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It's a split decision.
Choose Gusto for payroll, tax filing, HR, benefits, and multi-state teams; its listed plans start at $49/month plus $6 per person. Choose Online Check Writer for checks, ACH, wires, eChecks, invoices, and payment links; Pay As You Go has a $0 monthly fee, but requires a $30 minimum recharge and charges per transaction. These tools solve different jobs, so keep both if you need payroll and payment operations.
01Side by side
| Gusto | Online Check Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Simple: $49/month + $6/person | $0/month; $30 minimum recharge |
| Free plan | No | Yes: Pay As You Go |
| Best for | Payroll, HR, benefits, and employee teams | Business checks and payment workflows |
| Core strength | Payroll automation and HR tools | Check printing and multiple payment methods |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | Time, PTO, and schedules sync to payroll | Syncs with leading accounting platforms |
| Team and seat costs | $6, $12, or $22 per person monthly | 3 users included; Enterprise pricing custom |
| Support | Premium includes account support; review score 4/10 | Review score 4/10; support details not published |
Gusto Choose Gusto if
- Choose Gusto if payroll, tax filing, and HR belong in one system.
- Choose Gusto if you need multi-state payroll and employee time tracking.
- Choose Gusto if employee benefits and compliance support matter.
Online Check Writer Choose Online Check Writer if
- Choose Online Check Writer if you need to print or mail checks.
- Choose Online Check Writer if you want a $0 monthly-fee option.
- Choose Online Check Writer for ACH, wires, eChecks, invoices, and payment links.
02Pricing compared
Gusto’s listed Simple plan is $49/month plus $6 per person/month, for basic payroll in one state. Plus is $80/month plus $12 per person, and Premium is $180/month plus $22 per person. The pricing page says plans are month-to-month; annual rates are not listed. Gusto Solo pricing is also not published.
Online Check Writer’s Pay As You Go plan has a $0 monthly fee, but requires a $30 minimum recharge. It includes three bank accounts and three users; online and emailed checks cost $1 each, while First Class mailing costs $1.25 per check. ACH, wires, and card payments carry separate fees, so $0 is not the full operating cost. Enterprise pricing is custom. Compare expected transaction volume before choosing: these services are not direct replacements.
03Features and depth
Gusto is the payroll and people-management option. Its listed features include payroll runs, tax filings and payments, PTO, time tracking, scheduling, hiring and onboarding, employee benefits, and contractor management. Plus adds multi-state payroll; Premium includes HR guidance and Gusto Business Compliance. Some services, including benefits and insurance, have separate costs or eligibility limits.
Online Check Writer focuses on business payments. It supports check printing and mailing, eChecks, ACH, RTP, wire transfers, invoices, payment links, and credit card payments to vendors. It also lists accounting-platform sync. Transaction prices vary by payment method: for example, bank-funded domestic wires are $15, while bank-funded ACH costs 1% with a $0.50 minimum and $5 maximum.
If you need payroll tax filing and HR, Online Check Writer is not presented as a substitute. If you need check and payment workflows, Gusto’s listed strengths are elsewhere. Some businesses may need both.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Our review scores give Gusto a 7 for ease of use and Online Check Writer a 6. Those scores favor Gusto slightly, but the material does not provide a testing method or detail the tasks behind them.
The workflows also differ. Gusto’s listed tools cover payroll, HR, benefits, and time tracking, while Online Check Writer centers on sending and receiving payments. The right fit depends on which job your team needs to handle; choosing one does not automatically remove the need for the other. The published product information does not specify setup times, training requirements, or onboarding support for either product, so we would not treat the scores as a full measure of learning time.
Questions people ask
Is Gusto a good payroll service?
The published review says Gusto covers payroll and HR well, with a 6.3 overall score and an 8 for features. It also gives support and user sentiment scores of 4, and notes support complaints. It may fit teams needing payroll and HR, but those complaints are worth weighing.
What is the best free online check writer?
Online Check Writer lists a Pay As You Go plan with a $0 monthly fee, three bank accounts, and three users. It requires a $30 minimum recharge, and check printing, mailing, ACH, wires, and card payments can add fees. Compare those costs with your expected payment volume.
Is Online Check Writer legit?
The published product information describes Online Check Writer as a cloud-based payments and check-printing platform, but it does not provide independent verification, security findings, or user-protection details. We can’t confirm legitimacy from these materials alone. Review its current terms and safeguards before sending payments or connecting bank accounts.
How much does Gusto payroll cost per month?
Gusto’s listed Simple plan costs $49/month plus $6 per person/month. Plus is $80/month plus $12 per person, and Premium is $180/month plus $22 per person. The pricing page says plans are month-to-month. Gusto Solo pricing is not published.