BambooHR’s applicant tracking system is not a product you buy separately. It is a module baked into every tier of BambooHR’s broader HR platform, from Core to Elite. That distinction matters because if you are shopping specifically for an ATS, you will be paying for an entire HRIS to get one. For companies that already need (or already use) BambooHR for HR management, the built-in ATS is a convenient bonus that handles the basics of hiring without requiring a separate tool. For dedicated recruiting teams expecting advanced sourcing, deep analytics, or customizable pipelines, the ATS will feel like an afterthought.
Our original 2019 review covered BambooHR’s ATS as if it were a standalone applicant tracking product. It is not, and it never really was. Since then, BambooHR has restructured its pricing into three tiers (Core, Pro, Elite), expanded to over 34,000 customers, and continued to position the ATS as a supporting feature within a people-management platform rather than a recruiting-first tool. This updated review evaluates BambooHR’s ATS capabilities as they stand today, with a clear-eyed look at what it does well and where it falls short compared to dedicated applicant tracking systems.
If your company has fewer than 200 employees, hires primarily from inbound applications, and wants one platform to handle HR and basic recruiting, BambooHR’s ATS can work. If recruiting is a core function of your business, keep reading to understand exactly where the limitations are.
What Is BambooHR ATS?
BambooHR was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Lindon, Utah. The company is privately held and reported $274 million in revenue in 2024. It serves over 34,000 customers across 190 countries, managing data for approximately 3 million employees. Notable clients include Quora, Le Creuset, MasterClass, Fitbit, FreshBooks, and Squarespace. BambooHR acquired TraxPayroll in 2018 to add payroll processing capabilities to its platform.
The applicant tracking module is included at every pricing tier, though with different caps on the number of active job openings (5 on Core, 25 on Pro, 50 on Elite). The ATS covers the basics of recruiting: posting jobs to external boards, collecting applications, tracking candidates through a hiring pipeline, enabling team collaboration on hiring decisions, and pushing hired candidates directly into the HRIS for onboarding. It is designed to serve the HR generalist who handles hiring as one of many responsibilities, not the recruiter who lives in an ATS all day.
BambooHR ATS Key Features
Job Posting and Distribution
BambooHR allows you to create job postings and distribute them to external job boards including Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and social media channels. Job listings are mobile-friendly, which matters given that a significant share of candidates now apply from their phones. However, the system does not include candidate sourcing tools or outreach automation at any tier. You are limited to collecting inbound applications rather than proactively finding candidates. For companies that rely on job board postings and career pages, this is adequate. For teams that need to headhunt or run targeted outreach campaigns, it is a hard limitation.
Candidate Tracking and Pipeline Management
The ATS provides a standard pipeline for moving candidates through hiring stages. You can view applicants, advance or reject them, and track where each person stands. Candidates can be rated on a five-star scale, and multiple team members can leave feedback. That said, the pipeline is not deeply customizable. You cannot build complex multi-stage workflows, set up automated candidate scoring, or configure advanced pipeline automation. Compared to dedicated ATS platforms like Greenhouse or Lever, BambooHR’s pipeline feels simplified.
Automated Candidate Communication
BambooHR supports automated, personalized emails to candidates at various stages of the hiring process. This helps keep applicants informed without requiring manual outreach for every status change. You can set up templates and trigger messages based on candidate status updates. The feature is functional but basic compared to ATS platforms that offer multi-channel communication (SMS, in-app messaging) or AI-driven personalization.
Collaborative Hiring
Hiring managers and team members can access candidate profiles, leave comments, and provide ratings within the system. This is one of the ATS’s genuine strengths for small teams. Instead of passing resumes around via email, everyone evaluates candidates in one place. Permissions can be configured so that hiring managers only see candidates for their open positions, maintaining appropriate access controls.
Offer Letters with E-Signatures
Once you have selected a candidate, BambooHR allows you to generate offer letters and collect electronic signatures within the platform. This eliminates the need for a separate e-signature tool for hiring purposes and keeps the entire process, from application to signed offer, in one system.
HRIS-to-ATS Integration
This is the feature that most clearly separates BambooHR’s ATS from standalone applicant tracking systems. When a candidate is marked as “hired,” their information transfers directly into the BambooHR employee database. No duplicate data entry, no CSV exports, no manual re-keying of names, addresses, and job details. The onboarding workflow picks up where the hiring process left off. For HR teams that manage both recruiting and employee administration, this automatic handoff saves real time and reduces errors.
BambooHR Hiring Mobile App
BambooHR offers a separate mobile app called “BambooHR Hiring” for iOS and Android, dedicated to the recruiting workflow. This lets hiring managers review candidates, leave feedback, and advance applicants through stages from their phones. It is a thoughtful touch, though some users report that mobile functionality still lags behind the desktop experience for certain tasks.
Reporting
The ATS includes basic hiring reports, but this is an area where users consistently express frustration. Hiring-specific analytics are limited. You can pull standard reports on time-to-hire and applicant sources, but deeper recruiting metrics (cost-per-hire breakdowns, source quality analysis, pipeline velocity by stage) are either unavailable or require workarounds. BambooHR offers 15+ pre-built reports across the broader platform, but the ATS-specific reporting does not match what dedicated recruiting tools provide.
BambooHR ATS Pricing and Plans
BambooHR does not publish exact pricing on its website. Custom quotes are required. However, based on widely reported third-party pricing data, approximate per-employee, per-month costs are as follows:
| Plan | Approximate Cost (PEPM) | Active ATS Job Openings | Key ATS-Related Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | ~$10/employee/month | 5 | ATS, onboarding, employee records, time-off management, basic reporting, basic AI assistant |
| Pro | ~$17/employee/month | 25 | Everything in Core plus performance management, employee surveys, engagement tools, upgraded AI assistant |
| Elite | ~$25/employee/month | 50 | Everything in Pro plus compensation management, custom dashboards, HR benchmarks, 300+ compliance courses, premium support |
Companies with 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 per month regardless of plan. Implementation fees typically add 5% to 15% of annual costs. Payroll ($6-$8/employee/month), benefits administration, and time tracking are paid add-ons at every tier. Bundling Payroll and Benefits Administration together saves 15%.
Pre-payment discounts are available: 3% for a one-year commitment, 7.5% for two years, and 10% for three years. Nonprofits receive a 15% discount. Volume discounts apply at thresholds of 50, 100, 200, and 500+ employees.
A free 7-day trial is available with no credit card required. The trial includes sample data so you can explore the interface immediately. BambooHR also offers free live demo webinars.
Important context: you cannot purchase the ATS module separately. Even if all you need is applicant tracking, you are buying the full BambooHR platform. At ~$10/employee/month on Core, a 100-person company pays roughly $1,000/month. Whether that represents good value depends entirely on whether you also need the HRIS, time-off tracking, and onboarding features that come bundled in.
Integrations
BambooHR lists over 150 integrations across its platform. For ATS-specific functionality, notable integrations include:
- Background checks: Checkr, HireRight, Backgrounds Online, GoodHire
- Scheduling: Cronofy (interview scheduling)
- Onboarding enhancement: Enboarder
- Job boards: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, plus social network posting
- Recruiting tools: Workable, Lever (for organizations using BambooHR as HRIS alongside a dedicated ATS)
Broader platform integrations cover payroll (QuickBooks), employee engagement (Bonusly, OfficeVibe), training (Litmos), time tracking (Ximble, Boomr), and general automation (Zapier). The Advantage and higher tiers include open API access for custom integrations. BambooHR uses a Zero Trust security model, with data hosted in the US, Canada, or Ireland, and maintains SOC I and SOC II audit compliance.
One thing worth noting: while the integration count is high, several users report that some integrations are surface-level rather than deeply bidirectional. If you need a specific integration to work in a particular way, confirm the details with BambooHR before committing.
Customer Support
BambooHR’s support team is entirely in-house, which is uncommon for HR software vendors in this price range. Support channels include email (support@bamboohr.com), phone (1-866-387-9595), and live chat. Self-service resources include a knowledge base, guides, video tutorials, and webinars. BambooHR also maintains a user community called “BambooHR Heroes.”
Phone support is available 12 hours a day during US business hours, not 24/7. This is a drawback for international teams operating in non-US time zones. Premium support is included with the Elite plan, though specifics on what “premium” adds are not clearly documented.
User feedback on support quality is generally positive. Customers frequently describe the support team as genuinely helpful and knowledgeable, with reported satisfaction rates around 92%. However, some users note that initial sales interactions and pricing calls can be frustrating, with unreturned calls reported during the quoting process. Implementation is handled by a dedicated team and typically takes 2 to 4 weeks, following a three-step process: data import, system customization, and training.
Pros and Cons
After analyzing extensive user feedback and evaluating BambooHR’s ATS against dedicated applicant tracking systems, here is where the module genuinely delivers and where it clearly falls short.
Pros
- Automatic data transfer from ATS to employee database eliminates duplicate entry when candidates are hired
- Exceptionally easy to use with an intuitive, clean interface that requires minimal training
- Included at every BambooHR pricing tier, adding no extra cost for existing BambooHR customers
- Collaborative hiring features let team members rate candidates and leave feedback in one place
- Dedicated BambooHR Hiring mobile app for iOS and Android for on-the-go candidate review
- In-house customer support team with consistently high satisfaction ratings (~92%)
Cons
- No candidate sourcing or outreach automation tools at any plan tier
- Active job opening caps are restrictive: 5 (Core), 25 (Pro), 50 (Elite)
- Limited pipeline customization compared to dedicated ATS platforms
- No built-in video interviewing capability
- Hiring-specific reporting and analytics are basic and lack depth
- Cannot be purchased separately; requires buying the full BambooHR HR platform
- Phone support limited to US business hours (12/7), problematic for international teams
Who Should Use BambooHR ATS?
Best fit: Companies with 25 to 200 employees that hire primarily from inbound job applications and need an HR platform that also handles basic recruiting. If your HR generalist manages hiring alongside employee records, time-off, and onboarding, BambooHR’s ATS keeps everything in one place without requiring a separate tool. Industries like professional services, nonprofits, tech startups, and mid-market businesses that hire at a moderate pace (fewer than 25 open roles at a time) will get the most from this module.
Good fit: Companies up to 500 employees that are already using BambooHR as their HRIS and want to avoid the cost and complexity of integrating a separate ATS. The automatic data transfer from hiring to onboarding is a genuine time-saver.
Poor fit: Recruiting agencies, high-volume hiring organizations, or any company where talent acquisition is a strategic function requiring advanced sourcing, candidate ranking, automated outreach, or deep recruiting analytics. Companies with more than 50 simultaneous job openings will hit the cap even on the Elite plan. Enterprises with complex, multi-stage hiring workflows or teams that need video interviewing built into the ATS should look at dedicated solutions.
BambooHR ATS Alternatives
Greenhouse
Greenhouse is a dedicated ATS built for structured hiring at scale. It offers customizable interview plans, advanced scorecards, detailed sourcing analytics, and a much deeper candidate pipeline than BambooHR. It is significantly more expensive and more complex to configure. Choose Greenhouse if recruiting is a core business function and you have a dedicated talent acquisition team that needs sophisticated workflow automation.
Lever (now part of Employ)
Lever combines ATS and CRM functionality, making it stronger for proactive candidate sourcing and relationship building over time. It includes nurture campaigns, pipeline analytics, and diversity insights that BambooHR lacks entirely. Lever is a better fit for companies that want to build talent pipelines before roles open. It does not include HRIS functionality, so you would need to pair it with a separate HR platform.
Workable
Workable is a mid-market ATS that offers AI-powered candidate sourcing, one-click job posting to 200+ boards, video interviews, and automated candidate screening. It is more feature-rich than BambooHR’s ATS at a comparable or slightly lower price point for hiring-only functionality. Workable integrates with BambooHR, so some companies use both. If you want a stronger recruiting tool without leaving BambooHR’s HRIS ecosystem, this combination works.
JazzHR
JazzHR targets small businesses that need an affordable, standalone ATS. Starting at a lower price point than BambooHR’s full platform, JazzHR offers job posting, candidate tracking, interview scheduling, and basic reporting. It lacks BambooHR’s HRIS features, but if you only need applicant tracking and do not want to pay for a full HR suite, JazzHR is a more focused and cost-effective option.
Rippling
Rippling competes directly with BambooHR as an all-in-one HR platform that includes ATS functionality. Rippling’s ATS offers more automation options, better reporting, and tighter integration with IT provisioning (device management, app access). It is generally more expensive and more complex but is a stronger choice for tech-forward companies that want deeper automation across HR and IT workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BambooHR’s ATS available as a standalone product?
No. The ATS is bundled into every BambooHR plan (Core, Pro, and Elite). You cannot purchase the applicant tracking module separately. You are buying the full BambooHR HR platform, which includes employee records, time-off tracking, onboarding, and reporting alongside the ATS.
How many job openings can I have active at once in BambooHR?
The Core plan allows 5 active job openings, Pro allows 25, and Elite allows 50. If you regularly have more than 50 positions open simultaneously, BambooHR’s ATS may not be sufficient, and you should consider a dedicated applicant tracking system.
Does BambooHR’s ATS include candidate sourcing tools?
No. BambooHR’s ATS does not include candidate sourcing or outreach automation at any plan tier. It is designed for collecting and managing inbound applications from job boards, career pages, and referrals. If proactive sourcing is important to your hiring strategy, you will need a separate tool.
Does BambooHR offer a free trial?
Yes. BambooHR offers a free 7-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes sample data so you can explore the platform and its ATS functionality immediately. The trial ends automatically with no obligation.
Can BambooHR’s ATS handle video interviews?
BambooHR does not include built-in video interviewing functionality. You would need to use a separate video interview tool and manage that process outside of BambooHR, or integrate a third-party video interview platform if one is available through BambooHR’s integration marketplace.
What happens when a candidate is hired in BambooHR?
When you mark a candidate as “hired” in the ATS, their information automatically transfers into the BambooHR employee database. This eliminates duplicate data entry and begins the onboarding workflow immediately. Name, contact details, job title, and other application data carry over without manual re-entry.
How long does BambooHR implementation take?
Typical implementation takes 2 to 4 weeks and follows three steps: data import, system customization, and training. BambooHR provides a dedicated implementation team, plus video tutorials and webinars. Implementation fees typically range from 5% to 15% of your annual subscription cost.
The Bottom Line
BambooHR’s ATS is a competent but basic applicant tracking module that works best when you think of it as a feature of an HR platform rather than a standalone recruiting tool. It handles the fundamentals (posting jobs, collecting applications, collaborating on candidates, generating offer letters) and its direct connection to BambooHR’s employee database is a genuine advantage that saves time during onboarding. For HR generalists at small to mid-sized companies who handle hiring as part of a broader role, it eliminates the need to juggle a separate ATS.
Where it falls short is clear: no candidate sourcing, no outreach automation, limited pipeline customization, basic reporting, caps on active job openings, and no video interviewing. These are not minor gaps for organizations where recruiting is a strategic priority. The ATS, as one recruiter-focused analysis put it, “serves the HRIS, not the recruiter.” If your hiring volume exceeds a few dozen open roles, or if you need to proactively source candidates rather than wait for applications, you will outgrow this module quickly.
We rate BambooHR’s ATS a 3.4 out of 5 when evaluated specifically as an applicant tracking system. It earns that score by being easy to use, well-integrated with its parent platform, and genuinely useful for basic hiring workflows. It loses points for limited functionality compared to any dedicated ATS in the same price range. If you are already buying BambooHR for HR management, the ATS is a solid included bonus. If you are evaluating it purely for recruiting capabilities, dedicated tools like Greenhouse, Workable, or Lever will serve you significantly better.
