HR · head to head
BambooHR vs Employment Hero
Employment Hero
HR
Australian HR, payroll and recruitment platform for employment management
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Employment Hero 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; Employment Hero hR plans require minimum of 10 users
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which BambooHR and Employment Hero actually diverge.
| Attribute | BambooHR | Employment Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/month per employee | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Api | Web |
| Founded | 2008 | Unknown |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Employment Hero
Nothing recorded that BambooHR does not also cover.
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 Employment Hero
- Time off tracking and approvalsnot Employment Hero
- Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Employment Hero
- Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Employment Hero
- Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Employment Hero
Employment Hero
- HR and payroll management for small to medium businessesnot BambooHR
- Recruitment and candidate screening using AI video interviewsnot BambooHR
- Leave management and compliancenot 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
Employment Hero
- HR plans require minimum of 10 users
- Custom pricing required for HR Elite and Employment Unlimited tiers
- Currency is AUD only, may require currency conversion for non-AU customers
Pricing, plan by plan
BambooHR
$10/month per employeeNo published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.
Employment Hero
Free- Free Tier (Recruitment)Free
- Candidate scoring and ranking
- 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time)
- HR Essentials$10/month
- Leave management
- Employee records
- Document management
- HR Engage$14/month
- All HR Essentials features
- Recruitment
- Performance management
- Pro 50 (Recruitment)$199/month
- 50 AI video interviews (24/7)
- Full ATS pipeline
- Candidate scoring
Which should you pick?
Choose BambooHR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want time-off management.
Questions people ask
- Is BambooHR or Employment Hero better?
- Neither clearly leads. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee and Employment Hero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, BambooHR or Employment Hero?
- Employment Hero has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $10/month per employee for BambooHR and Free for Employment Hero.
- Does BambooHR or Employment Hero run on more platforms?
- BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Employment Hero runs on Web.
- Can I use Employment Hero for free?
- Yes. Employment Hero 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 Employment Hero is typically brought in for.
- What can BambooHR do that Employment Hero cannot?
- BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
BambooHR: Does BambooHR offer a free trial?
Yes, BambooHR offers a free trial available at bamboohr.com/signup/.
SourceEmployment Hero: How much does Employment Hero cost per employee?
HR plans cost from $10 per employee per month for HR Essentials, $14 per month for HR Engage. Add-ons like managed payroll cost $20 per employee per month. All prices are in AUD with a minimum of 10 users per company.
SourceBambooHR: 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.
SourceEmployment Hero: Is there a free trial or free version of Employment Hero?
Yes, the Recruitment module offers a free tier with candidate scoring and 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time). HR plans do not include a free tier but start at $10 per employee monthly.
SourceBambooHR: 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.
SourceEmployment Hero: What is the minimum commitment for Employment Hero?
HR plans require a minimum of 10 users. The initial HR contract is billed based on the greater of the minimum commitment or actual billable employees. Add-ons have minimum monthly costs, such as $20 for Chat and $40 for Rostering.
SourceBambooHR: In which countries can I use BambooHR?
BambooHR is available in 150+ countries worldwide.
SourceEmployment Hero: Does Employment Hero include add-on fees beyond the base plan?
Yes, add-ons include Chat ($2 per employee/month, minimum $20), Rostering ($4 per employee/month, minimum $40), Managed Payroll ($20 per employee/month, minimum $400), and other services with separate pricing.
SourceRelated pages
More on Employment Hero
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