HR and payroll software · Comparison
BambooHR vs Justworks
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | BambooHR | Justworks |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Easy to adoptA complete HR record, from hiring and onboarding to time off and reviews, with payroll that reads from the same data. | Worth the priceLow-cost multi-state payroll for small US teams, with a PEO path to group health benefits when you need it. |
| Overall score | 3.6 | 5.6Best |
| Free option | Free trial | Paid only |
| Card to start | No card needed | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Sales call required | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $250/mo | $50/mo + $8/employee |
| Pricing model | Tiered | Seat + usage |
| Pricing page | Prices hidden | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Flat monthly price up to 25 employees, then per employee; add-ons by quote | Payroll: monthly base fee plus a price per employee; PEO: per employee, no base fee |
| Free option | Free trial, no card; length not stated | No free plan or trial stated |
| Reference scenario (10 employees, one state) | Not priced: payroll add-on by quote ($250/mo Core plus payroll) | $130/mo on Payroll ($50 + $8 × 10), computed (prices as of May 21, 2026) |
| Multi-state payroll | Not stated on the payroll page | Included on every plan |
| International hiring | EOR and contractors through Remote, by quote | Contractors $39 each; EOR $599 per employee on PEO plans |
| PEO option | None listed | PEO Basic $79, PEO Plus $109 per employee |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2; ISO 27001 not listed | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Contract terms | Month to month or an extended term | Not stated; first year of PEO fees can be prepaid |
| Data export | Custom reports; API generates reports in several formats | Each payroll downloads as CSV |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, BambooHR is a well-rounded HR system with payroll as a quoted add-on. Its score is held back by the unpublished payroll price and add-ons, not by the HR plans themselves. | From its public pages, Justworks pairs low-cost multi-state payroll with a priced PEO path. Its score is held back by a security file and API that its pages do not state, and its pricing page could only be read in a May 2026 archive copy. |
Evidence: BambooHR: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Justworks: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our BambooHR review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick BambooHR when
- You want built-in performance reviews and data hosting outside the US.
- Pick Justworks when
- You want payroll priced on the page and multi-state payroll stated on the entry plan.
From our Justworks review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Justworks when
- You want payroll priced on the page and multi-state payroll stated.
- Pick BambooHR when
- You want a deeper HR system with built-in reviews and a free trial.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- BambooHRCore$250/moFlat for 25 employees or fewer; above that $10 per employee (plan card) or $10.25 (FAQ)
- Employee records, reports and dashboards
- Applicant tracking (5 openings), onboarding, e-signatures
- Time-off management and benefits tracking
- On-demand pay
- JustworksLowest pricePayroll$50/moPlus $8 per employee a month (pricing page, Internet Archive copy of May 21, 2026)
- Multi-state payroll, tax filings, W-2 and 1099 filings
- Online onboarding, PTO management, basic timecards
- Phone and chat support
- Health insurance add-on at $8 per benefits-eligible employee
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: BambooHR 2026-10-16, Justworks 2026-10-16.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- JustworksSelf-serve sign-up; the only one here you can use right after signing up.
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- BambooHRFree trial, no card needed; scored 3.6/10.
- Lowest starter price
- Justworks$50/mo + $8/employee for the Payroll plan.
- Highest overall score
- Justworks5.6/10 (Fair). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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