BambooHR pricing in 2026: Core, Pro and Elite per employee, and the flat rates under 26 people

BambooHR plans and prices

BambooHR does something most HR vendors avoid: it publishes prices. Core is USD 10, Pro USD 17 and Elite USD 25 per employee per month, with volume discounts applied automatically as your headcount changes.

The detail is where the cost moves. Below 26 employees the model flips to flat monthly rates, performance management sits behind the middle tier, every add-on is unpriced, and the main page and the FAQ disagree slightly on the per-employee figures.

Prices below were recorded on 17 October 2026. The headline figure is the lowest price you can get for that plan. Check the official page before you buy, because vendors change prices without notice.

Read this first. Prices were read on the official BambooHR pricing page on 17 October 2026. The main page shows Core at USD 10 and Pro at USD 17, while the FAQ shows USD 10.25 and USD 17.50, and both are stated here. No free trial is mentioned on the pricing page, so none is claimed. No add-on prices are published. The payroll promotion (1 August to 31 December 2026) and the 15% bundle and nonprofit discounts come from the same page. Notice periods and uplift sit in the order form.

BambooHR cost calculator

Move the slider to see what each plan costs at your size. The figures use the list prices on this page and leave out tax, add-ons and any discount you negotiate.

What 100 employees cost on Core, on Pro and on Elite

A hundred employees show what each plan step adds when it applies to every head.

Where the bill grows

A BambooHR bill is a per-employee rate plus whatever you bolt on. These are the places it moves.

What each BambooHR plan includes

Compare the plans side by side. Where a cell says Check page, the vendor's pricing page was not specific enough for us to fill it in.

Features we could not place by plan: Employee records, time off and reporting, Performance management. Check the official page for which plan includes each one.

Which BambooHR plan should you pick?

How to pay less for BambooHR

1. Check which side of 25 employees you sit on

   Flat rates of USD 250, USD 425 and USD 650 apply at 25 or fewer employees. Just over that line, per-employee pricing is usually cheaper, so model both.

2. Bundle Payroll and Benefits for 15%

   The pricing page offers a 15% discount when Payroll and Benefits Administration are combined with any plan, for US employees.

3. Use the payroll promotion window

   Qualifying customers on a 12-month minimum can get USD 0 Payroll subscription fees through 31 December 2026. Implementation and multi-state filing are excluded.

4. Claim the nonprofit discount

   Nonprofits get an additional 15% off on top of the standard rates.

5. True up headcount before the term starts

   Volume discounts adjust with team size, so make sure the headcount on the order form reflects reality and not a hiring plan.

6. Pin the rate in writing

   With USD 10 and USD 10.25 both published, get the exact per-employee rate and the volume bracket written into the order form before signing.

Subject: BambooHR renewal on [renewal date]

Hi [account manager],

Our BambooHR [plan] subscription renews on [renewal date]. Over the last 90 days, [active employees] of the [paid employees] we pay for used it.

We would like to renew with [target employees] on a [term] term. Before we sign, please send:
1. The current list price and the price you are offering us, line by line.
2. The cap on any price increase at the next renewal.
3. The notice period if we want to cut employees or move to another plan.

We are comparing this against [alternative] and plan to decide by [decision date]. If you can offer [target discount] percent off list, or a lower price for a longer term, we are ready to talk this week.

Thank you,
[name]
[company]

BambooHR alternatives and what they cost

If this vendor does not fit, these are the closest options and what they charge.

Keeping BambooHR spend under control

Headcount moves every quarter, and the per-employee bracket moves with it. Put the order form and the current headcount side by side 90 days before the term ends.

• Get the quote in writing, line by line. Finance and HR systems are priced by employee, module and service. Ask for each module as its own line so you can remove one later.
• Read the renewal clause first. Look for the uplift cap, the notice period and the rules on reducing headcount. Our contract management guide lists what to check.
• Compare against alternatives with the same scope. A fair comparison needs the same modules and employee count on both sides. Use a vendor comparison matrix.
• Plan for implementation cost. Setup, data migration and training often cost as much as a year of licences. Add them to the total cost of ownership.

Bottom line. Model both pricing shapes if you are near 25 people, price the payroll and benefits add-ons before you sign, and write the exact per-employee rate and bracket into the order form.

BambooHR pricing questions

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