{"id":60021,"date":"2026-09-29T11:43:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T09:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.timecamp.com\/blog\/?p=60021"},"modified":"2026-09-29T13:06:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T11:06:02","slug":"what-is-bamboohr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.timecamp.com\/blog\/what-is-bamboohr\/","title":{"rendered":"What is BambooHR? 2026 Features, Pricing & Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"

BambooHR is an HR Information System (HRIS) for small and mid-size businesses<\/strong> that want one home for employee records, onboarding, time off, performance, benefits, and US payroll. Its time tracking<\/a> is a paid add-on aimed at tracking hours for payroll and attendance, not client billing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Key Takeaways about BambooHR<\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. BambooHR is an HR system; its time tracking is a paid add-on built for hours-for-payroll.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Pricing starts at about $10\/employee\/mo<\/strong>, with a floor of $250\/mo for teams of 25 or fewer<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Reviewers praise the ease of use, mobile app, and onboarding; the friction is opaque pricing for add-ons, renewal increases, and limited reporting.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. If you have hours to bill a client or show project margin, that cannot be done in BambooHR<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"screenshot

    The BambooHR home dashboard on a free trial, with the setup tour, a time-off summary, and the company news feed. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    How do we review software in TimeCamp?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    A human is behind every word posted here. We value our users’ time and trust, so you can be sure our team (Ola, Wojtek, Kasia, Iza, Robert, and others) spent real hours testing the apps, and then researching, briefing, and writing this article.<\/p>\n

    Our editorial team has 10+ years of experience writing SaaS content, including testing and using a variety of tools daily. Our writers are also app users, so we write our recommendations based on what we would read as potential clients. Our main rule is “do not cover without a source.”We also revisit and update our articles to cover notable changes to the app’s features or pricing (at least quarterly).<\/p>\n

    Read more \u2192\u00a0How do we create content and review software in TimeCamp?<\/a><\/p>\n

    Happy reading!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    What is BambooHR & Who is it Built For (2026)?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    BambooHR is a cloud HRIS<\/strong> from a company with the same name, BambooHR. <\/span>Founded in 2008 in Lindon, Utah, by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders, it now serves tens of thousands of companies, mostly small and mid-size US businesse<\/strong>s.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Category<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Details\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Provider<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    BambooHR<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Product type<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    HR platform \/ HRIS: records, onboarding, PTO, performance, benefits, ATS; time tracking as an<\/span> add-on<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Pricing<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n
      \n
    • $10 (Core) per employee per month<\/span><\/li>\n
    • $17 (Pro) per employee per month<\/span><\/li>\n
    • $25 (Elite) per employee per month<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Custom solutions require sending a quote request.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \n

    Small-team floor<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    ~$250\/mo for 25 employees or fewer (Check the FAQ on its pricing page) <\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Free plan<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    No<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Trial<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Free trial available for 7 days; no Credit Card required<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Time entry\/capture<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Manual clock in\/out, timesheets, geolocation (mobile); no automatic desktop activity capture<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Automatic capture<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    No; attendance-based, not desktop activity capture-based<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Employee monitoring<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    No; not a monitoring or screenshot tool<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Platforms<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Web, iOS\/Android app, iPad kiosk time clock; no desktop time-capture app<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Deployment<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Cloud (SaaS)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Time tracking status<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Paid add-on (Time & Attendance) for all plans<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    User rating<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    G2<\/span><\/u> about 4.4\/5 (6.7k+ reviews); <\/span>Capterra<\/span><\/u> about 4.6\/5 (3.5k+ reviews)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Best for<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    US-based SMBs (about 25 to 500) wanting a simple, easy-to-use HR system<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Less suitable for<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Teams whose core job is billable\/project time and profitability; non-US teams for payroll<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

     <\/p>\n

    BambooHR acts as the single source of truth for HR records for your peopl<\/strong>e. It holds employee profiles and documents, runs hiring and onboarding, tracks time off, manages performance and benefits, and ensures HR compliance. You can also add US payroll, US benefits administration,\u00a0 time and attendance, and global hiring<\/strong> as paid add-on modules.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It is built for growing HR teams of businesses with roughly 25 to 500 employees<\/strong>, who wish to switch from spreadsheets to an SMB-friendly system, not a watered-down version of an enterprise suite.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
    That focus explains both its strengths and its ceiling: it is an HR platform first<\/strong>, and a time tracker only in a narrow, payroll-specific way<\/strong>.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    How Does BambooHR Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    BambooHR runs as a cloud platform you set up once and then let your team use it day to day:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Set up your people:<\/span><\/strong> Add employee data and set permissions, so managers, HR, and staff each see the right things.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      Turn on self-service:<\/span><\/strong> Employees update their profile, read documents, and request leave from the web or mobile app.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      Route approvals:<\/span><\/strong> Leave requests are routed to the right manager and time-off balances update automatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      Add time tracking if you need it:<\/span><\/strong> With the <\/span>Time and Attendance<\/span><\/u> add-on, employees clock in and out, and fill timesheets.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    5. \n

      Connect payroll:<\/span><\/strong> Approved data flows into the BambooHR Payroll add-on (US only).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \"a

      A BambooHR employee record, with personal details, custom fields, and job information in one profile. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n

      What does BambooHR do well, and where does it fall short?<\/span><\/h2>\n

      BambooHR earns its reputation on ease of use. Across G2 (<\/strong><\/span>4.4\/5, 6,780 reviews)<\/strong> and Capterra (4.6\/5, 3605 reviews)<\/strong>, the most common praise is that HR staff and ordinary employees both find it clean and simple,<\/strong> with little training needed to use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Reviewers also single out its mobile app<\/a>, the guided onboarding and e-signatures<\/strong>, the tidy central record, and strong day-to-day adoption.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \"a

      A five-star Capterra review from Jevon P., a director in mental health care, crediting BambooHR with replacing spreadsheets and saving admin hours. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div>

      \"a

      A four-star G2 review from Sagar R., a QA engineer, praising BambooHR’s document signing and automatic leave routing. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

      But reviewers also point to rigid reporting<\/strong> and workflow customization and renewal increases that catch teams off guard<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"a

      A Capterra review from Lola I., an RPF analyst in entertainment and 2+ year user, who says BambooHR’s scheduling can freeze and adding night hours is tedious. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div>

      \"a

      A 1.5-star G2 review from a mid-market IT user, who found BambooHR fine for HR records but thin on ATS and performance features and pricey for its depth. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

      Some reviewers report occasional glitches,<\/strong> an AI assistant<\/a> that is not always helpful,<\/strong> and friction syncing with an outside payroll<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
      The AI assistant was not available in the free trial<\/strong>, so I cannot say anything about it, but the time tracking is also basic next to a dedicated tracker.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      How does BambooHR handle PTO and time-off tracking?<\/span><\/h3>\n

      BambooHR manages PTO and time-off tracking<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0through automated requests, approvals, leave balance visibility<\/strong>, and team calendars<\/a>. As the HR manager you can build leave policies, set accrual rules, and let employees request time off in a few taps. Employees can send PTO and leave requests<\/strong> through their self-serve portal<\/strong> and get notified of approvals<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Requests route to a manager, balance updates automatically, and a shared “Who’s Out” calendar<\/strong> shows who is away, with a PTO calculator alongside. Remember that PTO and time-off tracking is part of the HR core<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"a

      BambooHR’s time-off tracking, with leave balances, accruals, and upcoming holidays. Author’s screenshot, September 2026.<\/p><\/div>\n

      Does BambooHR do time tracking, and what does it cover?<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Yes, BambooHR tracks time through the Time and Attendance<\/a> add-on<\/strong>. These are some of the features you get:<\/span><\/p>\n