BambooHR vs Vanilla POS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BambooHR
Access essential HR functions on the go. View your company directory, manage time off requests, and stay updated with notifications. Securely access employee information and approve or deny leave requests from anywhere.
- Company directory access
- Time off requests and approvals
- View colleague information
- Add contacts to phone
- Check time off balances
- Push notifications for requests
- TouchID and passcode protection
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BambooHR is online HR software for small and medium-sized businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets. We automate many of the most tedious HR functions and free you up to do meaningful work. The BambooHR app lets you take some of those most important functions with you, and makes your most common tasks in BambooHR simple and fast. * In order to do anything with the BambooHR app you will need a current BambooHR account. Find out more on our website. * The app fully supports single sign-on (SAML) to login Your Company Directory, Everywhere You Go Your company’s phone numbers, emails, photos, titles—your whole company directory goes wherever you do. * See colleague’s information and call, email, or message them with a tap * Quickly add someone’s info to your phone’s contacts Plan and Manage Time Off Planning a trip? Request time off when you’re out and about. Leave requests can be submitted in the app, and if you’re an approver, you can approve them there as well. * See who’s out of the office today and on any future date * See current and calculate your future time off balances * Submit, view, edit, and comment on your time off requests * Approve and deny time off requests * Push notifications keep you in the loop on the status of your requests And don’t worry, TouchID and passcode protection will help keep your information secure. Happy Bambooing!
Vanilla POS
A customizable point-of-sale system that integrates with Stripe Terminal for efficient in-store, online, and mobile sales. It offers flexible payment options, secure transactions, and tailored features for businesses of all sizes, including digital receipts and reporting.
- Stripe Terminal integration
- Tap to Pay on iPhone support
- Complete sales and refund flow
- Customizable POS configurations
- Digital receipts and reporting
- Gift card and loyalty program support
- Multi-location support
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VanillaPOS is a robust and customizable point-of-sale (POS) system designed to seamlessly integrate with Stripe Terminal, offering marketplace owners a reliable and efficient solution for in-store, online, and mobile sales. Built for businesses of all sizes, VanillaPOS empowers users with flexible payment options, secure transactions, and tailored features for various business environments. The app is compatible with iOS devices, supports Tap to Pay on iPhone and integrates with the Stripe M2 terminal for quick and secure payments. Key Features: Cross-Platform Native App Support - Compatible with iOS platform - Designed for Tap to Pay on iPhone Seamless Integration with Stripe Terminal - Full integration with Stripe Connect and Terminal, allowing businesses to process secure in-person payments. Complete Sales & Refund Flow - Support for processing payments, issuing refunds, and managing all in-person transaction types. Customizable POS System - Flexible system configurations tailored to various business scales, including user and store management, product selection, and location support. Digital Receipts & Reporting - Options for digital receipts via Twilio integration, along with a comprehensive dashboard for reporting sales, refunds, and batch closeouts. Advanced Tipping & Service Fees - Support for tipping and service fee management across different transaction scenarios. Geo-Based Tax Collection - Automatically calculates taxes based on the transaction's geographical location for streamlined compliance. Gift Card & Loyalty Program Support - Native integration for handling gift card transactions and loyalty programs, enhancing customer retention. Enhanced Security - High-level transactional security powered by Stripe, ensuring safe and compliant operations for all transaction types. Multi-Location Support - Supports multiple store locations and centralized management, perfect for scaling businesses. Automatic Updates & Upgrades - Regular software updates ensure your business always has access to the latest features and security enhancements. Device Requirements: iOS Compatibility: - iOS 16.4 or later. Device Support: - Compatible with iPhones and Stripe M2 Terminal. - Available in portrait mode for mobile devices and landscape mode for tablets. Pricing: Startup Fee: $6,500 - Includes setup, brand placement, and user management integration. Device License: - $20 per device per month, with a minimum commitment of 15 devices over a 24-month term. - Alternate pricing (transaction-based fee models) is also available upon request. Technical Specifications: Platform: - iOS Hardware Compatibility: - Stripe M2 Terminal 3rd Party Integrations: - Twilio: For digital receipts via SMS. - HubSpot: Available integration for enhanced customer relationship management. Security Features: Enhanced Transaction Security: - Secure payment processing using Stripe's built-in security features, ensuring transactions remain compliant with industry standards. Support & Updates: - Continuous customer support and maintenance services. - Regular app updates and security patches.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: BambooHR at 13K against Vanilla POS's 1. BambooHR also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and monetization model (freemium vs paid). Vanilla POS's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Vanilla POS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BambooHR has 13K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
BambooHR ships an update every 2 weeks, Vanilla POS monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BambooHR | Vanilla POS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (13K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 13K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 287 MB | 87 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BambooHR | Turkois Design LLC |
Customer experience
BambooHR
Vanilla POS
Bugs and requests
BambooHR
Reported bugs
14 issues- App ask for update to see inbox, people or my info
- Locks you out
- Spends a lot of time down, can't always see signature so you don't know if forms are actually filed out or not
- Freezes
- Notifications don't clear properly
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Badges slow to update, annoying
- Poor crashes
- Log in is impossible
- Slow app
- Phone directory look up not working
- Contacts don't work
- Document Sigining not working
- Crashes on log in
- Crashes every time you try to save a contact locally
Requested features
14 requests- Dark mode option
- Advanced calendar view on app
- Allow employees to download letter of employment at their own
- Easier way to fix clocking issues
- Easier way to track lieu hours
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- Open app from email links
- More functionality on app compared to website
- Ability to cancel time off requests from app
- Include user on calendar/out today view
- Text-based recruiting services
- Ability to onboard new hires from app
- Allow document signing on mobile
- Announcements in the app
- Ability to view emergency contacts
Vanilla POS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BambooHR
No in-app purchases
Vanilla POS
No in-app purchases









