Gusto vs PaycheckCity (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gusto grades higher than PaycheckCity: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gusto grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. PaycheckCity grades higher on value for money and the free plan.
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
PaycheckCity
Self-service payroll calculator for US small businesses
Which one is for you
Pick Gusto if
- Fits if you want to approve hours and run payroll from your phone
- Works for paying W-2 staff and US contractors in the same run
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your team works in more than one state, as that needs Plus at $80 plus $12 a person
- Skip it if you want to try before you pay, because there's no free trial on record
- Pricey if you need fast pay on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person, same-day $90 a payroll
- Watch out: priority phone and chat support is $30 a month plus $3 a person on Simple and Plus
- Not for you if you pay contractors abroad without an add-on, or want the API, which is for approved partners only
Pick PaycheckCity if
- Fits if you pay a few US employees and file taxes yourself
- Works for accountants running several small payrolls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want direct deposit, as it does none
- Not for you if you want taxes filed and paid for you
- Watch out: state forms are not completed, only the federal W-2, 940 and 941
- Tight if your staff expect a portal, because there is none
- Watch out: the $228 annual rate starts when the 14-day trial ends
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.2GPAPaycheckCityFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | B$228 a year is $19 a month, at the cheaper-quarter mark of $19 for payroll tools, and one plan covers unlimited companies and employees. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | CA 14-day trial of all features; the listing does not say whether a card is needed. |
| 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. | CCalculates pay and taxes and prepares paychecks and the federal W-2, 940 and 941. No direct deposit, no state forms, no filing, no employee portal. |
| 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 store rating on record. You enter the data, print the checks and file the forms. |
| 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 app or integrations list. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | US paychecks to print, for small employers |
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 PaycheckCity. 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. PaycheckCity starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0.
Gusto scores higher, and starts $30 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 6 score higher than PaycheckCity 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 also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- PaycheckCity also covers reports.
At a glance
| Gusto | PaycheckCity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $19 per month, billed as one annual payment of $228 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of all features; the $228 annual rate starts when it ends |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | Symmetry Software LLC |
| Price read from | gusto.com | paycheckcity.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
PaycheckCity
- It does no direct deposit, tax filing or tax payment; you print checks and file and remit yourself.
- State forms are not completed; only federal W-2, 940 and 941 are prepared.
- Self-service only, with help articles and a chat box.
- There is no employee portal.
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.
PaycheckCity
- Payroll tax calculation
- Calculates gross-to-net pay and state taxes for all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa, including multi-state cases.
- Printable paychecks and paystubs
- Paychecks and paystubs are generated for printing, and the payroll history is saved.
- Year-end form preparation
- The app fills in federal Form W-2, 940 and 941 with Schedule B from payroll history for you to file.
- Tax change notifications
- Notifications tell you when payroll tax rules change in your jurisdiction.
- Unlimited companies and employees
- Adding locations, companies or employees costs nothing extra under the single plan.
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.
PaycheckCity
PaycheckCity Payroll$19
per month, billed as one annual payment of $228
One plan with unlimited companies, locations, employees and payroll runs. Applicable taxes are added.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gusto or PaycheckCity?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PaycheckCity is cheaper to start with: $19 a month, against $49 a month for Gusto. Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple), and PaycheckCity starts at $19 per month, billed as one annual payment of $228.
Which has a free plan, Gusto or PaycheckCity?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Gusto nor PaycheckCity has a free plan. PaycheckCity has a free trial.
Which platforms do Gusto and PaycheckCity run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Gusto lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.