BambooHR vs Sage People
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
BambooHR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Sage People
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- France
- Germany
- Spain
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.0 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | BambooHR | Sage People |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | On request | On request |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | NoNo |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 244 reviews | 298 reviews |
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- BambooHR
- Sage People
| Dimension | BambooHR | Sage People | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Value for money | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to Sage People |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Functionality | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to Sage People |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | 41% (100 reviews) | 35% (86 reviews) | 14% (33 reviews) | 8% (19 reviews) | 2% (6 reviews) |
| Sage People | 46% (138 reviews) | 32% (96 reviews) | 12% (36 reviews) | 7% (21 reviews) | 2% (7 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Only BambooHR
- 1050%
- Only Sage People
- 1050%
20 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
BambooHR
10- Applicant tracking
- Document management
- Employee database
- Employee self serve
+ 6 more in the table below
Sage People
10- Built on the Salesforce platform
- Compensation planning
- Configurable workflows
- Employee lifecycle management
+ 6 more in the table below
| Detail | BambooHR | Sage People |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 20 | ||
| Applicant tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Document management | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee database | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee self serve | YesYes | NoNo |
| Large integration marketplace | YesYes | NoNo |
| Mobile app | YesYes | NoNo |
| Onboarding workflows | YesYes | NoNo |
| Performance management add on | YesYes | NoNo |
| Reporting and analytics | YesYes | NoNo |
| Time off management | YesYes | NoNo |
| Built on the Salesforce platform | NoNo | YesYes |
| Compensation planning | NoNo | YesYes |
| Configurable workflows | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee lifecycle management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee self service | NoNo | YesYes |
| Global reporting | NoNo | YesYes |
| Multi country HR management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Recruitment and onboarding | NoNo | YesYes |
| Talent and performance management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Workforce analytics | NoNo | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
BambooHR
Sage People
BambooHR
Contact vendor
- Quoted per employee
- Core HR and onboarding
- Performance add on
Sage People
Contact vendor
- Quoted per organisation
- Multi country HR
- Workforce analytics
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose BambooHR if
- You can trial it before paying — Sage People lists no free trial.
- It lists 10 features Sage People does not, including applicant tracking.
Choose Sage People if
- It lists 10 features BambooHR does not, including built on the salesforce platform.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Sage People currently rates 4.1 against 4.0 for BambooHR. That gap is not the whole story: BambooHR starts at a quoted price and Sage People at a quoted price, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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