The short answer
Deel hires, pays and manages workers worldwide: an employer of record in 130+ countries at $599 per employee a month, contractor management, a US PEO and US payroll at $29 per employee a month. Gusto is payroll, benefits and HR for US small businesses from $49 a month plus $6 per person.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Deel wins 2Gusto wins 12 ties
| Dimension | Deel | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| PricingFor US payroll, Gusto costs $49 a month plus $6 per person on Simple, $109 for 10 people; Deel Payroll: US costs $29 per employee a month, $290 for 10. Deel’s HR Core alone costs $5 per employee a month, without payroll. | $5/employee/mo | $180/mo + $22/employee/mo (Premium plan) |
| CapabilitiesBoth cover payroll, benefits, HR and contractor payments. Deel adds an employer of record, a US PEO, IT and immigration support; Gusto adds money management and time tracking synced to payroll. Payroll, HR, IT, Benefits, Hire, Mobility, EOR, PEO | 11 of 11 core capabilities | 11 of 11 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsDeel lists 200 integrations, including Workday, NetSuite, QuickBooks and Okta, with REST, webhooks and an MCP server. Gusto lists 153, including QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Salesforce. 200 | 200 native | 153 native |
| Fit and supportDeel serves startups to enterprises in 150+ countries, with 24/7 support. Gusto serves US small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST. Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses |
| SecurityDeel states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and GDPR and supports SAML sign-on and SCIM. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on. Yes | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR | None verified |
| Attribute | Deel | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per employee | Base fee + per employee |
| Best for | Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises | Small businesses |
| Native integrations | 200 | 153 |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, Phone, Slack | Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium) |
| Founded | 2019 | 2012 |
| Attribute | Deel | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | Published | Published |
| Free trial | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Contract term | Monthly | Monthly |
| Open API | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Single sign-on | SAML 2.0, Okta, OneLogin, Azure (OIDC), Google | |
| Automatic tax filing | ||
| Contractor payments | ||
| Ownership | Private | Private |
Gusto Premium$180/mo base + $22/employee/mo| Employees | Deel HR Core | Gusto Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $50/mo (lowest) | $400/mo |
| 50 | $250/mo (lowest) | $1,280/mo |
| 200 | $1,000/mo (lowest) | $4,580/mo |
Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.
Pricing. For US payroll, Gusto costs $49 a month plus $6 per person on Simple, $109 for 10 people; Deel Payroll: US costs $29 per employee a month, $290 for 10. Deel’s HR Core alone costs $5 per employee a month, without payroll.
Capabilities. Both cover payroll, benefits, HR and contractor payments. Deel adds an employer of record, a US PEO, IT and immigration support; Gusto adds money management and time tracking synced to payroll.
Integrations. Deel lists 200 integrations, including Workday, NetSuite, QuickBooks and Okta, with REST, webhooks and an MCP server. Gusto lists 153, including QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Salesforce.
Fit and support. Deel serves startups to enterprises in 150+ countries, with 24/7 support. Gusto serves US small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST.
Security. Deel states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and GDPR and supports SAML sign-on and SCIM. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on.
Rippling has the highest LeadChange Score in HRIS Software after excluding these two (9.3/10).
Partly. Both run US payroll with tax filings and pay contractors. Deel’s core is hiring across borders, with an employer of record in 130+ countries and payroll in 130+ countries; Gusto is built for US small businesses, with benefits administration and HR in the same account.
Only for the smallest teams. Deel Payroll: US costs $29 per employee a month; Gusto Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person. That is $58 against $61 for two employees, and $290 against $109 for 10.
Yes. Deel’s PEO Starter costs $110 per employee a month without PEO-sponsored health benefits, and PEO Pro costs $120 with them. Gusto offers health, dental, vision, life and disability plans from the payroll account and sells workers' comp separately, starting at $14 a month.
Both do. Deel lists 401(k) among its US benefits, next to healthcare, dental, vision, mental health and fertility cover. Gusto offers 401(k) plans whose price depends on the 401(k) provider you connect.
Deel charges for funding, 2.9% + $0.30 for US or EU cards and $5 per ACH or wire payment, and asks for an EOR deposit of 1 to 1.5 times the monthly charges. Gusto’s extras include next-day pay on Simple at $15 a month plus $3 per person and a $100 fee if funds are short at the payroll debit deadline.
Deel offers 24/7 support by chat, email, phone and Slack. Gusto takes calls, emails and chats Monday to Friday between 6am and 6pm MST, keeps a help center online at all hours and gives Premium customers a dedicated account partner.
Neither lists a free trial; both sell through a demo or a quote.
Deel lists 200 integrations and Gusto lists 153. Both connect to QuickBooks, Slack, and Xero.
Only Deel states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and GDPR. Only Gusto states HIPAA (BAA).
Deel ranks #12 of 19 in our HRIS software ranking. Besides Gusto, the highest-scored are Rippling, BambooHR, and Zoho People. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: Deel alternatives.
Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices. Then, if you like, ask to hear from both.
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What the LeadChange Score means
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.
