BambooHR vs Ashby
A detailed comparison to help you choose between BambooHR and Ashby.
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Verdict: Ashby wins
Ashby scores 4.2/5, edging out BambooHR at 3.9/5. Tech companies from startup through mid-market that hire continuously and want sourcing, ATS, scheduling and funnel analytics in one system instead of a stitched-together tool stack.
BambooHR Cloud HR platform for payroll, time tracking, and employee management | Ashby Applicant tracking and recruiting platform with AI-powered sourcing | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.9 (1 review) | 4.2 (1 review) |
| Pricing Model | paid | paid |
| Starting Price | From $6/mo | From $150/mo |
| Best For | Growing companies of roughly 50-500 employees that want HR records, hiring, time off, and performance centralised in one approachable platform with US payroll add-ons. | Tech companies from startup through mid-market that hire continuously and want sourcing, ATS, scheduling and funnel analytics in one system instead of a stitched-together tool stack. |
| Free Tier | ||
| API Access | ||
| Team Features | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Tags | team featuresssoapi access | team featuresssoapi access |
| Visit BambooHR → | Visit Ashby → |
BambooHR
Pros
- + Published pricing for the first time in a decade — Core $10, Pro $17, Elite $25 per employee per month (bamboohr.com/pricing) — makes vendor comparison possible
- + Core tier packs genuine breadth: records, workflows, time off, benefits tracking, eNPS, compliance intelligence, and an AI Assistant at $10 per employee
- + Custom report builder with real-time previews worked cleanly in my testing — the preview beats the submit-and-wait cycle of older HR tools
- + eNPS free-text theme categorisation handles the 200-response survey reading problem that HR generalists actually face
- + Tiered capacity is explicit (ATS caps at 5/25/50 job openings) so buyers know what a plan ceiling means before hitting it
Cons
- - Reporting depth is the recurring complaint in user reviews — custom cuts work, warehouse-grade analytics means exporting
- - Mobile app is narrower and buggier than the desktop product per user reviews
- - Payroll, benefits administration, and time tracking are add-ons with per-employee fees that push the real cost above the headline tiers
- - The $250/month flat-rate floor for 25 employees or fewer means a 10-person company effectively pays $25 per employee
- - No free tier and no self-serve trial path with published terms; global payroll and multi-national compliance are out of scope
Ashby
Pros
- + Analytics out of the box: stage conversion, source-of-hire and interviewer feedback appeared in dashboards in my test without any report configuration
- + AI features are workflow-native and editable — candidate search filters from plain-language prompts, reviewable AI outreach tokens, and talent rediscovery over past applicants
- + Credit allotments are published per tier (1,500/month Foundations, 2,500/seat/yr Plus, 12,500/seat/yr Enterprise), so AI spend is modelable before you sign
- + Recruiting-ops depth: outreach frequency policies, confidential projects, DNC company lists, audit logs in the API, SSO and SCIM at higher tiers
- + Foundations at $400/month total (up to 100 employees, 10% annual discount) is a flat, predictable entry price
Cons
- - No free tier and a $400/month floor; Plus and Enterprise pricing is quote-only based on company size, usage and commitment
- - Configuration weight is real — teams without recruiting ops should budget setup time for workflows, permissions and reporting
- - SSO costs an extra $100/month on Foundations, custom permission roles are capped at 3 on Plus, and sourcing email lookups meter at 200/month before paid batches
- - It is not an HRIS: no payroll, performance management or post-hire onboarding, so it complements rather than replaces an HR stack
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, BambooHR or Ashby?▼
Ashby scores higher at 4.2/5 vs 3.9/5 for BambooHR, making it the better-rated option in our comparison.
What is the difference between BambooHR and Ashby?▼
BambooHR: BambooHR is an HR platform for small and mid-sized companies covering employee records, hiring, onboarding, payroll, benefits and time off. Ashby: Ashby combines applicant tracking, interview scheduling, recruiting CRM and analytics in one system, aimed at teams that want reporting without stitching several tools together.
Is BambooHR or Ashby more affordable?▼
BambooHR starts at €6/mo, Ashby starts at €150/mo. Check the comparison table above for current pricing.
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