Top 5 BambooHR competitors and alternatives with cutting-edge features

The HR tech industry is booming, set to reach $91.8 billion by 2026. And one of the biggest players in this field is BambooHR, loved by HRs worldwide.

With its centralized database system, it completely simplifies employee management and all tasks coming with it.

But it might not be perfect for everyone.

Some companies want software that's more intuitive, cheaper or integrates better with other programs. If you're one of them, stick around. 

In this article, you’ll find 5 best BambooHR competitors that might be just what you need. We'll break down their core HR functions, user ratings and prices so you can find the one that suits you best. 

What is BambooHR?

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BambooHR is an all-in-one HR platform. It brings together employee, payroll, time and benefits data into one secure place. 

The tool lets HR professionals focus on strategic initiatives by automating repetitive tasks and improving data accuracy. BambooHR even allows employees to access their information and helps everyone make better decisions thanks to clear reports.

Key features

• Payroll, time & benefits management: Streamlining payroll processing, tracking employee time and managing benefits efficiently.
• HR data & reporting: Centralizing HR data, generating insightful reports and gaining HR analytics to inform decision-making.
• Employee experience & performance: Tracking performance and facilitating continuous feedback to promote a positive work environment.
• Employee self-service (ESS): Access for all employees to view their information, pay stubs and request time off.
• Applicant tracking system (ATS): Managing job postings, tracking applicants and facilitating collaboration among hiring teams.
• Mobile access: Mobile-friendly interfaces and apps for iOS and Android.
• Integrations: Integration with +125 software solutions.

User rating

• Capterra: 4.6
• G2: 4.4

Users love BambooHR for its intuitive interface and different automation features. 

However, some users wish for clearer indications of private notes and multiple onboarding templates.

Pricing

• It depends on the size of your company. For those with over 25 employees, it's per employee per month. For smaller companies with 25 or fewer employees, it's a flat monthly rate, but you need to fill out the form to get the pricing plans. 

5 best BambooHR competitors & alternatives

1. PeopleForce

PeopleForce is an excellent HR product for managing your company's talents, time, performance and culture. It creates a positive employee experience by streamlining HR processes at every stage of the employee life cycle.

PeopleForce keeps your employees happy and productive by providing them with a user-friendly platform to manage their work. It frees time for your HR team to focus on strategic initiatives and employee relations rather than frustrating paperwork.

1.1 Key features

• HR data centralization: Streamlines HR workflow and centralizes HR data for easy management.
• Recruitment: Simplifies recruitment with resume parsing, outreach automation and interview feedback consolidation.
• Performance management: Facilitates performance reviews and 360 feedback, helps schedule one-on-one meetings and provides actionable insights.
• Surveys & eNPS: Measures employee engagement and satisfaction and identifies key drivers of success.
• Case management: Efficiently handles employee queries and requests.
• Time & attendance tracking: Automates leave requests and approval processes.
• Integrations: Integrates with job portals (LinkedIn, Jooble), LMS and messengers like Slack and Telegram.

1.2 User rating

• Capterra: 4.6
• G2: 4.8

Users love PeopleForce for its ease of use, pleasant interface and localization to multiple languages. The software maintains a good balance between functionality and price. Some users mention a brief learning curve, while others mention potential confusion for newcomers.

1.3 Pricing

• Standard: $2/mo per employee
• Professional: $2.4/mo per employee

Note: The onboarding process is free of charge, allowing you to start hassle-free. 

2. HiBob

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HiBob provides comprehensive human capital management solutions, covering onboarding, workflows, performance management and compensation management to ensure fair and transparent practices.

With HiBob, you can easily update your info whenever you need to. Plus, it quickly keeps track of new hires, departures and other changes in your system.

2.1 Key features

• Onboarding: Providing a simple and streamlined experience for new hires.
• Performance: Tracking employee performance through clear metrics to help employees grow, develop and succeed.
• Compensation: Managing compensation seamlessly, including salary reviews, bonuses and equity allocation.
• Surveys: Collecting valuable employee feedback to engage your team.
• Time off: Easily tracking and managing time off requests.
• Time and attendance: Simplifying time tracking and submission of timesheets.
• Payroll hub: Centralized dashboard for efficiently managing payroll.
• People analytics: Gaining insights into your workforce with real-time data.
• Your Voice: Providing a safe space for employees to voice concerns.
• Workforce planning: Maximizing workforce efficiency with strategic hiring plans.
• Sandbox: Testing and experimenting with changes in a safe environment.
• Integrations: Integrations with G Suite, Merge, Microsoft Teams, Okta and more.

See also: HiBob competitors and alternatives

2.2 User rating

• Capterra: 4.6
• G2: 4.5

Users love Bob for its seamless onboarding, customizable features, user-friendly interface and responsive live chat support. However, some users want more inclusive pricing packages and highlight occasional illogical aspects of the system.

2.3 Pricing

Custom pricing tailored to the user’s specific needs and requirements.

3. Factorial

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Factorial HR Software combines elements of HRIS, HCM and HRMS to automate administrative tasks and keep your HR department organized and productive. 

With a centralized operational hub, Factorial streamlines processes, saving time and effort for everyone. Employees can access pay stubs, request time off and stay informed about company news through the mobile app.

3.1 Key features

• Automatic HR processes: Handling PTO, time off, documents, reports, recruitment, performance, payroll and expenses.
• Centralized HRIS platform: Integration of all HR processes into one centralized hub.
• Time and talent management: Tracking work hours, scheduling shifts, recruiting talent, managing onboarding and setting goals.
• Document and expense management: Securely storing and managing documents and expenses within the platform.
• Performance reviews: Conducting performance reviews and gathering insights for employee development.
• Payroll management: Speeding up payroll processes, minimizing errors and automating tasks.
• Integration capabilities: Connecting with various applications such as Outlook, Zapier, Join, Gmail, Primavera etc.

See also: Factorial alternatives

3.2 User rating

• Capterra: 4.5
• G2: 4.5

Users find Factorial's intuitive interface and robust HR management features, such as streamlined onboarding and efficient time tracking, highly beneficial. However, a few users have reported challenges with customer service responsiveness and occasional bugs in the mobile version.

3.3 Pricing

4. Zoho People

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Zoho People is a cloud-based HR software solution for helping businesses streamline their HR processes. It offers features for managing employee information, attendance, leave, timesheets and performance evaluations.

At the core, Zoho People functions as a comprehensive employee database, storing all essential HR information in one place. From contact details and work history to performance records and benefits enrollment, everything is readily available.

4.1 Key features

• Employee self-service: HR information access and management.
• Leave management: Simplification of leave requests and tracking.
• Timesheets: Tracking and management of employee work hours.
• Attendance management: Monitoring and tracking of employee attendance.
• Performance appraisal management: Conducting and tracking employee evaluations.
• HR process automation: Automation of repetitive HR tasks.
• HR forms: Creation of custom forms or use of templates.
• Data view: Deep analysis of HR data and generation of reports.
• Reminders: Setting reminders based on chosen dates.
• Checklists: Definition of HR processes as checklists for regular tracking.
• Mobile app: Access and management of HR tasks on the go.
• Integrations: Integration with G Suite, Microsoft, DocuSign, Adobe Sign and more.

4.2 User rating

• Capterra: 4.4
• G2: 4.4

While users really love Zoho’s reliability, some highlight its API limitations and slow support. Overall, people consider it a reliable choice for small businesses.

4.3 Pricing

• Essential HR: €1.50/user/month
• Professional: €2.50/user/month
• Premium: €3.50/user/month
• Enterprise: €5/user/month
• People Plus: €10/user/month

5. Rippling

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Rippling is a comprehensive HR platform for streamlining and automating various HR tasks and processes, such as onboarding, payroll management, time tracking and more.

It combines features typically found in separate HR, IT and finance software. This means you can handle tasks like payroll, benefits, IT device management and expense management within a single system.

5.1 Key features

• Labor forecasting: Real-time predictions for labor demand, integrating historical labor data.
• Performance management: Setting up reviews in minutes, calibrating ratings and raises and identifying performance trends. 
• Calendar management: Integrated scheduling with automated event reminders.
• Compliance management: Automated compliance checks and tracking for regulatory adherence.
• Mobile access: On-the-go app for remote workforce management.
• Payroll management: Automated payroll, tax compliance and deductions.
• Workflow management: Streamlined approval processes with customizable automation.
• Scheduling & tracking: Shift scheduling and real-time employee schedule tracking.
• Employee vacation tracking: Automated accrual and request/approval workflow for time off.
• Skills tracking: Inventory of employee skills with training tracking.
• Time and attendance tracking: Clock-in/clock-out with biometric or RFID integration.
• Integrations: Integration with Slack, PayPal, AWS, Zapier and more.

5.2 User rating

• Capterra: 4.9 
• G2: 4.2

Users love its detailed payroll information and app integration capabilities. While some mention issues with HSA/FSA administration, the overall feedback is positive, praising streamlined processes and a central hub.

5.3 Pricing

• Starts at $8 a month, per user

BambooHR competitors & alternatives: Comparison table

FAQs

What is similar to BambooHR?

PeopleForce, HiBob, Factorial, Zoho People and Rippling are all quite similar to BambooHR. However, PeopleForce stands out for being a well-rounded HR solution with many great features that some other options don't have, such as knowledge base and ATS.

What companies use BambooHR?

Mostly small and medium-sized businesses use BambooHR. Also, many organizations from different industries – from technology to healthcare, find BambooHR helpful for managing their HR tasks.

What type of software is BambooHR?

BambooHR is a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) that combines essential HR features like employee engagement, payroll, time tracking and an applicant tracking system (ATS) into a cohesive, all-in-one platform.

What are other BambooHR alternatives worth considering?

Besides all these, some other good alternatives to BambooHR are HRappka and HRnest.