BambooHR vs Gusto: HR software first or payroll first (2026)

The core difference

These two start at opposite ends. Gusto is a US payroll, benefits and HR platform for small businesses, and HR comes with payroll: there is no HR-only plan. BambooHR is an HR platform first. Its payroll is sold on top, for US employees only, so you can buy the HR plans without it.

That decides who each one fits. A small US business whose main job is paying people, and which wants HR tools in the same account, matches Gusto. A company that wants records, reports, hiring and reviews, and pays people through another provider or later, matches BambooHR, which says it is built for growing companies of generally 50 to 500 employees.

Pricing

Gusto lists US payroll plans with a base price plus a per-person price: Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus at $80 plus $12, and Premium at $180 plus $22. Each includes payroll, because there is no HR-only plan. Gusto's pricing page says which plans include its performance tools.

BambooHR lists HR plans and leaves payroll out of them. Up to 25 employees, Core, Pro and Elite are $250, $425 and $650 a month flat. Above that, the per-employee prices are $10.25, $17.50 and $25 a month, and volume discounts apply automatically. Payroll and benefits administration are add-ons for US employees with no published price, and BambooHR takes 15% off when you combine them with any plan.

The two price lists cannot be read line by line. Gusto's figures cover payroll, with HR coming along. BambooHR's cover HR and leave payroll out. To compare, ask BambooHR for a quote that adds payroll at your headcount, then set Gusto's plan for that headcount beside it, and check that each carries the HR features you need. The bills are built like this:

• Gusto: a base price plus a per-person price, with payroll included.
• BambooHR, 25 or fewer employees: a flat monthly rate for the plan, with payroll extra.
• BambooHR, above 25 employees: a per-employee price, with payroll extra.

What each includes

Both cover the HR basics for a small team. The differences show in payroll, time and the depth of the extras.

• Payroll. At Gusto it is the core product. At BambooHR it is an add-on that files federal, state and local taxes for US-based workers, with an optional managed service where BambooHR's specialists run payroll for you.
• Records and documents. BambooHR's records come with an org chart and unlimited custom fields, and every plan adds documents, e-signatures, onboarding and offboarding, and a custom report builder. Gusto lists custom onboarding checklists, document storage, e-signatures, background checks through Checkr, an employee handbook builder, and insights and reporting.
• Time off and hours. BambooHR has time off on every plan, with accruals, approvals and unlimited custom policies, and sells time tracking in a paid add-on. Gusto's developer documentation describes time off that accrues by pay period, calendar year or work anniversary, and its mobile app lists hour tracking and time off requests for employees. Gusto also announced project tracking, which tags hours to projects, clients and tasks.
• Hiring. BambooHR builds applicant tracking into every plan and limits open jobs to 5, 25 and 50 on Core, Pro and Elite. Gusto's HR page lists an applicant tracking system that sends job posts to LinkedIn and Indeed, with custom offer letter templates.
• Performance. BambooHR's Pro and Elite plans carry 360 feedback, 1:1s, goals and custom review cycles, and every plan has a satisfaction survey. Gusto lists performance review templates, goal tracking, anonymous engagement surveys and learning courses, and its pricing page says which plans include them.
• Benefits and HR help. BambooHR's benefits administration is an add-on for US employees. Gusto offers a 401(k) inside its platform, and announced HR Partners, which gives eligible business owners direct access to a senior HR leader.
• People abroad. BambooHR's payroll covers US employees only, and Gusto's pricing page lists US payroll plans. Both route employer of record through Remote. Gusto lists international contractor payments in more than 120 countries, and BambooHR's global employment add-on offers contractor management through Remote in 200+ countries and jurisdictions.
• Apps and access. BambooHR lists 150+ prebuilt integrations, an open REST API and a mobile app. Gusto lists a marketplace of partner apps across accounting, hiring, performance and time tracking, and a free mobile app for employers, employees and US contractors. Its developer documentation says the API is currently restricted to App Integration and Embedded Payroll partners, and Gusto also offers an MCP server and a command-line tool.

Which fits which team

• A US company whose first job is running payroll. Gusto. Payroll is the core product and HR tools come with it, from $49 a month plus $6 per person.
• A company that wants HR software first, with payroll elsewhere or later. BambooHR. Its HR plans can be bought without payroll, which Gusto does not offer.
• A company that wants applicant tracking and review cycles tied to a plan table. BambooHR lists open jobs and features plan by plan. Gusto lists an applicant tracking system and review templates as well, so read which Gusto plan carries them.
• A company with contractors abroad. Either. Gusto lists payments to international contractors in more than 120 countries, and BambooHR's add-on, run by Remote, covers contractor management in 200+ countries and jurisdictions.
• A company with employees abroad. Check both. BambooHR's payroll is for US employees only, Gusto's pricing page lists US payroll plans, and each points to Remote for employer of record.
• A company whose payroll is settled and which needs only HR. Toku HR, below, covers that and nothing more: no payroll, applicant tracking or review cycles.

Toku HR as a third option

Toku HR is closer to BambooHR than to Gusto. It is HR software for people the company employs and pays itself, and it runs no payroll, so you keep your own payroll provider. It keeps the employee record and the documents, and runs time off with accruals and statutory holidays for every country, plus expenses, IT equipment and reports.

Starter is $125 a month for up to 25 employees, Growth $225 and Scale $325, then $5, $9 or $13 per employee per month. Each costs about half of BambooHR's starting price for the matching plan. Gusto's prices include payroll, which Toku HR does not offer, so they cannot be set side by side. Toku HR is included at no charge for companies that use Employer of Record (EOR), PEO or Agent of Record (AOR), and costs $49 a month flat, however many people you have, for companies that use contractor management or stablecoin payroll.

There is no applicant tracking, review cycle, 360 review, survey, compensation planning, AI assistant or mobile app, so BambooHR and Gusto both go further on features. See Toku HR vs BambooHR and Toku HR vs Gusto.