HRIS cost for under 50 employees
Year-1 cost at 25 employees, Core + Payroll module
| Vendor | Eff. PEPM | Annual subscription | Year-1 total | 3-year TCO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | $16.00 | $4,800 | $7,050 | $18,447 |
| Gusto | $18.00 | $5,988 | $5,988 | $19,986 |
| Deel | $25.00 | $7,500 | $8,750 | $26,558 |
| Justworks | $107.50 | $32,250 | $32,250 | $108,824 |
| Remote.com | $35.00 | $10,500 | $11,500 | $36,431 |
| Zoho People | $11.00 | $3,300 | $4,050 | $11,886 |
What happened to the Deel and Remote free HR tiers?
Both are gone from the published rate cards. Deel now sells Deel HR as a three-tier paid ladder starting at Core, $5 per employee per month, with Advanced at $19 and Elite at $29. Remote publishes no free plan and no standalone HRIS rate at all: its HR Core is bundled into whichever paid product you buy, so the cheapest published route onto the platform is Payroll at $29 per employee per month or Contractor Management at $29 per contractor per month. If you shortlisted either vendor on the strength of a free HR tier, that reason has expired.
Year-1 budget for a 25-person startup
Realistic budget for a US-only 25-person startup on Gusto Plus + benefits: $5,000-$8,000 year-1 software, $0-$1,500 implementation, $0 broker fee (Gusto-bundled benefits). Total: $5,000-$10,000. For a globally-distributed startup, Deel HR Core at $5 per employee per month across 25 people is $1,500 a year before any contractor or EOR line, so budget that plus $49 per contractor per month for whoever you engage.
When do you outgrow each option?
- Zoho People: outgrown at 100 employees when ecosystem-fit pressure forces an upgrade to BambooHR or Rippling.
- Gusto Simple: outgrown at 30 employees when Performance and advanced PTO matter.
- Deel HR Core: outgrown when performance reviews, goals or LMS become requirements, which moves you to Advanced at $19 per employee per month, a near four-fold step up.
- Remote: never a cheap HRIS-only option now that the free tier is gone. It earns its place only when you are already buying Remote Payroll, EOR or Contractor Management and HR Core arrives bundled.