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LeadChange Group

BambooHR vs Gusto

BambooHR9.3/10

Gusto5.7/10

Scored in HRIS Software

The short answer

BambooHR is HR software built for organizations of generally 50 to 500 employees: records, hiring, onboarding, time off, performance and compensation, at a flat $250 a month on Core for 25 or fewer employees, or $10.25 per employee above that.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 27 sources, most recently checked

BambooHR

Starting price
$250/mo flat up to 25 employees, then $10.25/employee/mo1
Best for
Companies of about 50 to 500 employees, the range BambooHR says it is built for

Choose BambooHR if

  • You want performance reviews, goals and 1:1s (Pro and Elite).
  • You hire often: applicant tracking with 5 to 50 open jobs by plan.
  • You want compensation planning with Mercer salary benchmarks (Elite).
  • You have 50 to 500 employees, the range BambooHR is built for.

BambooHR pricingAlternatives to BambooHR

Gusto

Starting price
$180/mo + $22/employee/mo (Premium plan)2
Best for
US small businesses that want payroll tax filing on every plan

Choose Gusto if

  • Payroll comes first: payroll is included in every Gusto plan price, while BambooHR Payroll is an add-on sold by quote.
  • You have fewer than 25 employees: 10 people on Simple cost $109 a month.
  • You want health, dental, vision and 401(k) in the payroll account.
  • You pay contractors as well as employees from one account.

Gusto plans and pricesGusto competitors

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

BambooHR wins 1Gusto wins 13 ties

BambooHR vs Gusto by dimension
DimensionBambooHRGusto
PricingGusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, payroll included. BambooHR Core costs a flat $250 a month for up to 25 employees, and payroll is an add-on without a published price.$250/mo flat up to 25 employees, then $10.25/employee/mo$180/mo + $22/employee/mo (Premium plan)
CapabilitiesBoth cover employee records, onboarding and time off. BambooHR adds applicant tracking, performance management and compensation benchmarking; Gusto adds payroll with tax filing, benefits and contractor payments in every plan. Employee records, Applicant tracking, Onboarding checklist, Time-off management, Performance management, Compensation planning and benchmarking, Custom reports and dashboards, On-demand pay111 of 11 core capabilities11 of 11 core capabilities
IntegrationsGusto lists 153 integrations and BambooHR 150, both with a REST API and webhooks. 15036 documented (vendor says 150)8 documented (vendor says 154)
Fit and supportBambooHR is built for organizations of generally 50 to 500 employees, with phone, email and chat support Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT. Gusto is built for small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST and a dedicated account partner on Premium. Small businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses, mid-market companiesSmall businesses
SecurityBambooHR states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR and supports SAML, Google and Microsoft sign-on. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on. Yes5SOC 2, GDPRSOC 2 (type not stated)

BambooHR or Gusto: what matters most to you?

We match on verified product facts for this need, never on who pays us.

Key differences

Where BambooHR and Gusto differ (8)
AttributeBambooHRGusto
Pricing modelPer employee1Base fee + per employee2
Free trial67
Best forSmall businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses8
Mobile appsiOS, Android9iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile)7
Native integrations150315410
Support channelsPhone, email, chat11Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium)12
Founded20081320128
HeadquartersDraper, Utah, US14San Francisco, California, US15
Show 9 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (9)
AttributeBambooHRGusto
Price transparencyPublished1Published2
Contract termMonthly1Monthly2
DeploymentCloud13Cloud16
API1718
Webhooks1920
Single sign-onSAML, Google, Microsoft2122
Automatic tax filing232
Contractor payments232
OwnershipPrivate24Private8

Price by headcount

  • BambooHR Core$10.25/employee/mo1 · minimum $250/mo1
  • Gusto Premium$180/mo base2 + $22/employee/mo2
Estimated list price per month by scenario
EmployeesBambooHR CoreGusto Premium
10$250/mo (lowest)$400/mo
50$512.50/mo (lowest)$1,280/mo
200$2,050/mo (lowest)$4,580/mo

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Gusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, payroll included. BambooHR Core costs a flat $250 a month for up to 25 employees, and payroll is an add-on without a published price.

Capabilities. Both cover employee records, onboarding and time off. BambooHR adds applicant tracking, performance management and compensation benchmarking; Gusto adds payroll with tax filing, benefits and contractor payments in every plan.

Integrations. Gusto lists 153 integrations and BambooHR 150, both with a REST API and webhooks.

Fit and support. BambooHR is built for organizations of generally 50 to 500 employees, with phone, email and chat support Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT. Gusto is built for small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST and a dedicated account partner on Premium.

Security. BambooHR states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR and supports SAML, Google and Microsoft sign-on. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on.

Neither one?

Zoho People

Zoho People has the highest LeadChange Score in HRIS Software after excluding these two (8.9/10).

From $3/user/mo (billed annually)25

Zoho People review

Frequently asked questions

Is BambooHR cheaper than Gusto?

For a small team, no: BambooHR Core is a flat $250 a month for 25 or fewer employees, before payroll, which is an add-on. Gusto Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person with payroll included, $199 a month for 25 people.

Does BambooHR do payroll like Gusto?

Yes, as an add-on: BambooHR sells payroll, benefits administration and time and attendance on top of its HR plans, without a published price. Its payroll files taxes automatically. Gusto includes payroll with unlimited runs and tax filings in every plan.

What are the downsides of Gusto compared with BambooHR?

Gusto is less suited to companies that want performance reviews, goals and compensation benchmarking from their HR system: BambooHR includes them on Pro and Elite. Gusto’s HR guidance and tools come with Premium, at $180 a month plus $22 per person.

How long does it take to set up BambooHR or Gusto?

BambooHR says implementation usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. Gusto charges no setup fee; new employers pay employees on a 4-day schedule until a 15-day wait and one successful debit unlock 2-day pay.

Can employees use BambooHR and Gusto on their phones?

Both have iOS and Android apps. BambooHR’s Core plan includes on-demand pay for employees; Gusto pays next day on Plus and Premium and offers same-day and instant pay on Premium.

Which is better for a company with 100 employees, BambooHR or Gusto?

BambooHR is built for organizations of generally 50 to 500 employees; at 100 employees, Core costs $10.25 per employee a month, $1,025, before the payroll add-on. Gusto Plus costs $80 plus $12 per person, $1,280 a month for 100 people, with payroll, time tracking and multi-state payroll included.

Do BambooHR and Gusto offer a free trial?

BambooHR lists a free trial; Gusto does not.

Which has more integrations, BambooHR or Gusto?

BambooHR lists 150 integrations; Gusto lists 154 integrations. Both connect to Slack.

Is BambooHR or Gusto more secure?

BambooHR states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR (unverified for Gusto). Gusto states HIPAA (unverified for BambooHR).

Who are BambooHR’s biggest competitors?

BambooHR ranks #1 of 19 in our HRIS software ranking. Besides Gusto, the highest-scored are Zoho People, Namely, and Rippling. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: BambooHR alternatives.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    46 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 8, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

BambooHR or Gusto? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices.

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BambooHR vs Gusto

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Sources

The 27 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. BambooHR bamboohr.com/pricing“For companies with more than 25 employees, our HR software is priced on a per-employee, per-month basis. BambooHR pricing starts at $10.25 USD per employee per month for Core, $17.50 USD per employee per month for Pro, and $25 USD per employee per month for Elite.” “Employee Records ... Applicant Tracking System ... Onboarding Checklist ... Time Off Management ... Performance Management ... Compensation Benchmarking Compensation Planning ... Custom Dashboards ... On-Demand Pay”
  2. Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“No contracts. Free account setup. Switch or cancel anytime.” “$49/mo + $6/mo per person”
  3. BambooHR bamboohr.com/integrations“Select from over 150 integrations designed to streamline processes and save time, enhancing your HR solutions.”
  4. BambooHR bamboohr.com/platform“BambooHR is purpose-built for growing organizations, generally in the range of 50 to 500 employees, though many customers scale well beyond that on the same platform.”
  5. BambooHR trust.bamboohr.com“SOC 2 Type 2”
  6. BambooHR bamboohr.com/signup“No credit card required. Trial ends automatically.”
  7. Gusto Payroll (Gusto)“We’ve got all kinds of plans for all sizes of business. Explore all the options. You’ll pay nothing ‘til you’re ready to run payroll.” “Yes, you can run payroll, check payroll status, add and view team members and manage your team all from the Gusto mobile app. Download the iOS app here and the Google Play app here.”
  8. Gusto gusto.com/about“Our small business platform helps businesses take care of their hardworking teams.” “Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll, Gusto serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.”
  9. BambooHR bamboohr.com/platform/hr-data-and-reporting/mobile-app“Yes. The app is free to download, but you’ll need an active BambooHR account provided by your employer to sign in. The app is available for supported iOS and Android devices.”
  10. Gusto gusto.com/product/integrations“Showing 1–20 of 154”
  11. BambooHR bamboohr.com/why-bamboohr/services“You can reach BambooHR Support Heroes live Monday to Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM MT by phone, email, or chat (within your BambooHR account). Outside business hours, our AI support chat is always available!”
  12. Gusto gusto.com/about/contact“Our sales and support teams at Gusto are available to help you via phone, email, and chat Monday through Friday 6am – 6pm MST. For expedited support, sign in to your Gusto account.”
  13. BambooHR bamboohr.com/about-bamboohr“We founded BambooHR in 2008 with a mission to set people free to do great work” “With the help of our cloud-based HR platform, HR pros and leaders can spend more time on people and less time on paperwork.”
  14. BambooHR bamboohr.com/about-bamboohr/contact“42 Future Way, Draper, UT 84020, USA”
  15. Gusto gusto.com/about/privacy“Gusto, Inc. Attn: Legal Privacy 525 20th Street San Francisco, CA 94107”
  16. Gusto gusto.com/security“Gusto uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host its production servers, databases, and supporting services.” “We follow HIPAA guidelines to safeguard our customers’ protected health information (PHI). Additionally, we maintain business associate agreements (BAAs) between employers and Gusto, along with any third parties, like insurance companies.”
  17. BambooHR documentation.bamboohr.com/docs/getting-started“The BambooHR API is a RESTful Internet protocol built around making semantically meaningful HTTPS requests”
  18. Gusto docs.gusto.com“Leverage Gusto's API to build your own in-app payroll solution, customized for your users' needs, with Gusto Embedded.”
  19. BambooHR documentation.bamboohr.com/docs/webhooks“Webhooks are tools that allow external services to be notified when certain actions occur within your BambooHR account. When a specified event happens, like an update to employee information, BambooHR sends an HTTP POST request containing relevant data to a URL you specify.”
  20. Gusto docs.gusto.com/embedded-payroll/docs/webhooks“A webhook is an HTTP request that delivers information about an event as it happens.”
  21. BambooHR SAML single sign-on (BambooHR Marketplace)“Installing this app in your BambooHR account will enable you to configure Single Sign-On between your identity provider and BambooHR (as the service provider) using SAML 2.0.”
  22. Gusto gusto.com/product/payroll/security“Multi-factor authentication and single sign-on functions are also available to make sure only the right people see the most sensitive data.”
  23. BambooHR bamboohr.com/platform/payroll“Yes. BambooHR handles federal, state, and local payroll tax filing for your US-based employees.” “Yes. BambooHR supports flexible pay structures for full-time, part-time, and contracted workers.”
  24. Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BambooHR“BambooHR's logo Type Private Industry”
  25. Zoho Corporation zoho.com/people/zohopeople-pricing.html“ESSENTIAL HR US$3 US$3 /user/month billed annually”
  26. BambooHR bamboohr.com/legal/data-processing-agreement“"Data Protection Law" means Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the free movement of such data ("General Data Protection Regulation" or "GDPR")”
  27. Gusto gusto.com/product

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.