Ascentis (discontinued) vs. BambooHR

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ascentis (discontinued)
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.N/A
BambooHR
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
BambooHR is an on-line human resources solution that provides onboarding, payroll, and benefits management. It also offers automated time-off management and employee self-service.
$250
per month
Pricing
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Core
$250
per month
Pro
$250
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsNo matter what HR looks like at your company, we have the perfect plan for you!
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Considered Both Products
Ascentis (discontinued)
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
The Employee Self Service look and feel along with the Payroll solution seemed like the better choice for our Company.
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
We selected Ascentis because the features and price were a reasonable match for our business objectives at the time. What stood out about Ascentis was the ability to customize and integrate with our internal tools.

We are currently starting to evaluate other software and are …
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
We liked the customization and payroll solutions better.
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
We previously used ADP, which was out-dated and not right for our business. Ascentis HR does so much more and offers much more flexibility to our company. ADP felt antiquated versus the robust capabilities offered by Ascentis HR. Our employees noticed a profound difference in …
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
Bamboo HR was less expensive and provided a "prettier" interface for employee self-service-- we actually signed the contract and migrated our data and gave notice to Ascentis to terminate our account. However, once our data was in the Bamboo system, we realized the calculation …
BambooHR

No answer on this topic

Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.1
150 Ratings
10% below category average
BambooHR
8.1
103 Ratings
3% above category average
Employee demographic data6.7137 Ratings7.885 Ratings
Employment history7.3140 Ratings8.892 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.9128 Ratings8.591 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.6.7126 Ratings8.380 Ratings
Organizational charting5.290 Ratings7.188 Ratings
Organization and location management8.0109 Ratings8.081 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.8102 Ratings8.552 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
125 Ratings
3% below category average
BambooHR
8.1
69 Ratings
1% above category average
Pay calculation7.1115 Ratings8.246 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.162 Ratings8.240 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.328 Ratings8.026 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.7108 Ratings8.952 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.2100 Ratings8.553 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.692 Ratings8.153 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.851 Ratings6.827 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
105 Ratings
3% below category average
BambooHR
8.9
90 Ratings
10% above category average
Approval workflow8.099 Ratings9.288 Ratings
Balance details7.099 Ratings9.081 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.484 Ratings8.572 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.0
153 Ratings
15% below category average
BambooHR
8.7
100 Ratings
7% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.8138 Ratings7.965 Ratings
Update personal information8.6151 Ratings9.299 Ratings
View company policy documentation5.4110 Ratings9.080 Ratings
Employee recognition6.061 Ratings8.567 Ratings
View job history7.3108 Ratings9.093 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.8
33 Ratings
29% below category average
BambooHR
7.8
39 Ratings
1% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets5.833 Ratings7.839 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.4
147 Ratings
17% below category average
BambooHR
7.7
77 Ratings
1% above category average
Report builder7.0144 Ratings8.173 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.5142 Ratings7.773 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data4.673 Ratings7.456 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.1
98 Ratings
44% below category average
BambooHR
8.6
81 Ratings
7% above category average
New hire portal5.398 Ratings8.777 Ratings
Manager tracking tools4.976 Ratings8.673 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.2
57 Ratings
12% below category average
BambooHR
8.2
53 Ratings
1% above category average
Corporate goal setting6.743 Ratings8.243 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.653 Ratings8.351 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.138 Ratings8.240 Ratings
Performance tracking7.250 Ratings8.147 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.0
63 Ratings
28% below category average
BambooHR
7.9
59 Ratings
1% below category average
Performance plans5.659 Ratings7.652 Ratings
Performance improvement plans5.650 Ratings8.047 Ratings
Review status tracking5.857 Ratings7.953 Ratings
Review reminders6.555 Ratings8.255 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.650 Ratings7.850 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.9
27 Ratings
29% below category average
BambooHR
7.2
39 Ratings
9% below category average
Create succession plans/pools6.421 Ratings5.927 Ratings
Candidate ranking6.421 Ratings7.734 Ratings
Candidate search5.027 Ratings7.134 Ratings
Candidate development5.823 Ratings8.031 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.5
89 Ratings
34% below category average
BambooHR
8.1
65 Ratings
4% above category average
Job Requisition Management5.585 Ratings8.045 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.279 Ratings8.353 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.759 Ratings8.247 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.871 Ratings8.250 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention5.657 Ratings7.543 Ratings
Applicant Tracking5.783 Ratings8.257 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts5.369 Ratings8.760 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(164 ratings)
8.9
(106 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.3
(12 ratings)
9.2
(10 ratings)
Usability
7.6
(44 ratings)
8.5
(33 ratings)
Availability
6.7
(5 ratings)
9.3
(5 ratings)
Performance
7.1
(4 ratings)
8.7
(5 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(150 ratings)
8.5
(36 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(4 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.3
(5 ratings)
9.6
(3 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.6
(4 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(3 ratings)
Ease of integration
3.0
(1 ratings)
9.6
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
6.7
(4 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.6
(3 ratings)
8.9
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.6
(3 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
Ascentis (discontinued)BambooHR
Likelihood to Recommend
Discontinued Products
In working with Ascentis in payroll, the program makes my job so much easier. I am new to this position and the learning process has been so much easier with this product than those in the past. I appreciate the patience I am given when I call in for assistance as well.
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BambooHR
BambooHR is well suited for corporate type of organization. For example, the performance reviews are great, but if something more tailored to the restaurant side were quick and easy, that would be awesome. Timekeeping, as I mentioned, could be a bit more automated. Customer service is top-notch!
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Pros
Discontinued Products
  • Easy to use software. I have had several new HR employees comment on how easy the system is to learn!
  • Problem Solving- Ascentis is always problem solving! When we were in the process of selecting a new payroll company, we needed unemployment claims management assistance for our locations, something Ascentis did not currently offer. The sales rep went out of his way to find a unemployment claims management company that would work with Ascentis and us. That company has helped us keep an 80% win rate for our claims!
  • User conference- Engage is an awesome way to learn more about the products Ascentis has available as well and meet up with the staff you work with every day!
Read full review
BambooHR
  • It provides an extensive system for setting up time off accruals and managing their balances.
  • It has a powerful system for managing user permissions to allow supervisors access to necessary areas and limit the access of employees.
  • It provides a very useful set of auditing tools and reports, both for tracking changes to employee profiles and who made the changes.
  • It has a clean UI that makes it easy for less tech-savvy users to interact with their HR data.
Read full review
Cons
Discontinued Products
  • Updating the system so it is one platform and not two.
  • Create changes to the benefit enrollment process and upgrade the system so hire dates do not need to be changed to trigger benefits for status changes.
  • Focus updates on HR Admin, mobile application, ATS and transitioning to one platform. Larger areas of focus have been on the payroll portion of the system with a few updates to other areas.
  • When something is broken, quicker turn time on fixing the issue.
  • System needs updates to support AAP reporting.
Read full review
BambooHR
  • Have a more robust report builder that has all the data as a filter.
  • Not all reports are able to be downloaded in different formats. I would prefer, csv, excel and PDF for all.
  • More options in the report builder to be able to customize your own reports instead of having to pay at least $200 for a simple report.
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Likelihood to Renew
Discontinued Products
This rating would be a 10 if it were not for some issues we have been having recently with the benefit carrier connections. The carrier connections are critical for us so how these issues are resolved will be key in our renewal decision.
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BambooHR
We have tried other software in the last year and have not found it to be comparable to Bamboo HR especially in relation to the HR functionalities such as workflows, onboarding, automation, user-friendly experience, innovation, timekeeping, and ability to integrate with other 3rd party Payroll processing software. In addition, the employee ease of access and navigation of the platform makes this software crucial within our current culture of multi-site and remote work environments.
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Usability
Discontinued Products
I'd give it a 7.5. If the modules were easier to access and not so buried (or placed in left field to find), I would give it a higher rating. As I said, as the potential to be great if ACCESS to other modules was easier.
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BambooHR
It’s a very user-friendly interface. It is modern and easy on the eyes. It is simple and not overloaded with too much detail. It is not overwhelming, and it is visually insightful for all types of learners and workers. The backend is also just as simple to use and visualize.
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Reliability and Availability
Discontinued Products
They normally give you notice when an update will affect the use of the system. Otherwise, when we have an error , we send a message to the support team. Sometimes someone will get right back with you and sometimes it takes a while.
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BambooHR
Yes, there is a huge team in the back of the online platform or it looks like it because I have never been left without an answer when I have a question or waiting from a response on my chat .... There must be a huge team, this is so great and I always seem to have someone that is very knowledgeable too. So many times in the past I had to leave with customer service that would connect you with someone else because of the expertise, here everyone seems to be some kind of an expert in the HR function.
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Performance
Discontinued Products
Yes, this pages do load pretty good but there are times when things are slow and I believe that's because they are sometimes trying to do updates.
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BambooHR
I love BambooHR. Reports are easy to run and download and it usually covers any types of requests I get from the management team. You get excel or .csv downloads/reports and it is fast and simple, not too crowded so it is easy to read through. We don't integrate the tool yet but again, soon we will. we just did not had the time to utilize it yet but that's the plan.
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Support Rating
Discontinued Products
Support is attentive and quick to answer the call and get the answer for you. If they for any reason cannot answer right then, they are back to you within a day and always seem to have a sense of urgency. You truly get the impression that they are aiming to make you happy.
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BambooHR
Support is effective and responsive. During our time with BambooHR we did not experience many issues, but initial support on setup was helpful and allowed for a quick turnaround on getting started. Since then, few needs have arisen for contacting support, but I would not hesitate to do so and would recommend BambooHR based on the quality of their support team.
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In-Person Training
Discontinued Products
First, to clarify our "in-person" training was done mainly through Web-X meetings and conference calls. It was the closest thing we got to as far as an "in-person" training for this software. However, for the large majority of it, this type of training worked out well. We were able to share our screens and the trainer was able to share his/her screen. We could follow along with what we were doing in our database in real time and see how different functions worked and how manipulating our information could produce different results. It was also nice in that it provided for real-time results if something hadn't been coded correctly or we were having issues as to why something wasn't working the way we thought it should be. However, it did have some downsides in that we often had to rely on a conference phone and that made it difficult to hear people on both sides. Also, sometimes the trainers had internet difficulties when working from home and that caused issues with the WebX meetings.
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BambooHR
I didn't have in-person training besides teaching my managers how to use the program. However, I couldn't omit this question (maybe a system glitch).
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Online Training
Discontinued Products
Ascentis HR has a number of online training videos to watch on a number of different topics. I gave it a lower rating because there is not much interactivity with the videos and it seems to cater to really only one or two learning styles. Plus, one has to be pretty motivated to go to a separate area to access the videos and then pull up a specific one to watch it and then learn. From my experience, people know that they are there, many just don't take the time and effort to go find them and actually watch them - especially since the username and password are different from their normal username and password.
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BambooHR
As far as I can recall, everything went well with doing it online and got questions answered. Was thankful to work with a dummy file to get used to some practices prior to getting our own domain within bamboo to then place our personnel information in the system, this helped a lot!
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Implementation Rating
Discontinued Products
It was very easy to implement, but the customization pieces should really be fleshed out in order to determine the full need of an organization at the time of implementation. I believe if a little more time was spent on the requirements, the recruiting module would not have to be customized again at a cost at a later date.
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BambooHR
It was some work involved in moving all of our documents from a drive over to the correct folders and creating the system of what folders were needed and what got placed where
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Alternatives Considered
Discontinued Products
Ascentis has far better customer service and the implementation experience was also better. The ability to do a lot of customization is also easier with Ascentis as it's smaller organization. The payroll has positive and negatives compared to ADP but the accuracy is the same in both. Ascentis just started their community site which doesn't have a lot of traffic but hopefully can become more like ADP's community site, which was extremely helpful to me as an administrator.
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BambooHR
Although there are many products in the marketplace, there is no perfect system. BambooHR is the most economical HRIS for a small business, start-up, or business that has never had HR software. BambooHR was selected for its affordable functionality. However, if they continue to ingore the lack of functionality the pretty package will no longer have any value.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
BambooHR
Since my organization has dropped with employees, I always find ways to reduce costs. I thought there would be a cheaper option, but I was glad that my package included a lot for the price, and downgrading would cost more. The rep could have let me downgraded and taken me to a higher package. I am thankful that didn't happen.
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Scalability
Discontinued Products
Large acquisition would be very complicated, seems more appropriate for companies under 100
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BambooHR
There is so much you can do with this platform, it is incredible and so welcoming. We don't utilize it 100% yet just because we are growing and the HR team has not been able to concentrate on other areas offered to us but but we will soon. Which is also why we got the product, specifically because what BambooHR can do to help us meet our growing business needs.
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Professional Services
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
BambooHR
VERY professional!
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Return on Investment
Discontinued Products
  • HR DPT. is much more effective, as we can assess any employee information no matter where we are, etc. This helps to provide information immediately when requested!
  • Employees have access to Ascentis, and therefore to their timecard, open enrollment, etc., from anywhere at any time!
  • Time, PTO requests, employee goals, and evaluations can be approved from anywhere at any time!
  • Recruiting can be accessed any where at any time, and this helps with hiring, internal communication, etc.
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BambooHR
  • It's been a great force multiplier for our HR staff, supplementing their skills to allow them to focus on more complex tasks.
  • Employees enjoy using it and have to talk to HR staff less with the self-service options.
  • You may find as your organization grows that you outgrow a module or BambooHR and will replace with a dedicated solution.
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ScreenShots

Ascentis (discontinued) Screenshots

Screenshot of Access all of your details including, paychecks, personal file, timeclock, etc via our mobile app.Screenshot of Punch-in and punch-out on the go.Screenshot of Centralized location for everything related to a user or admin.Screenshot of Every employee has access to their personal information in one location.Screenshot of Pre-built reporting along with Ad Hoc reporting gives you the ability to understand your business as a whole.Screenshot of Benefit enrollment made easy for your employees.

BambooHR Screenshots

Screenshot of BambooHR's Reporting