Softwr

HR · head to head

BambooHR vs Rippling

BambooHR logo

BambooHR

HR

HR software with heart

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

Rippling

Recruitment

Manage HR, IT, and Finance in one place

From
$8/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; Rippling the Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: BambooHR covers Employee database, Rippling covers Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Rippling actually diverge.

Attributes where BambooHR and Rippling differ
AttributeBambooHRRippling
Starting price$10/month per employee$8/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryHRRecruitment
Founded20082016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Rippling

  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Device Management
  • App Management
  • Time Tracking
  • Learning Management
  • Salesforce
  • NetSuite

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

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

Rippling

No use cases recorded yet. See the Rippling review.

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

Rippling

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.

Pricing, plan by plan

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Rippling

$8/month
  • Core$8/month
    • Employee Management
    • Onboarding
    • Offboarding
  • Pro$12/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Custom Reports

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 Rippling if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want benefits administration.
Rippling review

Questions people ask

Is BambooHR or Rippling better?
Neither clearly leads. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Rippling at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Rippling?
BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Rippling at $8/month.
Does BambooHR or Rippling run on more platforms?
BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Rippling 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 Rippling is typically brought in for.
What can BambooHR do that Rippling cannot?
BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Rippling covers Payroll, Benefits Administration, Device Management, App Management. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365.

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
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
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
BambooHR: In which countries can I use BambooHR?

BambooHR is available in 150+ countries worldwide.

Source
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