As many small-business owners have discovered, there’s a multitude of HR software options available to provide the logistical and organizational support they need to run their business as efficiently and effectively as possible. For teams seeking an HR platform for small businesses, BambooHR and Gusto are two of the most popular options, with both being highly rated by their users.
To help you make this difficult decision, we’ve created this in-depth comparison to share everything we know about these two cloud-based HR software platforms. From pricing structures to versatility to ease of implementation, compare and contrast the different features of these web-based management tools to make the best decision for your unique business needs.
Gusto and BambooHR Feature Comparison
BambooHR and Gusto are robust HR platforms, with plenty of functionality to cut down on human resources paperwork and better track information as an organization grows. Both offer different pricing levels with corresponding features, with the option to add on specific features that most benefit their business.
Of the two platforms, BambooHR is more of an all-in-one solution, with a much greater focus on “information management,” allowing employees and managers alike to stay up to date on time off, employee schedules, hiring and more. Gusto on the other hand, is more focused on payroll and benefits, with less focus on performance management, and no built-in ATS capabilities for intensive recruiting efforts. BambooHR does not feature payroll in either of its available packages, while Gusto has built-in payroll capabilities in all three available plans.
Gusto vs. BambooHR Pricing
BambooHR Pricing
BambooHR uses per-employee, per-month pricing across three plans: Core, Pro, and Elite.
- The Core plan starts at $10 per employee/month and covers essential HR functionality, including employee records, reporting, hiring and onboarding, time off and benefits tracking, employee experience tools, compliance intelligence, and AI assistance.
- The Pro plan costs $17 per employee/month and builds on Core with performance management, employee community features, expanded compliance training, and a more advanced AI assistant.
- The Elite plan is $25 per employee/month and adds compensation management, custom dashboards and advanced analytics, HR benchmarks, premium services, and extensive compliance training. Volume and nonprofit discounts are available.
BambooHR also offers optional add-ons such as Payroll, Benefits Administration (both US only), Time Tracking, and Employer of Record services powered by Remote for global hiring. A 15% bundle discount is available when Payroll and Benefits Administration are purchased together, though this applies only to US-based employees.
Gusto Pricing
Gusto has 3 pricing tiers — Core, Complete, and Concierge.
The Core plan ($39/month base price plus $6/month per person) was conceived for smaller businesses, with more straightforward salaries, wages, and pay schedules. It includes: Full-Service Payroll, Health Benefits Administration, Employee Self Service and Profiles, Accounting and Time Tracking Integrations, and Employee Benefits.
The Complete plan ($39/month base price plus $12/month per person) was designed for growing businesses and includes everything from the Core plan, plus Next-Day Direct Deposit, Time Tracking and PTO Management, Project Tracking & Workforce Costing, Hiring and Employee Onboarding, and Team Management Tools.
The Concierge plan ($149/month base price plus $12/month per person) is the most comprehensive option, crafted for “busy” businesses with compliance on their mind. The plan includes everything in their Core and Complete plans, plus Certified HR Pros, a HR Resource Center, Compliance Alerts, and Dedicated Best-In-Class Support.
Gusto vs. BambooHR: Integrations Side by Side
Both BambooHR and Gusto have several integration partners, making them great options for integrating into your tech stack. BambooHR takes these integrations one step further, hosting a large marketplace of free apps to connect with and curating a Staff Picks list of the most popular and best-reviewed app integrations for customers.
In addition, both solutions offer APIs for seamless home-built integrations.
Customer Support and Success
One of the areas in which BambooHR and Gusto seem to differ most is their customer support offerings. Bamboo HR offers live email and telephone support Monday through Friday, 8 AMm-5 PM (MT), along with a library of weekly customer webinars to help guide clients towards getting the most out of BambooHR. Live customer support at Gusto, on the other hand, is virtually nonexistent according to customer reviews.
Major Customers of Gusto and BambooHR
Both Gusto and BambooHR focus mainly on small to medium businesses, but a quick glance at the list illustrates that Gusto has attracted smaller, more local businesses, while BambooHR has a few big names on their roster such as Shopify, Soundcloud, and Foursquare.
Gusto vs. BambooHR User Experience Comparison
BambooHR Screenshot:
Gusto Screenshot:
Both solutions have clean and intuitive user interfaces, although BambooHR can be a bit more busy due to its more comprehensive features, and according to one Reddit user, was not as easy to maneuver on the admin and staff side.
u/emailrob on Reddit
Gusto is good provided you don't want to be 50+ people. It creaks and groans a lot at that stage. It's easy to implement and the support team were great (I did it twice for clients this year).
I hear ok things about Bamboo at it would be more integrated for hiring.
u/Bluthbananas on Reddit
I've never had any problems, and it is super easy to use. It ties right into our accounting software (Xero), and it should tie into qb. We don't offer benis, so no problem with that. Employee self onboard which is nice.I would recommend.”
u/ShaneAtSynapse on Reddit
I 😍 Gusto - their stuff just works, autopilot is amazing, and I don't have to think about anything.
Bottom Line?
Both Gusto and BambooHR are go-to software options for small to medium businesses, and with good reason.
A major player in HR analytics software, BambooHR is well-suited for small and medium businesses (with fewer than 1000 employees) that seek to ditch the spreadsheets and leverage a more sophisticated solution for organizing their data, embracing a holistic HR approach across the organization. With a built-in applicant tracking system (ATS), time tracking, payroll processing, benefits administration, employee engagement and employee satisfaction tools, automated reminders, and data analytics, BambooHR helps small companies to better manage all aspects of the employee lifecycle.
Gusto, on the other hand, is ideal for small businesses (50 employees or fewer) who mainly need assistance with their payroll reporting and benefits administration. With 401k tracking, Direct Deposit, a Self-Service Portal, and more, this versatile solution will help save hours every week for small companies for whom every hour counts.
If your organization is larger than 50 people, user reviews appear to lean towards going with BambooHR. However, for smaller organizations with fewer needs and smaller budgets, Gusto is a great payroll product, perfect for automating time-consuming payroll processes.
For more information, visit the BambooHR and Gusto websites.
For more options, check out our detailed guide on the best HR software solutions for small businesses, which also includes pricing information, FAQs, use cases, and more.
