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Software · head to head

Boulevard vs Gusto

Boulevard logo

Boulevard

Software

Client experience platform for salons

From
$175/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Boulevard pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site; Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues
  • They diverge on capability: Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Gusto covers Automated payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Boulevard and Gusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Boulevard and Gusto differ
AttributeBoulevardGusto
Starting price$175/month$49/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded20162011

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

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 Boulevard

  • Intelligent scheduling
  • Client profiles
  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Staff management
  • Gift cards & packages
  • Two-way messaging
  • Business analytics

Only in Gusto

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

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Google Calendar
  • SOC2
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

Boulevard

  • Appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspasnot Gusto
  • Running point of sale and card payments alongside schedulingnot Gusto
  • Automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaignsnot Gusto

Gusto

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

Where each one falls short

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

Boulevard

  • Pricing is charged per location, so a multi site business pays the full plan fee for each site
  • The Essentials plan caps the business at 5 professionals; unlimited professionals require the Premier plan
  • Text and email allowances are metered per plan, with email blasts charged at $0.01 each beyond the plan allocation
  • Forms cost from $65 per month per location unless you are on the top Prestige plan
  • QuickBooks integration is an add on at $45 per month per location
  • ePrescribe is $45 per prescriber on top of the plan
  • Enterprise pricing is by consultation with no published rate

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

Boulevard

$175/month
  • Essential$175/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • Point of sale
  • Premier$325/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Advanced booking
    • Marketing tools
  • Prestige$undefined/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • Multi-location
    • API access

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Boulevard if

  • You need intelligent scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client profiles.
Boulevard review

Choose Gusto if

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

Questions people ask

Is Boulevard or Gusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Boulevard starts at $175/month and Gusto at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Boulevard or Gusto?
Boulevard starts at $175/month and Gusto at $49/month.
Does Boulevard or Gusto run on more platforms?
Boulevard runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Gusto runs on Web.
What is Boulevard best used for?
Boulevard is most often used for appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspas, running point of sale and card payments alongside scheduling, automated client messaging, intake forms and marketing campaigns. Of those, appointment booking and client management for salons, spas and medspas and running point of sale and card payments alongside scheduling are not what Gusto is typically brought in for.
What can Boulevard do that Gusto cannot?
Boulevard covers Intelligent scheduling, Client profiles, Point of sale, Inventory management. Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero, Google Calendar, 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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