BambooHR charges a flat $250, $425 or $650 a month for Core, Pro or Elite at companies with 25 or fewer employees, and from $10.25, $17.50 or $25 per employee per month above 25 employees. Those are the monthly rates in USD on its US pricing page, checked in October 2026.
The headcount line matters more than the plan names. A 10-person team pays the same flat rate on Core as a 25-person team, and the bill switches to per-employee pricing at the 26th hire.
This guide prices each plan at common team sizes, names the limits that force an upgrade, and lists the add-ons BambooHR quotes separately. Whether BambooHR is the right HR system at all is answered in my full BambooHR review.
Quick pricing answer
BambooHR’s US pricing page, checked October 2026, lists three plans on two pricing bases:
- Plans: Core, Pro and Elite; no free plan is listed.
- 25 or fewer employees: a flat monthly rate of $250, $425 or $650 per account.
- More than 25 employees: from $10.25, $17.50 or $25 per employee per month, before automatic volume discounts.
- Free trial: yes, with no credit card required.
- My pick for most 10-50 person teams: Core, until you run formal review cycles or more than 5 open jobs; then Pro.
- Cost caveat: Payroll, Benefits Administration and Time & Attendance are add-ons priced only on quote.
In This Article (11 sections)
BambooHR Pricing at a Glance
Your BambooHR bill depends on headcount first: companies with 25 or fewer employees pay a flat monthly rate per plan, and companies with more than 25 pay per employee per month.
| Plan | 25 or fewer employees (flat, per month) | More than 25 employees (per employee per month) | Annual billing | Best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $250 | From $10.25 | Not published | Records, time off, onboarding and light hiring | 5 job openings; reviews on Pro |
| Pro | $425 | From $17.50 | Not published | Teams running review cycles and 1:1s | 25 job openings; compensation tools on Elite |
| Elite | $650 | From $25 | Not published | Compensation planning and HR benchmarks | 50 job openings; highest rate |
Sources: BambooHR pricing page, checked October 2026.
These are monthly rates in USD from the US version of the page. The plan cards print $10 for Core and $17 for Pro per employee, while the page’s own FAQ gives $10.25 and $17.50 for companies with more than 25 employees; Elite reads $25 in both places.
Every total on this page uses the FAQ figures, because they carry the headcount condition and no estimate here runs low. Automatic volume discounts lower the per-employee rate as headcount grows, and BambooHR does not publish their size.
BambooHR Pricing Plans Explained
The three plans share the same HR records and differ mainly in three areas: people programs (performance on Pro, compensation on Elite), how many job openings applicant tracking holds (5, 25 or 50), and the service layer Elite adds. The compliance training library and the AI assistant also grow with each plan.
Every plan includes employee records, standard and custom reports, workflows and approvals, applicant tracking, onboarding with e-signatures, time off management, benefits tracking, eNPS employee satisfaction surveys, Compliance Intelligence by VirgilHR and On-Demand Pay. Choosing Core is therefore about hiring volume and review habits, not about missing HR basics.
| Feature | Core | Pro | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job openings (applicant tracking) | Limited: 5 | Limited: 25 | Limited: 50 |
| Compliance training (EasyLlama) | Limited: 1 course | Limited: 15 courses | 300+ courses |
| Performance management (360° reviews, 1:1s) | Higher plan: Pro | Included | Included |
| Employee community, recognition and rewards | Higher plan: Pro | Included | Included |
| Compensation planning, Mercer benchmarks, levels and bands | Higher plan: Elite | Higher plan: Elite | Included |
| Custom dashboards and HR benchmarks | Higher plan: Elite | Higher plan: Elite | Included |
| Premium services | Higher plan: Elite | Higher plan: Elite | Included |
| AI assistant | HR data questions | Adds company policies and docs | Adds benchmark questions and analysis |
Sources: BambooHR pricing page, plan cards and Compare All Features table, checked October 2026.
BambooHR Core
Core costs $250 a month flat for up to 25 employees and from $10.25 per employee per month above that. It covers what a small HR function runs every week: records, reports, onboarding, time off and benefits tracking, plus one compliance course on harassment prevention.
Core’s real limit is hiring volume. Its applicant tracking holds 5 job openings, so a company with a sixth role open at the same time has outgrown it, whatever its headcount. The other trigger is a formal review cycle, because 360° reviews and 1:1s start on Pro.
Core fits a small company that hires a few roles at a time and runs reviews outside the HR system. At 10 employees the flat rate works out to $250 / 10 = $25 per employee, the same as Elite’s per-employee rate above 25, so Core is costly per head for very small teams.
BambooHR Pro
Pro costs $425 a month flat for up to 25 employees and from $17.50 per employee per month above 25. Below 26 employees, that is $425 – $250 = $175 a month more than Core.
For that money Pro adds performance management (360° review cycles, 1:1 scheduling with notes and agendas, instant reporting). It also adds an employee community for announcements and engagement, plus recognition with reward points employees redeem for gift cards or charitable donations.
Pro raises the limits to 25 job openings and 15 compliance courses, and its AI assistant answers questions from your policies, handbooks and benefits.
Pay for Pro when reviews already run on a schedule. If reviews happen once a year at most, the extra over Core pays for a module that sits idle most of the year. The next trigger is compensation planning or a 26th open role, both of which point to Elite.
BambooHR Elite
Elite costs $650 a month flat for up to 25 employees and $25 per employee per month above 25. It adds compensation planning with collaborative worksheets, Mercer salary benchmarking, job levels and salary bands, custom dashboards, HR benchmarks for turnover, eNPS and wellbeing, 50 job openings and 300+ compliance courses.
Elite also adds a service layer the lower plans do not list. It includes new administrator training (2 sessions per year), data integrity services (2 hours per year) and dedicated customer support.
Elite buyers also get exclusive insider webinars and an additional 30 days of implementation for Elite features. BambooHR’s homepage says its support team is entirely in-house, and Elite is the plan that adds dedicated customer support on top.
Elite fits a company that sets pay bands against market data every cycle. One edge case favors it: at 26 employees, Elite costs $25 x 26 = $650 a month, exactly its flat rate, so crossing the 25-employee line on Elite changes nothing.
Does BambooHR Have a Free Plan or Trial?
BambooHR lists no free plan, but its signup page offers a free trial with no credit card required, and the trial ends automatically. The signup page does not state how long the trial lasts.
Use the trial to settle the plan choice. Count the job openings you run at once against Core’s 5, and check whether your managers would use scheduled review cycles. BambooHR gives trial users a free trial checklist after signup, and the homepage offers a free demo if you want a guided walk-through instead.
Monthly vs Annual BambooHR Pricing and Discounts
BambooHR publishes monthly rates only and no annual discount. Its pricing FAQ offers month-to-month terms or an extended term, and it accepts annual upfront payment.
Because no annual price is published, I compute no annual saving. A year on this page is the monthly rate times the months in a year, and any discount for an extended term is something to ask for in the quote.
| Discount | Who qualifies | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume discount | All accounts, by headcount | Not published | Applied automatically; grows as headcount grows |
| Nonprofit discount | Registered nonprofit organizations | Additional 15% off | Stated in the pricing FAQ |
| Bundle discount | Any plan plus Payroll and Benefits Administration | 15% | Employees based in the US only |
Sources: BambooHR pricing page, checked October 2026.
The volume discount changes large-company math most, and it is the one you cannot model. The per-employee totals below are before that discount, so treat them as the list figure your quote starts from.
The pricing page does not state cancellation or refund terms. Ask for them in writing with the quote, especially before you sign an extended term.
Additional BambooHR Costs to Consider
Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time & Attendance and Global Employment are add-ons, and BambooHR publishes no price for any of them; the pricing page sends you to a free price quote. Payroll and Benefits Administration serve US-based employees only. For payroll, see my Gusto pricing guide.
| Cost type | When it applies | Pricing basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll | You run US payroll in BambooHR | Quote; price not published | Federal, state and local tax filing, W-2s, unlimited and multi-rate payroll; a dedicated payroll project manager sets up your first payroll |
| Benefits Administration | You run US benefits enrollment in BambooHR | Quote; additional cost | Not sold separately from a BambooHR subscription |
| Time & Attendance | You track hours, not only time off | Quote; price not published | Shift scheduling, meal and rest breaks, overtime for all 50 US states; time off itself is in every plan |
| Global Employment (powered by Remote) | You hire abroad without a local entity | Quote; price not published | Employer of Record in 90+ countries, contractor management, a global cost calculator |
| Implementation or setup fee | Before go-live | Not stated on the pricing page | Elite includes 30 extra days of implementation for Elite features |
Sources: BambooHR’s pricing, Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time & Attendance and Global Employment pages, checked October 2026.
The add-ons are where a BambooHR budget turns into a quote. A company that wants HR, payroll and benefits in one system is buying a plan plus two add-ons, and the 15% bundle on Payroll and Benefits Administration is the only add-on discount the page states. If shift scheduling is the real need rather than HR records, price the Time & Attendance add-on against dedicated employee scheduling software options before you add it.
How Much Does BambooHR Cost for Your Team?
A 10-person team on Core pays $250 a month, or $250 x 12 = $3,000 a year, and a 50-person team on Pro pays $17.50 x 50 = $875 a month before volume discounts. The calculator below runs the same math for your headcount, and the table under it holds five common team sizes.
BambooHR cost calculator
This calculator needs JavaScript. The scenario table below gives the same estimate for typical workloads.
Enter what you need. The calculator prices it on every plan at list prices and names the cheapest plan that covers it.
- List prices in USD from BambooHR’s official pricing pages, checked October 2026. Tax and regional prices are not included.
- 12-month figures are 12 times the monthly cost at the billing you choose.
- A planning estimate at list prices, not a quote.
Enter your number of employees and tick the features you need, such as performance reviews, compensation planning, custom dashboards or more open jobs. The calculator shows every plan side by side with its monthly and yearly cost and names the cheapest plan that covers the need. It leaves out add-ons, tax and volume discounts.
| Team size | Plan | Billing | Monthly cost | Annual total | Assumptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 employees | Core flat rate | Monthly rate | $250 | $250 x 12 = $3,000 | Flat rate for 25 or fewer employees |
| 25 employees | Pro flat rate | Monthly rate | $425 | $425 x 12 = $5,100 | Flat rate; needs performance reviews |
| 26 employees | Core per employee | Monthly rate | $10.25 x 26 = $266.50 | $10.25 x 26 x 12 = $3,198 | Starting rate, before volume discounts |
| 50 employees | Pro per employee | Monthly rate | $17.50 x 50 = $875 | $17.50 x 50 x 12 = $10,500 | Starting rate, before volume discounts |
| 100 employees | Elite per employee | Monthly rate | $25 x 100 = $2,500 | $25 x 100 x 12 = $30,000 | Starting rate, before volume discounts; needs compensation planning |
Sources: BambooHR pricing page, checked October 2026. Every row leaves out add-ons, tax, any setup fee and nonprofit or bundle discounts; these are estimates from list prices, not a quote.
The 100-employee row shows why Elite is a large-company decision: a five-figure yearly bill at list rates before a single add-on.
What Changes When You Hire Your 26th Employee
The 26th employee moves the bill from the flat rate to per-employee pricing. Core goes from $250 to $10.25 x 26 = $266.50 a month, and Pro from $425 to $17.50 x 26 = $455. Elite stays level, since $25 x 26 = $650 is its flat rate.
The jump itself is small on Core and Pro, but the basis changes. From the 26th employee on, every hire adds its plan’s per-employee rate to the monthly bill, less whatever volume discount BambooHR applies at that headcount. If you are close to the 25-employee line and plan to hire, budget on the per-employee rate now.
Which BambooHR Plan Should You Choose?
Core fits most teams that need records, time off and light hiring. Pro is the step once you run formal reviews or more than 5 open roles. Elite pays only when compensation planning, benchmarks or more than 25 open roles are part of the job.
| Your needs | Plan to consider | Why | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records, time off and onboarding, up to 5 open jobs | Core | Covers the job with no upgrade needed | Review cycles start on Pro |
| Scheduled 360° reviews and 1:1s | Pro | Performance management starts on Pro | Costs more than Core at every headcount |
| 6 to 25 open roles at the same time | Pro | Core caps applicant tracking at 5 job openings | You also pay for performance tools |
| Compensation cycles with market salary data | Elite | Compensation planning, Mercer benchmarks, levels and bands sit on Elite | Highest rate on both pricing bases |
| US payroll and benefits in one system | Any plan plus Payroll and Benefits Administration | The page offers a 15% bundle discount on the two add-ons | Add-on prices only by quote |
| 10 employees or fewer, payroll first | A payroll-first tool, priced before BambooHR | Core’s flat rate does not shrink below 25 employees: $250 / 10 = $25 per employee at 10 | HR records may be more than you need |
Sources: BambooHR pricing page, checked October 2026.
Both upgrade triggers, open roles and review cycles, are things you can count before you call sales.
Is BambooHR Worth the Price?
BambooHR is worth its price for a US company of roughly 15 to 200 employees that wants HR records, time off, onboarding and, on Pro, review cycles in one system.
Skip it if: you have 10 employees or fewer and mainly need payroll, because Core’s flat rate is $25 or more per employee at that size. If the price does not fit, compare my BambooHR alternatives.
The case for paying is breadth in one subscription. BambooHR lists over 150 integration partners, Payroll connects to four accounting systems, and every plan includes Compliance Intelligence with access to 100+ compliance templates and guides.
The case against is that the plan price is never the whole bill for a full HR and payroll setup, because Payroll, Benefits Administration and Time & Attendance are quote-only. For a team of that size that mainly needs to pay people, I would price Gusto alongside BambooHR; my Gusto review covers its plans.
How I Verified BambooHR Pricing
I read BambooHR’s US pricing page, with the United States region selected, twice on October 27, 2026, as a plain fetch and as a rendered copy. I also read its signup page and its Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time & Attendance, Global Employment and integrations pages, all in USD.
- Published prices: the flat rates and per-employee rates, quoted from the pricing page’s FAQ and plan cards.
- The card and FAQ difference: the cards print $10 and $17 for Core and Pro, the FAQ $10.25 and $17.50 for companies over 25 employees. The card figures equal the flat rates spread over 25 employees ($250 / 25 = $10 and $425 / 25 = $17), but the page does not say so, so every total uses the FAQ rates.
- Elite’s exception: Elite does not follow that pattern: $650 / 25 = $26, against the $25 its card and FAQ print.
- Calculated estimates: rate x employees x months in a year, at starting rates, before volume discounts.
- Not published by BambooHR: add-on prices, an annual price or annual discount, volume discount amounts, the trial length, any setup fee, and cancellation or refund terms; the pricing page does not state whether prices include tax.
- Data residency: BambooHR states it keeps data in secure data centers in the US, Canada and Ireland, which matters before a quote if your company has residency rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What payment methods does BambooHR accept?
BambooHR accepts credit cards and ACH from customers paying monthly. Customers who choose annual upfront payment can also pay by wire transfer or check. The page publishes no annual discount, so ask what an upfront year costs before you wire it.
Can I buy BambooHR Benefits Administration on its own?
No. Benefits Administration is an add-on for customers who subscribe to BambooHR, at an additional cost, and it serves US-based employees. It handles onboarding elections and annual open enrollment, and you can export enrollment data as a carrier form or CSV or give brokers access inside BambooHR.
Does BambooHR Payroll pay employees outside the US?
No. BambooHR Payroll pays US-based employees and files US federal, state and local taxes. For staff abroad, BambooHR offers three routes: local payroll providers it connects to in countries such as the UK, Australia and New Zealand, global payroll partners from its Marketplace, and its Employer of Record service.
Which accounting systems does BambooHR Payroll connect to?
BambooHR Payroll integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite and Sage Intacct, and it can create custom journal entries from your chart of accounts. If QuickBooks is your ledger, budget both together; my guide to QuickBooks Online pricing prices its plans.
Final Pricing Verdict
Start on Core unless you run formal reviews today. A 10-person team pays $250 a month, and the two Core limits that matter most are a sixth open job and a review cycle. Move to Pro when reviews and 1:1s are on the calendar, and keep Elite for compensation planning with market data.
Before you request a quote, write down three things: your headcount against the 25-employee line, the open roles you run at once, and which add-ons you need, since those are priced only on quote. If you have 10 employees or fewer and payroll is the main job, price a payroll-first tool before committing to Core’s flat rate.
For more HR systems, see my list of the best HR software for small business.
