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Software · head to head

Gusto vs BambooHR

Gusto logo

Gusto

Software

The people platform for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BambooHR logo

BambooHR

Software

HR software with heart

From
$10/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gusto customer service can be slow and unresponsive to issues; BambooHR organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • They diverge on capability: Gusto covers Automated payroll, BambooHR covers Employee database.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gusto and BambooHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Gusto and BambooHR differ
AttributeGustoBambooHR
Starting price$49/month$10/month per employee
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20112008

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 Gusto

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

Only in BambooHR

  • Employee database
  • Time-off management
  • Benefits tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Mobile access
  • Document management

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Slack
  • SOC2

What people use each for

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

Gusto

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

BambooHR

  • HR system of record with employee data and documentsnot Gusto
  • Time off tracking and approvalsnot Gusto
  • Applicant tracking and onboardingnot Gusto
  • Performance reviews and 1:1s on the Pro tiernot Gusto
  • Compensation planning and benchmarking on Elitenot Gusto

Where each one falls short

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

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

BambooHR

  • Organisations of 25 or fewer employees pay a flat rate starting at $250 a month, so a very small team pays far more per head than the listed per-employee price
  • Per-employee pricing starts at 26 employees, from $10 on Core
  • Performance management, 360 reviews and recognition all require Pro at $17 per employee per month
  • Compensation management, salary benchmarking and advanced analytics are Elite only at $25 per employee per month
  • Compliance training is rationed by tier, at 1 course on Core against 300 on Elite

Pricing, plan by plan

Gusto

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Gusto review.

BambooHR

$10/month per employee

No published plan breakdown. See the BambooHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Gusto if

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

Choose BambooHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want time-off management.
BambooHR review

Questions people ask

Is Gusto or BambooHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Gusto starts at $49/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gusto or BambooHR?
Gusto starts at $49/month and BambooHR at $10/month per employee.
Does Gusto or BambooHR run on more platforms?
Gusto runs on Web. BambooHR runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Gusto best used for?
Gusto is most often used for payroll processing, benefits administration, tax compliance, employee onboarding. Of those, payroll processing and benefits administration are not what BambooHR is typically brought in for.
What can Gusto do that BambooHR cannot?
Gusto covers Automated payroll, Tax filing, Benefits administration, Time tracking. BambooHR covers Employee database, Time-off management, Benefits tracking, Performance reviews. Both handle QuickBooks, 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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Related pages

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