Skip to main content
HR & People

Culture Amp vs Gusto: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Culture Amp and Gusto. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Culture Amp starts at Custom pricing and Gusto starts at $49/mo. Compare all 5 pricing tiers side by side.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

Culture Amp vs Gusto: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureCulture AmpGusto
Starting PriceCustom pricing$49/mo
Number of Plans14
Free TierNoYes
Pricing Modelper-seatper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Culture Amp and Gusto are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible HR & People tools. Together they offer 5 pricing plans with 22 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Gusto stands out with a free plan for getting started.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your HR & People needs.

Pricing Plans
Culture Amp
Culture Amp
Try it free
Gusto
Gusto
Try it freeAffiliate
Tier 1
Custom Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Tailored experience designed for Enterprise organizations
  • Manager & executive trainings
  • Results call with People Scientist
  • One-on-one coaching
  • Group coaching
  • Pre-launch review
  • On-demand resources for Culture Amp training
  • 24/5 Chat and email support
Start with Custom Enterprise
Contractor Only
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Contractor payments
  • No W-2 employees required
Start with Contractor Only
Tier 2
Simple
$49/monthCheapest
$4 / year
Includes
  • Single-state payroll
  • Unlimited payrolls per month
  • Tax filings and payments
  • Basic PTO policies and holiday pay
Start with Simple
Tier 3
Plus
$80/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Multi-state payroll
  • Next-day pay
  • Time Tracking
Start with Plus
Tier 4
Premium
$180/monthCheapest
$15 / year
Includes
  • Dedicated Service Advisor
  • Access to certified HR experts
  • Performance & compensation management
  • Custom reports
  • Priority support
Start with Premium

Swipe to compare plans →

Culture Amp

Employee engagement surveys and people analytics platform

View all Culture Amp plans

Gusto

Payroll, benefits, and HR platform for small businesses

View all Gusto plans
Our Pick

Gusto

Gusto offers a free plan, offers 4 tiers vs 1.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Gusto

Try Gusto free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Culture Amp if:

  • Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Culture Amp offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • You prioritize Culture Amp's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
  • Culture Amp's per-seat pricing lets you match exact team size without tier gaps

Choose Gusto if:

  • You need a free plan with Contractor payments, No W-2 employees required—Gusto offers no-cost access with no credit card required
  • You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • You want more features built-in—Gusto offers 6 additional features across its plans

Gusto offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Culture Amp requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Gusto a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Gusto's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately $49/mo provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Culture Amp's tiering starting at Custom pricing to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Gusto's 4 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Culture Amp's 1 tier structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Gusto is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.

Best choice: Gusto

Try Gusto free
ShareShare

Frequently Asked Questions: Culture Amp vs Gusto

How many pricing plans does Culture Amp have vs Gusto?
Culture Amp offers 1 pricing plan, while Gusto offers 4 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Culture Amp or Gusto offer a free plan?
Gusto offers a free plan, while Culture Amp does not. If budget is a concern, Gusto lets you get started at no cost.
Can I save money by paying annually for Culture Amp or Gusto?
Both Culture Amp and Gusto offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does Culture Amp or Gusto offer custom enterprise pricing?
Culture Amp offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Gusto lists all its pricing publicly.
How do Culture Amp and Gusto compare for HR & People?
Both Culture Amp and Gusto are HR & People tools. Culture Amp offers 1 plan starting at Custom pricing, while Gusto offers 4 plans starting at $49/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your HR & People needs.

Sources

  1. Culture Amp Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. Gusto Official PricingVendor pricing page

Related Articles

Track Price Changes

Get notified when pricing changes for these tools.