BambooHR vs Gusto

by Gralio Feb 04, 2025

BambooHR and Gusto are both strong HR platforms for SMBs. BambooHR is a better fit for businesses prioritizing onboarding and HRIS integrations, whereas Gusto shines in payroll and benefits administration, particularly for those seeking a simplified payroll solution.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 9206 reviews and 60 websites, saving 2 days, 3 hours, 38 minutes of reading.

Logo of BambooHR
BambooHR
Logo of Gusto
Gusto

About

BambooHR is an HR software platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It brings together various HR functions like hiring, onboarding, payroll, benefits, and employee data management into one system. This allows for streamlined workflows, automated tasks, and easier access to employee information. BambooHR aims to simplify HR processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance the employee experience. It is used by companies in various industries and boasts features like custom reporting and integrations with other software.
Gusto is an all-in-one HR platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses in the USA. It offers payroll, benefits administration, hiring and onboarding tools, and HR management features. Gusto aims to simplify and automate HR processes, ensuring compliance and saving you time. It's known for its user-friendly interface, strong customer satisfaction ratings, and comprehensive feature set.

Summary

Main difference
BambooHR offers a more robust onboarding experience and greater customization options, while Gusto excels in payroll features and benefits administration, especially for businesses focused on simple payroll processing.

Relative strengths of BambooHR (compared to Gusto)

  • Stronger onboarding features with customizable workflows.

  • More comprehensive HRIS integrations.

  • Better customization options for reporting and data management.

Relative weaknesses of BambooHR (compared to Gusto)

  • Less intuitive payroll features compared to Gusto.

  • Benefits administration can be less streamlined.

  • Pricing can be less transparent.

Who should use BambooHR VS. Gusto

BambooHR is a user-friendly HR platform ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. It streamlines HR processes, from hiring and onboarding to payroll and benefits. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and comprehensive features, but some have noted slow customer support and cumbersome rehiring processes. BambooHR helps maintain compliance and generate reports, making HR management more efficient.

Gusto is a user-friendly HR platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses in the USA. It offers payroll, benefits administration, hiring tools, and HR management features. Users praise Gusto's intuitive interface and excellent customer support, while some have noted difficulties with transit benefits and one-time salary adjustments.

  • Best for small to medium-sized businesses (50-1000 employees).

  • Suitable for various industries, including Healthcare, Finance, Retail, and Technology.

  • Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the USA, particularly those with under 100 employees.

  • Suitable for a wide range of industries, from healthcare and finance to retail and technology.

BambooHR and Gusto features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need
  • Hiring and Onboarding
    Supported

    BambooHR supports hiring and onboarding tools, including onboarding, offboarding, and e-signatures.

    Partially supported

    Gusto offers applicant tracking, onboarding tools, and electronic signatures. Mobile hiring and offboarding are not explicitly mentioned but may be partially supported.

  • Payroll, Time, and Benefits
    Supported

    BambooHR supports payroll, time tracking, PTO, and benefits administration.

    Supported

    Gusto supports payroll, time tracking, PTO, and benefits administration.

  • Benefits Administration
    Supported

    BambooHR fully supports benefits administration, including enrollment and management.

    Supported

    Gusto supports benefits administration, including health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits programs.

  • Mobile payroll
    Supported

    BambooHR provides a mobile app that allows employees to access their payroll information, including viewing pay stubs and editing payroll details.

    Supported

    Gusto supports mobile payroll through the Gusto Wallet app, enabling employees to view paychecks, tax documents, pay insights, and manage their finances.

  • Payroll integration
    Supported

    BambooHR seamlessly integrates with payroll systems, including the automatic transfer of benefit deductions and other related payroll data.

    Supported

    Gusto seamlessly integrates with payroll systems, enabling automatic transfer of benefit deductions and other HR-related data.

  • Mobile onboarding
    Supported

    BambooHR supports mobile onboarding through its app.

    Partially supported

    Gusto onboarding processes can likely be accessed on mobile devices.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    -0.3
    Rather negative sentiment
    +0.13
    Neutral sentiment
  • Customer Service
    +0.59
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.17
    Neutral sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +0.95
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.89
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    +0.22
    Neutral sentiment
    +0.34
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    +0.55
    Rather positive sentiment
    +0.6
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Scalability
    -0.36
    Rather negative sentiment
    +0.04
    Neutral sentiment
BambooHR and Gusto Pricing
No data

User sentiment

Rather negative
-0.3

See full Pricing page

Gusto offers flexible plans to support a variety of business needs, from simple payroll to comprehensive HR solutions. Additional features are available a la carte to further customize your plan.
Plans

User sentiment

Neutral
+0.13

See full Pricing page

BambooHR and Gusto review insights

9146 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • User-friendly and intuitive interface, praised for its ease of use.
  • Streamlined onboarding and offboarding experience.
  • Comprehensive HR features, including hiring, time off tracking, and reporting.
  • Effective for maintaining compliance and generating helpful reports.
  • Gusto is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use.
  • Excellent customer support, readily available and responsive to queries.
  • Streamlined onboarding process, allowing employees to self-onboard and handle their information.
  • Comprehensive features covering payroll, benefits, hiring, and HR management.

Users dislike

  • Rehiring and re-onboarding processes are cumbersome and time-consuming.
  • Two-factor authentication can be time-consuming and disrupt workflow.
  • Limited functionality for managing groups of companies.
  • Customer support response times can be slow and inefficient.
  • Accessing transit benefits through Gusto is overly complicated.
  • It is difficult to make one-time salary adjustments. The process requires adjusting the annual salary and then reverting it.
  • There is no option to set recurring amounts for contractors. Manual entry is required for each payment.
  • Some users report payroll deposit delays, occasionally extending into the afternoon.

BambooHR and Gusto Ratings

  • G2
    4.4/5
    (2208)
  • Capterra
    4.6/5
    (2425)
  • G2
    4.5/5
    (2063)
  • Capterra
    4.6/5
    (2450)
  • TrustPilot
    2.5/5
    (60)
  • Glassdoor
    3.2/5
    (893)

Company health

Employee growth

18% increase in the last year
18% increase in the last year

Web traffic

1% increase in the last quarter
21% increase in the last quarter

Financing

April 2016 - $0
October 2022 - $746M

How do BambooHR and Gusto compare in user satisfaction for onboarding?

Both BambooHR and Gusto receive positive feedback for their onboarding processes, with users praising the streamlined and user-friendly experience. Gusto emphasizes its excellent customer support, which can be beneficial during onboarding implementation and for addressing any user questions. BambooHR users appreciate the comprehensive onboarding features, but some have noted difficulties with rehiring and re-onboarding. While both are well-regarded, Gusto's emphasis on customer support may give it a slight edge for users who prioritize readily available assistance during onboarding.

Which product best handles complex, recurring payroll adjustments for contractors?

BambooHR is better suited for handling complex, recurring payroll adjustments for contractors. Gusto users specifically report difficulty with recurring payments for contractors, requiring manual entry for each payment. While neither product explicitly highlights robust features for complex adjustments, the lack of this feature in Gusto makes BambooHR the preferable option.

What are the advantages of BambooHR?

BambooHR excels in its user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and use even for non-HR professionals. It offers comprehensive HR features, covering hiring, onboarding, offboarding, time-off tracking, and reporting, all within a single platform. BambooHR is praised for its streamlined onboarding and offboarding experiences, contributing to a positive employee experience. It's particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses seeking an all-in-one HR solution.

What are the disadvantages of BambooHR?

BambooHR's rehiring and re-onboarding processes are reportedly cumbersome. Some users find two-factor authentication disruptive. The platform's functionality for managing groups of companies is limited, and customer support response times can be slow. Finally, some users dislike the lack of scalability.

Alternatives to BambooHR and Gusto

Logo of Rippling
Rippling
Rippling is a comprehensive employee management platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It streamlines and automates various HR, IT, and finance processes, including payroll, benefits, device management, and expense tracking. By centralizing these functions, Rippling aims to simplify employee lifecycle management, reduce administrative burden, and improve operational efficiency for businesses. The platform is particularly valuable for companies with global operations, offering localized solutions for international payroll, benefits, and compliance.
Logo of HiBob HRIS
HiBob HRIS
HiBob is an HR software platform designed for mid-sized businesses, especially those experiencing rapid growth. It offers a range of features covering core HR needs like onboarding, performance management, and compensation management. HiBob aims to streamline HR tasks, improve employee engagement, and provide data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making. It's known for its user-friendly interface and focus on automation.
Logo of Personio
Personio
Personio is an all-in-one HR software designed for mid-sized companies. It combines multiple HR functions like recruiting, onboarding, payroll, and performance management into a single platform. This helps streamline HR tasks, automate repetitive processes, and provide data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions. Personio aims to free up HR teams from administrative burdens so they can focus on employee experience and development.
Logo of QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll is a cloud-based payroll software designed for small to medium-sized businesses in the USA. It aims to simplify payroll processing with features like automated tax calculations and filings, direct deposit, and integrated time tracking. QuickBooks Payroll also offers additional tools like HR support, workers' compensation administration, and health benefits options. It stands out with its tax penalty protection, promising to cover penalties incurred due to errors within the software.
Logo of People HRMS
People HRMS
People HRMS is an HR software platform designed to help you manage all your HR needs in one place. It offers a range of features, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, time and attendance tracking, and benefits administration. People HRMS is suitable for small to midsize businesses and can be customized to fit your specific needs. The platform focuses on automation and ease of use, aiming to save you time and improve efficiency in your HR processes. It also emphasizes employee engagement through tools like internal communication channels and performance recognition features.
Logo of Fingercheck
Fingercheck
Fingercheck is an all-in-one HR software designed for small to medium-sized businesses in the USA. It aims to simplify HR and payroll tasks by automating processes like payroll, benefits administration, time tracking, and onboarding. This cloud-based platform offers features such as automated tax calculations, employee self-service portals, and compliance support. Fingercheck prides itself on providing affordable, user-friendly software combined with accessible customer support.

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