# BambooHR vs Bonusly

The clearest difference is update cadence: BambooHR at every 2 weeks against Bonusly's monthly. BambooHR also leads on chart position (#122 vs unranked). Bonusly's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 26%) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for BambooHR against 4.8 for Bonusly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 4.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of BambooHR's written reviews are positive against 40% of Bonusly's.

BambooHR ships an update every 2 weeks, Bonusly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BambooHR | Bonusly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboohr/id587244049/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonusly/id995249036/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13K** | 4.5K |
| Positive reviews | 26.1% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#122** | — |
| Size | 287 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BambooHR](https://appshunter.io/developer/587244052) | [Smartly, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/995249035) |

## What reviewers say

### BambooHR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboohr/id587244049)

**Currently charting:** #122 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for employer and employee
- 👍 Simple to use
- 👍 Professional approach
- 👍 User friendly
- 👍 Great app when it involves anything to do with my job

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Freezes

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Bonusly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bonusly/id995249036)

This platform fosters stronger teams and better workplace cultures through recognition. It allows users to send appreciation, redeem rewards, conduct one-on-one meetings, and stay connected with colleagues, all from their mobile device.

**Highlights:** Send recognition tied to goals, Record video messages for recognition, Redeem rewards with gift cards, Run 1:1 meetings and check-ins, View company social feed, Donate to charity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and easy to use
- 👍 Encourages team recognition
- 👍 Great for creating a positive work culture

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
- 🐛 Unresponsive and slow performance
- 🐛 Login issues with Google authentication
- 🐛 Compatibility problems on older devices
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app experience

**Reported bugs**

- Endless login loop with Google Authenticate
- 404 errors when trying to sign in
- Unknown errors when browsing rewards
- App crashing on launch or login
- Unresponsive buttons and screens

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and fix bugs
- Enhance user interface and navigation
- Add more customization options
- Improve integration with other platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BambooHR free?

BambooHR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bonusly free?

Bonusly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BambooHR or Bonusly?

Bonusly is rated higher. BambooHR averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Bonusly averages 4.8 from 4.5K ratings.

### Do BambooHR or Bonusly have ads?

Neither BambooHR nor Bonusly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BambooHR or Bonusly?

BambooHR ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bonusly monthly. Most recently, BambooHR was updated on October 19, 2026 and Bonusly on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*