OnPay vs Gusto

OnPay7.6/10

Gusto8.1/10

Scored in Payroll Software

The short answer

OnPay and Gusto list the same entry price: $49 a month plus $6 per person. OnPay's Payroll Essentials includes multi-state payroll and offers a free trial, with HR and time tracking as priced add-ons.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Nov 7, 2026Based on 15 sources, most recently checked Nov 9, 2026

OnPay

Starting price: $49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)1
Best for: Small businesses that want payroll with taxes and year-end forms included

Choose OnPay if

You pay employees in more than one state and want that in the $49 plan.
You want to try before paying: OnPay offers a free trial.
You want free data migration from your current provider.
You want phone support until 8 p.m. Eastern on weekdays.

What OnPay costs OnPay alternatives

Gusto

Starting price: $49/mo + $6/employee/mo2
Best for: US small businesses that want payroll tax filing on every plan

Choose Gusto if

You connect payroll to many apps: Gusto lists 154 integrations against OnPay's 9 marketplace listings (our count, Nov 4, 2026).
You want an open API with webhooks.
You want a plan for a sole owner paying only themselves (Solo).
You want time tracking and HR tools without separate add-on fees on the higher plans.

Gusto plans and prices Gusto alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

OnPay wins 1Gusto wins 02 ties

OnPay vs Gusto by dimension
Dimension	OnPay	Gusto
PricingBoth start at $49 a month plus $6 per person, so payroll costs $109 a month at 10 employees on either. OnPay includes multi-state payroll at that price; with Gusto it means Plus at $80 plus $12. OnPay's HR and time tracking add-ons cost $15 a month base each. HR: +$15 base and $2 per worker a month, Time Tracking: +$15 base and $4 per worker a month, Compliance Resources: +$10 base a month, Live HR Support: +$65 base a month, Benefits: you pay plan premiums only1	$49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)	$49/mo + $6/employee/mo
CapabilitiesBoth file payroll taxes, allow unlimited pay runs and pay W-2 and 1099 workers. OnPay adds a custom report designer and an accuracy guarantee; Gusto adds hiring, HR and time modules in its higher plans. Direct deposit, check, or prepaid debit card payment, Garnishment deductions, Year-end filings, W-2s and 1099s, eSign for I-9s and W-4s, State new hire reporting, PTO management and organizational charts, Custom report designer with 50+ fields, Geofenced mobile clock-in (Time Tracking add-on)1	10 of 12 core capabilities	11 of 12 core capabilities
Fit and supportOnPay serves small and mid-market businesses with phone support from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern on weekdays. Gusto lists small businesses, with weekday phone, email and chat support. Small businesses, mid-market companies3	Small businesses, mid-market companies	Small businesses

Key differences

Where OnPay and Gusto differ (6)
Attribute	OnPay	Gusto
Free trial	4	5
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies3	Small businesses6
Native integrations	9 marketplace listings (our count, Nov 4, 2026)7	1548
Support channels	Phone, email, chat1	Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium)9
Founded	20113	20126
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia10	San Francisco, California, US11

Show 6 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (6)
Attribute	OnPay	Gusto
Pricing model	Base fee + per employee1	Base fee + per employee2
Price transparency	Published1	Published2
Contract term	Monthly12	Monthly2
Automatic tax filing	1	2
Contractor payments	1	2
Ownership	Private3	Private6

Price by headcount

OnPay Payroll Essentials$49/mo base1 + $6/employee/mo1
Gusto Simple$49/mo base2 + $6/employee/mo2

Estimated list price per month by scenario
Employees	OnPay Payroll Essentials	Gusto Simple
10	$109/mo (lowest)	$109/mo (lowest)
50	$349/mo (lowest)	$349/mo (lowest)
200	$1,249/mo (lowest)	$1,249/mo (lowest)

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Both start at $49 a month plus $6 per person, so payroll costs $109 a month at 10 employees on either. OnPay includes multi-state payroll at that price; with Gusto it means Plus at $80 plus $12. OnPay's HR and time tracking add-ons cost $15 a month base each.

Capabilities. Both file payroll taxes, allow unlimited pay runs and pay W-2 and 1099 workers. OnPay adds a custom report designer and an accuracy guarantee; Gusto adds hiring, HR and time modules in its higher plans.

Integrations. Gusto's App Directory lists 154 apps and it documents a REST API with webhooks. OnPay lists 9 partner apps, including QuickBooks Online, Xero and JazzHR.

Fit and support. OnPay serves small and mid-market businesses with phone support from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern on weekdays. Gusto lists small businesses, with weekday phone, email and chat support.

Neither one?

Patriot Payroll

Patriot Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.7/10).

From $37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)13

Patriot Payroll review

More OnPay comparisons

More Gusto comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Is OnPay a good payroll company?

It suits small and mid-market employers that want multi-state payroll, tax filing and a free trial at a published $49 a month plus $6 per person. It is less suited to buyers who connect many apps: it lists 9.

Is OnPay cheaper than Gusto?

At entry level they cost the same: $49 a month plus $6 per person. OnPay costs less if you need multi-state payroll, which Gusto puts in Plus at $80 plus $12.

Does OnPay integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes. QuickBooks Online is among the 9 partner apps OnPay lists, with Xero and JazzHR.

Do OnPay and Gusto offer a free trial?

OnPay lists a free trial; Gusto does not.

Is OnPay or Gusto more secure?

OnPay states SOC 2 Type II (unverified for Gusto). Gusto states HIPAA (unverified for OnPay).

Who are OnPay’s biggest competitors?

OnPay ranks #5 of 15 in our payroll software ranking. Besides Gusto, the highest-scored are Patriot Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll, and Square Payroll. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: OnPay alternatives.

How this page was made

What it is built from
40 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 9, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Sources

The 15 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources

OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “+ $15 base and $4/worker per month”
Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person” “Simple, transparent pricing Payroll, benefits, and HR all in one place. No hidden fees. Cancel any time.”
Hypepotamus hypepotamus.com/startup-news/onpay-atlanta-raises-100-million“The funds will be used to further its mission of supporting small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) across the United States, according to a press release.” “OnPay, a payroll and HR platform founded in 2011, announced it had raised over $100 million in a combination of a $63 million Series B round and a debt facility.”
OnPay onpay.com“Get one month free”
Gusto Payroll (Gusto)“We’ve got all kinds of plans for all sizes of business. Explore all the options. You’ll pay nothing ‘til you’re ready to run payroll.”
Gusto gusto.com/about“Our small business platform helps businesses take care of their hardworking teams.” “Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll, Gusto serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.”
OnPay onpay.com/app-directory“QuickBooks Online”
Gusto gusto.com/product/integrations“Showing 1–20 of 154”
Gusto gusto.com/about/contact“Our sales and support teams at Gusto are available to help you via phone, email, and chat Monday through Friday 6am – 6pm MST. For expedited support, sign in to your Gusto account.”
OnPay (press release, Business Wire, Jan. 2020) businesswire.com/news/home/20200120005034/en“The company, headquartered in Atlanta, provides payroll, HR, and benefits services to more than 10,000 clients across the United States.”
Gusto gusto.com/about/privacy“Gusto, Inc. Attn: Legal Privacy 525 20th Street San Francisco, CA 94107”
OnPay onpay.com/terms-of-service“The Service will continue until such time as Client or Service Bureau gives thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, unless termination is for cause.”
Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.”
OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
Gusto gusto.com/security“We follow HIPAA guidelines to safeguard our customers’ protected health information (PHI). Additionally, we maintain business associate agreements (BAAs) between employers and Gusto, along with any third parties, like insurance companies.”