Running a business in India in 2026 means juggling payroll software India that actually understands PF, ESI, TDS, Shops & Establishments rules, plus attendance that works for hybrid, field, and factory teams. Between SalaryBox and BambooHR, which one delivers real value for Indian SMEs and startups?

This detailed SalaryBox vs BambooHR India HRMS comparison breaks down payroll automation, statutory compliance, biometric attendance, mobile GPS tracking, leave management, pricing, and more—so you can pick the right cloud HRMS without wasting time or money.

Quick Overview: SalaryBox vs BambooHR in the Indian Context

SalaryBox is a mobile-first, India-built HRMS and payroll platform designed from the ground up for local businesses. It handles everything in one place: automated payroll with full EPF/ESI/PT/TDS compliance, AI selfie + GPS + biometric attendance, leave policies tuned to Indian labour laws, and employee self-service—all at flat, predictable monthly pricing.

BambooHR, a US-based favourite, shines in employee experience, clean UI, and global talent features. However, it lacks native Indian payroll compliance (PF, ESI, TDS filings need workarounds or third-party tools), and its attendance relies heavily on add-ons or integrations for proper biometric or geo-fenced tracking common in Indian workplaces.

For most Indian companies in 2026, SalaryBox wins on compliance depth, cost, and mobile attendance suited to frontline and remote teams.

Payroll & Statutory Compliance: The Make-or-Break Factor

Indian payroll software must calculate, deduct, file, and pay PF, ESI, Professional Tax, TDS, and generate Form 16 automatically—without manual Excel headaches.

SalaryBox’s SB Payroll Pro (starting at just ₹700/month flat) does it all out-of-the-box: auto PF/ESI/PT/TDS calculations, challan generation, Form 16, salary advances, reimbursements, and 1-click bank payouts. It stays updated with every government change and supports multi-state rules effortlessly.

BambooHR offers strong US payroll and tax filing but provides zero native Indian statutory compliance. Indian companies must integrate external tools or handle PF/ESI/TDS manually—adding cost, errors, and compliance risk.

Winner: SalaryBox – the true payroll software India with compliance (PF, ESI, TDS) that SMEs actually need in 2026.

Attendance Tracking: Biometric, GPS, Face Recognition & Mobile App Comparison

Attendance is where the real difference shows for hybrid workforce attendance tracking in India.

SalaryBox delivers:

• AI Selfie Attendance with liveness detection (face recognition attendance system accuracy at its best)
• Geofence + Live GPS tracking
• QR code punch for sites/factories
• Full biometric attendance integration (fingerprint/face devices via MCP)
• Offline mode + auto-sync
• Break tracking, shift rosters, regularisation

It prevents buddy punching and time theft better than most biometric attendance system India options. The mobile biometric attendance app works on any Android phone—no extra hardware needed for most teams.

BambooHR offers mobile clock-in with geolocation and supports third-party biometric devices via marketplace add-ons. However, offline mode is unreliable, geo-fencing can glitch in low-signal Indian areas, and native face recognition or AI selfie is absent. Many users report 10-15% failed punches.

Winner: SalaryBox – best biometric attendance system for Indian enterprises, frontline workers, and multi-location setups in 2026.

Leave, Timesheet & Employee Self-Service Portal

Both platforms offer leave requests and ESS portals, but execution differs.

SalaryBox lets you set fully custom Indian leave policies (casual, sick, maternity, earned leave with carry-forward as per law), drag-and-drop approvals, WhatsApp/SMS notifications, and instant balance visibility in the employee app. Timesheets auto-populate from attendance and feed directly into payroll.

BambooHR’s “Who’s Out” calendar and self-service are elegant, but international policy customisation and statutory leave handling feel clunky for Indian labour law compliance.

SalaryBox’s mobile-first ESS scores higher for Indian employees who prefer the app over desktop.

Pricing Comparison 2026: SalaryBox vs BambooHR for SMBs in India

This is where SalaryBox shines brightest as affordable payroll software India and budget HRMS for startups.

SalaryBox uses flat monthly pricing (not per-employee):

• Attendance Lite: ₹500/month
• Payroll Pro: ₹700/month
• Full HR + Payroll stack: easily under ₹5,000–8,000/month even for 200+ employees

No hidden add-ons for core compliance or mobile features.

BambooHR starts at roughly $10 per employee per month (≈ ₹850/employee/month) for Core, plus extra for Time Tracking, Payroll add-ons, and integrations—quickly crossing ₹40,000–60,000/month for a 50-person Indian team.

Clear Winner: SalaryBox – far more affordable payroll software for SMEs in India and startups than BambooHR in 2026.

Integrations, Scalability & Support

SalaryBox connects seamlessly with biometric devices, accounting tools, and banks via MCP servers. Local Indian support responds in under 2–4 hours.

BambooHR boasts 150+ marketplace integrations but requires more setup for Indian tools, with slower ongoing support for non-US users.

Both scale well, but SalaryBox feels purpose-built for growing Indian multi-location businesses.

Pros & Cons Summary

SalaryBox Pros:

• Native Indian payroll compliance (PF, ESI, TDS)
• Superior mobile + biometric + GPS attendance
• Flat affordable pricing
• Custom Indian leave & labour law policies
• Fast local support

SalaryBox Cons:

• Newer player compared to global giants (though rapidly growing in India)

BambooHR Pros:

• Beautiful UI and employee experience
• Strong global hiring tools
• Excellent for US/remote international teams

BambooHR Cons:

• No native Indian statutory compliance
• Expensive per-employee model + add-ons
• Weaker biometric/GPS for Indian field workforce

Decision Table: SalaryBox vs BambooHR 2026

Scenario	Best Choice	Why
Indian SME needing PF/ESI/TDS automation	SalaryBox	Full compliance out-of-the-box
Field sales or factory workforce	SalaryBox	GPS + biometric + offline
Purely office-based with global hires	BambooHR	Stronger international UX
Budget under ₹10,000/month total	SalaryBox	Flat pricing wins
Want zero training for employees	SalaryBox	Mobile-first, intuitive app
Already using US payroll tools	BambooHR	Better native US fit

Best for Whom?

Choose SalaryBox if you are:

• An Indian startup or SME (10–500 employees)
• Managing hybrid, remote, or frontline workforce
• Prioritising payroll software India with compliance (PF, ESI, TDS)
• Seeking best biometric attendance system + mobile app
• Wanting affordable cloud HRMS without per-employee fees

Choose BambooHR if you are:

• A company with heavy US/European operations
• Focused more on culture and performance tools than statutory filings
• Willing to pay premium for polished design and 150+ integrations

Final Recommendation 2026

For 95% of Indian businesses, SalaryBox is the clear winner as the best HRMS software in India 2026. It delivers everything you actually need—statutory-compliant payroll automation, powerful biometric & GPS attendance, mobile employee self-service, and predictable flat pricing—without the bloat or extra costs of BambooHR.

FAQs – SalaryBox vs BambooHR India HRMS

What is the difference between SalaryBox and BambooHR?

SalaryBox is an India-native mobile-first HRMS with built-in payroll automation for PF, ESI, TDS, and advanced attendance features like AI selfie, GPS geofencing, and biometric integration. BambooHR excels in global employee experience and US payroll but lacks native Indian statutory compliance and requires add-ons for proper biometric attendance. In 2026, SalaryBox is purpose-built for Indian SMEs while BambooHR suits companies with strong international needs.

Which HRMS is better suited for Indian payroll and statutory compliance?

SalaryBox wins hands-down. It automates full EPF, ESI, PT, TDS calculations, challan filing, and Form 16 generation out-of-the-box with every regulatory update. BambooHR offers no native Indian payroll compliance—companies must use third-party tools or manual processes, increasing error risk and cost. For any business searching “payroll software India with compliance (PF, ESI, TDS)”, SalaryBox is the smarter, more reliable choice in 2026. 

How do SalaryBox and BambooHR compare on attendance tracking features?

SalaryBox offers AI selfie attendance with liveness detection, geofence control, live GPS, QR code, biometric device integration, offline mode, and auto payroll sync—ideal for preventing buddy punching in Indian workplaces. BambooHR provides mobile clock-in with basic geolocation but relies on paid add-ons for full biometric/face recognition and suffers from offline glitches. SalaryBox delivers superior biometric attendance system features for frontline and hybrid teams. 

Is SalaryBox more affordable for SMBs in India than BambooHR?

Yes—dramatically so. SalaryBox uses flat monthly pricing (Attendance from ₹500, Payroll from ₹700, full stack under ₹8,000/month for most teams) regardless of headcount. BambooHR charges ~₹850+ per employee per month plus extras, easily 5–10x more expensive for Indian SMEs. If you want affordable payroll software for SMEs in India or budget HRMS for startups, SalaryBox is the clear 2026 winner.

Does BambooHR support biometric attendance and GPS check-in?

BambooHR supports basic GPS/geolocation via its mobile app and third-party biometric integrations through its marketplace. However, it lacks native AI face recognition, selfie attendance, or robust offline capability needed for Indian field and factory teams. SalaryBox provides built-in biometric attendance system + GPS + AI selfie features without extra cost—making it far more practical for Indian companies. 

Can BambooHR handle Indian payroll taxes like PF, ESI, and TDS out-of-the-box?

No. BambooHR has excellent US tax filing but zero native support for Indian PF, ESI, or TDS automation and filings. Users must integrate external payroll tools or handle compliance manually. SalaryBox handles everything automatically as one of the top payroll software India with compliance, saving hours and reducing penalty risks every month. 

What are the pros and cons of SalaryBox vs BambooHR for SMEs?

SalaryBox pros: native Indian compliance, affordable flat pricing, superior mobile biometric + GPS attendance, custom leave policies, fast local support. Cons: relatively newer global brand. BambooHR pros: beautiful interface, strong performance tools. Cons: expensive per-employee pricing, weak Indian statutory compliance, limited native biometric features. For Indian SMEs, SalaryBox pros far outweigh cons in 2026. 

How does mobile attendance and employee self-service compare between the two?

SalaryBox’s mobile app is truly first-class—AI selfie punch, GPS tracking, leave requests, expense claims, and payslips all in one intuitive Android/iOS app with offline support. Employees love the zero-training experience. BambooHR’s app is polished but less reliable for Indian geo-fenced or biometric scenarios and lacks deep payroll-ESS integration. SalaryBox delivers better mobile HRMS India experience for hybrid and field teams. 

Which HRMS has better integration options for payroll and third-party tools?

BambooHR wins on sheer number of marketplace integrations (150+). However, SalaryBox offers tighter native integration between attendance, leave, and Indian payroll plus seamless biometric device and bank connections via MCP servers. For most Indian businesses, SalaryBox’s purpose-built payroll + HRMS integration works better and cheaper than BambooHR’s add-on-heavy approach.

Is BambooHR worth it for Indian companies compared to SalaryBox?

For pure Indian operations focused on compliance, cost, and practical attendance, no. BambooHR becomes expensive and requires workarounds for PF/ESI/TDS and biometric needs. SalaryBox is purpose-built as the best HRMS software in India 2026 for SMEs and startups—delivering more relevant features at a fraction of the cost with superior local support. Most Indian companies switching in 2026 choose SalaryBox.