BambooHR® vs. Iris HR Software

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BambooHR®
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
BambooHR is an cloud-based human resources solution that provides onboarding, payroll, and benefits management. It also offers automated time-off management and employee self-service.
$250
per month
Iris HR Software
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Iris HR Software (formerly Octopus HR, acquired by Iris Software Group April 2016) is an HR suite.
$1.50
Per User Per Month
Pricing
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Editions & Modules
Core
$250
per month
Pro
Contact Sales
Basic
$1.50
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Features
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.7
211 Ratings
3% below category average
Iris HR Software
8.6
2 Ratings
9% above category average
Employee demographic data8.4188 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Employment history8.0192 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.8186 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.7177 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Organizational charting6.8194 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Organization and location management8.0183 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.6103 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.4
136 Ratings
8% below category average
Iris HR Software
7.6
2 Ratings
5% below category average
Pay calculation7.896 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.471 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.168 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.1105 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Direct deposit files7.8100 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.1108 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Reimbursement management6.561 Ratings7.02 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.7
183 Ratings
7% above category average
Iris HR Software
8.3
2 Ratings
3% above category average
Approval workflow8.5177 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Balance details8.7169 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.0127 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.3
204 Ratings
2% above category average
Iris HR Software
8.2
2 Ratings
1% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.1129 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Update personal information9.0201 Ratings9.02 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.3173 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Employee recognition7.8125 Ratings8.02 Ratings
View job history8.5192 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.5
73 Ratings
7% above category average
Iris HR Software
7.0
1 Ratings
12% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets8.573 Ratings7.01 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.2
173 Ratings
5% below category average
Iris HR Software
7.3
2 Ratings
3% below category average
Report builder7.2167 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.4165 Ratings7.02 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data7.0115 Ratings6.02 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.3
174 Ratings
4% above category average
Iris HR Software
8.5
2 Ratings
7% above category average
New hire portal8.4168 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Manager tracking tools8.1154 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.8
110 Ratings
3% below category average
Iris HR Software
8.2
2 Ratings
2% above category average
Corporate goal setting7.377 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.8105 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility8.766 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Performance tracking7.398 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.7
125 Ratings
3% below category average
Iris HR Software
8.4
2 Ratings
6% above category average
Performance plans7.2113 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.195 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Review status tracking8.294 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Review reminders8.198 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.6105 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.1
79 Ratings
4% above category average
Iris HR Software
8.0
2 Ratings
3% above category average
Create succession plans/pools7.345 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Candidate ranking8.465 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Candidate search8.166 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Candidate development8.657 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.0
144 Ratings
4% above category average
Iris HR Software
7.8
2 Ratings
1% above category average
Job Requisition Management7.8110 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.9118 Ratings7.02 Ratings
Publish to Social Media8.889 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.7114 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.486 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.2133 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.4135 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(216 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.4
(15 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(143 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.7
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.4
(115 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.2
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.7
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.6
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.4
(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
BambooHR®Iris HR Software
Likelihood to Recommend
BambooHR
BambooHR® is great for small businesses. I would recommend to anyone looking to get out of spreadsheets and have a more streamlined process in place. However, it becomes more challenging to use the larger the company. It would just depend on the size of the company and their current processes.
Read full review
IRIS Software Group
Our staff is kept updated with more company policies and we are able to track their holiday and sick days much better. The help and support of their contact support are super good. They reply super fast and are very kind. Also, their sales department isn't pushy like other services they are very knowledgeable and kind.
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Pros
BambooHR
  • I have contacted Customer Service several times and everyone I have spoken to has been amazing. I always get my questions answered in a friendly, professional and efficient manner.
  • BambooHR is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate.
  • I love that I can customize certain features according to our company's needs.
Read full review
IRIS Software Group
  • It's simple. I really appreciate that the layout of Octopus HR isn't something I have to question. I know where to look for something because it's clearly labeled, that's more than I can say for a lot of other HR systems I've seen.
  • Support. If I ever have a question about setting something up, or if something goes wrong, they're always on top of it. For instance, I had no idea how to set up employee photos on our accounts. I tweeted them and they responded right away, I'm based in LA and they're a UK company, I was impressed that they were able to respond right away. They make sure their customers are taken care of.
  • Great self guide. If there's ever an ordinary question I need answered their "Octopus Guide" is very thorough and walks you through everything.
Read full review
Cons
BambooHR
  • Notices for approving hours don't always coincide with pay periods well.
  • Payroll reports are by pay period without the ability to combine hours, etc. into a monthly report.
  • There is not an easy way to fix payroll errors. Must get it right the first time.
Read full review
IRIS Software Group
  • initial scope/setup support (outside of template)
  • Contacting support can be difficult
  • case sensitive username for end users (email addresses have to match exactly)
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
BambooHR
There's nothing wrong with this platform. I would recommend it to any business starting with more than 10 employees. I will continue to use the program for as long as I need to, hoping they continue being tremendous and finding other ways to incorporate more technology.
Read full review
IRIS Software Group
Employees don't complain about it! If anything they've commented on how nice of a tool it is to have.
Read full review
Usability
BambooHR
The usability from a user perspective is pretty straightforward and navigating the system is quite easy. The prompts for managers to approve certain things like time off could be improved as there isn't any follow-through after the first prompt. The availability of customer service can also be hard as we are a UK based company.
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IRIS Software Group
Iris HR Software is a stable and fairly intuitive product which has had a positive impact on our organisation. We have had some support issues but generally feel we've had a positive experience and our personnel and finance teams have benefitted from this process structure. Whilst contacting the correct Iris HR Software support channel has been our biggest issue once we have established contact our tickets have been raised and resolved promptly.
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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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IRIS Software Group
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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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
BambooHR
There is a lot of good documentation on BambooHR features through their stock support library. Support agents are also typically available for more in-depth questions. Sales representatives, however, are extremely hands-off once they sell you the license. They know only enough to sell the platform, but any in-depth questions require technical support, which can prolong the response time.
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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
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
IRIS Software Group
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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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
BambooHR
BambooHR's initial implementation team was amazing. We loved having a dedicated person we could call, email or speak to during the entire process. I feel that's so important when you are new to a software. Our process was time consuming, but well worth the final product.
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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
BambooHR
I felt Bamboo HR was what we needed for our company. Other HRIS systems didn't give me the care and dedication I have gotten from Bamboo. It was almost like I was another notch in their belt. Bamboo has always made me feel like I came first...like I was their only customer!
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IRIS Software Group
I would say the pricing is good but it could be better. Also, the customer service is amazing they do such a great job and you can tell they know what they are doing. Visually it is very easy to use and looks very professional. It is a quick set up and they do their best to give you what you want and need.
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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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IRIS Software Group
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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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
BambooHR
VERY professional!
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IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
BambooHR
  • Gave more time back to HR, Directors, and Managers by providing options for easy reports and a place to have all the information.
  • PTO! This has given so much time back to accounting as they no longer have to manually calculate PTO and it's also allowed our team to feel more comfortable to take time off by having an official way to ask off and see what their balances are.
  • Onboarding and offboarding: this has helped HR with the many many tasks of helping team members come onboard as well as when they leave a company.
  • Professionalism: the ability to create forms and has stepped up our game for new hires and even tracking things we have needed our team to fill out!
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IRIS Software Group
  • Our staff is super happy with the service
  • Huge improvement
  • Looks quite professional
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ScreenShots

BambooHR® Screenshots

Screenshot of an employee timesheetScreenshot of the Job Info tabScreenshot of a new hire packetScreenshot of a new hire packet (2)Screenshot of an Employee Performance ReportScreenshot of Employee Satisfaction (eNPS®)