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Hiring your first employee is a big moment for every small business. Building a team that spans cities, states, and international borders brings new challenges and a much longer employee management to-do list. From handling multistate compliance to navigating global payroll and HR policies, your tools need to grow with you.
Gusto’s payroll and workforce management software is a favorite for good reason. It’s approachable, dependable, and checks a lot of boxes for small business owners. But if you want to scale quickly or hire employees or independent contractors beyond your home turf, it might be time to explore HR and payroll management alternatives that offer more flexibility and reach.
Here, we’ll explore how some of Gusto’s competitors compare.
What is Gusto?
Gusto is a popular cloud-based payroll and HR platform designed primarily for small business owners and startups based in the United States. It streamlines essential workflows like automated payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, and payroll compliance. For many small teams that want an all-in-one solution without needing a dedicated HR department or payroll provider, it’s a popular option.
However, for growing companies with their sights set on expanding their workforce, Gusto’s features can start to feel limited. Here are a few common growing pains users run into:
- Scaling challenges: Gusto can work well for small businesses, but when your workforce headcount climbs, its features may start to feel basic. Larger organizations often need more customization, advanced reporting, or deeper admin controls than Gusto is designed to offer.
- Limited global capabilities: Although Gusto offers global hiring and payroll services, its bread and butter are businesses based in the U.S. Gusto’s U.S.-centric focus means the quality of compliance and overall support varies greatly from one destination to the next.
- Integration gaps: While Gusto works well with popular platforms like QuickBooks and Xero, it has fewer payroll integrations compared to more robust or enterprise-level payroll systems. Businesses with more complex needs may need to work with multiple systems, which can drain resources and create data silos.
Gusto’s cost per user varies depending on your needs. A simple, single-state plan starts at $49 monthly with an additional $6 per user. The more expansive Plus plan totals $80 monthly with an additional $12 per person, and the dedicated Premium plan costs $180 monthly with an additional $22 per person.
Gusto alternatives
Looking for payroll and HR software that fits your business needs better than Gusto? Whether you want automated payroll, benefits administration, PTO tracking, or global contractor management, these workforce management alternatives and payroll companies like Gusto are worth your consideration.
1. Oyster vs. Gusto
Oyster is a specialized global employment solution that helps companies hire, pay, and manage employees and independent contractors in over 180 countries—without setting up local entities. It brings together distributed teams in a single, easy-to-use platform, perfect for businesses that partner with employers of record (EORs) or manage their own entities.
With country-specific support for each location it serves, Oyster offers compliant international payroll services backed by a dedicated team of legal, compliance, and HR experts. A deep understanding of local norms, cultural expectations, and employment practices helps companies offer competitive experiences that attract and retain top international talent.
Pricing: Contractor services cost $29 monthly per contractor (with a free one-month trial), global payroll starts at $29 monthly per employee, and EOR services start at $699 monthly per employee.
2. Paychex vs. Gusto
Paychex targets small and medium-sized businesses with HR, payroll, and employee benefits administration services. The Paychex Flex packages support multistate compliance within the U.S., but its international capabilities are limited—many services rely on third-party providers for global coverage. That setup can lead to inconsistent quality of service or unreliable customer support, especially for companies managing more complex distributed teams.
Pricing: Paychex Flex's costs vary depending on your business needs—contact Paychex directly for a custom quote.
3. QuickBooks vs. Gusto
QuickBooks Payroll is a common choice for small businesses that already use QuickBooks’ accounting software. It offers automated payroll, tax filing, and basic benefits administration, all tightly integrated with Quickbooks’ accounting and reporting features.
However, its HR features are relatively limited and don’t directly support global hiring, making it more appropriate for U.S.-based teams with straightforward payroll systems.
Pricing: QuickBooks payroll services begin at $85 monthly with an additional $6 per employee up to $184 monthly and $9 per employee for premium services.
4. ADP vs. Gusto
ADP is an HR management software solution and service provider well-known for its highly customizable platform, which includes payroll, benefits administration, tax administration, and talent management. While ADP offers global hiring and PEO services, its complex pricing and product tiers can be overwhelming for some businesses. Still, compared to Gusto, it often works well for companies that need advanced workforce management features.
Pricing: ADP offers several payroll and HR bundles—custom pricing is available upon request.
5. Rippling vs. Gusto
Rippling takes a more comprehensive approach than Gusto. It combines HRIS (Human Resources Information System), IT, and finance in a single platform, which means no switching between separate tools for payroll, benefits administration, PTO, and employee device management. Rippling also supports international hiring for both employees and contractors, making it easier for companies to stay compliant and pay their global teams accurately and on time.
Pricing: Rippling is another workforce management tool with customized pricing structures, but its modular setup means costs can climb quickly based on the features you choose.
6. OnPay vs. Gusto
OnPay is a cloud-based payroll and HR software designed for U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses. It offers features like automated tax filings, benefits administration, and hiring support. Unlike Gusto, OnPay has industry-specific payroll services, including specialized support for manufacturing, healthcare providers, and agricultural businesses, among others.
Pricing: OnPay’s pricing is simple and straightforward. The monthly cost is $49 monthly, with an additional $6 per person.
7. Zenefits vs. Gusto
Zenefits, now part of TriNet, focuses heavily on HR and benefits administration, offering cloud-based tools for onboarding, PTO tracking, performance management, and general compliance. It’s well-suited for small and mid-sized U.S. businesses that want to streamline workforce operations in-house rather than partner with a professional employer organization (PEO).
Pricing: Costs vary by plan and features. Zenefits requires a demo to provide details.
8. Justworks vs. Gusto
Justworks provides HR, payroll, PEO, and global EOR services. PEO services give small and medium-sized companies access to robust employee benefits administration services like competitive health insurance, 401(k) plans, and automated tax filings. Compared to Gusto, Justworks is better suited for teams that want more hands-on customer support and are comfortable with co-employment models.
Pricing: Payroll services begin at $50 monthly with an additional $8 per employee. PEO services begin at $59 monthly per employee for basic services and $109 monthly per employee for PEO Plus.
9. Deel vs. Gusto
Deel is a popular global employment platform that acts as an EOR, helping companies with hiring, compliance, and payroll management for international employees. Compared to Gusto, Deel offers a broader geographic reach. That said, some users report high costs, limited customizations, and long payroll cycles, so you may want to compare other EORs and global payroll providers before committing.
Pricing: Deel has several different modules. EOR services cost $599 monthly per employee. Contractor management tools total $49 monthly per contractor, and PEO services cost $95 monthly per employee. Automated global payroll services cost $29 monthly per employee.
How to choose the best Gusto alternative
When scanning through the offerings of gusto alternatives like Paychex Flex, OnPay, and ADP, it’s easy to get lost in feature lists and promises of “automated everything.” But choosing the right payroll provider or HR software solution isn’t just about the bells and whistles. Find a partner that meets your business needs and a platform that supports your growth.
Whether you’re a small business running international payroll or building a distributed team with international contractors, here are a few factors to keep in mind as you compare options:
- International hiring support: If you hire across borders, pick a platform that supports global payroll, local currencies and benefits, and tax and labor compliance. Not all Gusto alternatives handle global onboarding, which can slow your growth.
- Compliance and benefits administration: Choose tools with embedded compliance features to automate tax filings, PTO management, and benefits administration. It’ll save time and keep your employees happy.
- Automation and customization: The best HR and payroll software solutions offer automated processes (like recurring payroll runs or contractor payments) and let you customize strategic initiatives like performance management, PTO policies, and analytics.
- Integration with other tools: Look for software that integrates easily with accounting software, applicant tracking systems, and analytic platforms to streamline employee management and improve visibility.
- Mobile app functions: Make sure the platform has easy-to-use mobile apps and desktop functions. This gives employees easy access to pay stubs, PTO balances, and payment tracking, which means less time spent fielding questions from contractors and remote workers.
Transform your business from local to global—seamlessly
Gusto might work well for some U.S.-based teams, but global growth calls for more support. Oyster’s EOR services and global payroll solution cover 180+ countries—no local entity needed. With built-in compliance, local expertise, and a platform made specifically for distributed international teams, Oyster helps you hire, onboard, manage, and retain top talent worldwide.
Book a demo to learn more.
About Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform designed to enable visionary HR leaders to find, engage, pay, manage, develop, and take care of a thriving distributed workforce. Oyster lets growing companies give valued international team members the experience they deserve, without the usual headaches and expense.
Oyster enables hiring anywhere in the world—with reliable, compliant payroll, and great local benefits and perks.
