The short answer
Gusto prices every payroll plan on its site, from $49 a month plus $6 per person. Paychex Flex publishes one entry plan, Paychex Flex Essentials at $39 a month plus $5 per employee for businesses under 20 people, and quotes its four main packages.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Gusto wins 1Paychex Flex wins 21 tie
| Dimension | Gusto | Paychex Flex |
|---|---|---|
| PricingUnder 20 employees, Paychex Flex Essentials lists $39 a month plus $5 per employee against Gusto Simple's $49 plus $6: $89 against $109 a month at 10 employees. Essentials charges extra for tax administration and year-end forms, and Paychex's larger packages are quoted while Gusto prices all of its plans. Paychex Promise (delay the payroll debit up to 7 days): free for the first 3 months, then $99 per year, Paychex Flex Essentials: payroll tax administration "additional fees may apply"; W-2s and 1099s at additional cost, Package add-ons (priced by quote): Time & Attendance, HR Analytics, Talent Management, Business Insurance, Retirement Plans, Health Insurance, Workers’ Comp, HR Consulting, Assisted Set Up and Managed Set Up are add-ons on lower packages; Enhanced and Premium Customer Support are add-ons on lower packages | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo | $39/mo + $5/employee/mo |
| CapabilitiesBoth file payroll taxes automatically and allow unlimited pay runs. Gusto includes benefits administration and HR in its plans; Paychex handles garnishments and sells time, HR and insurance as add-ons. Payroll, Benefits, Time and attendance, Hiring and onboarding, HR, Compliance, Contractor payments, Money management | 11 of 12 core capabilities | 12 of 12 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsGusto's App Directory lists 153 apps; Paychex names its integrations, including QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero and NetSuite, without a total count. Both document a REST API and webhooks. 153 | 153 native | 15 documented |
| Fit and supportPaychex states 24/7 payroll support and serves small and mid-market businesses. Gusto's phone, email and chat support runs on weekdays, with its online help center open around the clock. 24/7 payroll support | Small businesses | Small businesses, mid-market companies |
| Attribute | Gusto | Paychex Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | Published | Partly published |
| Best for | Small businesses | Small businesses, mid-market companies |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, mobile |
| Mobile apps | iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile) | Paychex Flex app (iOS), Paychex Flex app (Android), Paychex Flex Time Kiosk app |
| Support channels | Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium) | Phone, chat, email, in-platform help center |
| Founded | 2012 | 1971 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, US | Rochester, New York and Cincinnati, Ohio, US (dual headquarters) |
| Ownership | Private | Publicly traded |
| Attribute | Gusto | Paychex Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base fee + per employee | Base fee + per employee |
| Minimum employees | 1 | 1 |
| Open API | ||
| Webhooks | ||
| Automatic tax filing | ||
| Contractor payments |
Gusto Simple$49/mo base + $6/employee/mo
| Employees | Gusto Simple | Paychex Flex Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $109/mo | $89/mo (lowest) |
| 50 | $349/mo | $289/mo (lowest) |
| 200 | $1,249/mo | $1,039/mo (lowest) |
Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.
Pricing. Under 20 employees, Paychex Flex Essentials lists $39 a month plus $5 per employee against Gusto Simple's $49 plus $6: $89 against $109 a month at 10 employees. Essentials charges extra for tax administration and year-end forms, and Paychex's larger packages are quoted while Gusto prices all of its plans.
Capabilities. Both file payroll taxes automatically and allow unlimited pay runs. Gusto includes benefits administration and HR in its plans; Paychex handles garnishments and sells time, HR and insurance as add-ons.
Integrations. Gusto's App Directory lists 153 apps; Paychex names its integrations, including QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero and NetSuite, without a total count. Both document a REST API and webhooks.
Fit and support. Paychex states 24/7 payroll support and serves small and mid-market businesses. Gusto's phone, email and chat support runs on weekdays, with its online help center open around the clock.
Patriot Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (9.3/10).
From $17/mo + $4/employee/mo
Not for businesses under 20 people. Paychex Flex Essentials lists $39 a month plus $5 per employee, against $49 plus $6 for Gusto Simple: $89 against $109 a month at 10 employees. Paychex's other packages are quoted, and Essentials charges extra for tax administration and year-end forms.
Gusto runs payroll in the US only, new accounts start on slower direct deposits, and faster pay costs extra on the lower plans. It lists no free trial.
Among the payroll products we review, Paychex Flex shares its category with ADP RUN, Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll. Against Gusto, the difference is a lower entry price under 20 employees versus a fully priced plan line-up with benefits included.
Yes. Paychex states 24/7 payroll support; the channels included depend on the package. Gusto's human support is available on weekdays.
Both do. Gusto has the Gusto Mobile app for iOS and Android, and Paychex lists the Paychex Flex app for iOS and Android plus a Paychex Flex Time Kiosk app for clocking in. Both include unlimited payroll runs.
Only Gusto states HIPAA (BAA).
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