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.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
BambooHR wins 1Gusto wins 13 ties
| Dimension | BambooHR | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| 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 pay | 11 of 11 core capabilities | 11 of 11 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsGusto lists 153 integrations and BambooHR 150, both with a REST API and webhooks. 150 | 150 native | 153 native |
| 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 companies | Small businesses, mid-market companies | Small 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. Yes | SOC 2, GDPR | None verified |
| Attribute | BambooHR | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per employee | Base fee + per employee |
| Free trial | ||
| Best for | Small businesses, mid-market companies | Small businesses |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android | iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile) |
| Native integrations | 150 | 153 |
| Support channels | Phone, email, chat | Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium) |
| Founded | 2008 | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Draper, Utah, US | San Francisco, California, US |
| Attribute | BambooHR | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | Published | Published |
| Contract term | Monthly | Monthly |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Open API | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Single sign-on | SAML, Google, Microsoft | |
| Automatic tax filing | ||
| Contractor payments | ||
| Ownership | Private | Private |
BambooHR Core$10.25/employee/mo · minimum $250/mo
Gusto Premium$180/mo base + $22/employee/mo| Employees | BambooHR Core | Gusto Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $250/mo (lowest) | $400/mo |
| 50 | $512.50/mo (lowest) | $1,280/mo |
| 200 | $2,050/mo (lowest) | $4,580/mo |
Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.
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.
Rippling has the highest LeadChange Score in HRIS Software after excluding these two (9.3/10).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
BambooHR lists a free trial; Gusto does not.
BambooHR lists 150 integrations and Gusto lists 153. Both connect to Slack.
Only BambooHR states SOC 2 Type II and GDPR. Only Gusto states HIPAA (BAA).
BambooHR ranks #2 of 15 in our HRIS software ranking. Besides Gusto, the highest-scored are Rippling, Leapsome, and HiBob. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: BambooHR alternatives.
Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices. Then, if you like, ask to hear from both.
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