Alternatives
Best BambooHR Alternatives in 2026
Quick answer: Rippling and Gusto are the direct BambooHR replacements if you need a full HR platform, while Workable is the swap if hiring matters more than HR records. If the per-employee pricing is the problem and you mainly used the applicant tracking, AvaHR at $99/mo or Breezy HR at $157/mo cost a fraction regardless of headcount.
BambooHR is a good product. The reason people look for alternatives is almost always its pricing model: $10–$25 per employee per month, charged on everyone on your payroll, whether or not they ever touch the system.
At 30 staff that is $300–$750/mo. At 100 it is $1,000–$2,500/mo. Payroll, benefits administration and time tracking are separate add-ons on top.
What it costs, side by side
| Platform | Typical monthly cost | Billed as |
|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | $10–$25/employee/mo | Per employee on payroll |
| Gusto | $49–$180/mo + per-person | Base fee + per employee |
| AvaHR | $99–$457/mo | Flat per plan |
| Breezy HR | $0–$439/mo | Flat per plan |
| Workable | $299–$719/mo | Flat per plan, banded by headcount |
| Zoho Recruit | €0–€50/recruiter/mo | Per recruiter seat |
Pricing above was taken from each provider's own pricing page in August 2026. Always confirm the current numbers before buying — hiring software pricing changes often, and the three billing models in this category (flat per plan, per recruiter seat, and per employee on your payroll) make headline prices hard to compare without doing the arithmetic for your own headcount and number of open roles.
First, work out what you actually use
Mostly HR records, time off, onboarding, performance. You need a real HR platform. Replacements below.
Mostly the hiring and applicant tracking. You are paying per employee for a feature that flat-priced tools sell for $99/mo. This is the expensive mistake, and the easy fix.
If you need the HR platform
Rippling is the most capable alternative, adding IT and device provisioning to HR and payroll. Priced per employee too, so it solves capability rather than the pricing model.
Gusto is the better fit if payroll is the real priority: $49/mo + $6/person on Simple, $80 + $12 on Plus, $180 + $22 on Premium. The base-fee-plus-per-person structure is often cheaper than pure per-employee at small headcounts, and its payroll and tax filing are stronger than BambooHR's add-on.
If you mainly used the hiring half
This is where the money is. AvaHR at $99/mo flat does more for hiring than BambooHR's applicant tracking — 100+ job boards, unlimited candidates, custom questionnaires, careers page — and costs the same whether you have 12 employees or 120.
Breezy HR at $157/mo adds unlimited users and positions with a free tier to trial.
A 60-person company on BambooHR Core pays $600/mo. The same company on AvaHR pays $99–$165/mo. If HR records were incidental to you, that is a saving of over $5,000 a year.
If you want hiring first, HR second
Workable from $299/mo inverts BambooHR's priorities: a strong ATS with an HRIS, onboarding and time-off management attached. Priced by headcount band rather than per employee, which is gentler as you grow. Zoho Recruit at €25/recruiter/mo covers hiring only, cheaply.
Before switching
- List the modules you opened this month. Most BambooHR refugees discover they used two.
- Export employee records first. HR data migration is harder than candidate migration — do it before you cancel.
- Model at your headcount in 18 months, not today. Per-employee pricing punishes growth, which is the whole reason you are reading this.
- Consider splitting. Cheap payroll plus a flat-priced ATS often beats one per-employee platform above about 30 staff.
Pricing
| Platform | Plans | What that actually gets you |
|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | Core $10 · Pro $17 · Elite $25 | Per employee per month — you pay for everyone on staff, not just the people doing the hiring, so the applicant tracking is effectively bundled into an HR suite. Payroll, benefits administration and time tracking are separate add-ons. Quoted rather than self-serve; volume and non-profit discounts apply. |
| Gusto | Simple $49 + $6/person · Plus $80 + $12/person · Premium $180 + $22/person | Per month. Gusto is a payroll platform first — hiring and applicant tracking come along with it rather than being the product. A contractor-only plan runs $35/mo + $6/person. Sensible if you need payroll anyway, not if you only want an ATS. |
| AvaHR | Lite $99 · Plus $165 · Premium $332 · Max $457+ | Per month, billed monthly; annual billing saves up to 17%. Unlimited candidates on every plan. Lite covers 3 live jobs and 1 user; Plus 50 jobs and 5 users; Premium unlimited jobs and 25 users. 7-day free trial. |
| Breezy HR | Bootstrap $0 · Startup $157 · Growth $273 · Business $439 | Per month; annual billing includes 2 months free. Unlimited users on every plan, including the free Bootstrap tier — but Bootstrap allows only 1 active position at a time. SMS and Breezy Intelligence are paid add-ons on all tiers. 14-day trial. |
| Workable | Standard $299 · Premier $599 · Enterprise $719 | Per month at the 1–20 employee band, billed annually ($3,588/$7,188/$8,628 per year); the price rises with company headcount. Texting (+$89/mo), video interviews (+$109/mo) and assessments (+$59/mo) are add-ons on Standard. The AI agent runs on credits sold separately from $0.095–$0.12 each. 15-day trial. |
Pricing above was taken from each provider's own pricing page in August 2026. Always confirm the current numbers before buying — hiring software pricing changes often, and the three billing models in this category (flat per plan, per recruiter seat, and per employee on your payroll) make headline prices hard to compare without doing the arithmetic for your own headcount and number of open roles.
Frequently asked questions
What is an applicant tracking system?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is software that collects job applications in one place, moves candidates through hiring stages, and handles the job postings, screening, and communication around that — instead of tracking applicants in an email inbox or a spreadsheet.
What is the best option for this use case?
BambooHR is our top pick for this use case, based on setup time, pricing, and how well it fits the way these teams actually hire — though the right choice depends on headcount and budget, which the sections above cover.
Do I need a paid ATS, or is a free plan enough?
A free plan or a job board alone is usually enough if you hire once or twice a year. Once you're running multiple open roles at a time, or more than one person is reviewing applicants, a paid ATS starts paying for itself in time saved.