Bambee vs. BambooHR Comparison

Bambee vs. Bamboo HR Highlights

Bambee and BambooHR offer a range of features to help you hire and manage your employees. Both offer in-house payroll processing, optional benefits administration, HR guidance and intuitive employee self-service capabilities. However, there are also some distinct differences between the two vendors, so the best choice will depend on your business’s specific HR needs. 

Who Is Bambee For?

Bambee is an HR outsourcing service that caters to small businesses with less than 500 employees. In addition to standard recruiting, payroll and employee self-service features, Bambee clients have access to HR guidance and policy creation from dedicated Bambee support representatives. One of Bambee’s main selling points is that it can help small businesses mitigate risk through proper HR implementation. Bambee users have the option to add on Bambee guided payroll or they can integrate with a third-party provider. 

Who Is BambooHR For?

BambooHR is a great solution for employers that want an intuitive, easy-to-use HR platform with a short learning curve. It is ideal for small businesses looking for robust HR software, especially those that need help with onboarding new workers and tracking employee performance. To support this, the software is available via two tiered service plans: Essentials and Advantage.

Both plans have standard HR features for storing employee records, managing time off, setting workflows and approvals, accessing reports and tracking benefits. The Advantage plan also has more advanced features that are ideal for employee onboarding, such as onboarding checklists, applicant tracking, job boards, offer letters, new hire packets and onboarding workflows. BambooHR has optional add-ons (payroll, benefits administration, performance management and time tracking) for companies that want to customize their HR solution further. Learn more in our complete BambooHR review.

BambooHR allows you to assign onboarding tasks to new hires. Source: BambooHR

Bambee vs. BambooHR Comparison

In this section, we will go in-depth on the differences between Bambee and BambooHR, including how they compare in terms of pricing, HR administration, payroll and benefits administration, customer service and mobile app features. 

Bambee Pricing and Plans

Bambee currently offers eight different service plans, which are more tier options than most competitors offer. Each plan has varying levels of features; although the specific plan you can sign up for will depend largely on how many employees you have:

• A free trial is available for new customers, although Bambee doesn’t openly state how long the trial is before signing up.
• While most competitors charge on a per-employee basis (including BambooHR), Bambee charges a flat fee based on employee ranges.
• Bambee charges a setup fee for most plans.
• Companies can add Bambee’s guided payroll solution for an additional monthly fee.

Here is a breakdown of each service plan:

BambooHR Pricing

BambooHR offers two different service plans: Essentials and Advantage. Both plans have standard HR features like employee records, HR reporting, time off management, employee self-service and a mobile app. However, you will want to sign up for the Advantage plan if expect to access BambooHR’s tools for onboarding, offboarding, applicant and training tracking, customizable reports and open API:

• BambooHR offers a seven-day free trial.
• BambooHR charges on a per-employee basis, although it doesn’t list its pricing online.
• For additional fees, companies can add payroll, benefits administration, performance management and time tracking features.
• Payroll and benefits administration are only available to United States-based employees.

Winner

Bambee and BambooHR both charge a monthly fee for their services, but since their pricing models are different, it can be tough to say which is better. It largely comes down to how many employees you have and what type of features you are looking for. However, we give Bambee the win on pricing because we like that it offers numerous plans, giving employers the ability to find the right plan for their business.

We also like that Bambee openly lists its monthly and annual pricing online while many competitors (including BambooHR) require you to contact them directly for a quote. In addition, Bambee is upfront about its one-time setup fee. This transparency is especially ideal for small businesses that need to know if a platform is within their budget. It also leads us to believe that the company won’t try to surprise you with fees down the road.

BambooHR is not clear about its pricing online, so it may or may not be more affordable depending on how many employees you have and what features you need. Keep in mind that payroll, benefits administration, performance management and time tracking are all optional add-ons.  

Bambee HR Administration

• Bambee offers standard HR administration services like job description creation, record retention, employee training, corrective action, HR automation and termination assistance.
• Bambee is an HR outsourcing provider, so it offers guidance on HR policy creation.
• Employers can add on payroll and benefits administration.

BambooHR HR Administration

• BambooHR offers a breadth of HR administration services like employee recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, document storage, training tracking, custom reporting, HR workflows and approvals, employee surveys, an audit trail and a mobile application.
• BambooHR is an HR software platform, so many of the features are meant to be geared toward employer and employee usage (as opposed to relying on a third party to manage your resources for you).
• Employers can add on payroll, benefits administration, performance management and time tracking services.

Winner

When it comes to HR administration features, BambooHR takes the cake. While Bambee offers HR guidance to help you mitigate potential HR risks, BambooHR offers a wider range of HR features and services overall. It also offers more in terms of optional add-ons, so employers can sign up for the specific HR functions that are relevant to them.

Bambee Payroll and Benefits Administration

• Bambee users can add guided payroll or integrate with a third-party payroll provider.
• Employers must sign up for Bambee’s payroll solution if they want to also take advantage of Bambee’s employee benefits administration through its partnership with SimplyInsured.
• Bambee integrates with multiple third-party benefits providers.

Bambee’s guided payroll is easy to navigate through each pay period. Source: Bambee

BambooHR Payroll and Benefits Administration

• Users can add BambooHR’s payroll platform to their plan or they can integrate with a third-party payroll provider.
• BambooHR’s payroll solution has standard features like direct deposit, flexible pay schedules and federal and state tax filing.
• BambooHR’s employee benefits administration has standard features like enrollment management, employee self-service, benefit plan support and carrier connections.

Winner

We found Bambee and BambooHR to be comparable in terms of payroll and benefits administration. They both offer an in-house payroll platform as an optional add-on service and they both integrate with third-party payroll providers. This gives employers the flexibility to find solutions that meet their payroll needs. [Read related: How to Do Payroll for a Small Business]

Bambee Mobile Application

Bambee does not offer a dedicated iOS or Android mobile app. You can, however, access the Bambee web app on your mobile device. This allows employees and employers to access their Bambee information from any location.

BambooHR Mobile Application

• BambooHR offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices.
• With this mobile app, employees can check employment details, manage and request time off, set and track goals, view calendars and company directories, sign documents on the go and submit employee feedback.  
• Employers can use the BambooHR mobile app to manage time off requests, hire new workers, track employee performance and manage employee and company information.

Winner

Since Bambee does not have a dedicated mobile app, BambooHR is the clear winner in this category. In addition, the BambooHR mobile app (available in the Apple and Google Play stores) has great ratings and reviews. This reinforces the fact that the BambooHR mobile app is a useful tool.

BambooHR’s mobile app is intuitive and easy to use. Source: BambooHR

Bambee Customer Support

• Employers get access to a dedicated HR representative who they can reach by phone, email or web chat.
• If you’re unsure of what areas of HR your business needs to improve, you can consult with a Bambee representative who can then conduct an audit on your business and create custom HR policies for you. This level of support is especially great for small businesses.
• Support is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Bambee online HR requests typically have a three-hour response time during business hours.
• Bambee is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

BambooHR Customer Support

• Customer support is tiered. Essentials users get email support while Advantage users get phone, email and chat support.
• Support is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT.
• BambooHR is not accredited by the BBB.

Winner

If hands-on customer support is of utmost importance to you, Bambee is the best choice. Not only do you gain unlimited access to your own HR representative, but you can also get assistance with HR policy creation, corrective action, employee terminations and other HR processes, from an experienced HR professional.

Starting an HR request in the Bambee platform can be done in just a few clicks. Source: Bambee

Bambee vs. BambooHR Summary

• Bambee is best for small businesses that want hands-on HR guidance and support. Employers can consult with their dedicated HR representative by phone, email and web chat.
• Bambee is also ideal for risk mitigation. Your HR representative can conduct HR audits and create custom HR policies for your business, ensuring you stay compliant with current HR laws and regulations.
• BambooHR is best for employers who want intuitive software equipped with HR features and self-service capabilities.
• The BambooHR Advantage plan, specifically, is a great choice for employers who want features to streamline their hiring and onboarding processes.

FAQs

Is the BambooHR platform compatible with QuickBooks?

Yes, these two platforms are compatible. You can integrate BambooHR with QuickBooks, as well as more than 125 other third-party applications.

Does Bambee have time tracking tools?

If you opt for Bambee’s guided payroll, you can track employee hours in the software for accurate compensation. However, the Bambee platform does not come equipped with comprehensive employee scheduling or time and attendance tools. If you are looking for a more robust HR solution, check out our review on Rippling.

How long does it take to implement BambooHR?

It can take an average of four to six weeks to implement BambooHR, although this time will vary depending on your business and what features you need to get set up. We found this setup time to be similar to other vendors on the market.

Is Bambee easy to use?

Yes, when we tested out the Bambee software, we found it rather intuitive and easy to navigate. You can set up HR Autopilot, which essentially automates some of your HR practices for you. If you need to connect with your HR representative, you can navigate to their contact information from within the platform.