Softwr

HR & Recruiting · head to head

Bonusly vs Gusto

Bonusly logo

Bonusly

HR & Recruiting

Employee recognition that builds culture

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gusto logo

Gusto

All industries

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bonusly the free plan is capped at 8 users; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Gusto covers Automated payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bonusly and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Bonusly and Gusto differ
AttributeBonuslyGusto
Starting price$3/month$49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryHR & RecruitingAll industries
Founded20122011

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Points-based rewards
  • Manager awards
  • Reward catalog
  • Automated milestones
  • Public recognition feed
  • Analytics & insights
  • Custom company values

Only in Gusto

  • Automated payroll
  • Tax filing
  • Benefits administration
  • Time tracking
  • Employee onboarding
  • HR compliance
  • Workers' comp
  • 401(k) management

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bonusly

  • Peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each othernot Gusto
  • Redeeming points for gift cards and rewardsnot Gusto
  • Recognition inside Slack or Microsoft Teamsnot Gusto
  • Tracking recognition patterns across teamsnot Gusto
  • Company-wide awards programmes on the top tiernot Gusto

Gusto

  • Payroll processingnot Bonusly
  • Benefits administrationnot Bonusly
  • Tax compliancenot Bonusly
  • Employee onboardingnot Bonusly
  • Time trackingnot Bonusly

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bonusly

  • The free plan is capped at 8 users
  • Reward funding is separate from the subscription: a $10 gift card costs $10 on top of the per-user fee
  • The Bizy AI assistant costs $2 per user per month more, at $5 against $3
  • SAML single sign-on, awards programmes and a dedicated success manager are on the quote-only Organization tier
  • Advanced analytics and automations start at the Team tier

Gusto

  • Customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • Weak reporting capabilities, cannot export data to spreadsheets for analysis
  • Support staff lacks deep payroll expertise and knowledge
  • Rehired employees do not have settings reset, causing manual cleanup work
  • City tax handling requires additional monitoring and monitoring
  • Onboarding can have issues with bank account verification and tax registration

Pricing, plan by plan

Bonusly

$3/month
  • Core$3/month
    • Peer-to-peer recognition
    • Points-based rewards
    • Reward catalog
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Core
    • Manager awards
    • Automated milestones
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Custom rewards
    • API access

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Bonusly if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want points-based rewards.
Bonusly review

Choose Gusto if

  • You need automated payroll.
  • You also want tax filing.
Gusto review

Questions people ask

Is Bonusly or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Bonusly starts at $3/month and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bonusly or Gusto?
Bonusly starts at $3/month and Gusto at $49/month.
Does Bonusly or Gusto run on more platforms?
Bonusly runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Gusto runs on Web.
What is Bonusly best used for?
Bonusly is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other, redeeming points for gift cards and rewards, recognition inside slack or microsoft teams, tracking recognition patterns across teams. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition with points employees give each other and redeeming points for gift cards and rewards are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Bonusly do that Gusto cannot?
Bonusly covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Points-based rewards, Manager awards, Reward catalog. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle Slack, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gusto: What is Gusto's starting price?

Gusto starts at $49 per month plus $6 per person. The company also offers a Contractor-only plan for $35 per month plus $6 per contractor.

Source
Gusto: Does Gusto include unlimited payroll runs?

Yes, all Gusto plans include unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge, including off-cycle payrolls.

Source
Gusto: What core features are included in Gusto?

All plans include payroll processing, tax administration, digital onboarding, benefits enrollment, time tracking, performance management, and next-day direct deposit for most plans.

Source
Gusto: Does Gusto support integrations?

Yes, Gusto integrates with accounting software, applicant tracking systems, benefits providers, time-tracking tools, and other business platforms to reduce data entry.

Source
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