BambooHR alternatives

Teams leaving BambooHR usually compare Deel HR (Core from $5 per employee), HarmonyHR (from $5), Factorial (from $8) and PeopleMuster, which includes every module for $3 per person a month. BambooHR prices Core at $10, Pro at $17 and Elite at $25, verified September 2026, with a flat rate from $250 under 26 people.

Why people leave

Two price moments do most of the work. Core to Pro is $10 to $17 per employee a month, and performance management sits on the far side of it.
The other is headcount. Under 26 people the bill is flat, from $250 a month. Cross that line and the same team is priced per seat.
Then there is the shape of the product. BambooHR holds the employee record well and does not run the client work your team bills for. Agencies end up running a second system beside it.

The real options

Eight products, BambooHR included, were compared in September 2026 on published price, what sits behind a higher tier, and whether client project work is handled at all. Evaluated from each vendor's own documentation and pricing, with every figure re-read on 24 September 2026.

PeopleMuster

$3 per person a month from the first person. Every module included, no tiers, no seat minimum. 14 days free, no card.

Who it suits: A services company that wants HR and client delivery in the same database.
Where it wins: Attendance, leave, timesheets and a capacity plan sit on one employee record, at a published price under a third of BambooHR Core.

Deel

Deel HR Core from $5 per employee a month. Verified September 2026.

Who it suits: Teams hiring across borders, or running contractors in several countries.
Where it wins: A low published HR core, with real global hiring machinery behind it.
Where it falls short: No client project delivery, and each further product is priced separately.

HarmonyHR

HRIS + Survey from $5 per employee a month; annual billing saves 20%; ATS $32.50 per recruiter a month. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Small firms that want an HR record with employee surveys attached.
Where it wins: Free migration and onboarding are included.
Where it falls short: Hiring is a separate line at $32.50 per recruiter a month.

Gusto

Simple $49 a month plus $6 per person; Plus $80 plus $12; Premium $180 plus $22. Verified September 2026.

Who it suits: A US company where payroll is the reason software exists at all.
Where it wins: Payroll is the product, not a module bolted to an HR record.
Where it falls short: Simple covers a single US state. The base fee makes a five-person team expensive per head.

Personio

From €7.60 per month per employee on Core. Verified 22 September 2026. Deeper tiers are demo-gated.

Who it suits: European companies that want European HR practice built in.
Where it wins: Built for European HR, and it publishes an entry figure.
Where it falls short: Only the entry price is public. Everything above Core needs a demo booking.

Zoho People

In USD: Essential HR $1.50 to People Plus $10 per user a month billed monthly ($1.25 to $9 annual). Paid plans need 5 users; prices vary by region. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Small teams already inside the Zoho suite.
Where it wins: Five paid plans, a free edition for five users and a 30-day trial.
Where it falls short: Paid plans need five users, and invoicing runs in a sibling Zoho app.

Keka

Priced by region. Plans are Foundation, Strength and Growth, with a minimum headcount. Checked September 2026.

Who it suits: Service companies that want HR, payroll and client project work under one login.
Where it wins: Sells HR, hiring and project timesheets as tabs of one product.
Where it falls short: No single published price. Regional tabs make a quote hard to compare with a list price.

Factorial

Quote-led, with a stated starting point of $8 per user a month plus modular add-ons. Verified September 2026.

Who it suits: European small firms that want to buy modules rather than tiers.
Where it wins: Modular, so an unused module is not a line on the bill.
Where it falls short: No client project delivery. The $8 is a starting point, and the real number arrives after a conversation.

Questions people ask

What are the best BambooHR alternatives for small businesses?

For a small services business, PeopleMuster at $3 per person a month with every module and no seat minimum. Deel HR Core and HarmonyHR both start from $5 per employee, and Factorial from $8. Each price was read from the vendor's own page in September 2026.

What does BambooHR cost in 2026?

Core is $10 per employee a month, Pro $17, Elite $25, read from BambooHR's own pricing page in September 2026. Teams of 25 or fewer pay a flat rate from $250 a month rather than per seat.

What does PeopleMuster add that BambooHR does not?

Client project delivery. Timesheets by project with approvals, a capacity grid with leave built in, project health scores, and utilisation by person, project and department.

How do I move from BambooHR to PeopleMuster?

We load your people, leave types and projects with you during setup, with no setup fee. A CSV importer takes people, leave balances and projects if you'd rather do it yourself. You get 14 days free before billing starts.