Gusto vs Zeal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gusto grades higher than Zeal: 2.4 against 2.0 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 ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, 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
From $49/mo
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 Zeal if
- Fits if you run a staffing company or labor marketplace that pays many workers
- Works for software teams that want payroll inside their own product
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are one small employer, as it is built for platforms that pay many workers
- Skip it if you want a price first, since none is published and buyers book a demo
- Watch out: the banking side is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, and Zeal says it is not a bank
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.0GPAZealFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 price is published and the site sends buyers to a demo, so it sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. |
| 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. | BAutomated payroll for W-2 and 1099 workers, earned wage access, onboarding and billing, and an API with embeddable parts. The listing shows no gap in what it sets out to do. |
| 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 is on record, and plugging an API into your own product takes engineering work. |
| 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 a worker mobile app, an API and an integrations page. There is no desktop app, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | payroll built into a staffing or gig platform |
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 Zeal. How we grade
Where they differ
- Gusto also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- Zeal also covers invoicing and partner payouts.
In commonWebiOSAndroidPayroll
At a glance
| Gusto | Zeal | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Zeal (Puzzl Group Inc.) |
| Price read from | gusto.com | Not confirmed |
| 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.
Zeal
- No prices are published; the site directs buyers to book a demo.
- It is built for platforms that run payroll for many workers, not for a single small employer.
- Banking services are provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Member FDIC; Zeal says it is not a bank.
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.
Zeal
- Automated payroll
- Calculations, payments, taxes and compliance for W-2 and 1099 workers, with a choice of pay frequency including daily.
- Earned wage access and instant pay
- Workers can reach earned pay early, with paycards, digital wallets, push-to-card or same-day ACH.
- Onboarding and billing
- Digital worker onboarding plus invoicing for staffing clients.
- API and embeddable components
- Developers can embed onboarding, pay and billing into their own app, with an API reference and changelog.
- Worker mobile app
- iOS and Android apps let workers see pay, paystubs and card details.
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.
Zeal
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zeal.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gusto or Zeal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple), and Zeal has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Gusto or Zeal?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Gusto nor Zeal has a free plan.
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.