BambooHR vs Gusto Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| BambooHR | Gusto | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $10/mo | $49/mo |
| Number of plans | 3 | 3 |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Pricing model | per-seat | hybrid |
Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →
Core
- HR Data & Reporting
- Hiring & Onboarding
- Time Off & Benefits Tracking
- Employee Experience Tools
- HR Insights
- Compliance Intelligence
- Compliance Training: 1 Course
- On-Demand Pay
- AI Assistant
Pro
- Performance Management
- Employee Community
- Recognition & Rewards
- Compliance Training: 15 Courses
- Upgraded AI Assistant
Elite
Popular- Compensation Management
- Custom Dashboards & Analytics
- HR Benchmarks
- Premium Services
- Compliance Training: 300+ Courses
- Advanced AI Assistant
Simple
- Single-state payroll
- Unlimited payrolls per month
- Tax filings and payments
- Basic PTO policies and holiday pay
- Direct deposits or printable checks
- Payroll approvals
- Payroll on AutoPilot®
- Gusto employee app
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Employer mobile app
- Domestic contractor payments
Plus
Popular- Multi-state payroll
- Next-day pay
- Time Tracking
- Unlimited payrolls per month
- Direct deposits or printable checks
- Tax filings and payments
- Payroll approvals
- Payroll on AutoPilot®
- Gusto employee app
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Employer mobile app
- Domestic contractor payments
- Expenses and reimbursements
- Workforce cost reports
- Unlimited custom earning types
Premium
- Dedicated Service Advisor
- Access to certified HR experts
- Performance & compensation management
- Custom reports
- Priority support
- Payroll migration and account setup
- Unlimited payrolls per month
- Direct deposits or printable checks
- Tax filings and payments
- Payroll approvals
- Payroll on AutoPilot®
- Gusto employee app
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Employer mobile app
- Domestic contractor payments
- Expenses and reimbursements
- Workforce cost reports
- Unlimited custom earning types
- Unlimited custom admin roles
- Same-day pay
- Instant pay
BambooHR vs Gusto FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- BambooHR starts lower at $10/mo, compared to $49/mo for Gusto.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. BambooHR uses per-seat pricing, while Gusto goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. BambooHR: At $10-25 per employee, BambooHR sits mid-market — pricier than bare-bones HRIS tools but well under enterprise suites like Workday or ADP's higher tiers. They're courting SMBs and growing mid-size companies that want a polished, all-in-one HR system without an enterprise sales cycle or custom quote. Gusto: Gusto sits mid-market — pricier than bare-bones payroll tools but cheaper than enterprise HRIS platforms like Rippling or Justworks once you factor in per-person costs at scale. They're chasing small businesses and startups who want payroll + light HR in one place without needing a dedicated HR hire.
Still deciding? See the best BambooHR alternatives or the best Gusto alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
Stop checking your competitors manually.
Outmano watches your competitors' prices and features for you. See how competitor pricing monitoring works.
Try Outmano free »
14-day free trial