Gusto vs BambooHR: Features Comparison, Pricing, and More

Businesses compare Gusto vs BambooHR when they want a solution that brings it all together - payroll, benefits, hiring, management resources, and more. But the truth is, they’re not as interchangeable as you might have been led to believe.

Gusto is great for streamlining payroll and benefits administration, especially for small to mid-sized companies. BambooHR is the better fit for people management specifically. It has payroll features as well, though they are said to fall short of what Gusto delivers.

We’ll help you narrow it down to the ideal fit for your business in this BambooHR vs Gusto features comparison. You’ll also discover how Sunrise HCM could be a more optimal choice for all-in-one Salesforce HRIS. Get real-time data, lower costs, and unify your people and payroll workflows in one secure system with Sunrise HCM today!

Key Takeaways on BambooHR vs Gusto

• BambooHR is best for HR teams that need strong hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and clean employee records in one place. Payroll is an add-on.
• Gusto supports payroll with automated tax filing, built-in benefits administration, and has simple, published pricing. It falls short in HRIS functionality, though.
• Sunrise HCM runs payroll, HR, time tracking, expenses, and billing all inside Salesforce with no middleware or per-run fees. You get real-time data and lower total costs.

Gusto vs BambooHR vs Sunrise (Comparison Chart)

Overview of BambooHR

BambooHR is a human resource information system (HRIS) designed to make managing people data as stress-free as possible. You can also use it to run payroll, though you’ll find it’s not made with that use case as the core feature.

But what BambooHR is designed to do, it does well. You can centralize employee records, hiring workflows, onboarding, performance management, and reporting in one place. It’s great for cleaning up messy employee data, minimizing time-consuming HR tasks, and setting up a system your employees will actually be able to use.

It’s a cloud-based system that can be accessed via a mobile app by employees. We’re seeing more and more US-based businesses migrating from existing solutions over to BambooHR, but there’s also a trend in companies jumping ship to more all-in-one systems like Sunrise HCM.

Key Features

• Employee Records & HRIS: Centralized record system for all vital employee data - job details, compensation history, documents, and custom fields. Replace spreadsheets and disconnected file storage once and for all.
• Hiring & Applicant Tracking (ATS): This supports job postings, candidate pipelines, interview tracking, and offer letters. One of BambooHR’s strongest benefits and a major reason companies choose it.
• Onboarding & E-Signatures: New hires can electronically complete forms, policies, and acknowledgments. Built-in e-signatures reduce manual paperwork and back-and-forth emails.
• Time Off & Time Tracking: Time-off management is included, with configurable PTO policies and approval workflows. Time tracking is available as well, although feature depth depends on plan/add-ons.
• Performance Management: Get tools for performance reviews, goal tracking, and feedback cycles. Custom review templates and reporting are a big plus for HR teams.
• Reporting & Analytics: Build custom reports using employee, hiring, and performance data. Often used for headcount planning, turnover tracking, and compliance reporting.
• Payroll (Add-On): You CAN add on payroll as a separate module. It supports payroll processing, tax filings, and direct deposit, but it isn’t available in all regions and is not the platform’s primary focus.

How Much Does it Cost?

Part of what makes comparing BambooHR vs Gusto tricky is that this system doesn’t publicly disclose pricing information. You can compare different plans, but you still have to reach out for a quote.

We know for sure that BambooHR starts at roughly $10 per employee (per month) for the Core package. This tier gets you the basics you need to run your business - HR data and reporting, hiring and onboarding, time off, benefits tracking, employee experience tools, HR insights, etc.

The Pro plan, however, unlocks performance management, employee community, compliance training (15 courses) and a better AI assistant. The Elite plan offers compensation management, custom dashboard/analytics, HR benchmarks, and 300+ compliance training courses.

A lot of the solutions you really need, though, are packaged as separate modules - so you’ll pay more just to use these essential tools:

• Payroll
• Benefits administration
• Time tracking
• Employer of record

It’s impossible to get a sense of what you can expect to pay without either 1) requesting a quote through BambooHR’s sales team or 2) talking to a business very similar to yours that is already using BambooHR. That lack of transparency is pretty frustrating for companies trying to narrow it down between BambooHR vs Gusto.

Who is it Best For?

Despite its shortcomings in pricing transparency and payroll functionality, BambooHR is still trusted by over 34,000 companies of all sizes. The best fits for BambooHR include:

• Growing US-based companies that need a true HR system of record
• Teams prioritizing hiring, onboarding, and performance management
• Organizations that want clean employee data and strong reporting
• HR teams that need structure without enterprise-level complexity

However, you can already see where BambooHR misses the mark - payroll. The good news is Sunrise HCM offers an all-in-one Salesforce payroll software along with HR management, so you can bring together everything you need in a unified ecosystem. More on that in a bit. First, let's introduce the other half of our BambooHR vs Gusto features comparison.

What is Gusto?

Gusto is one of the most popular US-based payroll and HR software platforms for small to mid-sized businesses. It combines payroll processing, tax filing, benefits administration, and basic HR tools into a single system. In theory, it’s easy to run without a dedicated HR team.

But the fact of the matter is Gusto is 100% payroll first. Yes, there are benefits, onboarding, time tracking, and compliance tools integrated into the system as well. But they’re really just there to support payroll accuracy and compliance for US employees and contractors.

It’s a cloud-based platform you’ll access through a web dashboard with mobile access for your staff. It works across all 50 states and can even handle federal, state, and local tax calculations and filings. Let’s look at the features, pricing, and best fits for Gusto below.

Key Features

• Payroll Processing: Automated payroll runs with support for salaried and hourly employees, multiple pay schedules, and contractor payments. Payroll taxes are calculated, filed, and paid without you having to lift a finger.
• Tax Filing & Compliance: Handles W-2 and 1099 filing, quarterly and annual payroll tax forms, and state new-hire reporting.
• Benefits Administration: Health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), workers’ compensation, and commuter benefits. Gusto acts as a benefits broker in many states.
• Hiring & Onboarding: Offer letters, digital onboarding documents, e-signatures, and employee self-service for tax forms and personal details.
• Time Tracking & PTO: Built-in time tracking and paid time off management (feature depth depends on plan tier).
• Employee Self-Service: Employees can see pay stubs, tax documents, benefits, and time-off balances through a portal and mobile app.

How Much Does it Cost?

You’ll be able to get started with Gusto for free before eventually choosing a subscription tier based on the features your business needs. Total cost will depend on how many employees you have. Here’s a rough estimate of what you can expect to pay:

• Base cost: $49/month for Simple, $80/month for Plus, $180/month for Premium
• Employee fee: $6/employee (Simple), $12/employee (Plus), $22/employee (Premium)

Small businesses needing just single-state payroll, reports, and limited support can get by with the Simple plan. But you’ll get more features like next-day deposits, multi-state payroll, and time/project tracking with Plus. You also get advanced team management tools and a hiring suite to streamline your onboarding processes.

Premium upgrades you with a dedicated service advisor and premium support. You’ll gain access to a more dedicated HR resource center as well. Gusto offers a contractor-only solution if you don’t have any W-2 employees, too - that’s just $6/person per month.

Who is it Best For?

Gusto works for more than one type of company, including:

• Small to mid-sized US businesses
• Companies that want payroll and benefits handled in one place
• Teams without in-house payroll or HR specialists
• Employers that value simple setup and predictable monthly costs

But what matters more is who Gusto is NOT a good fit for. That’s a lot of businesses. You’ll find it suboptimal if you need advanced HR customization, global payroll, or deep system-to-system integration beyond standard accounting and benefits tools.

You can learn more about Gusto vs QuickBooks in our blog - but in the meantime, we’re going to compare Gusto vs BambooHR side by side.

BambooHR vs Gusto: How Does BambooHR Compare to Gusto?

You can already see where Gusto vs Bamboo HR differ. Yes, there’s some overlap - but one is better purely for payroll processing, while the other is the smarter solution for people management.

In this sense, you’ll find that there are gaps in what you’re getting, whether you go with Gusto or BambooHR - which is why Sunrise HCM could be the better system for your business. It’s a truly unified all-in-one solution.

Payroll Capabilities

Gusto is built specifically for payroll first, so it’s no surprise it’s the better solution for this use case. It offers support for:

• Automated payroll runs for salaried/hourly employees
• Contractor payments
• Multiple pay schedules
• Payroll across all 50 US states
• Federal, state, and local tax calculations and filings
• W-2s and 1099s are included

On the other hand, BambooHR adds payroll on as a separate module. It’s not a core function in the software. That’s clear once you start trying to process payroll - it just feels bolted on. This feature has to be purchased separately from the core HRIS, which adds costs and complexity.

It’s also a question of whether or not you can actually access payroll functionality in BambooHR, as it’s not available in all 50 states. Exact capabilities will depend on your level of coverage, too.

HR Tools & People Management

Where it falls short in payroll capabilities, BambooHR shines in HR tools and people management. After all, this is what it was designed for first and foremost. It’s a system of record for employee data, covering the full employee lifecycle from hiring through exit. You get:

• Applicant tracking
• Onboarding workflows
• Document storage
• Performance reviews
• Goal tracking
• Custom reporting tied to people data

Gusto is to HR management what BambooHR is to payroll. What we mean by that is you do get some basic HR features with Gusto, but they’re really just there to support payroll. That includes onboarding documents, employee profiles, and simple team management tools. Everything else will feel limited compared to BambooHR.

Benefits Administration

Gusto offers integrated benefits administration and even acts as a benefits broker in many states. Health, dental, vision, 401(k), workers’ compensation, and commuter benefits can all be managed inside the platform (availability depends on location).

In contrast, BambooHR supports benefits tracking and enrollment workflows, but it does not function as a full-service benefits broker in the same way. Most companies use BambooHR alongside external brokers or benefits platforms. So, you’re left with silos and extra costs.

Time Tracking & Scheduling

Here’s where there’s a little more overlap between Gusto vs BambooHR.

You get built-in time tracking and PTO management with Gusto. The feature depth depends on the plan tier, but regardless, time tracking feeds directly into payroll.

BambooHR includes time-off management as a standard feature as well. But while time tracking is available, advanced scheduling and shift management are not the platform’s biggest strengths.

Be clear - both systems handle basic approval workflows and PTO policies well, but neither is a workforce scheduling system. You’ll find either to be a bit underwhelming in this regard. Fortunately, Sunrise HCM is a superior Salesforce time and expense if that’s important to you.

Integrations & Ecosystem

The whole point of comparing BambooHR vs Gusto is to eliminate silos and connect everything you need to manage your people and get them paid. So which system has the more comprehensive integration suite?

Ease of Use

One common theme we hear from customers is that both of these platforms are pretty straightforward. The learning curve is relatively short, whether you go with Gusto vs BambooHR. That said, we’ve seen Gusto positioned as the “simpler” system to get used to.

Implementation Timeline

You want to get up and running fast, so the implementation timeline is really important in comparing BambooHR vs Gusto. Again, BOTH options are fairly simple. That said, Gusto has an edge here in looking at case studies from actual companies that made the switch.

• Gusto implementation timeline: 1-2 weeks
• BambooHR implementation timeline: 3-6 weeks

Of course, this is totally dependent on the size of your company and what you’re migrating from. The reason BambooHR takes longer is that you’re usually migrating more data relating to your people. That’s more complex than simply moving over your payroll processing system.

Reporting & Analytics

BambooHR offers deeper people analytics, custom reports, and workforce insights tied to employee lifecycle data. This is a core strength of the platform, and a common reason people ultimately end up choosing BambooHR over Gusto.

That’s not to say Gusto leaves you blind - you can still pull payroll reports, tax documents, and basic workforce summaries. But again, it’s not a dedicated HRIS like BambooHR, so this is a clear area where Gusto falls short.

Pricing Structure

We’ve seen employers say that in comparing Gusto vs BambooHR on cost, you’ll find one is the better value depending on how many employees you have. For 1-50 employees, Gusto is the more affordable solution. But for 51-100+ employees, BambooHR makes more sense.

One of the biggest differences between BambooHR vs Gusto, though, is transparency in pricing. Gusto lays it all out there publicly so you can make an informed decision without getting on the phone with a sales rep. BambooHR forces you to request a quote, which is frustrating.

Support Experience

This is something that really matters in comparing BambooHR vs Gusto - the level of service you’ll get not just in onboarding but after the fact as well.

Gusto offers support via chat, email, and phone depending on plan tier. BambooHR also provides varying levels of service depending on your contract. The more you pay the better service you’ll get with either solution.

The difference, though, is in what real users have to say about Gusto vs BambooHR customer service. We’ve seen some pretty harsh criticisms of Gusto customer support, specifically. The 2.8/5 star rating on Trustpilot doesn’t help this reputation.

Scalability

You need to compare Gusto vs BambooHR, not just on where you are today, but where your business is headed. This is where getting a little more specific about what you NEED can help you narrow it down between BambooHR vs Gusto.

Gusto scales pretty well from a payroll processing perspective, but it isn’t made for global payroll at scale. It’s purely US-based. And eventually, you’ll find yourself looking for a solution that brings together more of your people management systems.

The same can be said for BambooHR - it’s not exactly the strongest choice for a scaling business from a payroll processing perspective. It might be a good fit if you need more HR structure as headcount grows, especially in hiring, performance, and reporting.

Customer Ratings for BambooHR and Gusto

One of the best ways to narrow it down between Gusto vs BambooHR is seeing what real businesses had to say. For this aspect of our BambooHR vs Gusto feature comparison, we turned to Trustpilot- the #1 independent review site in the world:

• BambooHR: 3.4/5 (average)
• Gusto: 2.8/5 (poor)

Neither company has a stellar reputation, but BambooHR does have a tangible edge. For what it’s worth, though, the company has far fewer reviews than Gusto (122 vs 2,300+). You should always take reviews with a grain of salt.

Is Sunrise a Good Alternative to BambooHR and Gusto?

You’re probably starting to realize there are compromises with both sides of our BambooHR vs Gusto features comparison. You don’t have to settle, though. Sunrise HCM brings you a native Salesforce solution if you’ve outgrown payroll-only tools or HR systems that still rely on add-ons and integrations to function as a whole.

A Truly All-in-One Solution

There’s no middleware, syncing between tools, or waiting on batch updates. The moment you change something - an employee’s role, pay rate, or time entry - it updates everywhere. That’s a meaningful difference from Gusto’s payroll-first setup and BambooHR’s HR-first approach.

Pricing Transparency

There are zero payroll processing fees. No per-run charges. No extra fees for tax filings, W-2s, or direct deposit. Pricing is transparent and subscription-based, so you’re never met with unpleasant surprises - or having to guess what you’ll pay each month.

Functionality That Makes Sense

Sunrise goes further than both BambooHR and Gusto from a functionality perspective as well. Time tracking and expenses feed directly into payroll and billing for professional services teams that need accurate job costing and client invoicing without exporting data between systems.

Security and reliability come from Salesforce itself, too, so you can enjoy peace of mind. Your data lives on an enterprise platform used by banks, hospitals, and government agencies, with SOC-compliant controls and continuous updates already built in.

Whether you’re just looking for Salesforce billing software or want a truly all-in-one HRIS system, your search ends here at Sunrise. Learn more about what’s possible with our solution today!

Wrapping Up Our Gusto vs BambooHR Comparison

We hope our Gusto vs BambooHR comparison has left you clear on which system best suits your business - be it the payroll-first methodology of Gusto or the HRIS functionality of BambooHR. OR, maybe it’s neither! There are better solutions out there, like Sunrise HCM.

You can learn more about other viable options in our blog, including ADP vs Paychex. Otherwise, all that’s left to do is take the next step towards streamlining your payroll and HR processes with Sunrise HCM. Don’t settle for Gusto or Bamboo. Get the best of both worlds!

Frequently asked questions

Which is more economical between Gusto and BambooHR?

It’s hard to say without knowing your exact needs and how many employees you have, but we know for sure that Gusto is more predictable and lower-cost for payroll because pricing is published and payroll is bundled. BambooHR makes you request a quote.

What features set the two platforms apart?

Gusto is the go-to for payroll, taxes, and benefits. BambooHR goes deeper on hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and employee records. Neither is necessarily as “comprehensive” as you might think at first glance.

Which is better for human resource management?

BambooHR is stronger for day-to-day HR management with HRIS, ATS, and performance tools.

When is the right time to switch to a new payroll processing software?

While a lot of companies switch at year-end or quarter-end, there’s never a bad time to streamline your business with Sunrise HCM. Take the next step today and start operating with more clarity and less stress!

‍