BambooHR® vs. Paychex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BambooHR®
Score 8.2 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.
$10
per month per user
Paychex
Score 6.7 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Pricing
BambooHR®Paychex
Editions & Modules
Core
$10
per month per user
Pro
Contact Sales
per month
Elite
Contact Sales
per month
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BambooHR®Paychex
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BambooHR®Paychex
Considered Both Products
BambooHR®
Chose BambooHR®
We switch our clients from the other HRIS platforms to BambooHR, because they do everything better and have amazing customer support.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR is easy to use whether you have one or 1,000 employees.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR's system was easier to set up with their support team than previous vendors I've used.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR offers a superior employee experience, especially when it comes to onboarding!
Chose BambooHR®
Bamboo is more intuitive and user-friendly than Paychex.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR was already in place when I started. BambooHR has much better intuitive navigation than any of the other systems but not as much customizability as something like Workday.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR is a very up-to-date system compared to Paychex. Their customer service compared to Paychex is out of this world!
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR is much more user friendly. What it lacks in technical/complexities it is working to improve.
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR is easier to use at a better price.
Chose BambooHR®
Much easier to use, at least as end user, than UltiPro. However I’m not sure if it’s as robust.
Chose BambooHR®
JazzHR and Comeet are much more advanced as ATSs. The UX of BambooHR is a bit better than both of them.
Paychex
Chose Paychex
We use BambooHR in tandem with Paychex. BambooHR is our timesheet service, and Paychex issues the checks/payments to our employees. Ideally we would use one service instead of two to achieve our payment and timesheet needs.
Chose Paychex
We have moved away from our benefits administration, onboarding, time and attendance, and basically all non-payroll functionality away from Paychex Flex.
Chose Paychex
we just started using insperity to manage our payroll and benefits. haven't had enough experience with it in order to comment on the pros and cons against paychex flex.The only thing i have noticed so far is Paychex flex's platform is simpler and straight forward. i feel like …
Chose Paychex
This is the only payment management tool I have used or interacted with.
Chose Paychex
From what I remember of ADP VirtualEdge, I think Paychex has more ease of use and has a cleaner interface. It's been a while though, so I'm not sure I'm comparing apples to apples. In terms of HRM/HRIS systems, I think Bamboo was a little more intuitive to use than Paychex and …
Features
BambooHR®Paychex
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.8
249 Ratings
4% below category average
Paychex
6.6
270 Ratings
21% below category average
Employee demographic data8.3224 Ratings7.8217 Ratings
Employment history8.2229 Ratings8.1241 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.0223 Ratings7.7175 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.7213 Ratings7.6170 Ratings
Organizational charting7.3230 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management8.0220 Ratings7.5156 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.3130 Ratings6.7145 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.5
168 Ratings
8% below category average
Paychex
7.6
312 Ratings
7% below category average
Pay calculation8.2123 Ratings8.1294 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.892 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.392 Ratings6.9152 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.7129 Ratings6.9173 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.3126 Ratings8.3293 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.0137 Ratings7.9208 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.481 Ratings7.6117 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.6
215 Ratings
5% above category average
Paychex
7.3
159 Ratings
11% below category average
Approval workflow8.3209 Ratings7.3113 Ratings
Balance details8.2200 Ratings7.5151 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.2129 Ratings7.0119 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.5
242 Ratings
4% above category average
Paychex
7.8
268 Ratings
5% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.6162 Ratings7.8246 Ratings
Update personal information8.8238 Ratings7.9258 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.3210 Ratings7.6120 Ratings
Employee recognition8.1154 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history8.7228 Ratings7.8182 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.9
74 Ratings
10% above category average
Paychex
5.1
43 Ratings
45% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets8.974 Ratings5.143 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.1
206 Ratings
6% below category average
Paychex
6.0
177 Ratings
23% below category average
Report builder7.3199 Ratings6.4147 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.4198 Ratings6.4165 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.5142 Ratings5.191 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.0
207 Ratings
0% above category average
Paychex
6.2
172 Ratings
25% below category average
New hire portal8.3199 Ratings6.7164 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.7186 Ratings5.8107 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.8
138 Ratings
3% below category average
Paychex
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting7.099 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.8132 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility9.069 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.5126 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.7
155 Ratings
2% below category average
Paychex
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.2141 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.2119 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking8.597 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders8.0101 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.7134 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.8
81 Ratings
12% above category average
Paychex
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools8.546 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking8.967 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search8.868 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development9.159 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.0
176 Ratings
4% above category average
Paychex
5.2
69 Ratings
38% below category average
Job Requisition Management8.1134 Ratings5.636 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.7144 Ratings5.434 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.191 Ratings4.828 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.4140 Ratings5.235 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.588 Ratings4.934 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.2160 Ratings4.939 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.3167 Ratings5.663 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BambooHR®Paychex
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BambooHR®Paychex
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(245 ratings)
6.5
(323 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.8
(17 ratings)
1.3
(44 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(173 ratings)
6.8
(264 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(5 ratings)
5.7
(12 ratings)
Performance
8.7
(5 ratings)
7.1
(12 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(137 ratings)
6.4
(265 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
9.2
(4 ratings)
8.3
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.6
(6 ratings)
5.5
(13 ratings)
Configurability
8.7
(4 ratings)
5.1
(9 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.4
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.6
(2 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.9
(5 ratings)
6.3
(12 ratings)
Professional Services
9.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(4 ratings)
2.4
(33 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(4 ratings)
3.3
(34 ratings)
User Testimonials
BambooHR®Paychex
Likelihood to Recommend
BambooHR
It works very well for submitting PTO requests and identifying information around personnel matters. I love being able to quickly see how long someone has worked for the company or whether there are upcoming birthdays so I can send a personal note. There are analytics and charts around organizational segmentation that are less valuable for a smaller company like ours.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
It is a fantastic tool for having an all-in-one package. Employees can monitor their pay stubs, monitor their 401 (k) balance, sign up and manage employee benefit programs, and more. The software is easy to access on a computer or smartphone, making it very accessible. From what we've observed, even with a staff ranging from young to old, everyone has been catching on pretty easily.
Read full review
Pros
BambooHR
  • Recruiting- communications are easy for both the internal team and candidates
  • Onboarding- the onboarding tasks are great. I love being able to attach documents as well as delay sending out tasks
  • Communication- the employee community is a great tool to keep our communications clean and organized. I love that we now have insight as to who has viewed the comms
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
Cons
BambooHR
  • I feel like BambooHR is rolling out a lot of updates all at one time, which is awesome, but I could see somebody who's maybe not as tech savvy, feeling like it's a lot of information at one time. I think the support area of the website has thorough walkthroughs, but sometimes the search functions don't really take you to exactly what you're asking about.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
  • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
  • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
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
Paychex Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
Usability
BambooHR
It's clear and well appointed with prompts on where to go for each category of information it holds. The user has limited access based on a need to know/job related basis. It has a clear help option with the ability to chat, email or read documentation on how to do something.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Employee usability is very good and user-friendly. For the most part, the employer usability is good, but for complicated rules and policies, it requires technical assistance, which in our case, was clunky and slow in implementation. Once is place, everything works as it should
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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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Paychex Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
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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Paychex Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
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Support Rating
BambooHR
I have used their support team over a dozen times. They have chat agents available throughout the day. They have support ticket submissions. They have their own resources website with different programs to learn BambooHR®. They also have onboarding support.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Chat has been helpful but the person I chat with isn't always able to help me with my questions. Phone support is ok, depending on your payroll specialist. We have a great one currently, but the few before that were never available and did not return calls.
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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
Paychex Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
BambooHR
Overall this training was great and our implementation specialist was wonderful and very helpful. We felt really prepared once our training was completed, But we could get additional help immediately even when we were live. The continuation Support heros after implementation are wonderful and you can always get a LIVE person each time you call into their office.
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Paychex Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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Implementation Rating
BambooHR
We implemented bambooHR in Fall, 2023 then implemented Payroll 1/1/24. A vital piece of information was not known or missed in that we are exempt from State Unemployment Tax and have a Reimbursement Set-up, so bambooHR did not send Payroll Reports to the State. Those reports need to be sent regardless if we are exempt or not.
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Paychex Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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Alternatives Considered
BambooHR
At my previous employer, I evaluated over 20 HRIS platforms before choosing and implementing BambooHR® (in 2019). I love it! The continuous improvements are promising and I actually feel like product feedback is reviewed and, at times, implemented. With BambooHR®, it truly comes down to what you are looking for. If I was solely doing performance management and career ladders, BambooHR® probably wouldn't be a fit. However, it does an overall great job at most things, and is a good quality product.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
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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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Paychex Inc.
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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Paychex Inc.
I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
Read full review
Professional Services
BambooHR
VERY professional!
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
BambooHR
  • Time Savings: Automating onboarding, payroll, and employee record management has cut HR admin time by up to 30%, allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives instead of paperwork.
  • Improved Onboarding: Streamlined workflows have cut onboarding time by nearly 50%, ensuring new hires are productive faster, reducing turnover risk in the critical first months.
  • - Enhanced Informational Clarity: Centralized employee data means fewer errors and faster access to essential information, reducing compliance risks and increasing accuracy in reporting.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
  • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
  • Lost checks is a thing of the past
Read full review
ScreenShots

BambooHR® Screenshots

Screenshot of the Job Info tabScreenshot of Onboarding TasksScreenshot of a New Hire PacketScreenshot of an Employee Performance ReportScreenshot of Employee Satisfaction (eNPS®)Screenshot of Open Enrollment

Paychex Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of