BambooHR vs UKG: Pricing Comparison (2026)
BambooHR starts at $10/mo. UKG starts at $8/mo. UKG is $2/mo cheaper on the entry tier than BambooHR.
HRIS for small-to-mid businesses (5-500 employees), acquired by KKR-backed private equity in 2023. Positioned as the alternative to Workday for teams that don't need enterprise-grade complexity. Distinctive for its non-technical HR generalist UX and its e-signature + onboarding flows. Priced per employee monthly (~$8-$12) with all-in-one plans. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Performance, Time Tracking, Payroll (US only).
The Workforce Operating Platform formed from the 2020 merger of Kronos and Ultimate Software ($22B combined). Positioned as the workforce-management-first alternative to Workday for shift-heavy industries (retail, healthcare, manufacturing) where time tracking + labor forecasting matter as much as HRIS. Distinctive for combining Kronos's deep time-and-labor engine with Ultimate's people-first HRIS. Priced quote-based (~$8-$15/employee/mo reference) across UKG Ready (SMB-mid), UKG Pro (mid-large), and UKG Pro Enterprise. Private-equity owned by Hellman & Friedman + Blackstone. Serves 80K+ organizations globally.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | BambooHR monthly | BambooHR annual | UKG monthly | UKG annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Core / UKG Ready | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| 2 | Pro / UKG Pro | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 |
| 3 | Elite / UKG Pro Enterprise | 25 | 25 | custom | custom |
| 4 | (≤25 employees: flat rate from $250/mo) | — | — | — | — |
What each is best for
HRIS for small-to-mid businesses (5-500 employees), acquired by KKR-backed private equity in 2023. Positioned as the alternative to Workday for teams that don't need enterprise-grade complexity. Distinctive for its non-technical HR generalist UX and its e-signature + onboarding flows. Priced per employee monthly (~$8-$12) with all-in-one plans. Real cost bloat comes from add-ons: Performance, Time Tracking, Payroll (US only).
The Workforce Operating Platform formed from the 2020 merger of Kronos and Ultimate Software ($22B combined). Positioned as the workforce-management-first alternative to Workday for shift-heavy industries (retail, healthcare, manufacturing) where time tracking + labor forecasting matter as much as HRIS. Distinctive for combining Kronos's deep time-and-labor engine with Ultimate's people-first HRIS. Priced quote-based (~$8-$15/employee/mo reference) across UKG Ready (SMB-mid), UKG Pro (mid-large), and UKG Pro Enterprise. Private-equity owned by Hellman & Friedman + Blackstone. Serves 80K+ organizations globally.
At a glance
| BambooHR | UKG | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — |
| Entry price | $10/mo | $8/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | — |
| Last verified | August 23, 2026 | August 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 23, 2026. Tracked daily.