The short answer
Justworks sells payroll and a PEO: its Payroll plan costs $50 a month plus $8 per employee, and PEO Basic and PEO Plus cost $79 and $124 per employee a month with a workers' comp master policy, EPLI and HR consultants.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Justworks wins 0Gusto wins 21 tie
| Dimension | Justworks | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| PricingGusto’s Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person; Justworks' Payroll plan costs $50 plus $8 per employee, and its PEO plans $79 or $124 per employee with no base fee. For 10 employees on payroll alone that is $109 a month with Gusto and $130 with Justworks. | $50/mo + $8/employee/mo | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo |
| CapabilitiesBoth run payroll with tax filings, pay contractors and offer benefits. Justworks adds a PEO and an employer of record; Gusto includes time tracking on Plus and Premium, where Justworks charges $8 per employee a month for it. Payroll, PEO, Benefits administration, HR tools and support, Compliance, Time Tracking (add-on), Contractor payments, International Employer of Record (EOR), Analytics | 6 of 12 core capabilities | 11 of 12 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsGusto lists 153 integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Salesforce, with a REST API and webhooks. Justworks syncs with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, NetSuite, Sage Intacct and Xero. 153 | 5 documented | 153 native |
| Attribute | Justworks | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum employees | 2 | 1 |
| Mobile apps | Justworks app for iOS, Justworks app for Android | iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile) |
| Support channels | Phone, email, chat, Slack | Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium) |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, US | San Francisco, California, US |
| Attribute | Justworks | Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base fee + per employee | Base fee + per employee |
| Price transparency | Published | Published |
| Best for | Small businesses | Small businesses |
| Automatic tax filing | ||
| Contractor payments | ||
| Founded | 2012 | 2012 |
Gusto Simple$49/mo base + $6/employee/mo| Employees | Justworks PEO Basic | Gusto Simple |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $790/mo | $109/mo (lowest) |
| 50 | $3,950/mo | $349/mo (lowest) |
| 200 | $15,800/mo | $1,249/mo (lowest) |
Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.
Pricing. Gusto’s Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person; Justworks' Payroll plan costs $50 plus $8 per employee, and its PEO plans $79 or $124 per employee with no base fee. For 10 employees on payroll alone that is $109 a month with Gusto and $130 with Justworks.
Capabilities. Both run payroll with tax filings, pay contractors and offer benefits. Justworks adds a PEO and an employer of record; Gusto includes time tracking on Plus and Premium, where Justworks charges $8 per employee a month for it.
Integrations. Gusto lists 153 integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Salesforce, with a REST API and webhooks. Justworks syncs with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, NetSuite, Sage Intacct and Xero.
Fit and support. Justworks offers 24/7 support on PEO Basic and PEO Plus, by phone, email, chat and Slack. Gusto answers by phone, email and chat Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm MST, with a 24/7 help center.
Security. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on. Justworks names no security certification on the pages we reviewed.
Patriot Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (9.3/10).
From $17/mo + $4/employee/mo
For payroll alone, slightly: Justworks' Payroll plan is $50 a month plus $8 per employee against $49 plus $6 on Gusto Simple, or $130 and $109 a month for 10 employees. Justworks' PEO plans cost $79 or $124 per employee a month and include a workers' comp master policy and EPLI; Gusto sells workers' compensation separately, starting at $14 a month.
Gusto is less suited to teams that need help outside weekday hours: its phone, email and chat support runs Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm MST, while Justworks' PEO plans include 24/7 support. Gusto Simple runs payroll in one state; multi-state payroll starts on Plus, at $80 a month plus $12 per person.
Justworks includes multi-state payroll in its Payroll plan at $50 a month plus $8 per employee. On Gusto, multi-state payroll needs Plus at $80 a month plus $12 per person, which also adds time tracking and next-day pay. For 10 employees spread over several states that is $130 a month with Justworks and $200 with Gusto Plus.
Both do. Justworks' PEO Plus includes medical, dental and vision plans with COBRA administration, and the Payroll plan adds health insurance access for $8 per eligible employee plus premiums. Gusto offers health, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k), HSA, FSA and commuter benefits, and connects your own broker for $6 a month per eligible employee.
Neither does. Gusto bills month to month with no contract; Justworks bills monthly for each active member on Payroll and each active employee on its PEO plans.
Justworks' PEO plans need at least two W-2 employees, while its Payroll plan works at any company size. Gusto’s Solo plan, at $49 a month plus $6 per person, is built for owners who pay only themselves, with S corp election support and a reasonable salary calculator.
Justworks competes on two fronts. Its PEO plans sit in our PEO category alongside TriNet, Insperity, ADP TotalSource and Paychex PEO, among others, while its Payroll plan, at $50 a month plus $8 per employee, meets Gusto’s Simple plan at $49 plus $6 in payroll software. Between these two, the deciding question is whether you want a PEO to include workers' compensation, which Gusto sells separately.
No, at list price: for 25 employees Gusto comes to $199 a month and Justworks to $250 on their lowest published plans, before add-ons. Gusto pricing lists every plan.
Only Gusto states HIPAA (BAA).
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.
