BambooHR vs. PDS Vista

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
PDS Vista
Score 5.0 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Vista® is a human resource, benefits, payroll, recruiting, and self-service software. Functional elements include recruitment, staffing, position and training management, compliance, and performance and compensation.N/A
Pricing
BambooHRPDS Vista
Editions & Modules
Core
$250
per month
Pro
$250
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BambooHRPDS Vista
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional DetailsNo matter what HR looks like at your company, we have the perfect plan for you!License pricing is based on the number of full and part-time active employees within bands (e.g. 751-1,000). SaaS pricing is based on PEPM.
More Pricing Information
Features
BambooHRPDS Vista
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.1
103 Ratings
3% above category average
PDS Vista
7.7
18 Ratings
2% below category average
Employee demographic data7.885 Ratings9.017 Ratings
Employment history8.892 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.591 Ratings9.014 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.8.380 Ratings7.012 Ratings
Organizational charting7.188 Ratings7.013 Ratings
Organization and location management8.081 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.552 Ratings6.011 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.1
69 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
8.0
18 Ratings
0% below category average
Pay calculation8.246 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors8.240 Ratings7.39 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.026 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.952 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.553 Ratings8.217 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.153 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Reimbursement management6.827 Ratings8.25 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.9
90 Ratings
10% above category average
PDS Vista
8.2
13 Ratings
2% above category average
Approval workflow9.288 Ratings8.27 Ratings
Balance details9.081 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.572 Ratings8.212 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.7
100 Ratings
7% above category average
PDS Vista
7.1
17 Ratings
13% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.965 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Update personal information9.299 Ratings7.314 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.080 Ratings7.38 Ratings
Employee recognition8.567 Ratings7.25 Ratings
View job history9.093 Ratings5.84 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
7.8
39 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
7.3
7 Ratings
6% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets7.839 Ratings7.37 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
7.7
77 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
8.0
16 Ratings
5% above category average
Report builder8.173 Ratings8.014 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.773 Ratings8.016 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data7.456 Ratings8.013 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.6
81 Ratings
7% above category average
PDS Vista
7.3
1 Ratings
9% below category average
New hire portal8.777 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Manager tracking tools8.673 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.2
53 Ratings
1% above category average
PDS Vista
5.8
2 Ratings
34% below category average
Corporate goal setting8.243 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Individual goal setting8.351 Ratings5.52 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility8.240 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking8.147 Ratings6.42 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
7.9
59 Ratings
1% below category average
PDS Vista
7.3
4 Ratings
8% below category average
Performance plans7.652 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Performance improvement plans8.047 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Review status tracking7.953 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Review reminders8.255 Ratings7.23 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.850 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
7.2
39 Ratings
9% below category average
PDS Vista
3.6
1 Ratings
75% below category average
Create succession plans/pools5.927 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate ranking7.734 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate search7.134 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Candidate development8.031 Ratings3.61 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR
8.1
65 Ratings
4% above category average
PDS Vista
2.5
3 Ratings
102% below category average
Job Requisition Management8.045 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.353 Ratings3.13 Ratings
Publish to Social Media8.247 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting8.250 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.543 Ratings1.92 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.257 Ratings2.33 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.760 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BambooHRPDS Vista
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
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User Ratings
BambooHRPDS Vista
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(106 ratings)
8.0
(23 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.2
(10 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(33 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(5 ratings)
9.5
(2 ratings)
Performance
8.7
(5 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.5
(36 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Online Training
9.2
(4 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.6
(3 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Configurability
8.6
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.3
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.9
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
9.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
BambooHRPDS Vista
Likelihood to Recommend
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!
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
As Vista HRMS is fully customizable to suit your needs, a company should determine if they have a current employee who can do the work themselves otherwise they will need to consider the additional cost of asking PDS to do the customizations for them. There are additional modules that we aren't currently making use of, but each company should learn about the functionality of each of them as some may be more beneficial than others. When gathering your questions, ask all potential users of the system what they would want to see in an HRMS. We did so before selecting Vista HRMS and we got pages and pages of questions and comments and made sure that each item was addressed beforehand and was something that we would be able to incorporate into the system. You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Make sure you figure out what resources your IT department has available. If you have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements great, otherwise you may need PDS to help out and having PDS host may be a better option
Read full review
Pros
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
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Vista HRMS is very flexible, it does everything we need for HR, benefits and payroll. It’s user-friendly and intuitive to use, when we roll out new self-service items our employees have no problems and require minimal training or documentation.
  • PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are usually addressed within a few days. We were upgrading our production servers to Windows 2012 over a weekend and a key person in our organization was on leave. When we checked with PDS to see what cost would be involved if we needed their help, they said it was included in our regular maintenance, no extra cost.
  • The PDS User’s Conference is an excellent learning opportunity for training on everything Vista does, including using Crystal Reports for custom reporting. You also get to meet and talk to the executive and development staff and have direct input into the future product development.
Read full review
Cons
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.
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Typical of any system built for the unknown requirements of hundreds or thousands of customers with varying needs, PDS sometimes doesn't fit our processes precisely out of the box. However, this con is far outweighed by the ability to configure and customize the system.
  • The most significant pet peeve of our users is the necessity for so many clicks to navigate between different areas or the system or to review applicants. These items are being addressed based on feedback from the user community in an upcoming release.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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.
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I feel so invested in Vista HRMS that I don't really want to try other options. I know we as an organization are not using this product to it's full potential and that is just due to us lacking the resources to be able to invest the time into breaking it apart and making it work to the best ability for us. The system works great as is, but there are a lot of implementations we can put into place to help us out even more. For example, we would love to start using Workflow to create more efficiencies. I personally have a very good relationship with our hosted vendor who supports Vista HRMS and can help me with any issues and concerns, this is a big part of the reason that I would renew with this product and continue to be an advocate for Vista HRMS.
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Usability
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The interface is intuitive, even if it does require some extra clicks to get to where you are going. The screens are consistently designed and formatted. There is a logical flow and organization to the application layout and menuing systems.
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Reliability and Availability
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Performance
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the
majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we
call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are
usually addressed within a few days
Read full review
In-Person Training
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).
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
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Implementation Rating
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
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
Ask lots of questions, ensure you fully understand the functionality (particularly history records) and train, train, train the users for correct and complete utilization of the system.
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Alternatives Considered
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.
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I've used Peoplesoft HCM in the past. The products have some similarities, but they are marketed to different sized companies, so it's a bit of apples to oranges. Peoplesoft was very complex and challenging to manage and support. Vista HRMS should require fewer technical resources and still provide robust features for HR and Payroll. We selected Vista HRMS because it met the majority of our requirements and was priced to enable us to purchase and implement it within our budget. Also, it's an integrated system (although not truly one system when you count Vista Time) which is an improvement over our current state.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Scalability
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
BambooHR
VERY professional!
Read full review
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
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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Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Positive impact would definitely be self-service for both employees and managers to view and update selected data.
  • Through some analytics our managers are able to track turnover for their site/department by many criteria (length of service, reason, etc) and can view a number of other analytical reports such as headcount and demographics which help them to make informed decisions about their department.
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ScreenShots

BambooHR Screenshots

Screenshot of BambooHR's Reporting