Two Completely Different Philosophies
Rippling is the new kid (founded 2016) that wants to automate everything—HR, IT, Finance—in one platform. Hire someone, and Rippling auto-provisions their laptop, email, Slack, 401(k), benefits, payroll. Fire someone, and everything revokes instantly.
BambooHR (founded 2008) does one thing exceptionally well: HR. It's the gold standard HRIS for small-to-mid-size businesses. No IT management, no finance tools—just deep, polished HR capabilities.
This isn't about "better"—it's about what you need.
When Rippling Wins
The IT Automation Advantage
Rippling's killer feature is IT management:
- Device management: Deploy laptops (Mac/PC) with pre-configured apps and settings
- App provisioning: Auto-add/remove employees from 500+ apps (Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, etc.)
- Single sign-on: Manage access to all apps from one dashboard
- Security: Enforce 2FA, compliance policies, remote wipe
Example: You hire Sarah. Rippling sends her laptop, creates her email, adds her to Slack/Asana/HubSpot, enrolls her in benefits, sets up payroll. All automatically.
BambooHR can't do any of this. You'd manage IT separately (Google Admin, MDM tools, manual app invites).
All-in-One Simplicity
Rippling consolidates your entire tech stack:
- Payroll + tax filing
- Benefits administration
- Time tracking & PTO
- Recruiting & ATS
- IT & device management
- Spend management (corporate cards)
For startups and tech companies, this is liberating. One vendor, one contract, one login.
Best Payroll Integration
Rippling's payroll is built-in and excellent—comparable to Gusto. BambooHR's payroll is an add-on that costs extra and isn't as polished.
Modern, Fast-Moving Product
Rippling ships features aggressively. They added spend management, app marketplace, global payroll—all in the last few years. BambooHR moves slower (which has pros/cons).
When BambooHR Wins
Deeper HR Capabilities
BambooHR's HRIS is more mature and feature-rich:
- Employee database: Unlimited custom fields, better data organization
- Reporting: More robust reports, easier customization
- Workflows: Advanced approval chains, custom onboarding sequences
- Performance management: Better tools for reviews, goals, feedback
- Employee self-service: Cleaner portal, easier for employees
Rippling has these features, but BambooHR's are more polished and flexible.
Best-in-Class Onboarding
Both platforms excel at onboarding, but BambooHR's is legendary:
- Pre-boarding (send tasks before day one)
- Beautiful new hire portal (welcome videos, team intros)
- Manager/IT/buddy task automation
- Electronic signature workflows
- Offboarding templates
Rippling's onboarding is great, but it's more functional than experiential.
Proven Stability
BambooHR has been serving SMBs for 15+ years. It's rock-solid, stable, predictable. Support is excellent. Rare bugs.
Rippling is newer and ambitious—occasionally you'll hit quirks as they rapidly add features. Some customers report bugs or features changing unexpectedly.
Easier to Use (for HR-only)
If you're only doing HR tasks, BambooHR's interface is cleaner. Rippling's UI can feel overwhelming because it manages so many systems.
You Don't Want IT Lock-In
Some companies prefer best-of-breed tools (Okta for SSO, Jamf for MDM, etc.). Rippling's all-in-one model means you're locked into their IT stack—switching away later is painful.
Pricing Deep Dive
Rippling Costs
- Base platform: $8/user/month (HR + IT core)
- Payroll: +$8/employee/month
- Add-ons: Benefits admin, time tracking, recruiting, devices, apps (pricing varies)
50 employees, HR + Payroll + IT: ~$800-1,200/month (depends on modules)
Rippling's pricing can escalate quickly if you add many modules. But if you replace multiple tools, the total cost may be lower.
BambooHR Costs (Estimated)
BambooHR doesn't publish pricing. Based on research:
- Essentials: ~$6-8/employee (core HR)
- Advantage: ~$10-12/employee (adds hiring, onboarding, performance)
- Payroll add-on: +$4-6/employee
50 employees, Advantage + Payroll: ~$700-900/month
Cost Comparison
For HR + Payroll only, they're comparable. Rippling wins if you add IT management (you'd otherwise pay for Okta, an MDM, etc.). BambooHR wins if you only need HR and already have IT tools.
Real Customer Feedback
Rippling
Pros: Automation is magic, saves hours, all-in-one is liberating, great payroll
Cons: Occasional bugs, fast changes can disrupt workflows, support can be slow, complex setup
G2 Rating: 4.8/5 | Capterra: 4.9/5
BambooHR
Pros: Best onboarding, beautiful UI, stable, excellent support, employees love it
Cons: Payroll is extra, no IT features, expensive for small teams, reporting limits
G2 Rating: 4.4/5 | Capterra: 4.6/5
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Rippling if you're:
- A tech startup or remote-first company
- Managing lots of SaaS apps and devices
- Willing to go all-in on one platform
- Hiring/firing frequently (automation ROI is huge)
- 10-200 employees with IT headaches
Choose BambooHR if you're:
- A traditional SMB (retail, healthcare, professional services)
- Focused primarily on HR excellence
- Already have IT systems (Google Workspace, Okta, etc.)
- Want proven stability over bleeding-edge features
- 25-500 employees with dedicated HR team
Can You Use Both?
Technically yes—Rippling and BambooHR integrate—but it defeats the purpose. You'd be paying for overlapping features. Pick one based on your priority: IT automation or HR depth.
The Bottom Line
Choose Rippling if:
IT management is as important as HR. You want to automate device setup, app provisioning, and user access. You're comfortable with a newer, fast-moving platform. You want all-in-one simplicity.
Choose BambooHR if:
HR is your sole priority—onboarding, employee database, performance management. You have separate IT systems. You value proven stability and don't need bleeding-edge automation. You want the best HRIS, period.
Our honest take: Rippling is the future for tech-forward companies. BambooHR is the safe, proven choice for traditional SMBs. Both are excellent—your company culture determines the winner.