BambooHR vs Lattice

BambooHR is a human resources information system (HRIS) built for small and mid-size businesses. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Utah, it became one of the best-known HR tools for companies outgrowing spreadsheets, largely because HR generalists and employees find it easy to use without training.

The core product centralizes employee records, documents and e-signatures, time-off requests and approvals, onboarding and offboarding checklists, org charts and reporting. Higher tiers add performance management, employee satisfaction and eNPS surveys, training tracking, an applicant tracking system and compensation tools. Payroll, benefits administration and time tracking are sold as add-ons and are designed for US employers. Pricing is published per employee per month across Core, Pro and Elite plans, with a flat monthly fee for companies of 25 or fewer employees, and a large marketplace connects BambooHR to payroll, benefits, Slack and accounting tools.

BambooHR suits companies of roughly 25 to 500 employees that want a friendly system of record for people data. It is weaker for large enterprises with complex org structures and for companies that need local payroll and compliance outside the US. Rippling goes further on automation and IT management, Personio is the usual pick in Europe, HiBob appeals to fast-growing global companies, and Turkish employers often choose Kolay İK for local payroll and legal requirements.

Recent releases focus on reporting, AI-assisted writing and more native payroll and benefits capabilities for US customers.

Lattice is a people management platform from Lattice, Inc., a San Francisco company founded in 2015 by Jack Altman and Eric Koslow and backed by Y Combinator, Thrive Capital, Founders Fund, Tiger Global and Dragoneer. It is led by CEO Sarah Franklin and says more than 5,000 organizations use it. Its core job is running the manager-employee rhythm: performance reviews, goals, 1:1s, feedback and engagement surveys in one place.

The product is sold as modules. Performance covers review cycles, calibration, promotions, succession and PIPs. Goals & OKRs handles cascading goals with Jira and Salesforce updates. Engagement runs pulse, onboarding and exit surveys with AI analysis and eNPS. Compensation and Grow are add-ons for pay bands and career tracks. Every base product includes 1:1s, weekly updates, feedback, Q&A boards, analytics and an AI agent that answers policy and career questions.

Lattice fits companies of roughly 50 to 2,000 employees that already have an HRIS and want a more polished talent layer on top. It is not an HRIS or payroll system: BambooHR, Personio and Factorial store employee records and include their own performance modules, which may be enough for smaller teams. Culture Amp and 15Five are its closest direct rivals.

Buying tip: pricing is per seat per month but billed annually in USD with a $4,000 minimum agreement, so a 30-person company pays the minimum even on Performance alone. Lattice also drew criticism in July 2024 for a plan to add AI "digital workers" to org charts, which it reversed within days.