Gusto vs OnPay
We give Gusto a 2.4 GPA and OnPay a 2.6, out of 4.0. Gusto grades higher on ease of use. OnPay grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
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
OnPay
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.6GPAOnPayGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPayroll Essentials is $49 a month plus $6 a worker, $79 for five, the same as Gusto and just under the middle of this category. Benefits administration and onboarding are in that price rather than sold on top. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | CThe first month is free. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether you need a card to start. |
| 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. | BPays employees and contractors in all 50 states, files taxes under an error-free guarantee, onboards new hires with e-signatures, syncs to QuickBooks Online or Xero and sets up health plans with in-house agents. Time and HR are add-ons. |
| 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. | B4.83 from 689 App Store ratings, short of the 1,000 an A needs. New hires onboard themselves and sign their I-9s and W-4s online. |
| 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Vestwell, JazzHR, NEXT Insurance and TurboTax. No desktop app. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | small US firms that want a clear price and benefits |
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 OnPay. 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. OnPay starts at $49 a month and scores 3.0.
Gusto scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than Gusto for less, and 1 scores higher than OnPay 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). OnPay starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- OnPay also covers reports.
At a glance
| Gusto | OnPay | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | First month free |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | OnPay, LLC |
| Price read from | gusto.com | onpay.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
OnPay
- Small US businesses that want to know the price without a sales call
- Teams paying employees and contractors in several states
- Owners who want benefits handled in the same place as payroll
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.
OnPay
- Add-ons bought alone cost $15 plus $2 per worker (HR), $15 plus $4 per worker (Time Tracking), $10 (Compliance Resources) and $65 a month (Live HR Support).
- Runs payroll in all 50 US states at no extra charge per state; the pages read mention no other countries.
- Health insurance, workers' comp and 401(k) plans are paid at their premiums on top of the OnPay subscription.
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.
OnPay
- Full-service payroll
- Pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors by direct deposit, check or prepaid debit card, with unlimited pay runs and garnishment deductions.
- Taxes in all 50 states
- Files and pays federal, state and local taxes and year-end W-2s and 1099s, registers for state taxes, and backs its filings with an error-free guarantee.
- Hiring and onboarding
- Send offer letters for e-signature, have new hires sign I-9s and W-4s and onboard themselves, and file state new-hire reports automatically.
- Accounting sync
- Syncs the general ledger to QuickBooks Online or Xero after every pay run, with line items mapped to your chart of accounts.
- Benefits administration
- Health, dental and vision plans chosen with licensed in-house agents, with open enrollment and payroll deductions; you pay only the premiums.
- Time Tracking add-on
- Time clocks for each worksite, overtime and break rules, supervisor approval and approved hours sent straight to payroll.
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.
OnPay
Payroll Essentials$49
per month, plus $6 per worker paid
Full-service payroll and tax filing in all 50 states, onboarding with e-signatures, accounting sync, reports and benefits administration.
Payroll, Time Tracking and HR$70
per month, plus $10 per worker paid
Bundle for hourly teams: Payroll Essentials with the Time Tracking and HR add-ons, against $79 plus $12 per worker bought separately.
Payroll, HR and HR Support$120
per month, plus $7 per worker paid
Bundle for salaried teams: Payroll Essentials, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.
Everything bundle$130
per month, plus $10 per worker paid
Payroll Essentials with Time Tracking, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.
