serves small businesses and organizations with up to 1,000+ employees working in various industries and sectors, including construction, education, finance, healthcare, and nonprofit.
What level of support does BambooHR offer?
Bamboohr.com offers support through various channels, including phone, email, live chat, knowledge base, FAQs, and the help desk.
Where is the data housed and how secure BambooHR is?
Data is hosted in the U.S., Canada, or Ireland and the security is ensured through encryption, SOC II audits, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and regular penetration tests.
What is BambooHR’s cancellation or refund policy?
BambooHR follows month-to-month contract model. If users cancel, their account remains active until the current billing period ends. However, the vendor doesn’t provide prorated refunds, but cancelling during the free trial means no charges apply.