BambooHR® vs. QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BambooHR®
Score 8.3 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
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Quickbooks Desktop for Mac is an accounting software designed for Mac users. It is designed to integrate with Apple iCloud. It provides core accounting features in line with the rest of the Quickbooks Desktop product line.N/A
Pricing
BambooHR®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Editions & Modules
Core
$10
per month per user
Pro
Contact Sales
per month
Elite
Contact Sales
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BambooHR®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
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®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Considered Both Products
BambooHR®
Chose BambooHR®
BambooHR pricing leaves it a bit harder of a sell than some of the competitors we have used in the past. If it was fully featured rich with an overflow of integrations that might be different, but as it stands, without a pricing change, I think that bridge is a harder sell for …
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

No answer on this topic

Features
BambooHR®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.9
257 Ratings
3% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.3229 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.1234 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.0230 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.7216 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.6236 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management8.1227 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.3132 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.7
173 Ratings
5% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
9.0
13 Ratings
17% above category average
Pay calculation8.3126 Ratings8.511 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.993 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.594 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.1132 Ratings7.98 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.4129 Ratings10.010 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.0141 Ratings8.57 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.583 Ratings10.09 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.7
222 Ratings
6% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Approval workflow8.5216 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details8.3207 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.2129 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.5
250 Ratings
4% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.6168 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.9245 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.3218 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition7.9157 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history8.8235 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
9.0
74 Ratings
11% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets9.074 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.1
210 Ratings
6% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Report builder7.3203 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.4201 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.7145 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.1
214 Ratings
2% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
New hire portal8.4204 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.8190 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.9
143 Ratings
2% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting7.1104 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.9137 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility9.169 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.5131 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
7.8
161 Ratings
1% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Performance plans7.3146 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.2123 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking8.697 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders8.1101 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.8140 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
9.0
81 Ratings
14% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools8.846 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking9.067 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search8.968 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development9.259 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
8.0
182 Ratings
3% above category average
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management7.8138 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.7149 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.291 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.5145 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.588 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.1165 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.1173 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
7.5
12 Ratings
1% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings7.08 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings8.011 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
10.0
22 Ratings
20% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings10.022 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.019 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
6.7
24 Ratings
15% below category average
Dashboards00 Ratings5.021 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.024 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings7.024 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
7.6
26 Ratings
0% below category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings8.126 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings7.625 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings5.520 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.526 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.522 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings7.514 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings5.011 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings6.012 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings10.011 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings10.017 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings7.615 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings5.08 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.515 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.116 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.07 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.519 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.57 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings6.511 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.511 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings7.015 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
7.4
17 Ratings
1% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings9.516 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.512 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings7.011 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.510 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
BambooHR®
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
9.1
20 Ratings
20% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings9.019 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings9.518 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings9.019 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.07 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.09 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings9.08 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BambooHR®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 5.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
Score 7.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
BambooHR®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(245 ratings)
8.1
(34 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(17 ratings)
8.0
(9 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(173 ratings)
6.1
(8 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(5 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
8.7
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(137 ratings)
7.0
(4 ratings)
Online Training
9.2
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.6
(6 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
8.7
(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®QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
Likelihood to Recommend
BambooHR
Performance management - the prompt questions are really helpful in distilling thoughts! Though it would still be great to have an optional box for additional feedback that might not be directly related to the prompt questions. The clean interface and user friendliness is a definite plus! But some specific features, eg. on TOIL application - it would be helpful to ensure it is intuitive to use, rather than confusing with the input process.
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Intuit
If you're a freelancer or running a very small business where you do your own bookkeeping I think this is a great option, especially if you're familiar with accounting and bookkeeping in general. If you're not so familiar with bookkeeping, I would say that the learning curve is too steep and you might want to look elsewhere for a more intuitive solution
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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
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Intuit
  • The program is very easy to learn, the interface is incredibly user-friendly and there are tons of free resources and tutorials available
  • It makes managing payroll really easy for the employee and accountant on staff. No more lost time sheets or late paychecks!
  • Managing bills and paying them has become streamlined and it's great having everything in one place so we don't lose track of things.
Read full review
Cons
BambooHR
  • The biggest issue is on performance assessments. We are not able to customize the reminder dates so the automated reminder dates shown to people and on the email reminders is often misaligned with our actual internal deadlines. This causes a lot of confusion each review cycle.
  • Also on performance management, there is no way to push feedback to a supervisor for their direct report. The only way is if the manager requests the feedback from you. This limits the opportunity for people to give real time feedback throughout the half.
  • I wish we had a way to track notes from employee 1:1s in BambooHR® so when we do our performance reviews we can track. That may be a module we didn't purchase but it would facilitate more continuous and comprehensive evaluation of people at review time.
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Intuit
  • The #1 complaint is that setting it up right is a challenge. People waste time trying to figure it out only to realize that they don't know accounting so of course they don't know how an accounting program should be set up. Like any time you are in over your head, reach out to your network and find someone who can log onto your computer and walk you through it.
  • If you need to track the cost of wages to jobs you can't do it with the online payroll, but check for yourself because it's a function that landscaping companies and construction businesses usually need, so maybe they have added it by now. That would really help!
  • It's premise-based software and that means you take on the role of hardware admin, and it's a lot of work for what is increasingly becoming a smaller gap in the functionality between QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Online.
  • QuickBooks for Mac 2015 has been updated consistently over the last 3 years and continues to provide for the bookkeeping needs of small companies using Macs in their offices. However, it has limited job costing functionality. It is similar in functionality to the 2010 version of QuickBooksPro which runs on Windows.
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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.
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Intuit
I haven't spent that much time with the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac, but I think I'm seeing it make the much-needed improvements. For example, something as simple as undoing the previous reconciliation was a terrible chore, and I'm glad that feature has been included in the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac
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Usability
BambooHR
Just because there's a little complex with everything that's rolling out and so I have had to walk some people through functionality because there's just so much to click at this point. Another thing is the review process doesn't allow for ratings with a number scale, and I know we're kind of getting away from that as an industry, but with our previous system we have been rating people for their merit percent increase on their wages at the end of the year and it doesn't have the functionality to do that.
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Intuit
The Mac version is OK overall. I find the Windows versions to be much more robust but Mac is quite good for Mac users. Though I think die hard Mac users should consider QuickBooks Online instead as there is a new QB for Mac app that makes using QBO much better!
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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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Intuit
I've been using the QuickBooks online version for a little over 6 months now (upgraded from Mac desktop) and I haven't had any access issues. There have been times when it was down for service/upgrade however there is always plenty of notification time given by the Quick Books Online Support team. These upgrade maintenance time frames are always over night hours and on the weekends so everything can be worked around very easily.
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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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
BambooHR
I use the chat feature most often and the wait times can be long, but often I do get right in. When they promise to follow up, they always do. It seems the "support hero's" are very well training and knowledgeable. There are lots of resources in the form of print or video, too.
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Intuit
Fortunately, I haven't had to reach out much for support.
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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).
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Intuit
No answers on this topic
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
BambooHR
Lattice is much more oriented towards performance management. It includes many more advanced performance management features from building actual assessments to also performance development planning. BambooHR® for us was a place to centralize our data and build from within as well as connect to external integrations. PerformYard is what we used prior to BambooHR® for onboarding workflows and performance reviews, but BambooHR® is far superior.
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Intuit
I love using Quickbooks compared to other software we've tried. QuickBooks Online and TSheets interface. Customer service and problem resolution are generally excellent, with well-trained and proficient agents taking calls or on chat. Ease of use and accessibility via the mobile app. Great courses were available to help with learning the basics and some advanced accounting background. I love learning! Online accessibility - it can work anywhere with an internet connection. Linking to bank and credit card accounts is handy.
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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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Intuit
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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Intuit
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
BambooHR
VERY professional!
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Intuit
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.
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Intuit
  • It has allowed us to offer multiple bookkeeping softwares for clients that do not want to change from what they have been using.
  • Payroll filing has given us ease of mind because we can physically make the filings rather than waiting on payroll software to make them for us.
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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