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Software · head to head

15Five vs BambooHR

15Five logo

15Five

Software

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; BambooHR organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, BambooHR covers Employee database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and BambooHR actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and BambooHR differ
Attribute15FiveBambooHR
Starting price$4/month$10/month per employee
Founded20112008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 15Five

  • Weekly check-ins
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • OKRs & goal tracking
  • High fives recognition
  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Manager effectiveness
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in BambooHR

  • Employee database
  • Time-off management
  • Benefits tracking
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mobile access
  • Document management
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Performance reviews
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Data encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

15Five

  • Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot BambooHR
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot BambooHR
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot BambooHR
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot BambooHR
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot BambooHR

BambooHR

  • HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot 15Five
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot 15Five
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot 15Five
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot 15Five
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot 15Five

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

15Five

  • Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
  • Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
  • Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
  • The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates

BambooHR

  • Organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • Per-employee pricing starts at 26 employees, from $10 on Core
  • Performance management, 360 reviews and recognition all require Pro at $17 per employee per month
  • Compensation management, salary benchmarking and advanced analytics are Elite only at $25 per employee per month
  • Compliance training is rationed by tier, at 1 course on Core against 300 on Elite

Pricing, plan by plan

15Five

$4/month
  • Engage$4/month
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Action planning
  • Perform$10/month
    • Weekly check-ins
    • 1-on-1s
    • Performance reviews
  • Total Platform$16/month
    • Everything in Engage & Perform
    • Career paths
    • Competencies

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose 15Five if

  • You need weekly check-ins.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
15Five review

Choose BambooHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want time-off management.
BambooHR review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or BambooHR better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or BambooHR?
15Five starts at $4/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee.
Does 15Five or BambooHR run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is 15Five best used for?
15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that BambooHR cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, High fives recognition. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Onboarding. Both handle Performance reviews, Slack, GDPR, Data encryption.
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