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HR · head to head

BambooHR vs Zenefits

BambooHR logo

BambooHR

HR

HR software with heart

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

Zenefits

Payroll

All-in-one HR platform for growing companies

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; Zenefits product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • They diverge on capability: BambooHR covers Employee database, Zenefits covers HR Administration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Zenefits actually diverge.

Attributes where BambooHR and Zenefits differ
AttributeBambooHRZenefits
Starting price$10/month per employee$8/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryHRPayroll
Founded20082013

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 Zenefits

  • HR Administration
  • Benefits Management
  • Payroll
  • Time and Scheduling
  • Compliance
  • Performance Management
  • Xero
  • Web support

Both cover

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

Zenefits

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zenefits 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

Zenefits

  • Product discontinued by parent company TriNet
  • Remaining customers forced to migrate to more expensive TriNet products

Pricing, plan by plan

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Zenefits

$8/month
  • Essentials$8/month
    • HR Administration
    • Time Off Tracking
    • Scheduling
  • Growth$16/month
    • All Essentials features
    • Compensation Management
    • Performance Management

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 Zenefits if

  • You need hr administration.
  • You also want benefits management.
Zenefits review

Questions people ask

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

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
Zenefits: Is Zenefits still available as a standalone product?

No. Zenefits was discontinued as a standalone product after TriNet's acquisition in 2022. Existing customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus (ASO) or TriNet PEO at higher costs.

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
Zenefits: What were Zenefits' main features before discontinuation?

Zenefits provided HR, benefits management, payroll as optional add-on, time and attendance tracking, and compliance tools for small to mid-sized businesses with 10-200 employees.

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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