Top 10 Gusto Competitors and Best Alternatives in 2025

Looking for the best Gusto alternatives in 2025? Gusto is popular for payroll and HR, but it isn’t built for every business. It works best for very small teams, think small businesses with less than 20 employees, that mainly need simple payroll runs and basic benefits administration. Once companies start scaling or need multi-state compliance, global payroll, or more advanced HR services, Gusto’s limitations become clear.

This guide is for US founders, HR pros, and small business owners who want straightforward payroll management, employee onboarding, and workforce management solutions without hitting roadblocks as they grow. We’ll break down the top Gusto competitors, highlight key features, and help you pick the right payroll provider for your team in 2025.

What is Gusto?[toc=What is Gusto]

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll platform designed for small businesses and startups with less than 20 employees. It lets employers run unlimited payroll runs, automate tax calculations and payroll tax filings, and manage employee benefits such as health insurance and commuter perks through one system.

Its clean interface and automated workflows make payroll processing easy, but it comes with limits. Gusto works best for small business owners managing salaried employees or contractors. For medium-sized businesses, global payroll, or advanced workforce management solutions, many turn to Gusto alternatives.

What are the best Gusto alternatives in 2025?[toc=Best Gusto Alternatives]

Drawing on our in-depth expertise and hands-on experience helping businesses with payroll services and HR solutions, we’ve evaluated the leading payroll providers and listed the top competitors to Gusto. These platforms offer a mix of payroll management, benefits administration, and workforce management solutions tailored for small business owners, HR professionals, and growing teams.

Top 10 Gusto Competitors & Alternatives in 2025:

1. Wisemonk
2. Rippling
3. Paychex (Flex)
4. ADP
5. QuickBooks Payroll
6. Square Payroll
7. OnPay
8. Patriot
9. Justworks
10. Paylocity

1. Wisemonk[toc=1.Wisemonk]

Wisemonk is India’s go-to payroll and HR platform for global companies that want to hire, pay, and manage employees without setting up a local entity. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and Employer of Record (EOR), Wisemonk offers automated payroll processing, tax filings, benefits administration, and full HR support for US businesses expanding into India. With fast employee onboarding, compliance tools, and customizable payroll solutions, it helps small business owners and HR professionals manage payroll and HR tasks with confidence.

Key Features of Wisemonk:

• Automated payroll processing with salary disbursal, payslips, and accurate tax calculations
• Complete HR services covering contracts, benefits management, and employee onboarding
• Compliance with PF, ESI, PT, TDS, GST, and India’s labor codes for full-time employees
• Onboarding for employees and contractors in just 2–4 days
• Equipment provisioning and workforce management solutions to boost productivity
• Transparent pricing with no hidden fees; startup-friendly plans and discounts

Wisemonk: Pros and Cons

2. Rippling[toc=2.Rippling]

Rippling is a comprehensive, all-in-one workforce management platform that unifies HR, payroll, IT, and finance. It stands out for strong automation, fast onboarding, and 500+ integrations, making it easier to manage employees, payroll tax filings, and compliance from one system.

Key Features of Rippling:

• All-in-one HR, payroll, benefits, and IT management
• Onboarding and account setup in minutes
• Automated payroll tax calculations and filings
• Compliance tools across multiple countries
• 500+ pre-built integrations with business software

Rippling: Pros and Cons

For a direct deep dive comparison, check our article on "Rippling vs Gusto: Pricing, Benefits, and Product Features".

3. Paychex (Flex)[toc=3.Paychex]

Paychex is a leading payroll and HR platform that helps businesses pay employees, manage payroll tax, and support workforce needs without heavy admin work. It offers end-to-end payroll services, benefits administration, compliance tools, and employee self-service features in one system.

Key Features of Paychex:

• Cloud-based payroll and HR platform
• Scalable plans from basic payroll to full HR solutions
• Automated tax filings and compliance tools
• Customizable reports and dashboards
• Access to dedicated HR professionals

Paychex: Pros and Cons

See the latest rules and strategies in our article "Tax Filing Guide for Indian Contractors".

4. ADP[toc=4.ADP]

ADP is a global leader in human capital management (HCM) and a professional employer organization (PEO) that helps businesses of all sizes manage payroll, HR services, talent, time tracking, and employee benefits. With over 1 million clients across 140+ countries, ADP delivers payroll management, tax filings, and compliance tools built for a global workforce.

Key Features of ADP:

• Automated payroll with tax calculations and multiple pay options
• HR software for records, onboarding, and compliance reporting
• Recruiting, training, and performance management tools
• Time tracking, scheduling, and attendance tracking
• Benefits administration for health insurance, retirement, and perks
• Global payroll and compliance support in 50+ countries
• Full HR outsourcing through ADP TotalSource PEO

ADP: Pros and Cons

Want to explore more options like ADP? Check out this detailed article on "Top ADP Competitors & Alternatives".

5. QuickBooks Payroll[toc=5.Quickbooks Payroll]

QuickBooks Payroll by Intuit offers payroll services built for small to medium-sized businesses, integrating directly with QuickBooks accounting software. It automates wage calculations, payroll tax filings, direct deposits, and compliance updates, making payroll processing faster and easier for business owners.

Key Features of QuickBooks Payroll:

• Automated payroll tax calculations, filings, and payments
• Same-day or next-day direct deposit options
• Employee self-service portal for pay stubs, W-2s, and payroll data
• Health insurance and retirement benefits management
• Integration with QuickBooks Time for attendance tracking
• Compliance alerts and customizable payroll reports

QuickBooks Payroll: Pros and Cons

6. Square Payroll[toc=6.Square Payroll]

Square Payroll is a simple payroll solution for small businesses, especially those using Square POS. It automates payroll tax filings, supports employees and contractors, and integrates with Square’s time tracking system.

Key Features of Square Payroll:

• Automates payroll tax calculations and filings (W-2, 1099)
• Seamlessly integrates with Square POS for time tracking
• Supports both employees (W-2) and contractors (1099)
• Same-day or next-day direct deposits
• Employee self-service portal for pay stubs and tax documents
• Transparent pricing: flat fee with contractor-only option

Square Payroll: Pros and Cons

7. OnPay[toc=7.OnPay]

OnPay is a cloud-based payroll and HR platform designed for small to mid-sized businesses. Known for its user-friendly interface, it simplifies payroll processing, tax filings, and employee benefits management while ensuring compliance.

Key Features of OnPay:

• Automated tax filings and payments at federal, state, and local levels
• Unlimited payroll runs for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
• Employee self-service portal for onboarding and pay stubs
• Benefits administration with integration to existing plans
• Integrates with accounting and time-tracking tools like QuickBooks and Xero

OnPay: Pros and Cons

8. Patriot Software[toc=8.Patriot Software]

Patriot Software is a cloud-based payroll and accounting platform focused on simplicity, affordability, and ease of use for small businesses in the US. It allows unlimited payroll runs, handles both employees and contractors, and offers optional full-service payroll where all tax filings are managed automatically.

Key Features of Patriot:

• Unlimited payroll runs for both employees and contractors without extra fees
• Basic and Full-Service options (you can choose whether Patriot handles tax filings)
• Free setup and U.S.-based customer support
• Employee portal for pay stubs, W-2s, and self-onboarding
• Supports multiple pay rates, custom deductions, and time-off accruals

Patriot software: Pros and Cons

9. Justworks[toc=9.Justworks]

Justworks is a professional employer organization (PEO) and HR platform that handles payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and HR services under a co-employment model. It’s built to support U.S. businesses scaling across states or hiring internationally.

Key Features of Justworks:

• Payroll processing with automated tax filings and compliance support
• Benefits management (health, dental, vision, commuter) via bundled plans
• HR tools: onboarding, document storage, employee self-service portal
• Time tracking, leave/time-off management (time tracking often an add-on)
• 24/7 support, multi-state compliance services, transparent pricing

Justworks: Pros and Cons

Read more: Gusto vs Justworks Comparison 2025: Which One is Best?

10. Paylocity[toc=10.Paylocity]

Paylocity is a cloud-based HR and payroll platform aimed primarily at mid-sized U.S. businesses. It combines payroll, benefits administration, talent management, and reporting tools into one unified system.

Key Features of Paylocity:

• Payroll processing with tax compliance and direct deposit
• Core HR: employee self-service, onboarding, record keeping
• Benefits administration & enrollment, eligibility tracking
• Performance, goals & feedback tools (talent management)
• Time & attendance tracking, scheduling, absence management
• Reporting & analytics, dashboards, integrations with business software

Paylocity: Pros and Cons

Discover how Paylocity and ADP stack up in our feature comparison article on "Paylocity vs ADP: A Detailed Payroll Comparison".

Detailed comparison of top 10 Gusto alternatives and competitors[toc=Comparison Table]

Now that we’ve explored the top 10 Gusto alternatives, let’s take an in-depth look at how they compare on the key factors that matter most. This comparison table will help you quickly spot which provider best matches your business’s needs and priorities.

Why should you consider Gusto alternatives?[toc=Why Consider Alternatives]

Based on extensive research and real customer feedback, there are several critical challenges that make organizations look into alternatives to Gusto’s payroll and HR software.

Here are the four most common pain points:

• Implementation issues: Onboarding and integrations often cause payroll and HR delays.
• Customer support gaps: Users report slow or unhelpful responses when managing payroll services.
• Pricing concerns: Extra fees for multi-state payroll, benefits administration, and HR tools make costs unpredictable.
• Security risks: Account access errors and payroll data concerns raise trust issues.

A payroll system should be reliable, transparent, and scalable. If these pain points sound familiar, it may be time to explore better Gusto alternatives.

What do Gusto users say?[toc=User Reviews]

Gusto positive reviews:

"I like using Gusto because it makes payroll and time off so much easier to manage. Everything is online, which saves me time and cuts down on mistakes. I don’t have to worry about tax filings or compliance since Gusto handles that automatically. My employees also appreciate having their own portal where they can see pay stubs, request time off, and manage their benefits. For me, the biggest upside is how user-friendly it is—it keeps everything organized in one place and takes the stress out of payroll."
-Adam G., Physiatry Nurse Practitioner, Enterprise, rated 5/5 stars on G2

"Gusto makes payroll incredibly simple and reliable. Everything from calculating wages to handling taxes is automated and accurate, which saves me a ton of time. The interface is clean, easy to use, and I never have to second-guess whether my team will be paid correctly or on time. I also like the extra HR tools that come included."
-Asthon M., IT Manager at a NYC gardening platform, Mid-Market, rated 5/5 stars on G2

Gusto negative reviews:

"While I find Gusto really helpful overall, there are a few things that could be better. Sometimes the reporting features feel a little limited, and I wish I could customize them more easily to fit my needs. The customer support is usually good, but there have been times when it took longer than I’d like to get an answer. Also, the pricing can add up as you bring on more employees, so it’s something to keep in mind for growing businesses. None of these are dealbreakers, but they’re the areas I’ve noticed that could use improvement."
-Adam G., Physiatry Nurse Practitioner, Enterprise, rated 5/5 stars on G2

"Sometimes there are delays in customer service on really busy days but despite that they work hard to try and reach everyone and solve their problems."
-Asthon M., IT Manager at a NYC gardening platform, Mid-Market, rated 5/5 stars on G2

How to choose the best Gusto alternatives?[toc=How to Choose]

Finding the right payroll and HR software depends on your business size, goals, and must-have features. Here are the key factors US business owners should look at when comparing Gusto alternatives:

• Define your priorities: Do you just need payroll management and tax filings, or do you also need global payroll, benefits administration, or EOR support?
• Check core features: Look for automated payroll runs, direct deposits, employee self-service portals, new hire reporting, time tracking, and smooth employee onboarding.
• Review pricing: Choose payroll providers with clear per-employee pricing, transparent contracts, and flexibility for hourly staff, salaried employees, or seasonal workers.
• Test usability and support: Try demos, check the mobile app and employee portal, and make sure customer support is responsive during business hours.
• Verify compliance and security: Ensure the payroll system stays updated on tax regulations, offers automated tax calculations and filings, and secures sensitive employee data.

The best Gusto alternatives are the ones that make it easy to run payroll, manage benefits, and scale with your workforce without adding hidden costs or compliance risks.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when replacing Gusto?[toc=Mistakes to Avoid]

Switching payroll platforms can be tricky. Here are the common mistakes to avoid:

• Focusing only on price: Cheaper plans may lack essential HR services or compliance tools.
• Ignoring integrations: Make sure the new payroll system works with your accounting software, time tracking, and HR processes.
• Overlooking compliance: Confirm support for tax filings, new hire reporting, and multi-state payroll.
• Skipping employee needs: Choose a platform with an employee self-service portal, direct deposits, and benefits management.
• Not testing support: Poor customer support can slow down payroll processing and HR tasks.

Pick a payroll provider that balances cost, features, and reliability to ensure smooth payroll and HR management.

How can Wisemonk help you streamline payroll and HR ?[toc=How Wisemonk Helps]

Wisemonk helps companies run payroll with accuracy and compliance, streamline HR tasks like onboarding, contracts, and benefits, and, when needed, provides Employer of Record (EOR) services in India so you can hire without setting up a local entity.

Key Features of Wisemonk:

• Reliable payroll management ensuring accurate, timely salary processing and compliance.
• Automated payroll with timely salary processing and full compliance
• Expert recruiting and onboarding services to help you hire and integrate your international workforce smoothly.
• Transparent pricing with no hidden fees, so you always know what you’re paying for.
• Dedicated HR support and an easy-to-use employee portal.

Ready to simplify your payroll and HR? Contact Wisemonk today!