BambooHR vs Rippling: Traditional HRIS vs Modern HR+IT
Two excellent platforms with very different philosophies. Here's which one wins for your team.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Choose BambooHR if:
- ✓ You want the cleanest, easiest HRIS interface
- ✓ Employee experience is your top priority
- ✓ You don't need IT/device management
- ✓ You prefer predictable, straightforward pricing
Choose Rippling if:
- ✓ You need to manage laptops, apps, and software licenses
- ✓ You have global employees needing international payroll
- ✓ You want powerful automation and workflows
- ✓ You're a tech company with complex IT/HR needs
At a Glance
| Feature | BambooHR | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | ~$8-12/employee/mo | $8/user/mo + modules |
| Our Score | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Best For | Growing teams (25-500 employees) | Tech companies (25-500 employees) |
| Employee Database | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Excellent |
| Payroll | Add-on (extra cost) | ✅ Included (all 50 states) |
| International Payroll | ❌ Limited | ✅ 90+ countries |
| IT/Device Management | ❌ No | ✅ Core feature |
| App/License Management | ❌ No | ✅ 500+ integrations |
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.9/5) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6/5) |
| Free Trial | 7 days | Demo + POC |
Detailed Comparison
💰 Pricing: Simple vs Modular
Both platforms use custom pricing (no public rates), but their approaches differ significantly.
BambooHR Pricing
- Core HRIS: ~$8-12/employee/month
- Payroll Add-on: Additional cost per employee
- Recruiting (ATS): Included in core
- Performance Management: Optional add-on
- 💡 Straightforward tiering—most features in core
- ⚠️ Pricing not public—need sales demo
Rippling Pricing
- Core Platform: $8/user/month
- Payroll: Included (U.S. & international)
- Benefits: +$6-8/user/month
- IT Management: +$8/device/month
- Global Payroll: Additional per country
- ⚠️ Module pricing adds up quickly
- ⚠️ Can reach $20-30/user with full features
Winner: BambooHR — For straightforward HRIS needs, BambooHR is more predictable and often cheaper. Rippling's modules add up if you use everything.
⚙️ Core HRIS Features
Both platforms excel at foundational HRIS, but BambooHR focuses purely on people while Rippling adds IT systems.
| Feature | BambooHR | Rippling |
|---|---|---|
| Employee database & records | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Excellent |
| Org chart (auto-generated) | ✅ | ✅ |
| PTO tracking & requests | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Document management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom reporting | ✅ Great pre-built reports | ✅ Advanced analytics |
| Employee self-service | ✅ Best UX | ✅ Modern |
Winner: Tie — Both are excellent for core HRIS. BambooHR has a slight edge on employee UX; Rippling on analytics.
💻 The Big Differentiator: IT Management
This is where Rippling pulls away. If you manage devices, apps, and software licenses, Rippling is transformative.
BambooHR
- ❌ No device management
- ❌ No app provisioning
- ❌ No license tracking
- BambooHR is purely HR-focused—if you need IT management, you'll need separate tools (Jamf, Kandji, etc.)
Rippling
- ✅ Device management (MDM for Mac, Windows, Linux)
- ✅ App provisioning (500+ integrations)
- ✅ Software license management
- ✅ Access control (SSO, permissions)
- ✅ Automated onboarding (create accounts, ship laptop, grant access—all automated)
- 💡 Example: Hire someone → Rippling creates their email, Slack, GitHub, ships MacBook, assigns software licenses, all in one click
Winner: Rippling (by a mile) — If you're a tech company issuing laptops and managing SaaS tools, Rippling's IT features alone justify the cost. BambooHR doesn't play in this space.
💵 Payroll
BambooHR
- ⚠️ Payroll is an add-on (extra cost)
- ✅ U.S. payroll (all 50 states)
- ✅ Tax filing included
- ❌ No international payroll
- ⚠️ Many teams use BambooHR + Gusto separately
Rippling
- ✅ Payroll included in core platform
- ✅ U.S. payroll (all 50 states)
- ✅ International payroll (90+ countries)
- ✅ Global contractor payments
- 💡 One system for global workforce
Winner: Rippling — Payroll is included, and global payroll is a game-changer for distributed teams. BambooHR's payroll add-on works but isn't their strength.
🎯 Recruiting/ATS
BambooHR
- ✅ Built-in ATS (included in core)
- ✅ Job postings, candidate pipeline
- ✅ Interview scheduling
- ✅ Offer letters & e-signatures
- ✅ Seamless handoff to onboarding
- 💡 One of BambooHR's strongest features
Rippling
- ⚠️ Basic recruiting (not a true ATS)
- ✅ Job postings
- ✅ Candidate tracking
- ❌ Limited pipeline management
- ⚠️ Teams often use Greenhouse/Lever + Rippling
Winner: BambooHR — If hiring is a core function, BambooHR's ATS is genuinely good. Rippling's recruiting is basic.
🎨 User Experience & Interface
BambooHR
- ✅ Best-in-class UX — clean, intuitive, pleasant
- ✅ Employees actually enjoy using it
- ✅ Mobile app is excellent
- ✅ Minimal training needed
- 💡 "It just works" — highest ease-of-use score (4.9/5)
Rippling
- ✅ Modern, fast interface
- ✅ Powerful but requires learning curve
- ⚠️ Can feel overwhelming with all features
- ✅ Great for power users
- ⚠️ More complexity = steeper onboarding
Winner: BambooHR — If you want employees to love the software, BambooHR wins. Rippling is powerful but more complex.
📞 Customer Support
BambooHR
- ✅ Phone, chat, email support
- ✅ Excellent response times
- ✅ Extensive knowledge base
- ✅ Dedicated CSM for larger accounts
- 💡 Support rated 4.8/5—consistently praised
Rippling
- ✅ Chat and email support
- ⚠️ Growing fast—support quality inconsistent
- ✅ Good documentation
- ⚠️ Can be slow during peak times
- ⚠️ Support rated 4.4/5—room for improvement
Winner: BambooHR — More mature support infrastructure. Rippling is catching up but still has growing pains.
Pros and Cons
BambooHR
✓ Pros
- ✓ Best-in-class user experience (4.9/5 ease of use)
- ✓ Excellent built-in ATS for recruiting
- ✓ Clean, intuitive interface employees love
- ✓ Great customer support
- ✓ More affordable for pure HRIS needs
✗ Cons
- ✗ Payroll is an add-on (not core)
- ✗ No IT/device management
- ✗ No international payroll
- ✗ Limited to HR-only use cases
Rippling
✓ Pros
- ✓ Unified HR + IT platform (device/app management)
- ✓ Powerful automation and workflows
- ✓ Global payroll (90+ countries)
- ✓ 500+ app integrations
- ✓ Payroll included in core platform
✗ Cons
- ✗ Module pricing adds up ($20-30/user fully loaded)
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve
- ✗ Overkill if you don't need IT management
- ✗ Support quality inconsistent
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose BambooHR if:
- • You want the easiest, most pleasant HRIS employees will love
- • You're hiring frequently and need a solid built-in ATS
- • You don't manage devices or IT systems (or have separate IT tools)
- • You're a U.S.-only or primarily domestic team
- • You want predictable, straightforward pricing
- • Employee experience is your top priority
Choose Rippling if:
- • You're a tech company managing laptops, apps, and software licenses
- • You have global employees needing international payroll
- • You want to automate onboarding (create accounts, ship devices, grant access—all in one click)
- • You need unified HR + IT in one platform
- • You're comfortable with complexity in exchange for power
- • You want payroll included (not an add-on)
The Bottom Line
Both are excellent platforms—the choice depends on your business type.
BambooHR is the best pure HRIS. It's clean, intuitive, employees love it, and the ATS is great. Perfect for traditional SMBs.
Rippling is transformative if you're a tech company. The HR+IT unification and automation save massive time. Worth the premium if you need those features.
Pro tip: If you're unsure, ask yourself: "Do I need to manage laptops and app licenses?" If yes → Rippling. If no → BambooHR.