Gusto vs Poppins Payroll (2026): which should you pick?

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 Poppins Payroll if

• Fits if you pay one nanny or caregiver and want someone else to file the household taxes
• Makes sense if you manage payroll for a parent's carer and just want it handled

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you run a business, as the site does not pitch it as business payroll
• Pricey if you have several employees, at $10 more per head on top of $49
• Watch out: closing before quarter-end costs $49, and before December costs $110 for year-end filings
• Watch out: state registration fees, late payroll revisions and prior wages are billed on top
• Tight if you want a long free try, because the trial ends with the calendar month

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.

Poppins Payroll

• Closing an account before the end of a quarter costs $49 for quarter-end filings, and before December $110 for year-end filings and documents.
• State registration fees, where a state charges them, are billed separately, as are non-standard services such as late payroll revisions and manual tax preparation.
• Built for household employers; the site does not present it as a payroll service for businesses.
• A bank account is required at sign-up and the plan renews monthly until canceled.

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.

Poppins Payroll

Employer setup

Registers the household as an employer with the IRS, sets up federal and state tax accounts where possible and files new-hire paperwork with the state.

Payroll on your schedule

Weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly pay, subject to state rules, paid by direct deposit or by the employer's own check.

Tax filings

Files federal, state and local payroll taxes online where possible, with year-end Schedule H and W-2 documents for active customers.

Leave tracking

Tracks PTO and sick time once the employer sets the policies.

Prior wages

Can record payments made outside Poppins and file the related taxes, for an additional fee.

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.

Poppins Payroll

• Household payroll$49

  per month, plus $10 per additional employee

  The only plan. Covers employer tax account setup, new-hire reporting, direct deposit or your own checks, quarterly and year-end filings, and PTO and sick leave tracking.