BambooHR vs Paylocity (2026): Pricing & Features Compared
BambooHR and Paylocity get compared constantly, but they come from opposite directions. BambooHR started as a friendly HRIS for small and mid-size companies and added payroll later. Paylocity started as a payroll company and built an HR suite on top. That origin story explains almost every difference you will notice in a demo — and it should drive which one you pick.
BambooHR vs Paylocity: Quick Verdict
Quick Verdict:
Choose BambooHRif you want the easiest-to-use HRIS for a team of roughly 25–300 employees and payroll is either simple or already handled elsewhere. Choose Paylocity if payroll is the hard part of your job — multi-state teams, hourly workforces, complex benefits — and you have someone who can own a deeper, more configurable system.
Compare both platforms directly:
Pricing Compared: What You'll Actually Pay
Neither vendor publishes pricing — both quote per employee per month (PEPM) based on headcount and modules. The figures below reflect what buyers commonly report as of 2026; treat them as a starting point and verify with each vendor for your exact configuration.
| Cost Factor | BambooHR | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Custom quote, PEPM; ~$250/mo floor for teams of 25 or fewer | Custom quote, PEPM, modular bundles |
| Typical reported range | Roughly $10–$25/employee/mo for the HRIS tiers | Roughly $20–$32+/employee/mo once payroll, HR, and time modules are bundled |
| Payroll | Paid add-on (US only) | Core product, included in base bundles |
| Common extras | Benefits admin and time tracking are add-ons | Implementation/setup fees are common; recruiting, LMS, and surveys priced as modules |
| Contract style | Annual, relatively simple to scope | Annual, more line items to negotiate |
The practical takeaway: for HRIS-only needs, BambooHR usually comes in cheaper. If you need payroll anyway, the gap narrows — BambooHR's payroll add-on plus its HRIS tiers can approach a Paylocity bundle. Always compare full-stack quotes at your headcount, not sticker rates, and ask Paylocity directly about implementation fees since they are often negotiable.
Core HRIS Features Head-to-Head
| Feature | BambooHR | Paylocity | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee records | Excellent, clean, custom fields | Comprehensive, more configuration required | BambooHR |
| Onboarding | Standout — pre-boarding, e-signatures, task workflows | Solid, tied into payroll setup | BambooHR |
| Performance management | Goals, reviews, eNPS built in | Reviews, journals, peer recognition | Tie |
| Reporting | Good pre-built and custom reports | Deeper — strong payroll/labor analytics | Paylocity |
| Recruiting/ATS | Built-in ATS, simple and effective | Recruiting module, more enterprise-flavored | BambooHR |
| Employee engagement | eNPS surveys | Community feed, surveys, video, LMS | Paylocity |
| Ease of use | Best-in-class | Functional but denser | BambooHR |
If you are evaluating pure HRIS capability, our HRIS systems guide breaks down what a core system of record should include. BambooHR checks those boxes with less friction; Paylocity checks them plus a lot more, at the cost of complexity.
Payroll, Benefits, and Time Tracking
This is where the two products genuinely diverge. Paylocity's payroll engine is the center of the product: multi-state tax handling, garnishments, general ledger mapping, and strong support for hourly workforces with its time and labor module. Benefits administration is native, with carrier connections and open enrollment workflows, and everything writes back to payroll deductions automatically. For a 300-person company with employees in eight states, that integration is the whole reason to buy.
BambooHR's payroll is a US-only add-on that works well for straightforward situations — salaried teams, one or a few states, standard deductions. It has improved steadily, but it is not the product you buy for gnarly payroll. Benefits administration and time tracking are also add-ons, and many BambooHR customers simply keep a dedicated payroll provider alongside it. That two-vendor setup is common and works fine; it just means one more integration to maintain.
Ease of Use and Implementation
BambooHR is one of the few HR products employees rarely complain about. Managers approve time off from the mobile app, new hires finish paperwork before day one, and HR generalists can build reports without a training course. Implementation typically runs 2–4 weeks for the core HRIS.
Paylocity is a bigger lift. Because payroll, tax setup, benefits plans, and time rules all have to be configured correctly before go-live, implementations commonly run 6–12 weeks and go smoother when you have a dedicated internal owner. The payoff is a system that can handle far more operational complexity — but expect to invest in setup, and press your sales rep on who does the configuration work and what the implementation fee covers. Onboarding workflow quality matters here too; see our employee onboarding software guide for how these platforms compare against dedicated onboarding tools.
Which One Fits Your Company Size
- Under 50 employees: BambooHR, almost every time. Paylocity is buyable at this size but you will pay mid-market prices for depth you will not use. If budget is tight, also look at Gusto — see BambooHR vs Gusto.
- 50–150 employees: This is the genuine toss-up zone. Salaried, single-state, culture-focused teams lean BambooHR. Hourly, multi-state, or benefits-heavy teams lean Paylocity.
- 150–1,000+ employees: Paylocity fits better. BambooHR can stretch into the mid-market, but payroll and benefits complexity at this scale usually justifies a payroll-first platform.
Alternatives Worth Considering
- Rippling — if you want HR, payroll, and IT (devices, app access) automated in one system. See Rippling vs BambooHR.
- Gusto — simpler and cheaper than either for teams under ~100 that mainly need payroll plus light HR. See BambooHR vs Gusto.
- Namely — a mid-market HRIS with native payroll and benefits, closer to Paylocity in scope. See BambooHR vs Namely.
- Deel — if you hire internationally, neither BambooHR nor Paylocity solves global payroll well. See BambooHR vs Deel.
- ADP Workforce Now / Paychex — the traditional payroll-first competitors to Paylocity, worth quoting against it for leverage in negotiation.
FAQ
Is BambooHR or Paylocity cheaper?
For HRIS-only needs, BambooHR is usually cheaper — most quotes land in the low-to-mid teens per employee per month before add-ons. Paylocity typically quotes higher per-employee rates because payroll is part of the core bundle, and implementation fees are common. Neither vendor publishes pricing, so get quotes from both for your exact headcount and module list.
Which is better for small business, BambooHR or Paylocity?
Under roughly 100 employees, BambooHR is usually the better fit: faster setup, easier interface, and lower cost if you already have payroll covered. Paylocity is built for the mid-market — it makes more sense once you have multi-state payroll, complex benefits, and a dedicated HR/payroll administrator to run it.
How does BambooHR compare to ADP?
ADP (like Paylocity) is payroll-first with HR layered on top, and it scales from small business (ADP Run) to enterprise (Workforce Now). BambooHR is HRIS-first with payroll as a US-only add-on. If payroll complexity is your main problem, ADP or Paylocity is the safer bet; if employee records, onboarding, and performance are the priority, BambooHR is easier to live with day to day.
Is BambooHR a full HRIS?
Yes. BambooHR covers the core HRIS functions — employee records, document storage, onboarding and offboarding workflows, time-off tracking, org charts, reporting, an ATS, and performance management. Payroll, benefits administration, and time tracking are paid add-ons rather than core modules, which is the main thing to scope before buying.
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