Gusto vs Niural
We give Gusto a 2.4 GPA and Niural a 2.2, out of 4.0. Gusto grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Niural grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gusto
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff
Niural
US payroll, PEO, employer of record and global payments in one
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.2GPANiuralFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSimple is $49 a month plus $6 a person, so $79 for a team of five. That sits between the cheapest quarter of this category ($65 or less for five) and the middle ($85). Pay people in more than one state and you need Plus at $80 plus $12 a person, which is $140. | AGraded against the other employer-of-record services: from $299 a person a month, $1,495 for five, half the $599 Deel and Remote charge. Its US payroll is another matter, at $100 plus $20 a person, $200 for five, the dearest here. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | FNo free plan, no trial and no self-serve sign-up: every plan starts with a demo booked through sales. |
| Features | BRegular and off-cycle payroll, taxes worked out by work location, time tracking, onboarding, document signing and expense claims, with contractors abroad as an add-on. That's the whole payroll job, spread across its three plans. | BUS payroll, a US PEO with health plans and 401(k), employer of record in 150+ countries, payroll for your foreign entities and contractor payments in local currencies or stablecoins. The whole job, at home and abroad. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 52,000 App Store ratings for Gusto Mobile, where owners approve hours and run payroll and staff see their pay and sign documents. | CNo App Store rating on record. AI agents can run payroll on the scheduled date, but you get there through a sales demo and setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and you can link your own systems through a command-line tool or an MCP server. No desktop app, and the full API is only for approved partners. | CWeb only, with no mobile app and no integrations named in the listing. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | US startups hiring abroad on a tight budget |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Gusto and Niural. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gusto starts at $49 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Niural starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Gusto scores higher, and starts $20 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than Gusto for less, and 2 score higher than Niural for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple). Niural starts at $29 per employee / month and up, for Global Payroll through your own entities.
- Only Gusto lists iOS and Android apps.
- Gusto also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
At a glance
| Gusto | Niural | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $29 per employee / month and up, for Global Payroll through your own entities |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | Niural Inc. |
| Price read from | gusto.com | niural.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Gusto
- Small US businesses paying W-2 employees and contractors
- Owners who want to approve hours and run payroll from a phone
- Teams that want staff to handle their own pay details and documents
Niural
- US startups that also employ or pay people abroad
- Companies paying contractors in local currencies or stablecoins
- Small US teams that want PEO benefits without changing platforms later
Worth knowing
Gusto
- Gusto runs US payroll only: W-2 employees, state and local taxes and US contractors. Paying contractors abroad is a separate add-on covering 120+ countries.
- Many extras cost more on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person, same-day pay $90 a payroll and instant pay $100 a payroll.
- Priority phone and chat support is a $30-a-month add-on, plus $3 a person, on Simple and Plus.
- Gusto's API is open only to approved integration and embedded-payroll partners, not to customers building their own links.
Niural
- US payroll and the PEO cover US employees; EOR, Global Payroll and contractor payments each list 150+ countries.
- Every plan is bought by booking a demo with sales; there is no free trial or self-serve sign-up.
- Contractor of Record (Niural Armor) costs $299 a month per person, and Enterprise US payroll is priced by volume.
- Some PEO Plus benefit accounts carry different terms for groups under 5 employees.
Key features
Gusto
- Regular and off-cycle payroll
- Runs payroll on a set schedule, including hours, paid time off and bonuses, plus one-off payrolls for corrections or special bonuses.
- Tax withholding and deductions
- Works out federal, state and local taxes by work location, takes pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and pays by direct deposit or check.
- Time and time off
- Employees and contractors clock in and out and request time off in the app; admins review and approve hours before payroll.
- Onboarding and documents
- Add and onboard new team members from the app, and have employees read and sign documents there.
- Expense reimbursements
- Employees photograph receipts and submit expenses, and admins approve them in the app. The App Store listing limits this to Gusto Plus and Premium.
- Gusto CLI and MCP server
- Customers connect their own systems to their Gusto account through a command-line tool or an MCP server; the full API is for approved partners.
Niural
- US payroll
- Multi-state payroll with W-2s and 1099s, unlimited pay schedules and runs, PTO tracking and same-day deposits into Niural wallets.
- US PEO
- Co-employment that adds workers' comp, EPLI and HR consulting, and on PEO Plus health, dental and vision insurance and a 401(k).
- Employer of record
- Hire employees in more than 150 countries without a local entity, with country-compliant contracts, payroll and benefits.
- Global payroll for your entities
- Connect existing foreign entities and run their payroll from one dashboard, with compliance checklists and consolidated reports.
- Contractor and vendor payments
- Pay contractors and vendors in fiat currencies or stablecoins from one dashboard, using multi-currency wallets.
- AI SuperAgents
- Niural's AI agents prompt and carry out routine work such as running payroll on the scheduled date.
Plans
Gusto
Simple$49
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Payroll in one state: unlimited pay runs, tax filings and payments, and basic time-off and holiday pay rules.
Plus$80
per month, plus $12 per person paid
Adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling, unlimited next-day pay and contractor invoice handling. Marked best value.
Premium$180
per month, plus $22 per person paid
Adds a named advisor and premium support, HR guidance, Gusto Business Compliance, and unlimited same-day and instant pay.
Niural
Global Payroll$29
per employee / month and up
Payroll for your existing international entities in 150+ countries from one dashboard, with local tax alerts and multi-currency pay.
Contractor Management$49
per contractor / month
Contracts with e-signature, invoices, tax forms, time and expense tracking, and payments in local or digital currencies in 150+ countries.
PEO Basic$59
per employee / month and up
PEO payroll and HR without benefits: multi-state payroll, onboarding, HR consulting, workers' comp and EPLI, and contractor payments.
Standard$100
per month, plus $20 per employee
US payroll under your own entity: multi-state payroll, W-2s and 1099s, PTO tracking, benefits administration and 401(k).
PEO Plus$120
per employee / month and up
PEO Basic plus medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), life and disability cover, HSA and FSA accounts and commuter benefits.
Employer of Record$299
per employee / month and up
Niural becomes the legal employer in 150+ countries, handling contracts, local payroll, benefits, leave and terminations.
