Softwr

Software · head to head

Trello vs BambooHR

Trello logo

Trello

Software

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Trello has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace; 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
  • They diverge on capability: Trello covers Kanban boards, BambooHR covers Employee database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Trello and BambooHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Trello and BambooHR differ
AttributeTrelloBambooHR
Starting priceFree$10/month per employee
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, MacosWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20112008

Identical on both: 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 Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Only in BambooHR

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Trello

  • Project trackingnot BambooHR
  • Content calendarsnot BambooHR
  • Sales pipelinesnot BambooHR
  • Onboarding processesnot BambooHR
  • Personal task managementnot BambooHR

BambooHR

  • HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot Trello
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot Trello
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Trello
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Trello
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Trello

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.

Choose BambooHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want time-off management.

Questions people ask

Is Trello or BambooHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Trello starts at Free and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Trello or BambooHR?
Trello has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Trello and $10/month per employee for BambooHR.
Does Trello or BambooHR run on more platforms?
Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos. BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Trello for free?
Yes. Trello has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BambooHR starts at $10/month per employee.
What is Trello best used for?
Trello is most often used for project tracking, content calendars, sales pipelines, onboarding processes. Of those, project tracking and content calendars are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
What can Trello do that BambooHR cannot?
Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Both handle Slack, SOC2, ISO27001.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Source
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

Source
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

Source
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

Source
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source

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