Short answer
The best BambooHR alternative for most teams is Factorial (82/100). $8 per employee on the Business plan, about $160 a month for 20 people; time tracking and shift scheduling included.
- Factorial (82/100): best overall alternative.
- Zoho People (81/100): best for the lowest price.
- Rippling (80/100): best for growing companies.
- HiBob (78/100): best for mid-size international teams.
- Connecteam (77/100): best for frontline teams.
BambooHR is our top-ranked HRIS, but its flat $250 a month minimum is steep for very small teams, performance reviews need Pro, and payroll is a US-only add-on. Teams look elsewhere when they want a lower price per employee, time tracking included, or HR, payroll and IT in one platform.
Why teams look for BambooHR alternatives
- A $250 monthly minimum. Core costs a flat $250 a month for companies with up to 25 employees, even if you have 5.
- Performance reviews cost more. 360° reviews and 1:1s start on Pro at $425 a month, or $17 per employee above 25.
- Payroll is US-only. BambooHR Payroll is an add-on for US employees only, with no published price.
- Time tracking is extra. Time & Attendance is sold separately from the HRIS plans.
BambooHR alternatives compared
| Tool | Why pick it | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Vettlo score |
|---|
| BambooHR (for reference) | Small and midsize companies that want a complete, easy HRIS | $250/mo | Quote / demo | 85/100 |
| Factorial | Best overall alternative | From $8/employee/mo | Trial / demo | 82/100 |
| Zoho People | Best for the lowest price | From $3/user/mo | Free plan + 30 days | 81/100 |
| Rippling | Best for growing companies | From $8/employee/mo | Quote / demo | 80/100 |
| HiBob | Best for mid-size international teams | Pricing on request | Quote / demo | 78/100 |
| Connecteam | Best for frontline teams | $29/mo for 30 users | Free plan + 14 days | 77/100 |
Starting prices are the entry paid plan from each vendor's own pages on Nov 1, 2026. BambooHR's plan cards show $10, $17 and $25 per employee a month while its FAQ shows $10.25 and $17.50 for Core and Pro; we list the plan-card figures. Zoho People's plan prices load by region and didn't render for us; $3 per user is the starting price on Zoho's US page. Factorial's and Rippling's starting prices come from their own websites; both quote the final price. Connecteam's HR prices are the yearly-billing rates. HiBob prices by quote. Scores use the same weighted criteria as our HRIS software ranking.
The alternatives
Starting priceFrom $8/employee/moBusiness plan, up to 100 employees; Starter and Enterprise quoted
Free trial / planFree trial offered; demo-led sign-up
Vettlo score82/100
Factorial is an all-in-one HR platform covering employee records, document management, time off with a shared leave calendar, time tracking, shift scheduling, onboarding, recruiting, performance management and payroll reporting. Its Business plan is listed at $8 per employee per month for companies up to 100 employees; a Starter plan for up to 10 employees and an Enterprise plan are priced by quote.
What you gain over BambooHR
- $8 per employee on the Business plan, about $160 a month for 20 people
- Time tracking and shift scheduling included
What you give up
- Starter and Enterprise prices are quoted
- Far fewer G2 reviews (109)
Skip it if: You want every plan price published before you talk to sales.
Starting priceFrom $3/user/moPaid plans from 5 users; yearly billing saves more than 20%
Free trial / planFree plan for 5 users; 30-day trial
Vettlo score81/100
Zoho People has a free plan for up to 5 users and four paid plans with a 5-user minimum. Free includes custom time-off policies; Essential HR adds onboarding and offboarding, the employee database, document management and HR reports; Professional adds attendance, timesheets and rostering; Premium adds performance, compensation and engagement; Enterprise adds an HR help desk and learning management.
What you gain over BambooHR
- Free for up to 5 users; paid plans from $3 per user
- 30-day free trial on every plan
What you give up
- Performance needs Premium
- More setup work
Skip it if: You want an HRIS a non-HR manager can set up in an afternoon.
Starting priceFrom $8/employee/moBase HRIS module; final price quoted by the modules you choose
Free trial / planNo trial listed; free demo
Vettlo score80/100
Rippling's base HRIS module starts at $8 per employee per month and covers employee records and org charts, onboarding and offboarding workflows, time-off tracking with accrual rules, document storage with e-signatures, an employee self-service portal and compliance alerts. Payroll, global payroll, scheduling, IT device and app management, performance and surveys are separate modules in the same platform.
What you gain over BambooHR
- Payroll, IT and HR on one employee record
- Offboarding removes app access and recovers devices
What you give up
- Total price comes from a quote
- Performance is a separate module
Skip it if: You only need employee records and time off for a small team.
Starting pricePricing on requestPer employee, quoted by headcount and modules
Free trial / planNo trial listed; free demo
Vettlo score78/100
HiBob (Bob) sells a Core HR subscription with optional modules. Core includes the employee database, document management, time off, lifecycle workflows, integrations, analytics and a mobile app. Talent, Learning, Hiring, Planning, Compensation, US Payroll, UK Payroll and a Payroll Hub are add-on modules, and the price is quoted per employee by headcount and modules.
What you gain over BambooHR
- US and UK payroll modules plus a Payroll Hub
- Time off, workflows and analytics in Core
What you give up
- No published prices
- Talent and compensation are add-ons
Skip it if: You're under 50 employees and want to see a price before a sales call.
Starting price$29/mo for 30 usersHR Basic, billed yearly ($35 monthly); $0.50 per extra user
Free trial / planFree plan for up to 10 users; 14-day trial
Vettlo score77/100
Connecteam is a mobile-first app for frontline teams; its HR & Skills hub covers employee documents, time off, onboarding packs, courses and recognition. Basic costs $29 a month for the first 30 users billed yearly ($35 monthly) plus $0.50 per extra user; Advanced ($49) adds e-sign documents and unlimited documents; Expert ($99) adds unlimited time-off policies and API access. A free Small Business plan covers all hubs for up to 10 users.
What you gain over BambooHR
- $29 a month for the first 30 users on HR Basic, billed yearly
- Free plan for up to 10 users
What you give up
- No performance review cycles
- Thinner HR reporting
Skip it if: You need performance reviews, compensation planning or detailed HR reporting.
How we picked these alternatives
Every tool here comes from our HRIS software shortlist. We ordered them by how well each one solves the most common reasons teams leave BambooHR, not only by overall score. See our methodology.
BambooHR alternatives FAQ
What is the best alternative to BambooHR?
Factorial for most small and midsize teams: it lists $8 per employee on its Business plan and includes time tracking and shift scheduling, which BambooHR sells separately.
What is cheaper than BambooHR?
For 20 employees, BambooHR Core costs $250 a month. Factorial Business is about $160, Connecteam HR Basic is $29 billed yearly, and Zoho People is free for up to 5 users.
Which BambooHR alternative includes payroll?
Rippling sells payroll as a module on the same employee record, and HiBob offers US and UK payroll modules. Zoho People pairs with the separate Zoho Payroll.
Which BambooHR alternative is free?
Zoho People is free for up to 5 users, and Connecteam's Small Business plan is free for up to 10 users.
Vettlo Editorial TeamResearched and written by the Vettlo editorial team using our methodology. Prices and plan details come from each vendor's public pricing page.