Sage HR vs BambooHR
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Sage HR against BambooHR, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
14Sage HR 1, BambooHR 4
Sage HR vs BambooHR, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0.8
BambooHR leads on customer service
Verified reviews
535
241 for Sage HR, 294 for BambooHR
241 verified reviews
294 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Sage HR
- BambooHR
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Sage HR241
- BambooHR294
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Sage HR is the cheaper way in. Lower is not automatically better, so weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Sage HR | BambooHR | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 241 | 294 |
| Ease of use | 4.3 | 4.8 |
| Value for money | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Customer service | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Functionality | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Starting price | $6.50/mo | $10/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free version | No | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Sage HR | BambooHR |
|---|---|---|
| Employee records and self service | ||
| Leave and absence management | ||
| Accrual and carryover rules | ||
| Shared team calendar | ||
| Performance reviews as a module | ||
| Shift scheduling as a module | ||
| Timesheets as a module | ||
| Expense claims as a module | ||
| Recruitment as a module | ||
| Org chart | ||
| Central employee record with permissions | ||
| Onboarding with electronic I-9 and W-4 | ||
| Time off tracking with accrual rules | ||
| Performance management on Pro and above | ||
| Applicant tracking available | ||
| Employee satisfaction surveys | ||
| Headcount and turnover reporting | ||
| Mobile app employees actually use | ||
| Electronic signature for HR documents | ||
| US payroll available as a separate product |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Sage HR plans
Core HR and Leave Management
Per employee per month. The base everyone starts on.
$6.50/mo
per month
- Employee records
- Leave and absence management
- Approval workflows
- Shared team calendar
- Employee self service
- 30 day free trial
Performance
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Goal setting
- Review cycles
- 360 feedback
- One to one tracking
Timesheets
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Time capture
- Project time
- Approval workflow
- Timesheet reporting
Expenses
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$1.75/mo
per month
- Expense claims
- Receipt capture
- Approval chains
- Reimbursement tracking
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Sage for the figure you will actually pay.
BambooHR plans
Core
Per employee per month at 25 employees and above.
$10/mo
per month
- Employee records and documents
- Time off tracking and approval
- Onboarding and offboarding
- Standard reporting
- Mobile app
- Under 25 employees is a flat rate from 250 a month
Pro
Per employee per month. Adds performance and deeper workflows.
$17/mo
per month
- Everything in Core
- Performance management
- Employee satisfaction surveys
- Advanced workflows and approvals
- Company branded experience
- Advanced reporting
Elite
Per employee per month. Adds priority support and migration help.
$25/mo
per month
- Everything in Pro
- Priority support
- Dedicated migration assistance
- Multi tier approvals
- Enhanced implementation
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with BambooHR for the figure you will actually pay.
Verdict
Our verdict
Sage HR is the cheaper, narrower tool and it earns that reputation honestly: leave and absence management that people actually use, priced at six fifty a head with modules you add only when you need them. BambooHR costs more and does more, particularly onboarding, which handles the I-9 and W-4 electronically rather than leaving new hires to fill out PDFs. If leave tracking and a shared calendar are genuinely the whole problem, Sage HR is enough and cheaper. If you are hiring often enough that onboarding paperwork is a real weekly cost, BambooHR's extra four dollars a head pays for itself fast.
Written from the reviews on both products. No vendor saw this before publication.

