Quick answer: HR software may be priced by employee, licensed user, headcount band or a base fee plus employees. At 25 employees, published examples range from $75 per month equivalent for Zoho People Premium on annual billing to $380 per month for Gusto Plus with payroll. Those plans have different scope and billing terms. Treegarden HR-only is $299 per month for up to 25 employees on an annual commitment with monthly instalments. Compare required functions and total first-year cost, not the headline rate alone.
Last verified: 17 October 2026. These are US public prices or arithmetic based on public rates, not negotiated quotes. Vendors may change prices or eligibility. The example assumes all 25, 50 or 100 employees are billable users where a vendor charges per user; confirm your actual license count.
Methodology and disclosure
We compared five products a US employer might evaluate for employee records and HR workflows: Treegarden, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling and Zoho People. We checked their linked first-party pricing pages on the date above. We calculate totals only where the published price and unit allow it; we do not estimate volume discounts, add-ons or negotiated contracts. Treegarden sells one of these products and authored this guide. This is not independent hands-on testing or an endorsement of another vendor.
Published cost examples by employee count
Monthly figures below use the stated plan and billing basis. They are not equivalent bundles: Gusto Plus includes payroll; BambooHR Core includes limited recruiting capacity; Treegarden HR is HR-only; Zoho People Premium does not include Zoho Recruit or Zoho Payroll. Rippling needs a configured quote.
| Product and basis | 25 employees | 50 employees | 100 employees | What is outside this example? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treegarden HR-only Employee bands; annual commitment, monthly instalments | $299/mo | $499/mo | $899/mo | ATS is separately priced; payroll is not included. |
| BambooHR Core Flat fee through 25; published starting per-employee rate above 25 | $250/mo | $512.50/mo* | $1,025/mo* | Payroll is an add-on; Core lists five ATS job openings. |
| Gusto Plus $80 base + $12 per person, monthly | $380/mo | $680/mo | $1,280/mo | Payroll is included; confirm the HR and recruiting capabilities you need. |
| Rippling From $8 per employee plus base fee; modular | Custom quote | Custom quote | Custom quote | Selected HR, recruiting and payroll products change the total. |
| Zoho People Premium US$3 per licensed user/month, billed annually | $75/mo equivalent | $150/mo equivalent | $300/mo equivalent | Zoho Recruit and Zoho Payroll are separate products; tax and other services may be extra. |
*BambooHR publishes Core at $250 monthly for 25 or fewer employees and a $10.25-per-employee monthly starting rate above 25. The 50/100 figures multiply that rate before BambooHR's automatic volume discounts. They are illustrative starting-rate arithmetic, not vendor quotes or promised minimum bills; ask BambooHR for actual totals.
Keep ATS and payroll separate in your worksheet. Treegarden's $299/$499/$899 figures buy the HR module only. On the public Treegarden pricing page, ATS is a separate active-job module. BambooHR Core includes five openings, with different limits in higher plans. Gusto Plus is a payroll-led bundle. Rippling requires a product-specific quote. Zoho People Premium does not include Zoho Recruit or Zoho Payroll. Do not compare these rows as if they purchase identical capabilities.
What makes the bill change?
Employee bands and licensed users
Treegarden HR uses employee-count bands: up to 25, 50 and 100 employees on its public plans. Zoho People Premium charges per licensed user, so the example assumes one license per employee. BambooHR Core switches from a flat monthly amount at 25 or fewer employees to per-employee pricing above 25, with volume discounts. Confirm how each vendor counts inactive, seasonal and part-time workers.
Base fees, payroll and recruiting
Gusto Plus combines a monthly base fee and per-person fee with payroll. Rippling prices selected products and employees, with a base fee; its public starting rate is not a complete HR quote. If you also need an ATS, ask for the exact recruiting module, job-opening capacity and annual cost. Do not assume payroll or ATS is included because a vendor calls its product an HR platform.
Billing term and implementation
The Treegarden figures shown here are payable in monthly instalments under an annual commitment; its public page also shows lower monthly equivalents when paid annually upfront. Zoho's cited $3 user rate is billed annually. Gusto Plus shows a monthly base and person rate. Ask each vendor whether implementation, data migration, support level and renewal changes are included in the written offer.
Copy-ready HR software cost worksheet
Use the same scope and employee count for every quote. Leave a field blank rather than treating an undisclosed charge as zero.
| Line item | Your requirement | Vendor A | Vendor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billable employees or users | 25 / 50 / 100, plus expected growth | _____ | _____ |
| HR base subscription | Records, documents, leave, workflows | $_____ / month | $_____ / month |
| Payroll and benefits | Required / not required | $_____ / month | $_____ / month |
| Recruiting / ATS | Peak concurrent open roles: _____ | $_____ / month | $_____ / month |
| Implementation and migration | One-time services and data transfer | $_____ | $_____ |
| First-year total | 12 x recurring monthly price + one-time costs | $_____ | $_____ |
| Renewal and terms | Commitment, payment schedule, increases | _____ | _____ |
Worked example: Gusto Plus at 50 paid people is $80 + (50 x $12) = $680 per month at its public rate, or $8,160 over 12 months before add-ons. Treegarden HR-only for up to 50 employees is $499 per month in monthly instalments on an annual commitment, or $5,988 across 12 instalments, before any ATS module or services. These totals buy different products: the Gusto example includes payroll and the Treegarden example does not.
Questions to ask before signing
- Which people count as billable, and what happens when headcount crosses the next band?
- Is the written price for HR records only, or does it include payroll, benefits and recruiting?
- How many concurrent openings and hiring-team users does the recruiting scope allow?
- What is the first-year total including setup, migration, training, support and taxes?
- Is the agreement monthly or annual, and is payment monthly or upfront?
- What changes at renewal, and can data be exported if the platform is replaced?
Primary pricing sources
- Treegarden public ATS and HR pricing (HR-only bands and billing options).
- BambooHR official pricing and FAQ (Core rates, volume discounts, opening limits, payroll add-on).
- Gusto official pricing (Plus base and per-person fee, payroll scope).
- Rippling official pricing (starting rate, base fee and quote process).
- Zoho People official pricing (Premium annual USD user rate; prices may display in a different currency by visitor location).
For product fit rather than a price-only calculation, see our small-business HR software guide and broader HR software comparison.