SAME CATEGORY. YOUR PRIORITIES.
Build a comparison.
Compare evidence, costs and trade-offs. Adjust the criteria to reflect your own workflow.
MAKE THE SCORE YOURS
What matters most?
Core capabilities carry 32 points; workflow depth carries 68. AI contributes the category-specific weight shown below within those totals. Change group priorities and see every contribution update.
How the score is calculated →Documented fit across available plans · unknowns shown as ranges · no customer ratings
| Features & decision context | BambooHR52–100/100 documented fit Core capabilities21.6–32 / 32 pts7/10 checks with established status Workflow depth30.4–68 / 68 pts7/18 checks with established status |  OnPay37–100/100 documented fit Core capabilities24–32 / 32 pts7/10 checks with established status Workflow depth12.8–68 / 68 pts3/18 checks with established status |
|---|---|---|
| How AI changes fitSame priorities, with and without AI | 52–100 with AI47–100 without AIFeature-fit points; not measured ROI | 37–100 with AI43–100 without AIFeature-fit points; not measured ROI |
| Supplier website | Visit BambooHR | Visit OnPay |
| Good fit for | Growing employers building a coherent employee database and lifecycle process. | Small employers wanting straightforward multistate payroll pricing. |
| Look more closely when | You need all specialist modules included in one small headline price. | Native AI is a mandatory purchasing requirement without further demonstration. |
| Pricing snapshotDifferent billing units are not directly comparable | Custom quoteper employee/month or small-company flat fee Core, Pro, and Elite; the pricing page shows rounded headline and different FAQ rates. Obtain a headcount-specific quote. Pricing source | $49.00monthly base + $6/worker Payroll Essentials: $49/month base plus $6 per paid worker. Pricing source |
| Employee records 20% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityCentral employee profileStore employee details in a shared HR record. | Supported4 / 4 pts A unified employee record is shared across HR modules. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts Worker profiles are included. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityEmployee document storageKeep employment documents linked to a worker record. | Not verified0–4 / 4 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish employee document storage at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts Worker document storage is listed. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkEffective-dated employee changesSchedule or apply a job, pay or employment change with an explicit effective date.Ask for a demonstrationShow a promotion next month and how it differs from the current employee record. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–5.6 / 5.6 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: effective-dated employee changes. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–5.6 / 5.6 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: effective-dated employee changes. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkEmployee change historyInspect historical values or a dated change log for an employee record.Ask for a demonstrationChange a fictional employee field, then show its previous value, date and editor. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported6.4 / 6.4 pts Audit Trail shows previous values, timestamps and whether the editor was a person or AI. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–6.4 / 6.4 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: employee change history. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Onboarding workflows 20% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityNew-hire onboardingCollect new-hire information through an onboarding process. | Supported4 / 4 pts The platform includes new-hire onboarding. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts Custom onboarding workflows require the HR add-on. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityAssigned onboarding tasksAssign and track the tasks needed to bring a new hire onboard. | Not verified0–4 / 4 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish assigned onboarding tasks at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts Custom HR task workflows are part of the HR add-on. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkRole-based onboarding assignmentSelect or assign onboarding tasks according to a worker group, role or location.Ask for a demonstrationOnboard two different roles and show which tasks each receives and who owns them. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–5.6 / 5.6 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: role-based onboarding assignment. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–5.6 / 5.6 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: role-based onboarding assignment. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkOffboarding tasks and follow-throughCoordinate employee departure tasks, with completion tracking or connected access removal.Ask for a demonstrationTerminate a test employee and show the resulting checklist and remaining incomplete tasks. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–6.4 / 6.4 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: offboarding tasks and follow-through. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–6.4 / 6.4 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: offboarding tasks and follow-through. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| People reporting 16% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityPeople reportsProduce reports using employee and workforce records. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Custom HR reports are documented. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Configurable reports are included. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityWorkforce dashboardsView workforce measures in a dashboard or analytical view. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Workforce dashboards are listed. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–3.2 / 3.2 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish workforce dashboards at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkFiltered custom people reportsBuild an employee report with chosen fields and filters beyond a fixed dashboard.Ask for a demonstrationCreate a report for one department and date range using a custom employee field. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Custom reports select fields and filter by employees or last-changed date; field limits apply. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts The report designer selects columns and filters by department, location, position and worker. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkExport underlying HR report dataExport the rows used in a people report for reconciliation outside the product.Ask for a demonstrationExport the sample report and reconcile its row count with the on-screen results. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts The custom-report API produces CSV, XLS, PDF, JSON or XML. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Detailed reports can be exported to CSV, PDF or spreadsheet format. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Permissions & access 12% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityRole-scoped HR accessRestrict personnel information or actions by user role. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Bamboo AI respects existing role-based HR permissions. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Six permission levels are documented. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilitySSO or multi-factor authenticationUse documented SSO or multi-factor sign-in controls. | Not verified0–2.4 / 2.4 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish sso or multi-factor authentication at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts MFA and SSO are explicitly listed. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkSensitive field restrictionsRestrict sensitive pay or personnel fields for a role without removing all HR access.Ask for a demonstrationSign in as a manager who can see their team but cannot see a restricted pay field. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Report fields the caller lacks permission to view are omitted from output. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Administrative roles control access to compensation, deductions and payroll functions. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkManager team-data boundaryLimit a manager to assigned employees or a defined employee group.Ask for a demonstrationShow what a team manager can view and export for their team versus another team. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4 / 4 pts Managers can be limited to their direct reports by existing HR permission scopes. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–4 / 4 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: manager team-data boundary. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| AI assistance 14.5% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityAI answers about HR data or policiesAsk natural-language questions about HR information or policies. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Bamboo AI provides conversational reporting and help in supported modules; open beta is an availability note, not a functional deduction. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.4 / 2.4 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish ai answers about hr data or policies at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityAI report or action preparationGenerate a people-data report, summary or proposed operational action. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts AI prepares reports, job-structure suggestions and data-cleanup outreach for review; available in open beta. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.4 / 2.4 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish ai report or action preparation at this feature level. This is an evidence gap, not a finding that the capability is absent. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkAI respects personnel permissionsDocument that AI retrieval or answers respect the requesting user’s HR data permissions.Ask for a demonstrationAsk the same pay-related question as an employee, manager and HR administrator. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Bamboo AI honors configured roles and personnel scopes; available in open beta. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–3.2 / 3.2 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: ai respects personnel permissions. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkHuman review of AI-prepared changesKeep a human confirmation or review step before an AI-prepared HR action changes records.Ask for a demonstrationAsk AI to prepare an employee change, show the proposal and stop before applying it. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4 / 4 pts AI-prepared outreach and job changes require human review before application; open beta. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–4 / 4 pts The reviewed evidence does not establish this advanced behavior: human review of ai-prepared changes. Request the demonstration above; absence of public evidence does not establish absence of the feature. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkIdentify the policy version used by an AI answerDemonstrate “Identify the policy version used by an AI answer” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Identify the policy version used by an AI answer” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
| Operational detail 17.5% base weight | ||
Depth checkDisplay and export matrix reporting relationshipsDemonstrate “Display and export matrix reporting relationships” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Display and export matrix reporting relationships” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkPropose pay rises within a shared review budgetDemonstrate “Propose pay rises within a shared review budget” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Propose pay rises within a shared review budget” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkPreview employee-import errors before savingDemonstrate “Preview employee-import errors before saving” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Preview employee-import errors before saving” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkCreate an employee record as a mobile managerDemonstrate “Create an employee record as a mobile manager” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Create an employee record as a mobile manager” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkRecord issued equipment and return confirmationDemonstrate “Record issued equipment and return confirmation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Record issued equipment and return confirmation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkRestrict access to emergency-contact detailsDemonstrate “Restrict access to emergency-contact details” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Restrict access to emergency-contact details” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkDeactivate linked accounts through SCIMDemonstrate “Deactivate linked accounts through SCIM” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Deactivate linked accounts through SCIM” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
| AI usage and limits | Bamboo AI prepares reports, payroll comparisons, schedule drafts, and data-cleanup actions.
| No specific native AI feature was verified in the reviewed product documentation.
|
| Additional costs to ask about |
|
|
| Integration shortlist |
|
|
| Research date | Oct 15, 2026 Full source record → | Oct 15, 2026 Full source record → |