Gusto vs BambooHR
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What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
Gusto
Small US businesses that want payroll, benefits and basic HR in one tool with public, month-to-month pricing, and that may pay a few contractors abroad.
BambooHR
US small and mid-sized businesses that want one HRIS for records, time off, onboarding and surveys, with optional US payroll and benefits.
Side by side
| Gusto | BambooHR | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $49/month + $6/person (monthly, no contract) | From $10/employee/month (Core); flat $250/month for 25 or fewer employees |
| G2 Rating | 4.6 (13,553 reviews) | 4.4 (7,720 reviews) |
| Best For | Small US businesses that want payroll, benefits and basic HR in one tool with public, month-to-month pricing, and that may pay a few contractors abroad. | US small and mid-sized businesses that want one HRIS for records, time off, onboarding and surveys, with optional US payroll and benefits. |
Pros and cons
Gusto
Pros
- Public pricing with no long-term contract and free setup
- Time off tracking and self-onboarding included even on Simple
- Health insurance administration with no Gusto admin fee
- Global contractor payments with no monthly per-contractor fee
Cons
- Simple plan covers payroll in one state only
- Faster pay, compliance and priority support cost extra below Premium
- No in-house EOR; international employees go through partner Remote
BambooHR
Pros
- Time off, hiring, onboarding and eNPS surveys all included in Core
- Flexible accrual, manual and unlimited time-off policies with carryover rules
- Built-in I-9 and E-Verify workflows and e-signatures for onboarding
- Published per-employee prices and volume discounts
Cons
- Small teams pay a flat $250+/month regardless of headcount
- Payroll and benefits are US-only and priced separately
- Performance reviews need Pro; compensation tools need Elite
Related comparisons
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Rippling is the best overall onboarding software if you want offer letters, app accounts and laptops handled in one flow. Pick Gusto or BambooHR for published prices, or Enboarder or Click Boarding if you already have an HRIS.
Best PTO Tracking Software
Pick Timetastic for simple, low-cost leave booking billed month to month. Pick Vacation Tracker if you want requests and approvals inside Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Rippling alternatives
Stay with Rippling if you'll use its IT and spend modules alongside payroll and HR. For payroll and basic HR at a published price, OnPay (or Gusto Simple, for one state) costs $169 a month for 20 employees.