Odoo vs BambooHR

A detailed comparison of leading Human Resources software for SMEs.

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Introduction


Essential for strengthening employer-employee relationships, human resource systems have evolved over the years to include more aspects of HR officers’ functions. From fleet, and payroll management to time off and attendance, HR systems can accommodate varying scopes and budgets, answering to the needs of organizations of all sizes. Traditionally, human resource processes heavily relied on face-to-face communication and extensive paper-based tasks. However, available systems have simplified HR operations, reducing paperwork and allowing employees to allocate more time to essential tasks.

Choosing the right software is crucial for effectively attracting, nurturing, and retaining top talent. We have carefully selected and analyzed some of the most popular solutions available, including Odoo, BambooHR, SAP SuccessFactorsOracle HCMWorkday, and Personio. In this page, we have created tables highlighting the availability of key features of Odoo vs BambooHR in several areas, namely employees, recruitment, time off, appraisals, referrals, fleet management, and expenses. Happy reading!

Odoo

Created to disrupt the enterprise world and finally provide a software that covers complex needs with simplicity, Odoo has become one of the most popular business solutions. With more than 82 business apps fully integrated and thousands of community modules, the open-source software caters to every sector and company size, making it a major player in the market. The Belgian software counts more than 20,000 downloads per day, making it the most installed app suite and a direct competitor to companies like Netsuite, Shopify, PrestaShop and Microsoft.

"Attract, nurture, and retain: the HR tool for your amazing employees!"

12 million +
users

44,000 +
integrated apps

1 to 6 weeks
to be implemented

3600 +
employees

BambooHR 

BambooHR is an HR dedicated platform that integrates various capabilities, providing a single source of data for managing employee information. It offers features to streamline processes such as employee data management, talent acquisition and onboarding, payroll management, benefits administration, and performance measurement. With pre-built integrations, it allows seamless connectivity with other tools. BambooHR continuously evolves with frequent additions of new features and integrations to enhance its functionality and customization options.

"HR management software that brings it all together"

1,8 million +
users

50 +
integrated apps

4 to 6 weeks
to be implemented

1,300 +
employees

Features Comparison

Employees

Odoo

BambooHR

Employee Profiles & Data

Employee Profile Management

Homeworking Management

Private Data & File Storage

Resume Generation

Employee Stages

Community module

Employee Skillset Tracking


Add-on

Equipment Inventory (e.g., laptop)


Equipment Allocation Request

Community module

Benefits Overview (e.g., insurances)


Multi-Company Configuration


Work Location



Customizable Departmental Structure



Organization Chart & Approval Workflow



Field Format Validation


Employee Workload Calculation

Community module

Employee Social Links

Community module


Resume Preview (without downloading)



Print Resume


Access Rights Management


Global HR Flow

Contract Lifecycle Management

Add-on

Benefits Coordination & Contract Renewal


Add-on

Simulation Link Generation



Contract Termination Process


Add-on

Work Schedule Configuration


Employee Satisfaction Tracking

Achievement Gamification (Badges & Challenges)


Add-on

Loan for Employee

Community module


eLearning

Add-on

Digital Document Handling



Internal Communication

Messaging Tool


Add-on

Team Collaboration Chatter


Add-on

Enterprise Social Network


Add-on

Notes & Comments



Document eSignature Capability



Reporting & Dashboards

Dashboards



Reporting



Recruitment

Odoo

BambooHR

Global Recruitment Flow – Part. 1

End-to-End Recruitment


Applicant History Log



Application Status



Customizable Job Positions



Flexible Employment Status



Job Position Creation



Job Position Page Building Blocks



Insert Images/Videos on Job Position Page



Custom Apply Form



Job Position Publishing Control



Candidate Pipeline Kanban View (Drag and Drop)



Employment Website Connectivity (e.g., Indeed)



LinkedIn Profile Application Support



LinkedIn Profile Link



Applicant Tracking System (ATS)



Email Tracking for Sources



Visual Differentiation Between Internal and External Candidates



Resume OCR


Add-on

Resume Skills OCR


Add-on

Resume Preview (without downloading)



Global Recruitment Flow – Part. 2

Applicant Skills Logging



Applicant Start Date Availability



Applicant Expected Salary Capture



Interviewer Assignment with Application Access



Calendar Integration for Interview Scheduling



Room Booking for On-site Interview



Interview Form



Interview Feedback & Rating



Application Examination (by peer colleagues)


Offer Template



Online Offer Sending



Salary Self Configurator



Contract Digital Signature (eSignature)



Customizable Rejection Reasons



Onboarding & Information Package Management


Off-boarding Process Management


Productivity & Collaboration

Status Audit Trail


Reminders


Customizable Activity Types


Communication w/ team & recruits

Messaging Tool


Email Template


Refusal Reasons Tied to Email Templates


Automated Application Rejection Email


Team Collaboration Chatter


Private Notes/Comments on Applicant


Chatbot


Livechat (w/ recruiters)


Voice over IP Support


Integrated Call Widget


Integrated SMS Widget


Whatsapp Integration


Reporting & Dashboards

Reporting


Dashboards


Mobile Application Integration


Digital Document Handling


Referrals

Odoo

BambooHR

Referrals & Rewards

Job Position Sharing


Referral System for Friends


Active Referral Tracking


Alert Notifications (banner)


Point-Based Gamification


Stage-Specific Points Allocation (e.g., CV received)


Levels Determination (based on accumulated points)


Rewards Management


Reward-Type Specific Responsible Person


Reporting & Dashboards

Reporting


Dashboards


Attendances

Odoo

BambooHR

Time & Attendances

Employee Time Management


Mobile Support


Employee Work Hours Control


Extra Hours Management


Support RFID, Badge, Pin code, Manual Identification


Extra Hours Tolerance (employer/employee)


Rights Management


Reporting


Time off

Odoo

BambooHR

Time Off Configurations & Management

Time Off Management (e.g., Holidays)


Leave Allocation (e.g., Paternity Leave)


Employee Overtime Management


Accrual Plans and Public Holiday Setup


Accruals w/ Attendance (accrued hourly)


Stress Day Configuration


Customizable Time Off Types


Visual Leave Type Display Options (Symbol & Color)


Full & Half-Day Time Off Options


Future Time Off Visualisation


Time Off Approval and Status Tracking


Negative Time Off


Remaining Time Off Visibility (Per Type)


Calendar & Gantt Chart View


Team-Wide Time Off View


Part-time Employee (France)


Social Secretary Specific Leave


Reporting & Dashboards

Reporting


Dashboards


Appraisals

Odoo

BambooHR

Perfomance Assessment

Appraisal Plan


Appraisal Template Creation


Multiple Managers Appraisal Capability


Goal Sharing & Milestone Tracking


Career Focus/Development Goals



Core Values


Manual Appraisal Requesting


Appraisal Status Monitoring


Appraisal Calendar Overview


Appraisal Content Comparison (Employee vs Manager)


Appraisal Visibility Options (for managers)


Skill Progress Assessment


360-Degree Feedback


Survey Template for 360-Degree Feedback


Evaluation Scale & Final Rating


Recommended Learning Courses



Mentor/Coach



Productivity, Communication & Collaboration

Messaging Tool


Collaboration Chatter


Integrated meeting planning


Reminders & Next Action Scheduling


Reporting & Dashboards

Dashboard


Individual Performance Reporting


Comparative Analysis Tool (by department/individual)


Company-wide Performance Reporting


Fleet

Odoo

BambooHR

Fleet Management

Car Categories Classification


Vehicle Template Configuration


Drivers History (Current vs Future Driver)


Customizable Service Options


Employee Vehicle Request

Community module


Leasing Contract Administration


Vehicle Maintenance Tracking


Vehicle Crash Incident Follow-Up


Mileage Tracking System


Fuel Consumption Tracking


Reporting & Dashboards

Reporting


Dashboards


Expenses

Odoo

BambooHR

Global Expense Flow

Customizable Expense Categories

Add-on

Document Management & Justification

Add-on

Receipt Capture (Picture or Import)

Add-on

Expense Digitalization (OCR)

Add-on

Split Expenses by Tax Rates

Add-on

Reimbursement in Payslips


Expense Policies and Approval Process

Add-on

Additional Approvers Adding

Community module


Expense Status Tracking

Add-on

Visa Request


Reporting & Dashboards

Dashboards

Add-on

Reporting

Add-on

Payroll

Odoo

BambooHR

Global Payroll Flow

Monthly Payroll Completion


Mass Confirm Payslip

Community module


Salary Structure Type Setup


Commission Plan

Add-on

Pay On-Demand/Salary Advance

Community module


Work Entries & Conflict Resolution


Warning Notifications


Employee Overtime Management


Payslip Preview (without downloading)


Document Signature


Salary Attachments Management


Part-Time Contract Management

Add-on

Contracts History

Add-on

Deferred Time Off support


Employees Bank Account Verification


Payroll based on Attendance


Payroll based on Planning


Employee Gratuity Settlement

Community module


Reporting & Dashboards

Dashboards


General Employer Cost Overview


Employee Trend Analysis


Fiscal Reporting Tools


Usability, Pricing & Conditions

Odoo

BambooHR

Implementation

Ease of Setup

9.0/10

8.9/10

Ease of Use

9.6/10

9.3/10

Meets Requirements

9.5/10

8.3/10

Users Satisfaction

Ratings on g2Crowd

4.2/5

4.5/5

Ratings on GetApp

4.2/5

4.6/5

Ratings on Capterra

4.1/5

4.6/5

Pricing & Conditions

Pricing

6€

Custom pricing (quote)

1 Free App


Open-Source


Hosting

Cloud & On-premise

Cloud

Free Trial


Quality of Support

8.0/10

8.8/10

User Interface

The user interface (UI) is often overlooked in software development, as organizations tend to prioritize core functions and back-end development over creating a highly functional UI. However, this imbalance leads to a poor user experience and limited productivity. 

Efficiency and user satisfaction heavily rely on well-designed usability in software. A successful solution must consider user needs and goals to assist them effectively. The UI is crucial in understanding human factors and enabling the software to fulfill its purpose. Therefore, a strong and functional design is vital for creating a positive user experience.

In the context of HR management tools, a good UI becomes even more essential. HR professionals handle sensitive employee information, and a well-designed UI ensures secure and intuitive access and management of this data. It reduces the risk of errors, data breaches, and unauthorized access. Additionally, HR professionals manage a wide range of tasks, from recruitment to payroll administration. A well-designed UI simplifies these complex processes, streamlining workflows and saving time and effort.

A good UI also enhances job satisfaction and engagement among HR professionals. By reducing frustration and cognitive load, a visually appealing and user-friendly interface allows them to focus on strategic HR activities. This not only boosts productivity but also helps attract and retain top HR talent, as professionals are more likely to prefer tools that make their work easier and more enjoyable. 

Furthermore, a well-designed UI promotes self-service capabilities for employees. By providing an intuitive and accessible interface, employees can easily access HR information, request time off, review benefits, and perform other self-service tasks. This empowers employees, reduces the burden on HR staff, and fosters a culture of transparency and autonomy within the organization. 

Different solutions, 
Different needs

When choosing the right software for your business, it is important to assess several criteria based on your specific needs.

Business Scope measures a software’s capacity to meet your business needs comprehensively through its features and its flexibility in customizability and integration with other tools. 

User-friendliness measures how straightforward and user-friendly a software solution is for your team to navigate, requiring minimal training or complex procedures. Additionally, it evaluates how hassle-free the software is to set up, considering factors like time, effort, and resource requirements for initial configuration within your organization.

Odoo is a robust solution that addresses a wide range of business needs, extending far beyond HR functions. This platform is designed to streamline operations and replace the need for disjointed, non-integrated software applications. Odoo shines as a highly customizable, all-in-one solution with a multitude of applications. Its open-source nature empowers a thriving community, resulting in a vast repository of community-contributed applications. It is the only solution covering fleet management capability.

BambooHR is considered as an out-of-the-box solution with limitations in terms of customization. However, BambooHR stands out for its ability to easily integrate with third-party applications, thanks to its open API, which helps fill in the gaps despite lacking some crucial functions like expense management (though an add-on is available) and referrals. 

When it comes to user-friendliness, Odoo and BambooHR, all offer intuitive interfaces, making them suitable for users of varying technical backgrounds. Their straightforward setup procedures ensure a hassle-free experience.

It is important to consider the specific needs and scale of your business when assessing which solution is the best fit, as the ease of use and setup can vary significantly among these options.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice depends on your organization’s specific requirements, scale, and the balance between customization, ease of use, and setup. 

If you are seeking specific HR solutions, BambooHR and Odoo might be a good fit. Thanks to their user-friendliness and ease of setup, these systems are particularly well-suited for organizations with limited resources for extensive IT support and training. They provide efficient solutions for HR needs without overwhelming complexity. 

If you have more extensive requirements and resources, you may find Odoo highly appealing. It offers advanced features and can accommodate complex HR processes. Oracle HCM and Workday may be overwhelming for smaller businesses, making them better suited for larger enterprises with a more extensive IT infrastructure, while SAP SuccessFactors might have more limitations in terms of customization.