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HR · head to head

BambooHR vs Motivosity

BambooHR logo

BambooHR

HR

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Motivosity logo

Motivosity

HR

Recognition that actually matters

From
$3000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Motivosity no published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • They diverge on capability: BambooHR covers Employee database, Motivosity covers Peer-to-peer recognition.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Motivosity actually diverge.

Attributes where BambooHR and Motivosity differ
AttributeBambooHRMotivosity
Starting price$10/month per employee$3000/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded20082013

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

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 BambooHR

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

Only in Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Spot bonuses
  • Social recognition feed
  • Manager insights
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pulse surveys
  • Rewards marketplace
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack
  • ADP
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Data encryption

What people use each for

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

BambooHR

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

Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonusesnot BambooHR
  • Service milestones and work anniversariesnot BambooHR
  • Pulse surveys on employee sentimentnot BambooHR
  • Rewards and lifestyle spending accountsnot BambooHR
  • Nominations and awards programmesnot BambooHR

Where each one falls short

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

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

Motivosity

  • No published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • Minimum annual spend of 3,000 USD for small business plans; no monthly options available
  • Custom module pricing starts around 1 USD PEPM with no published rate cards

Pricing, plan by plan

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Motivosity

$3000/year
  • Small Business$3000/year
    • 20-250 employees
    • Annual investment range 3,000-10,000 USD
    • Platform fee approximately 0-2 USD PEPM
  • Mid-Market$7500/year
    • 250-5,000 employees
    • Annual investment range 7,500-75,000 USD
  • Enterprise$40000/year
    • 5,000+ employees
    • Annual investment range 40,000-300,000+ USD

Which should you pick?

Choose BambooHR if

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

Choose Motivosity if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want spot bonuses.
Motivosity review

Questions people ask

Is BambooHR or Motivosity better?
Neither clearly leads. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Motivosity at $3000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Motivosity?
BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Motivosity at $3000/year.
Does BambooHR or Motivosity run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is BambooHR best used for?
BambooHR is most often used for hr system of record with employee data and documents, time off tracking and approvals, applicant tracking and onboarding, performance reviews and 1:1s on the pro tier. Of those, hr system of record with employee data and documents and time off tracking and approvals are not what Motivosity is typically brought in for.
What can BambooHR do that Motivosity cannot?
BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Motivosity covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Spot bonuses, Social recognition feed, Manager insights. Both handle Slack, ADP, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BambooHR: Does BambooHR offer a free trial?

Yes, BambooHR offers a free trial available at bamboohr.com/signup/.

Source
Motivosity: How much does Motivosity cost?

Motivosity uses custom per-employee pricing (PEPM) model. Small businesses (20-250 employees) invest 3,000-10,000 USD/year; mid-market (250-5,000) invests 7,500-75,000 USD/year; enterprise (5,000+) invests 40,000-300,000+ USD/year.

Source
BambooHR: How is BambooHR pricing calculated?

Pricing varies depending on the number of employees at your organization and the features you select. Contact BambooHR at 1-866-387-9595 for a free price quote specific to your company size.

Source
Motivosity: What is the platform fee per employee?

Motivosity charges approximately 0-2 USD per employee per month (PEPM) as a platform fee, with additional module costs starting around 1 USD PEPM.

Source
BambooHR: Is payroll included in the core plan?

Payroll and time tracking are offered as separate add-on solutions, not included in the base HR modules. The payroll add-on provides seamless data flow, comprehensive reporting, full-service tax filing, and dedicated customer support.

Source
Motivosity: Is there a minimum contract?

Yes, Motivosity requires a minimum annual investment of 3,000 USD for small business plans with annual contract terms.

Source
BambooHR: In which countries can I use BambooHR?

BambooHR is available in 150+ countries worldwide.

Source
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