BambooHR competitors: entry fees, September-October 2026
On a USD comparison basis, Gusto Simple leads the listed ten-employee fees at $109 per month for single-state payroll. Confirm billing currency, tax and required HR scope; quote-only vendors remain unranked.
On the model’s USD comparison basis, Gusto Simple has the lowest calculated entry fee in this BambooHR comparison: $109 per month for 10 US employees, using vendor prices checked 28 September 2026.1,2,3,4 Confirm unlabelled billing currencies and tax treatment in the quotes. Simple covers single-state payroll; the price order does not establish a replacement for every BambooHR function.1,3
TL;DR
- BambooHR’s small-team flat rate starts at US$250 per month; payroll is a separate add-on.3
- Justworks has separate Payroll and PEO Basic products with different fees and inclusions.2 Treat them as different purchases.
- Rippling, ADP RUN, Paylocity, TriNet and HiBob have no listed totals in this comparison.5,6,7,8,9 Their missing prices cannot establish whether they cost less or more.
How this ranking was built
We ranked BambooHR and the priced alternatives on one field: listed monthly price for 10 US employees, checked 28 September 2026.1,2,3,4 The model treats unlabelled dollar amounts from Gusto, Justworks and Deel as USD, while BambooHR explicitly states USD. No currency conversion or tax amount is added; this calculation convention does not confirm the vendors’ billing currency or tax exclusion. Obtain those terms in the quote before relying on the fee order.
The calculation is the monthly base fee plus the employee fee multiplied by headcount.1,2 BambooHR’s stated small-team flat rate takes precedence over its per-employee headline price.3 Our research methodology sets the evidence standard.
The priced set contains five product rows, including BambooHR as the baseline.1,2,3,4 Justworks Payroll and PEO Basic stay separate because the fees buy different services.2 Five vendors without a listed total remain unranked.5,6,7,8,9 No product rows were merged.
Only entry-product fees determine the order. Higher tiers, optional add-ons and temporary promotions are excluded. Contractor-only and international EOR products are outside the US employee scenario. Gusto’s Contractor Only plan is for businesses without W-2 employees.1 Deel lists a separate EOR fee alongside its US PEO fee.4
Which BambooHR competitors have the lowest listed prices?
Gusto Simple has the lowest calculated total among the priced entries, followed by Justworks Payroll; BambooHR’s small-team HR software supplies the baseline starting rate.1,2,3 The order compares recurring entry fees across different product types on the model’s stated currency convention.1,2,3,4
| Rank | Vendor and entry product | Place | Type | Listed monthly price for 10 employees (USD, before tax) | Calculation from listed fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto Simple | United States | Payroll software | $1091 | $49 + (10 x $6)1 |
| 2 | Justworks Payroll | United States | Payroll software | $1302 | $50 + (10 x $8)2 |
| 3 | BambooHR small-team HR baseline | United States | HR software; payroll separate | Starting at $250; confirm chosen-tier quote3 | Small-team monthly flat rate3 |
| 4 | Justworks PEO Basic | United States | PEO | $7902 | 10 x $79; no base fee2 |
| 5 | Deel US PEO | United States | PEO | $1,2504 | 10 x $1254 |
Checked 28 September 2026. These are listed subscription or service fees, with BambooHR’s starting-price qualifier retained.1,2,3,4
What does each entry plan include?
Gusto and Justworks Payroll sell payroll-led entry products; BambooHR Core lists HR administration, while Justworks PEO Basic and Deel US PEO add a different service scope.1,2,3,4 Compare the work you need covered before treating a lower listed fee as a replacement budget.
Gusto Simple lists single-state payroll, unlimited payroll runs, tax filings and payments, basic paid-time-off policies and holiday pay.1 If your employees need multi-state payroll, the Simple plan’s stated scope no longer matches that requirement.1 Use the Gusto pricing breakdown for the next plan comparison.
Justworks Payroll lists payroll for all employees, HR tools, expert support and access to Time Tracking.2 Justworks lists Time Tracking separately as a paid add-on, so “access” should not be read as an included subscription.2 Confirm the tools you need in the purchase total.
BambooHR Core lists employee records, custom reports, workflows and approvals, hiring and onboarding, and time-off and benefits tracking.3 Payroll appears under add-on solutions.3 If your priority is employee records and hiring administration, compare those functions directly with each alternative’s entry scope; a payroll fee alone doesn’t settle the replacement decision.1,2,3
Justworks PEO Basic lists payroll, HR consulting and tools, compliance support, round-the-clock support and 401(k).2 Medical, dental and vision administration appear on the PEO Plus card.2 Deel describes US PEO as co-employment with benefits included; its employee-hiring card also lists managed payroll, tax filings, reporting and automated onboarding and compliance.4 Those service descriptions explain why the PEO rows should not be read as equivalent HR-software licences.2,4,3
Which BambooHR competitors need a quote?
Rippling, ADP RUN, Paylocity, TriNet and HiBob stay outside the price order because the checked pages supply no listed monthly total for them.5,6,7,8,10,9 The original quote observations are dated 28 September; valid ADP RUN package detail was captured on 1 October and TriNet HR Plus/PEO pricing on 2 October.6,8,10 No September price is inferred from those later pages.
| Vendor | Price evidence and capture date | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Rippling | Requests a custom quote for the services needed.5 | Core Platform fee, selected products and any monthly base fee.5 |
| ADP RUN | Business-specific quote; no numeric package fee on the valid page, 1 October 2026.6 | Entry-plan fee, minimum charge and included functions. |
| Paylocity | Requests pricing with a demo and asks for employee count.7 | Selected modules and the complete recurring fee. |
| TriNet HR Plus / PEO | Both valid product pages request a quote without a numeric rate, 2 October 2026.8,10 | Product, service scope and recurring fee. |
| HiBob | No price recorded; the captured pricing URL displays a demo form.9 | Entry-plan fee and included modules. |
Rippling says its HR, Finance and IT products can be bought separately alongside the required core Rippling Platform.5 Some products may carry or include a monthly base fee.5 A fee for one module therefore cannot establish the price of a complete purchase.5
Paylocity describes selectable HR, Finance and IT modules.7 Its product descriptions do not establish a fixed entry-plan total.7 Ask each quote-only vendor to price the same employee count and required functions, including any mandatory platform or service fee.
Why can other BambooHR comparisons show different prices?
Glamdring Research treats headcount and included services as the conditions that control a BambooHR price comparison. BambooHR uses a starting monthly flat rate for companies with 25 employees or fewer, while payroll is a separate add-on.3 A per-employee headline fee or a different service bundle answers a different cost question.3
For the ten-employee scenario, apply BambooHR’s small-team pricing rule. The Core per-employee rate shown for companies above that threshold cannot replace the stated flat-rate floor.3 The BambooHR pricing analysis is the next comparison for its plan structure.
Product names also change the reading. Justworks Payroll and PEO Basic have separate fees and service descriptions; Deel distinguishes US PEO from international EOR.2,4 Match the product, geography and included services before comparing any published total.
What the ranking cannot tell you
The BambooHR comparison establishes a listed entry-fee order within the checked set. It does not establish equivalent features, negotiated bills or total employment cost.1,2,3,4 The vendors’ descriptions establish what they list, not independently tested service quality.
Keep salaries, employer taxes, insurance premiums, implementation and optional services outside the ranked field. Confirm those costs separately before buying. A lower subscription total supports a price conclusion only when the listed plan meets your requirements.
The next vendor pricing-page revision is the refresh trigger. Recheck the listed fees and inclusions together before relying on the order for a new purchase. Continue with the HR and payroll research for other comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of software is BambooHR?
BambooHR is HR software: its Core plan lists employee records, reporting, hiring and onboarding, and time-off management.3 BambooHR also offers payroll, but lists it as a separate add-on.3 Keep that separation when asking whether an alternative replaces the HR system or payroll.
Does access to Justworks Time Tracking mean it is included?
No. Justworks’ entry cards list access to Time Tracking, while the pricing page lists Time Tracking as a paid add-on.2 Confirm the add-on in your quote if you need it.
Do you have to sign a long-term contract with Gusto?
No. Gusto’s pricing FAQ says it is month-to-month and can be cancelled anytime, checked 28 September 2026.1 Confirm the current terms before subscribing.
Browse the published research archive for further software comparisons.
Sources checked
Company-owned pages establish what a company says. They do not prove a market conclusion. Each source is dated so readers can judge each claim.
