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BambooHR vs Paychex Flex

BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

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

Paychex Flex

Software

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
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; Paychex Flex paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • They diverge on capability: BambooHR covers Employee database, Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Paychex Flex actually diverge.

Attributes where BambooHR and Paychex Flex differ
AttributeBambooHRPaychex Flex
Starting price$10/month per employee$39/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20081971

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • Xero
  • Sage

Both cover

  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • 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 Paychex Flex
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot Paychex Flex
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Paychex Flex
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Paychex Flex
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex

  • Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot BambooHR
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot BambooHR
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot 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

Paychex Flex

  • Paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • Pricing is obtained only by requesting a quote or calling sales
  • Product capability is split across three packages, so features are tied to a tier whose price is not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Paychex Flex

$39/month
  • Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Select$undefined/month
    • All Essentials features
    • HR Administration
    • Onboarding

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 Paychex Flex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax administration.
Paychex Flex review

Questions people ask

Is BambooHR or Paychex Flex better?
Neither clearly leads. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Paychex Flex at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Paychex Flex?
BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Paychex Flex at $39/month.
Does BambooHR or Paychex Flex run on more platforms?
BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Paychex Flex is typically brought in for.
What can BambooHR do that Paychex Flex cannot?
BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Both handle Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks.
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