How Much Does BambooHR Cost in 2026?

BambooHR's pricing is awkward to evaluate because payroll isn't included in any plan — it's always an add-on at roughly $6-8/employee/mo on top of your base plan. So let's do honest math: a 20-person team on Core (~$8/employee) plus payroll (~$7/employee) costs approximately 20 x $15 = $300/mo. That same team on Gusto Simple pays $49 + (20 x $6) = $169/mo. On OnPay, $49 + (20 x $6) = $169/mo. BambooHR costs nearly double for payroll — and you're getting a quote-based price, not a guaranteed one. But here's why people still choose BambooHR: the HR features are genuinely better. The employee self-service portal, the performance management tools on Pro, the eNPS surveys — these aren't afterthoughts. Gusto's HR features feel like they were built to justify a higher plan tier. BambooHR's feel like they were built because someone actually talked to HR managers. The 7-day free trial is nice but frustratingly short. OnPay gives you 30 days. Seven days barely gives you time to import your employee data and run a test cycle. Teams under 25 employees get hit with a flat $250/mo minimum, which is brutal at the low end. A 10-person team on the Core plan pays $250/mo regardless — that's $25/employee for what should be an $8/employee product. At 10 people, OnPay ($49 + $60 = $109/mo) is less than half the cost. Who should actually pick BambooHR? Companies with 50-200 employees where HR workflows (hiring, onboarding, performance, compensation) are the primary need and payroll is secondary. If you're under 25 people, the flat minimum makes it a bad deal.