BambooHR Alternative 2026: 7 Better HR Options

A BambooHR alternative is any HR software platform that replaces BambooHR's core functionality — employee records, time-off tracking, onboarding, and reporting — often at a lower price or with features better suited to small and growing teams. If you're evaluating your options in 2026, you have more choices than ever.

BambooHR has been a popular choice for mid-sized companies since 2008. But the HR software landscape has shifted dramatically. New platforms offer flat-rate pricing, modern interfaces, and features tailored specifically for teams under 100 people — the segment BambooHR increasingly seems to have outgrown.

Why Companies Look for a BambooHR Alternative

BambooHR isn't a bad product. It's a mature one. And for many small teams, "mature" means expensive and overbuilt.

Here's what we keep hearing from founders and HR managers who've started shopping around:

Per-employee pricing gets expensive fast. BambooHR charges roughly $12–22 per employee per month, depending on your plan and company size. For a 25-person team, that's $300–$550/month — or $3,600–$6,600 per year. That's a significant chunk of budget for a small business.

No transparent pricing page. You have to contact sales to get a quote. For a founder juggling 15 priorities, that friction alone is a deal-breaker.

Features you don't need (yet). BambooHR bundles advanced performance management, employee satisfaction surveys, and compliance tools. Useful for a 500-person company. Overkill for a startup with 12 people.

The interface feels dated. Several Gartner reviewers note that BambooHR's UI hasn't kept pace with newer competitors. If your team lives in Notion and Slack, BambooHR can feel clunky.

Top 7 BambooHR Alternatives Compared

Here's a quick comparison before we dig into each option:

Tiny Team — Best for Small Teams Who Want Simplicity

A 25-person startup in Austin was paying $4,800/year for BambooHR. They switched to Tiny Team and cut that to $299/year — saving over $4,500 annually. That's not a typo.

Tiny Team takes a radically different approach to HR software pricing. Instead of charging per seat, it uses a flat annual rate:

• Starter (up to 15 people): $299/year (~$1.66/person/month)
• Growth (up to 50 people): $899/year (~$1.17/person/month)
• Scale (up to 100 people): $1,399/year (~$1.17/person/month)

Every plan includes every feature. No feature gating, no upsells.

What it does well:

• People management with employee directory, compensation tracking, and document storage
• Team calendar with custom PTO policies and holiday tracking
• Hiring & ATS with kanban pipeline and public job postings
• Performance reviews with review cycles and goal tracking
• Company timeline for team updates and announcements

Where it fits best: Teams of 5–100 who need core HR without the enterprise bloat. If you're a founder doing HR yourself or a first-time HR hire, this is built for you.

Trade-offs: No payroll processing (compensation tracking only), no mobile app yet, no benefits administration. If you need those, look at Gusto or Rippling below.

HiBob — Best for Culture-Focused Mid-Size Teams

HiBob (known as "Bob") positions itself as the HR platform for modern, mid-sized companies. It's visually polished and strong on engagement features like surveys, kudos, and org charts.

Pricing: Approximately $16/employee/month. For a 25-person team, that's around $4,800/year. Read more about HiBob pricing.

Strengths:

• Beautiful, modern interface
• Strong culture and engagement tools
• Solid analytics and reporting
• Good for distributed teams

Limitations:

• Expensive for small teams
• No native payroll in most regions
• Implementation can take weeks
• Custom pricing means no transparency

For a deeper dive, see how HiBob stacks up on features like performance reviews and onboarding compared to other platforms.

Gusto — Best for Teams That Need Payroll First

Gusto started as a payroll company and expanded into HR. If running payroll is your primary headache, Gusto solves it elegantly — with full-service payroll, tax filing, and benefits administration bundled together.

Pricing: Starts around $12/employee/month plus a base fee of $40–80/month.

Strengths:

• Full-service payroll with automatic tax filing
• Benefits administration (health, 401k, commuter)
• Contractor payments including international
• Clean, friendly interface

Limitations:

• Gets expensive as you scale (per-seat + base fee)
• HR features are secondary to payroll
• Performance management is basic
• Limited for teams over 200

We compared Gusto in detail in our Gusto alternatives guide.

Rippling — Best for IT + HR Combined

Rippling is the Swiss Army knife of employee management. It unifies HR, IT, and finance into one platform — so when you onboard someone, their laptop, email, payroll, and benefits all get set up simultaneously.

Pricing: Starts at approximately $8/employee/month, but modules add up quickly.

Strengths:

• Unified HR + IT device management
• Powerful automation and workflows
• App provisioning and de-provisioning
• Extensive integration library (500+)

Limitations:

• Modular pricing means the full package is expensive
• Complexity can overwhelm small teams
• Sales-driven pricing (no transparency)
• Overkill if you just need basic HR

Zoho People — Best Budget Option

If cost is your primary concern and you're already in the Zoho ecosystem, Zoho People delivers surprising value at rock-bottom prices. According to SHRM's software evaluation guidelines, budget shouldn't mean sacrificing core functionality — and Zoho People proves that.

Pricing: Starts at $1.50/employee/month (Essential HR plan).

Strengths:

• Very affordable
• Integrates with Zoho's entire business suite
• Customizable forms and workflows
• Decent time-off and attendance tracking

Limitations:

• Interface feels dated compared to modern competitors
• Customer support can be slow
• Limited onboarding features
• Best value only if you use other Zoho products

Personio — Best for European Teams

Personio is the go-to BambooHR alternative for companies based in Europe. It's built with EU labor laws, GDPR compliance, and multi-country payroll in mind from day one.

Pricing: Custom quotes only. Generally comparable to BambooHR's pricing.

Strengths:

• Built for European compliance (GDPR-native)
• Multi-country support for EU teams
• Solid recruiting and applicant tracking
• Payroll integrations for major EU countries

Limitations:

• Not ideal for US-only companies
• Custom pricing means no quick evaluation
• Can be complex to configure
• Primarily targets 10–2,000 employees

Homebase — Best for Hourly and Shift-Based Teams

Homebase isn't a traditional HR platform — it's scheduling software that expanded into HR. If your team works shifts and you need a free alternative to BambooHR, Homebase is worth a look.

Pricing: Free basic plan. Paid plans start at $24.95/location/month.

Strengths:

• Free tier is genuinely useful
• Excellent scheduling and time tracking
• Built-in team communication
• Hiring and onboarding tools

Limitations:

• HR features are secondary to scheduling
• Per-location pricing can add up
• Not designed for salaried/exempt teams
• Limited reporting and analytics

Pricing Comparison: What You'll Actually Pay

Let's cut through the "contact sales" fog. Here's what a 25-person team would realistically pay per year with each platform:

Estimates based on published pricing and industry reports. Actual costs vary by plan and negotiation.

The math tells a clear story: per-employee pricing punishes growing teams. Flat-rate and per-location models reward them.

Which BambooHR Alternative Is Right for You?

Choosing the right platform depends on your team's specific situation. Here's a decision framework:

Choose Tiny Team if you're a small team (5–100) that wants all core HR features at a flat rate. You value simplicity over enterprise complexity and don't need built-in payroll.

Choose HiBob if you have 50+ employees and want a culture-forward platform with strong analytics. Budget isn't your primary concern.

Choose Gusto if payroll is your #1 pain point. You want someone else to handle tax filing, benefits, and compliance.

Choose Rippling if you need HR and IT management in one place. Your team uses many SaaS tools and you want automated provisioning.

Choose Zoho People if you're already using Zoho products and want the cheapest possible HR solution.

Choose Personio if your team is based in Europe and you need GDPR-native, multi-country HR support.

Choose Homebase if you manage hourly workers and need scheduling + basic HR in one free or low-cost tool.

How to Switch from BambooHR

Switching HR platforms sounds painful, but most modern tools make it straightforward. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, companies should maintain employee records for specific retention periods — so exporting is critical.

Here's a step-by-step migration plan:

Step 1: Export your data. BambooHR lets you export employee data, time-off balances, and documents as CSV files. Do this before canceling your subscription.

Step 2: Audit your records. Clean up outdated employee profiles, fix incorrect PTO balances, and archive terminated employee records. Migration is a natural time to tidy up.

Step 3: Set up your new platform. Most alternatives offer guided onboarding. Configure your company structure, PTO policies, and custom fields before importing data.

Step 4: Import employee data. Upload your CSV exports. Most platforms offer a mapping tool that lets you match BambooHR fields to their equivalents.

Step 5: Run both systems in parallel. Keep BambooHR active for 2–4 weeks while your team gets comfortable with the new tool. This catches any data gaps.

Step 6: Cancel BambooHR. Once you've confirmed everything transferred correctly, cancel your subscription. Most contracts allow cancellation at the end of the billing period.

The typical migration takes 1–3 weeks for teams under 100 people.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest BambooHR alternative?

Zoho People starts at $1.50/employee/month, making it the cheapest paid option. Homebase offers a free tier for basic scheduling and HR. For an all-inclusive platform, Tiny Team starts at $299/year for up to 15 people — which works out to about ~$1.66/person/month with no feature restrictions.

Can I export my data from BambooHR?

Yes. BambooHR allows you to export employee records, time-off data, and documents as CSV files. You can also export custom reports. Make sure to download everything before your subscription ends, as you'll lose access to the platform.

Does BambooHR offer a free plan?

No. BambooHR does not offer a free tier. They provide a free trial (typically 7 days), but after that you'll need a paid subscription. If you need a free HR tool, consider Homebase's free plan or Zoho People's free tier for up to 5 employees.

Is BambooHR good for small businesses?

BambooHR can work for small businesses, but its per-employee pricing model means costs grow linearly with your team. A 25-person team pays approximately $3,900–$6,600/year. Platforms with flat-rate pricing (like Tiny Team) or free tiers (like Homebase) are often more cost-effective for teams under 50 people.

How long does it take to switch from BambooHR?

Most teams complete the migration in 1–3 weeks. The process involves exporting data from BambooHR, setting up your new platform, importing records, and running both systems in parallel for a short overlap period. Teams under 50 people typically finish in under a week.

What features should I look for in a BambooHR alternative?

Focus on the features you actually use. For most small teams, that means: employee records management, time-off tracking, onboarding workflows, and basic reporting. Extras like performance reviews, document management, and org charts are valuable but shouldn't drive the decision if you don't use them today.