The 10 best Gusto alternatives for payroll and HR

For small and growing companies, simplifying payroll and HR tasks quickly becomes a necessity. These tasks pile up naturally as organizations grow, leaving HR staff with mountains of administrative work to do, often taking away hours of time per day that could be spent on strategic initiatives. 

That’s why organizations use companies like Gusto, which helps simplify administrative processes, help organizations pay and support their employees, and provide insights to help optimize performance and cost controls.  

However, Gusto isn’t your only option. There are many Gusto alternatives that offer similar, but distinct advantages and feature sets. Depending on your business needs, these alternatives may be a better fit. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the platform’s top 10 competitors, providing insight into their features, best use cases, and buyer reviews, so you can make an informed decision about which solution to switch to. 

Why you might be looking for a Gusto competitor 

Despite its extensive features and budget-friendly pricing, there are many reasons you might want to consider an alternative to Gusto. We’ve identified the following potential reasons, based on user reviews: 

• You’re seeking more integrations and greater customizability: Reviewers wish there were more integrations with other platforms and express the need for greater customizability to handle complex payroll scenarios and more in-depth reporting¹G2.com – Gusto Pros and Cons .
• You want stronger customer support: Reviewers commonly cite issues with Gusto’s customer support, with some users reporting long wait times for resolutions, especially for more complex or technical issues.²G2.com – Gusto User Review Others express frustration when repeatedly interacting with a chatbot, even though they would prefer to speak with a human agent.³G2.com – Gusto User Review
• You have budgetary restrictions that make payment difficult: Gusto’s entry-level pricing is very budget-friendly, but costs can add up if you need to move to the next tier.⁴G2.com – Gusto User Review For example, if you simply need multi-state payroll, you’ll have to pay for the second tier, which is substantially more expensive than the starting plan.⁵Gusto.com – Pricing

The best Gusto alternatives in 2026 at a glance 

Below is a roundup of the top 10 Gusto competitors. 

Best for: All-in-one HR, payroll, and expense management 

Paylocity is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and finance platform designed to help organizations streamline and automate administrative work without losing sight of strategic initiatives. 

While Gusto and other more narrowly focused platforms are great for specific use cases like payroll administration, Paylocity is designed to consolidate HR, finance, and IT management, and workflows into a single platform. 

With Paylocity, you can send payroll runs with taxes automatically calculated and filed. You can also access a unified employee database with AI embedded to help you make better, faster people decisions. In the same platform, you can also track time and labor, manage IT access, and actively build a better employee experience with surveys and recognition tools. 

If you’re a mid-market company with an ever-growing pile of administrative work across HR, finance, and IT, you need a system that will scale with you. Paylocity is the logical next step up, allowing your staff to reclaim their time and refocus on key strategic initiatives. 

Key features: 

• AI embedded across the platform: You can leverage AI across the platform to automate workflows and surface key trends from both structured and unstructured data. This lets your staff streamline repetitive work, enhance the quality of their analysis, and focus more on strategic initiatives. 
• Complete payroll suite with automated audits: Paylocity offers an advanced payroll suite with all critical payroll software features, including automatic tax filing, full-spectrum compliance support, on-demand payment capabilities, and integrated expense reporting. 
• Employee self-service for paystubs, earned wage access, W-2s, and PTO: Paylocity provides a market-leading employee self-service platform that lets employees access relevant information and get common questions answered on their own, saving HR staff hours that would otherwise be spent on low-impact, high-lift work.  
• Full-service HR platform with extensive analytics: The platform’s HR suite, built over a unified employee database, enables full-spectrum human resource management across the entire employee lifecycle. Most notably, the platform includes world-class engagement tools, such as Community and Recognition & Rewards, that make prioritizing retention feel natural. 
• Extensive integration library: Paylocity’s integration marketplace includes hundreds of connectors for various business tools, including accounting apps, compliance software, benefits providers, applicant tracking systems, and much more. This way, our platform conforms to your needs and workflows — not the other way around. 

Pricing: Custom pricing available with free demo 

2. Deel

Best for: Global businesses 

Deel is one of the top Gusto alternatives for companies that rely on a global workforce. By serving as an employer of record (EOR) across borders, the platform vastly simplifies international recruitment, hiring, and management. 

With Deel, you get access to a massive team of in-house tax, legal, and HR compliance experts who keep you in line with international and regional regulations. It also supports payments in over 120 currenciesDeel.com - Features for startup payroll across 150 countriesLetsDeel.com – Where is Deel Available alongside global benefits administration capabilities. 

While Gusto is serviceable for domestic startups and small businesses, Deel was built for global companies with employees spread far across borders. That said, some users report high fees for companies operating outside the US and slow loading times.G2.com - Deel Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Global payroll: Deel can process payments in over 120 currencies across 160 countries, with automated tax calculations, flexible delivery, and multiple payment options, giving you the ability to pay employees exactly how they want. 
• Global hiring and contractor management: Deel acts as the employer of record for international employees, actively managing contracts, payroll, benefits administration, and regulatory compliance. It also provides access to a global network of recruiters, enabling companies to source qualified candidates across borders quickly. 
• International contractor compliance: Deel can generate contract agreements that automatically comply with local regulations, including tax codes, labor laws, and benefits requirements. 

Pricing: CustomDeel.com - Pricing

3. ADP Run

Best for: Scaling or large businesses 

ADP is one of the largest payroll providers on this list, providing two unique solutions, one for small and scaling businesses, and one for large enterprises. 

ADP RUN is the platform marketed toward small- to medium-sized companies. The capabilities you get depend on the specific package you purchase. The starter package includes automatic payroll and tax filing with compliance assistance, while the most comprehensive package also offers HR and workforce management features like hiring support and time tracking. 

The platform is a good option for growing businesses that need a more scalable solution and a deeper feature set. However, if flexibility is a priority, it may present some challenges. Some users cite issues with rigid reporting templates.¹⁰G2.com – ADP RUN Review Others find the platform expensive,¹¹G2.com - ADP RUN Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons so it may not be the best Gusto competitor for those looking to save. 

Key features: 

• ADP DataCloud for payroll and HR benchmarking: ADP DataCloud is an add-on that companies can use to benchmark their salary and HR data against anonymized insights from thousands of employers covering millions of employees. 
• Automatic tax filing and compliance: With each payroll run, ADP handles tax calculations and filings in-house, ensuring compliance at the local, state, and federal levels. The platform also includes AI-powered monitoring to flag and resolve common payroll errors. 
• Deep integration library: ADP RUN integrates with popular third-party apps, including accounting software, time-and-labor trackers, compliance platforms, and benefits administration software. 

Pricing: Custom¹²ADP.com - Pricing

4. BambooHR

Best for: Simple payroll and HR for SMBs 

While Gusto is more narrowly focused on payroll administration for startups and small businesses, BambooHR offers a full-service HRIS platform marketed toward small businesses that need a simple HR solution. 

BambooHR’s payroll solution lets you pay US employees easily, with flexible pay rates, automatic tax filing, integrations with two-way data sync, and a managed payroll option for those who want to fully outsource the work. In addition, the platform covers core HR functions, including hiring and onboarding, as well as HR data and reporting. 

BambooHR stands out for its ease of use, built in a way that lets anyone (including non-HR staff) navigate and use it effectively with little to no technical training. However, some users note that the platform offers limited customization options and lacks basic features, hampering its ability to accommodate complex HR scenarios..G2.com - BambooHR Reviews - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Guided compliance with alerts and integrations: BambooHR provides full-spectrum HR compliance with automatic alerts for regulatory updates and one-on-one expert coaching. You can expand compliance support by leveraging the platform’s integrations for ACA reporting, automated I-9 workflows, employee compliance training, and more. 
• Integrated data and analytics with a benchmarking solution: BambooHR brings HR data, including payroll, together into a centralized view where HR staff can view individual employee records, ask an AI assistant to rapidly analyze trends, and benchmark internal data against competitors. 
• Hiring and onboarding tools: The platform includes a full suite of tools to simplify hiring and onboarding, including a built-in applicant tracking system (ATS), automated task management, and a progress tracking dashboard. 

Pricing: Plans start at $10/user/monthBambooHR.com - Pricing

Best for: Enterprise-grade benefits for SMBs 

Justworks is a professional employer organization (PEO) that provides expert support for payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR workflows. The platform is built to help businesses simplify and standardize employment-related tasks.

This platform stands out as a top Gusto competitor because of its PEO model, which lets budget-constrained small businesses access enterprise-grade benefits packages at competitive rates. Despite the platform’s slightly higher base price, the deeper access to competitive benefits can be a major help for smaller companies competing with giants.  

User reviews of Justworks show mixed experiences with their customer support team.G2.com – Justworks Reviews Reviewers also point to a general lack of features within the platform, especially in its reporting functionality and mobile app.G2.com - Justworks Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Full-service PEO solutions: Justworks serves as the employer of record for your staff, allowing you to easily hire and pay remote employees across state lines without establishing a legal entity everywhere you hire. 
• Extensive compliance services: Justworks lets you pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors on the same platform. It also supports worker classification and risk management. 
• Enterprise-grade benefits packages: In addition to core benefits like health, medical, and dental coverage, Justworks provides options for mental health care, fertility benefits, discounts on fitness memberships, and more.  

Pricing: Plans start at $50/month + $8/employee/monthJustworks.com - Pricing

7. Square Payroll

Best for: Square POS integration 

Square Payroll is a comprehensive payroll platform marketed toward retail, restaurant, and other consumer service businesses. It integrates with Square’s point-of-sale (POS) system, which lets you automatically import timecards and tips for accurate payroll calculations. 

Providing unlimited automated payroll runs and a mobile app, you can use Square Payroll to pay both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, manage scheduling, access labor cost reports, automatically file taxes, and more. Square Payroll also provides access to health and retirement insurance, as well as a QuickBooks Online integration to eliminate double entry. 

One Forbes review of Square Payroll notes that its reports can feel lacking and it can’t complete taxes for every local jurisdiction.²⁰Forbes.com - Square Payroll Review

Key features: 

• POS integration: Square Payroll's key differentiator from other Gusto competitors is its direct integration with Square’s POS system. If your company is already using the POS, adding the payroll module gives you a convenient way to pay your employees accurately with minimal manual lift. 
• Automated tax filing: Square Payroll automatically calculates, withholds, and files federal and state-level taxes on your behalf, in addition to reporting new hires to your state and filing forms W-2 and 1099. 
• In-depth workforce management and reporting tools: Square Payroll provides scheduling and labor-cost reporting tools, which help you allocate labor optimally while keeping payroll expenses under control. 

Pricing: Plans start at $35/month + $6/employee/month²¹Squareup.com - Square Payroll Pricing

8. TriNet

Best for: HR outsourcing 

TriNet is an HR and payroll platform marketed primarily toward small- to medium-sized businesses. It offers two service options, a professional employer organization (PEO) model and an administrative services organization (ASO) model. 

The PEO model helps small businesses access enterprise-grade benefits, pay contractors and international employees, and automate tasks across the entire employee lifecycle with a technology platform. The ASO option retains the technology and EOR status but adds comprehensive HR, payroll, and tax compliance management services. 

User reviews, however, indicate mixed experiences with customer support, an unintuitive and difficult-to-navigate user interface, and an expensive pricing model relative to competitors.G2.com - TriNet Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Two service models: With PEO and ASO options, TriNet offers flexibility tailored to your needs. You can choose the ASO model if you want HR, payroll, and compliance tasks outsourced, or the PEO model if you primarily need a technology platform and simplified expansion. 
• Competitive benefits packages: Through the PEO model, TriNet helps small businesses access top-tier benefits, including core benefits (medical, dental, and vision), health savings accounts, employee assistance programs, and pet insurance. 
• Global workforce and contractor support: TriNet makes it easy for small businesses to source, hire, and pay global employees and contractors with full compliance. It achieves this through partnerships with Multiplier and G-P. 

Pricing: CustomTrinet.com - PEO pricing

9. SurePayroll

Best for: Budget-conscious organizations 

SurePayroll (by Paychex) is a cloud-based payroll solution marketed toward small businesses, single-employee businesses, and households. Among the platforms on this list with base- rate pricing, SurePayroll offers the cheapest package, making it appealing to businesses operating with tight margins and constrained budgets. 

With SurePayroll, you can pay employees quickly and file taxes automatically. If you want to cut costs even further, SurePayroll provides an option to opt out of automatic tax filing, bringing the cost to $20 a month plus $4 per employee. SurePayroll also provides access to competitive retirement plans and an expert compliance support team. 

The platform’s budget-friendliness and simplicity can make it appealing, but user reviews reveal mixed experiences with customer support, fundamental issues like billing and form errors.G2.com - SurePayroll Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Budget-friendly pricing: SurePayroll boasts the lowest base rate of any Gusto competitor on the list, and it offers options to lower that rate further in exchange for diminished capabilities, making it one of the most accessible payroll platforms available. 
• 401(k) and IRA plans for small businesses: The platform includes options for both 401(k) and IRA plans, allowing very small businesses to provide retirement plans for their employees without breaking the budget. 
• Widespread insurance coverage: SurePayroll includes a wide range of insurance coverage options, from health and liability insurance to commercial auto and workers’ compensation coverage. 

Pricing: Plans start at $29/month + $7/employeeSurePayroll.com - Pricing

10. Rippling

Best for: IT and HR process automation 

Rippling is a human capital management (HCM) platform that provides solutions for HR, payroll, IT asset management, finance management, and global hiring all in one. While Gusto focuses primarily on US-based payroll and small businesses, Rippling caters primarily to medium- and large-sized businesses with an international footprint. 

With Rippling, you can run worldwide payroll in a single, convenient view, with automated tax calculation and filing, customizable workflow automation, and automatic sync with your general ledger. The platform also caters well to remote and hybrid companies, providing IT administrators with dashboards for device and user management.  

It's a strong Gusto alternative for companies looking for more than just payroll. However, reviewers find the tool challenging to use, citing a complex user interface, difficulties with reporting and analytics, and overwhelming notifications.²⁶G2.com - Rippling Reviews 2026 - Pros & Cons

Key features: 

• Global payroll and EOR services: Rippling provides payroll and EOR services across over 185 countries²⁷Rippling.com - Home, making it one of the better Gusto alternatives for companies with a global footprint. 
• Automated device and user management: With Rippling, IT administrators can manage device shipping and retrieval, device security and lifecycles, and employee access restrictions. 
• Workflow automation solutions: Rippling’s Workflow Studio lets you customize trigger-based workflows for HR and IT tasks, benefits and payroll administration, onboarding, and finance management. 

Pricing: Custom²⁸Rippling.com - Pricing

Upgrade from Gusto to Paylocity’s one platform 

Finding the best Gusto alternative ultimately comes down to understanding your needs. If you’re looking for a platform that helps you stay on top of growing administrative work without losing sight of your company culture, Paylocity is a go-to option. 

Paylocity is built for businesses that want deep payroll and HR capabilities combined with finance and IT management tools, all in one connected platform. It provides a true unified HCM experience, letting your staff automate workflows while keeping a constant pulse on meaningful data, from employee satisfaction and engagement to regulatory adherence and labor costs. 

Request a demo to see Paylocity in action and understand exactly how our services can help you achieve your goals. 

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