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Software · head to head

BambooHR vs Oyster

BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

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

Oyster

Software

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: BambooHR covers Employee database, Oyster covers Global Employment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where BambooHR and Oyster differ
AttributeBambooHROyster
Starting price$10/month per employeeFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20082020

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 BambooHR

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

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Both cover

  • Slack
  • QuickBooks

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 Oyster
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot Oyster
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Oyster
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Oyster
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Oyster

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot BambooHR
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot BambooHR
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot 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

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Pricing, plan by plan

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

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 Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Questions people ask

Is BambooHR or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Oyster at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Oyster?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month per employee for BambooHR and Free for Oyster.
Does BambooHR or Oyster run on more platforms?
BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee.
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 Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can BambooHR do that Oyster cannot?
BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle Slack, QuickBooks.
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Related pages

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