Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$49
per month
Justworks
Score5.7 out of 10
N/A
Justworks offers a platform for payroll, benefits, compliance support, with HR tools. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), Justworks offers PEO solutions that can bundle payroll, compliance, HR, and benefits under the Justworks umbrella, and help to administer employment-related responsibilities on the user's behalf. With Justworks' group buying power, customers can get access to PEO health insurance and other perks at more affordable rates. The vendor states that as a…
$59
per month per user
Pricing
Gusto
Justworks
Editions & Modules
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$49/month + $6/mo per person
per month
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
per month
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
$180/month + $22/mo per person
per month
Basic
$59
per month per user
Plus
$99
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Gusto
Justworks
Free Trial
Yes
No
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Yes
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
No setup fee
Additional Details
Gusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
Owner in Finance and Accounting at Penny Pinch Tax LLC (Accounting, 1-10 employees)
Chose Gusto
Workful was a budget-conscious choice last year. However, it couldn't handle the nuances of a non-profit and was also not available to automate payroll tax filing in every state. They abruptly stopped offering payroll service, leaving me to switch clients immediately. Justwork…
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Co-Founder and COO in Corporate at BallotReady (Civic & Social Organization, 11-50 employees)
Chose Gusto
Gusto doesn't necessarily have the full power of an ADP or options that Justworks may provide. However, I have found it much easier to use by comparison. It seems to me like a platform created specifically for startups and companies looking for pleasing UX to make sense of …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Founder in Corporate at The Paerdegat Group (Management Consulting, 1-10 employees)
Chose Gusto
Gusto has been my favorite option both as an end-user (ie. employee) and admin (ie. employer). It's easy to use, has all the features we need, integrates with Guideline (our preferred 401k provider), and priced well for great value.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Founder, CEO in Corporate at Brass Tacks Collective (Marketing & Advertising, 1-10 employees)
Chose Gusto
The cost difference was the first standout as Gusto is a fraction of any of these providers. Next is your ability to self-navigate and easily access support. Finally, while other providers include more services and incentives, they have far less room for error and learning …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Supervisor in Finance and Accounting at Wagner Ferber Fine & Ackerman, PLLC (Accounting, 11-50 employees)
Chose Gusto
Gusto is very affordable and offers a solid foundation for payroll and HR. They have also recently released a new tier which offers a few additional bells and whistles for those companies looking for higher-touch service or additional features. It is great to have this …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Product Owner in Engineering at Induro (Computer Software, 1-10 employees)
Chose Justworks
We like Justworks over Gusto for the simple reason that Justworks has better benefits offering for a company as small as us. It has turned out that Justworks also has been rolling out new features that we didn't know we wanted (like timecard integrations), and that has also …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Customer Success Manager in Customer Service at Aquicore (Renewables & Environment, 51-200 employees)
Chose Justworks
Justworks offers a more robust functionality than Gusto. The ability to track time off, manage pay stubs, distribute and manage benefits administration, and house a company-wide directory with key dates and information about each individual are all extremely helpful. Having a …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Justworks and Gusto both present themselves as comprehensive solutions catering predominantly to small and growing businesses that require streamlined human resources services without maintaining a dedicated in-house HR team. Justworks users have consistently highlighted the platform’s utility in serving their entire organizations by simplifying payroll, benefits, and regulatory compliance. It is especially noted for its effectiveness in managing multiple aspects of HR, such as employee benefits, 401(k)s, and paid time off across multi-state operations. This makes Justworks a robust option for smaller businesses or startups needing an extensive range of HR services alongside responsive customer support to navigate complex HR landscapes.
Conversely, Gusto is extensively used for its payroll services, appreciated for its user-friendliness, and the integration capabilities with other tools such as time-tracking and accounting software. The platform’s design is frequently mentioned by users as a significant advantage, providing a simple yet effective interface that facilitates quick payroll processing and human resources management. Gusto also garners praise for features that automate various aspects of payroll and tax filings, which resonate well with users who prioritize ease of use and efficiency in their operations. This platform is particularly suited for smaller enterprises or startups that require an uncomplicated solution for HR tasks that integrates seamlessly with their other business systems.
In essence, while both Justworks and Gusto offer valuable HR and payroll services, the choice between them depends largely on the specific needs of a business. Justworks is more comprehensive for those requiring detailed, multi-state HR management and compliance assistance, whereas Gusto offers significant benefits in terms of ease of use and integration capabilities for businesses focusing more on payroll and less complex HR tasks.
Features
Gusto
Justworks
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Gusto and Justworks
Gusto is a great fit for small teams and startups that want a simple, reliable way to run payroll, manage tax filings, and give CPAs access without constant micromanagement. It’s especially useful for founders who need something that “just works.” The human support has been excellent—especially when forwarding confusing IRS mail. That said, it’s a bit less intuitive when it comes to benefits and compliance for fully remote companies. For example, labor law poster distribution isn’t streamlined for digital teams, and setting up benefits felt more complex than it needed to be. Still, I’d recommend Gusto to any startup looking to get payroll right from day one.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Justworks is a competitively priced product for small businesses and start-ups and, in my opinion, offers a better product and better customer service than larger PEOs competing in the same small-buisiness space (ex. ADP). I believe Justworks would work well for companies up to 200 employees; after that, I believe a bigger PEO may provide an enterprise solution better suited for a larger company (and their HR reporting needs)
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Gusto really kills it on the simplicity. The app and website are very clear and straightforward.
Gusto also does a great job at being easy to navigate, visually pleasing, and logically posed.
Gusto communicates very clearly and provides just the right amount of communication.
Gusto makes the onboarding process very easy. I recently started at a new company and the process of filling out the necessary documents, filling out forms, and getting my benefit information input was soooooo easy!
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
JustWorks couldn't accurately track our PTO. We use an accrual system that maxes out at 88 hours. We incentivise our employees with additional PTO hours based off of goals met. The JustWorks platform allowed our employees to accrue far more PTO than what was offered. They didn't have a feature that offered a Cap and accrual.
When using the JustWorks reports for 401K, if not using their integrated 401K provider, the reports give you every employee regardless of whether or not they contribute. This makes it difficult when adding the contributions in separately.
JustWorks tracks historical data for employees. Whenever there is a salary change made, it keeps track. However, it shows a salary adjustment made on the day they are entered into JustWorks which can be very confusing. We switched from another PEO mid year and it looked like I made salary changes on the beginning date. This made it difficult to differentiate an actual salary adjustment.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
The overall platform and its speed of response are amazing. I would recommend this to any other business owner for ease of use and reliability. Email reminders are great if I’m super busy and have forgotten a few tasks. The price point compared to local payroll service is hands down a huge win.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Justworks offers many different options for customer service. You can contact them via email, phone or Slack. They are quick to resolve issues and if your Account Manager is out of office, they have other Managers covering your account who are knowledgable and ready to support. They also have an office in New York, which makes their support even more localized.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
It's been a while since I used QuickBooks for payroll, but it doesn't even come close to it. Gusto is infinitely easier, allowing for employee time tracking, handling calculations and payments of payroll and payroll taxes, managing regulatory compliance in the background, and more. I had a lot of moments using QuickBooks Payroll where I thought, "Am I even doing this right?" — it felt like you had to have additional knowledge of HR regulations in your state to do everything correctly. Gusto has it ALL handled so you can focus your time on higher-impact tasks in your business.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
For me, it is hard to quantify payroll software as having an ROI. It does save quite a bit of time per pay period, so perhaps we could assign a theoretical number to an employee taking that time. I'd say, at the least, it saves 30-60 minutes a pay period compared to a more difficult-to-use payroll software.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
We're still new to Justworks, but for nearly everyone on our team, this is the dealmaker. Benefits plans are worth more than salaries to the best hires.In fact, part of the process we used to choose Justworks was to send their offering, in advance, to our team to approve of, first.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
