VETTED SAAS
Head to head · HR and Payroll

Gusto vs Bamboo HR

These two solve different halves of the same problem. Gusto leads with built in payroll and tax filing; BambooHR leads with people management, onboarding, and reporting, with payroll as an add on. Here is how they compare, and which one fits your team.

Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
★ Our pick
Gusto
90 /100
vs
Challenger
Bamboo HR
86 /100
◂ Gusto Advantage Bamboo HR ▸
Gusto wins for teams that want payroll first · BambooHR wins when HR depth, onboarding, and reporting come first.

These are affiliate links marked rel=“sponsored”. We may earn a commission if you buy · it never affects our scores or who wins. Disclosure.

How they score

Criteria Gusto Bamboo HR Winner
Built in payroll
92
70
Gusto
HR and people management
80
92
Bamboo HR
Ease of use
90
88
Gusto
Reporting and analytics
78
88
Bamboo HR
Value for small teams
90
74
Gusto
Onboarding and performance
76
90
Bamboo HR

Scores are our editorial assessment against the VettedSaaS rubric · not vendor supplied.

Choose Gusto if…
+Running payroll and taxes is your first priority
+You want benefits and contractor pay built in
+You are a small US team watching cost
+You want one tool to pay people without add ons
Choose Bamboo HR if…
+People records, onboarding, and reporting come first
+You want performance and engagement tools
+You will add payroll as a module or keep a specialist
+You value a polished HR experience for staff

Feature by feature

✓ full  ·  ∼ partial  ·  — none
Capability Gusto Bamboo HR
Built in payroll and tax filing ✓ ∼add on
Benefits administration ✓ ∼add on
Applicant tracking (ATS) — ✓
Onboarding workflows ∼ ✓
Performance management — ✓
Custom reporting ∼ ✓
Flat rate for tiny teams ∼ ✓

Feature support verified as of June 2026 · check the vendor for current details.

Pricing, side by side

Base fee plus per employee, where listed
Gusto Our pick
Simple $49 + $6/employee
Plus $80 + $12/employee
Contractor only $35 + $6/contractor
Bamboo HR Challenger
Small teams (to 25) from $250/mo flat
Core per employee quote
Pro about $17/employee

Pricing as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing. BambooHR bills a flat monthly rate for teams of 25 or fewer and per employee above that, with payroll, benefits, and time tracking as separate add ons.

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