Gusto vs Wagepoint (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gusto grades higher than Wagepoint: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gusto grades higher on features and ease of use. Wagepoint grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money 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
Wagepoint
Canadian payroll with T4s, ROEs and optional time tracking
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 Wagepoint if
- Fits if you have a small Canadian business and want published prices
- Works for bookkeepers who run payroll for several Canadian clients
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you pay anyone outside Canada, as it runs Canadian payroll only
- Tight if you pay more than once a month, because Lite allows one run and one pay group
- Pricey if headcount grows, since every paid employee or contractor adds $4 to $10
- Watch out: next-day deposit is only included in Plus and is an add-on on Lite and Core
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.2GPAWagepointFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CLite is $20 plus $4 a person, so one person pays $24 and five pay $40; Core, which allows unlimited runs, is $46 for one and $70 for five. That is inside the usual $20 to $49 range, though Core for a team of five is dearer. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | C14-day free trial with all features; the listing does not say a card is needed. No free plan. |
| 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. | CHandles provincial tax, CPP, EI, T4s, ROEs, timesheets, clock-in and accounting sync. Lite is capped at one run a month, and it is Canada only. |
| 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 rating on record. You connect accounting, set up pay groups and add employees before it earns its keep. |
| 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 app with a My Wagepoint employee app and two-way sync to QuickBooks Online, Xero and FreshBooks. No desktop program. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | Canadian payroll for a small 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 Wagepoint. 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. Wagepoint starts at $20 a month and scores 2.3.
Gusto scores higher, and starts $29 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 Wagepoint 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.
- Wagepoint also covers reports, time clock and time off.
At a glance
| Gusto | Wagepoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $20 per month, plus $4 per employee or contractor |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial with all features, including running payroll once the company is verified |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | Wagepoint |
| Price read from | gusto.com | wagepoint.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Wagepoint
- Runs Canadian payroll only; the pricing page asks for a province.
- Lite is limited to one payroll run per month and one pay group.
- Next-day deposit is included only in Plus and is for eligible businesses; it is an add-on for Lite and Core.
- Pricing is by active employee or contractor, so the monthly cost rises with headcount.
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.
Wagepoint
- Canadian payroll calculations
- Federal and provincial income tax, CPP, EI, statutory holiday pay and workers' compensation, with remittance schedules that vary by province.
- Year-end and ROE filing
- Prepares T4s and T4As and submits Records of Employment.
- Time and absence
- Timesheets, clock in/out with geo-fencing and time off management, with hours flowing into payroll through the My Wagepoint app.
- Accounting sync
- Two-way integration with QuickBooks Online, Xero and FreshBooks that updates the books after each pay run.
- Reports
- Earnings, deductions, benefits, payroll register, deposit summary and posting journal reports.
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.
Wagepoint
Lite$20
per month, plus $4 per person paid
For businesses that run one payroll a month in one pay group. Includes direct deposit, T4s and T4As, ROEs, timesheets, time off, clock in/out and geo-fencing.
Core$40
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Unlimited payroll runs and pay groups, with paid time off management and the same time tools as Lite.
Plus$80
per month, plus $10 per person paid
Everything in Core, with next-day deposit for eligible businesses included.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Wagepoint?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Wagepoint is cheaper to start with: $20 a month, against $49 a month for Gusto. Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple), and Wagepoint starts at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee or contractor.
Which has a free plan, Gusto or Wagepoint?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Gusto nor Wagepoint has a free plan. Wagepoint has a free trial.
Which platforms do Gusto and Wagepoint run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.