HR and payroll software · Comparison
Gusto vs Justworks
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | Gusto | Justworks |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Worth the priceFull-service US payroll with tax filings, onboarding and benefits administration at a published monthly price, with no long-term contract. | Worth the priceLow-cost multi-state payroll for small US teams, with a PEO path to group health benefits when you need it. |
| Overall score | 6.3Best | 5.6 |
| Free option | Free trial | Paid only |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Self-serve | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $49/mo + $6/person | $50/mo + $8/employee |
| Pricing model | Seat + usage | Seat + usage |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| Billing unit | Monthly base fee plus a price per active person; US contractors billed only in months they are paid | Payroll: monthly base fee plus a price per employee; PEO: per employee, no base fee |
| Free option | Free account to set up and onboard; billing starts with the first payroll | No free plan or trial stated |
| Reference scenario (10 employees, one state) | $109/mo on Simple ($49 + $6 × 10), computed | $130/mo on Payroll ($50 + $8 × 10), computed (prices as of May 21, 2026) |
| Multi-state payroll | Plus ($80 + $12 per person) | Included on every plan |
| International hiring | Contractors in 120+ countries, per-payment fee; no employer-of-record service listed | Contractors $39 each; EOR $599 per employee on PEO plans |
| PEO option | None listed | PEO Basic $79, PEO Plus $109 per employee |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 | SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports (type not stated); ISO 27001 not stated | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Contract terms | Month to month, cancel anytime | Not stated; first year of PEO fees can be prepaid |
| Data export | Reports as CSV, PDF or Excel; a payroll data export workbook per year | Each payroll downloads as CSV |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, Gusto is the clearest buy here: full-service payroll with HR basics from $109 a month for 10 employees, month to month. Multi-state payroll needs Plus, and there is no employer-of-record or PEO option on the pricing page. | From its public pages, Justworks pairs low-cost multi-state payroll with a priced PEO path. Its score is held back by a security file and API that its pages do not state, and its pricing page could only be read in a May 2026 archive copy. |
Evidence: Gusto: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Justworks: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our Gusto review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Gusto when
- You want the lower 10-employee price ($109 vs $130 a month, computed) and built-in performance reviews on a published plan.
- Pick Justworks when
- You need multi-state payroll on the entry plan, or a PEO plan for access to group health benefits.
From our Justworks review
Checked Oct 16, 2026- Pick Justworks when
- You employ people in more than one state and want multi-state payroll on the entry plan.
- Pick Gusto when
- You want built-in performance reviews, a free account before the first payroll, or the lower price ($109 vs $130, computed).
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- GustoLowest priceSimple$49/moPlus $6 per person a month
- Full-service payroll in one state, unlimited payroll runs
- Federal, state and local tax filings and payments
- Time off, offer letters with e-signature, digital I-9s and W-4s
- Time tracking add-on at $6 per person
- JustworksPayroll$50/moPlus $8 per employee a month (pricing page, Internet Archive copy of May 21, 2026)
- Multi-state payroll, tax filings, W-2 and 1099 filings
- Online onboarding, PTO management, basic timecards
- Phone and chat support
- Health insurance add-on at $8 per benefits-eligible employee
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: Gusto 2026-10-16, Justworks 2026-10-16.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- GustoSelf-serve sign-up; the highest score of the 2 self-serve products here (6.3/10).
- Lowest starter price
- Gusto$49/mo + $6/person for the Simple plan.
- Highest overall score
- Gusto6.3/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
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