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  1. Home
  2. Compare
  3. BambooHR vs Gusto

BambooHRvsGusto

Saas
vs
Saas
ScoresSignalsPricingFeatures

Score Comparison

55
Overall
58
45
Pricing
55
70
Usability
65
60
Performance
60
45
Support
35
60
Reliability
55
70
Onboarding
80
45
Mobile
65
65
Security
70
55
Integrations
75
BambooHRGusto

Signals Comparison

Pricing

BambooHR

  • No public pricing - forces sales calls(8/10)
  • Expensive add-ons inflate total cost(8/10)

Gusto

  • Constant price increases - Simple plan jumped from $40 to $49(7/10)
  • Charged full month fee even when canceling without running payroll(6/10)
  • Expensive for growing teams - costs escalate quickly(6/10)
Usability

BambooHR

  • Reporting engine lacks depth and flexibility(7/10)
  • Time tracking UI requires excessive scrolling(6/10)
  • Document organization is painful(5/10)

Gusto

  • Making corrections is nearly impossible(8/10)
  • Off-cycle payroll breaks overtime calculations(7/10)
  • Employee UI is clunky and software becomes sluggish(5/10)
Integrations

BambooHR

  • ATS module too basic - lacks advanced features(7/10)
  • Benefits administration not competitive(6/10)

Gusto

  • Contractor payment limits cause delays(5/10)
Support

BambooHR

  • Support quality drops dramatically after sales(8/10)

Gusto

  • Customer support extremely slow - takes days to weeks for replies(9/10)
  • Support staff cannot answer questions or transfer to someone who can(8/10)
  • Support tickets disappear and online tickets not taken(8/10)
Customization

BambooHR

  • Rigid platform - limited customization options(7/10)

Gusto

  • Difficult to customize employee withholdings(5/10)
Reliability

BambooHR

  • Payroll confusing error messages and tax ID limits(7/10)
  • Frequent bugs and slow load times(6/10)

Gusto

  • Payroll errors and missing payments to employees(10/10)
  • Tax filing errors and incorrect EIN handling(9/10)
  • Unexpected withdrawals and billing errors(8/10)
Mobile

BambooHR

  • Mobile app limited compared to desktop(6/10)

Gusto

No signals

Security

BambooHR

  • Emails appear as external - phishing vulnerability(8/10)

Gusto

No signals

Onboarding

BambooHR

  • Leave management setup overly complex(6/10)

Gusto

No signals

Pricing Comparison

BambooHR

Core
$250/mo

Users: Flat rate under 25 employees, then per-employee

Storage: Standard

Limits: Limited customization, Basic reporting only, No performance management, No advanced workflows

Implementation fee required, Payroll/time tracking/performance are separate add-ons, Price increases to $12-22/employee/month after 25 employees
Pro
Popular
Free

Users: Per employee

Storage: Standard

Limits: No custom dashboards, No advanced compensation management, Still requires add-ons for full HR suite

Must contact sales for pricing, Add-ons still extra, Annual commitment often expected
Elite
Free

Users: Per employee

Storage: Enhanced

Limits: Still requires payroll/benefits add-ons for complete solution, Complex procurement process

Highest price tier - must negotiate with sales, Add-ons still separate, Implementation and training fees apply
Payroll Add-on
Free

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: One tax ID only - problematic for multi-location companies, US only, Complex compensation poorly supported

Additional per-employee cost on top of base plan, Setup fees, Limited to single tax ID per account
Time Tracking Add-on
Free

Users: Per employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Clunky interface with excessive scrolling, Limited for remote/hybrid teams, Desktop version better than mobile

Extra cost beyond base subscription, Poor UI requires workarounds

Gusto

Simple
$49/mo

Users: Per employee: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Single state only, No next-day direct deposit, No time tracking, No PTO management, Limited HR tools

Price increased from $40 to $49 in March 2026, Multi-state requires Plus plan, Add-ons can add $10-30/employee
Plus
Popular
$80/mo

Users: Per employee: $12/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No dedicated CSM, No priority support, No compliance alerts, No HR expert access

Employee costs add up fast - 20 employees = $320/month minimum, Benefits brokerage fees separate
Premium
$180/mo

Users: Per employee: $22/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: Requires larger budget, May be overkill for simple payroll needs

Expensive for small businesses - 20 employees = $620/month ($7,440/year)
Contractor Only
$35/mo

Users: Per contractor: $6/month

Storage: N/A

Limits: No W-2 employee support, Contractor payment frequency limits, No benefits

$35 base fee waived for first 6 months only, Payment limits per contractor per month
Global (EOR)
$599/mo

Users: Per international employee

Storage: N/A

Limits: Only available through Gusto Global, Additional setup requirements

Increases to $699/employee after January 2026 promotional period

Feature Comparison

FeatureBambooHRGusto
Core HR
Employee Records Database

Centralized employee information

Employee Self-Service

Employees update own info

Time-Off Tracking

Included in base plans

Document Storage

Limited folder organization

Payroll
Full-Service Payroll

Core feature, works well for basic runs

Automatic Tax Filing

Federal, state, local - but errors reported

Direct Deposit

Next-day on Plus plan only

Contractor Payments

Separate plan or add-on

Payroll Processing

Paid add-on, single tax ID only

Multi-State Payroll

US only, one tax ID limitation

Onboarding
Onboarding Workflows

Well-designed for new hires

Offboarding Workflows

Standard offboarding tasks

Compliance
1099 Filing

End of year filing included

W-2 Filing

Automatic year-end filing

Compliance Alerts

Premium plan only

Recruiting
Applicant Tracking (ATS)

Basic - lacks advanced features

Candidate Ranking/Scoring

Not available

Resume Parsing

Basic parsing only

HR
Employee Self-Onboarding

Strength - very easy for new hires

PTO Management

Plus plan required

Time
Time Tracking

Paid add-on, poor UI

Integrations
QuickBooks Integration

Well supported

Xero Integration

Well supported

API Access

Available for custom integrations

Performance
Performance Management

Pro plan and above

Goal Tracking

Pro plan and above

Benefits
Benefits Administration

Paid add-on, limited automation

Support
Dedicated CSM

Premium plan only

Reporting
Standard Reports

30 pre-built reports

Custom Reports

Limited, Advantage tier only

Platforms
Mobile App

iOS and Android

Mobile App (iOS)

Limited vs desktop

Mobile App (Android)

Limited vs desktop

Security
SSO/SAML

Higher tiers only