Gusto vs Paylocity
We give Gusto and Paylocity the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
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
From $49/mo
Paylocity
Payroll, HR, finance and IT platform for US employers, by quote
Paid
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.4GPAPaylocityFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo prices are published: every package is quoted after a demo request, so there's no five-person figure to compare. Expenses, corporate cards and IT tools are sold as separate products on top of payroll. |
| 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. A one-month-free payroll offer is advertised for small businesses, without its terms. |
| 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. | BPayroll with 40+ audits before you process, tax filing in all 50 states and US territories, time and scheduling from phone, kiosk or clock, early wage access, and payroll for staff in 100+ countries. The whole job. |
| 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. | A4.81 from about 681,000 App Store ratings, the most in this category, for the app staff use to check pay, clock in and ask for time off. It works only for staff of client companies. |
| 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, plus kiosks and time clocks for hours. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | US employers with hourly staff and a growing HR team |
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 Paylocity. How we grade
Where they differ
- Paylocity also covers reports.
In commonWebiOSAndroidTime trackingExpense trackingPayroll
At a glance
| Gusto | Paylocity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | Paylocity |
| Price read from | gusto.com | Not confirmed |
| 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
Paylocity
- US companies that want payroll, HR and time tracking in one system
- Employers with hourly staff who clock in by phone, kiosk or time clock
- Companies paying some staff abroad alongside US 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.
Paylocity
- No prices are published: the pricing page asks for a demo request form, and quotes follow from sales.
- Tax filing covers the US, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam; payroll in 100+ other countries is a separate global payroll service.
- There is no free trial or self-serve sign-up; the app works only for staff of companies that are already clients.
- Expense management, corporate cards, procurement and IT tools are sold as separate products alongside payroll.
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.
Paylocity
- Payroll with built-in audits
- A Payroll Readiness Dashboard lists tasks before processing day, and more than 40 audits flag likely errors such as unexpected pay spikes.
- Tax services
- Paylocity files as a Registered Reporting Agent with the IRS in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, and checks each employee's tax location.
- Time and scheduling
- Hours are collected by mobile, web, kiosk or time clock, with geofenced clock-in, shift swaps and scheduling rules that feed payroll.
- Expense management and cards
- Employees snap receipts for AI-coded expense reports, and virtual and physical corporate cards come with policy controls and automatic reconciliation.
- Global payroll
- Domestic and international employees are managed and paid from one system, with payroll data gathered across more than 100 countries.
- Mobile app and Community
- Employees check pay, clock in, request time off and draw earned wages early in the app, and Community gives them a company social feed and chat.
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.
Paylocity
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paylocity.com.
Ways to pay less
Gusto
No public discounts listed.
Paylocity
- Other savings
One month of free payroll for small businesses
Paylocity's payroll page advertises a limited-time offer of one month of free payroll, and more, for small businesses, without stating the terms.
