HR and payroll software · Comparison
BambooHR vs Gusto
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | BambooHR | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Easy to adoptA complete HR record, from hiring and onboarding to time off and reviews, with payroll that reads from the same data. | Worth the priceFull-service US payroll with tax filings, onboarding and benefits administration at a published monthly price, with no long-term contract. |
| Overall score | 3.6 | 6.3Best |
| Free option | Free trial | Free trial |
| Card to start | No card needed | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Sales call required | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $250/mo | $49/mo + $6/person |
| Pricing model | Tiered | Seat + usage |
| Pricing page | Prices hidden | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Flat monthly price up to 25 employees, then per employee; add-ons by quote | Monthly base fee plus a price per active person; US contractors billed only in months they are paid |
| Free option | Free trial, no card; length not stated | Free account to set up and onboard; billing starts with the first payroll |
| Reference scenario (10 employees, one state) | Not priced: payroll add-on by quote ($250/mo Core plus payroll) | $109/mo on Simple ($49 + $6 × 10), computed |
| Multi-state payroll | Not stated on the payroll page | Plus ($80 + $12 per person) |
| International hiring | EOR and contractors through Remote, by quote | Contractors in 120+ countries, per-payment fee; no employer-of-record service listed |
| PEO option | None listed | None listed |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2; ISO 27001 not listed | SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports (type not stated); ISO 27001 not stated |
| Contract terms | Month to month or an extended term | Month to month, cancel anytime |
| Data export | Custom reports; API generates reports in several formats | Reports as CSV, PDF or Excel; a payroll data export workbook per year |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, BambooHR is a well-rounded HR system with payroll as a quoted add-on. Its score is held back by the unpublished payroll price and add-ons, not by the HR plans themselves. | From its public pages, Gusto is the clearest buy here: full-service payroll with HR basics from $109 a month for 10 employees, month to month. Multi-state payroll needs Plus, and there is no employer-of-record or PEO option on the pricing page. |
Evidence: BambooHR: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Gusto: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our BambooHR review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick BambooHR when
- You want a deeper HR system, with reviews on Pro, and a free trial without a card.
- Pick Gusto when
- You want payroll at a published price, from $109 a month for 10 employees (computed).
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- BambooHRCore$250/moFlat for 25 employees or fewer; above that $10 per employee (plan card) or $10.25 (FAQ)
- Employee records, reports and dashboards
- Applicant tracking (5 openings), onboarding, e-signatures
- Time-off management and benefits tracking
- On-demand pay
- GustoLowest priceSimple$49/moPlus $6 per person a month
- Full-service payroll in one state, unlimited payroll runs
- Federal, state and local tax filings and payments
- Time off, offer letters with e-signature, digital I-9s and W-4s
- Time tracking add-on at $6 per person
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: BambooHR 2026-10-16, Gusto 2026-10-16.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- GustoSelf-serve sign-up; the only one here you can use right after signing up.
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- BambooHRFree trial, no card needed; scored 3.6/10.
- Lowest starter price
- Gusto$49/mo + $6/person for the Simple plan.
- Highest overall score
- Gusto6.3/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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