Compare/Head to head

BambooHR vs Rival HR

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

BambooHR

$250/mo

Small-business HRIS that often doubles as the first ATS. Per-employee plans start at $10, with a $250/mo floor for companies of 25 or fewer.

Where BambooHR fits

  • US small businesses buying a first HRIS
  • Teams that want a light ATS in the same product
  • HR teams running onboarding after the offer
  • Buyers comparing against Gusto or Namely

Rival HR

Sales-quoted

Rival HR is a modular talent suite (sourcing, ATS/CRM recruiting, onboarding journeys, learning, performance) sold on a quote. The AI layer is ROSI (Rival OS Intelligence).

Where Rival HR fits

  • Mid-market and enterprise HR that already have an HCM and need a journey layer
  • TA teams that want 750M-profile outbound sourcing beside an existing ATS
  • HR orgs replacing or extending SilkRoad Recruit and Onboard
  • Companies that want ROSI agentic workflows across hire-to-retire

At a glance

DetailBambooHRRival HR
Starting price$250/moSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underBenefits administration, HR compliance, HRIS, Onboarding, Time & attendanceATS, Onboarding, Sourcing
Capterra4.6 from 3,558 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

BambooHR

Stands out: HRIS plus a light applicant tracker and onboarding in one small-business login.

Watch out: The $250 figure is the small-company flat rate, not a per-employee price. Bills scale with headcount above that.

Not the right fit for

  • High-volume hiring that needs a dedicated ATS
  • Global employer-of-record buyers

Rival HR

Stands out: Sourcing searches 750M+ profiles and is built to sit on top of an ATS you already run. Rival is SilkRoad Technology, Inc. doing business as Rival, with 20+ years in onboarding.

Watch out: There is no public rate card. You buy modules (Recruit, Onboard, Journeys, Learn, Perform) through sales. This is an orchestration overlay, not a $50/mo SMB ATS.

Not the right fit for

  • Startups that need a published per-month ATS and a credit-card checkout
  • Teams that only want a lightweight job board, not an HR orchestration suite

Pros and cons

BambooHR

  • Clear per-employee pricing with a small-company floor
  • HRIS plus a light ATS
  • Public API
  • MCP server is still in beta
  • Outgrown quickly by high-volume hiring
  • Costs climb with headcount

Rival HR

  • 750M+ profiles in Rival sourcing, usable with your current ATS
  • ROSI AI native to the suite, not a bolted-on chatbot
  • Onboarding lineage from SilkRoad, with provisioning across HR and IT
  • Sales-quoted modules. No self-serve plan table
  • Implementation is an enterprise project, not a weekend setup
  • Buying one module still means a vendor conversation for the rest of the suite

What each one costs

BambooHR

$250/mo

Companies with 25 employees or fewer pay a flat monthly rate starting at $250. Above 25 employees, Core is $10, Pro $17 and Elite $25 per employee per month, with automatic volume discounts. Payroll, benefits administration and time tracking are add-ons. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Rival HR

Sales-quoted

Rival HR modules (sourcing, Recruit, Onboard, journeys, learning, performance) are quoted. No public plan table. Talk to sales or request a demo. ROSI AI is included in the platform conversation, not listed as a separate self-serve add-on. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try BambooHR or Rival HR for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.
Does BambooHR or Rival HR have an MCP server?
BambooHR ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All BambooHR alternatives All Rival HR alternatives Every Benefits administration tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?