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Most buyers should pick Gusto.
Choose Gusto if you want payroll alongside HR, hiring, time tracking, and benefits. Its Simple plan is $49 per month plus $6 per person. Choose QuickBooks Online Payroll if direct accounting sync matters most or you want a 30-day trial. Its Workforce Payroll plan is listed at $50 per month plus $7 per employee, with a $25 monthly base price for the first three months. Neither product lists a free plan.
01Side by side
| Gusto | QuickBooks Online Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/month + $6/person | $25/month introductory base; then $50 + $7/employee |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Payroll, HR, hiring, time, and benefits | Payroll alongside QuickBooks accounting |
| Core strength | Payroll and broader HR tools | Accounting sync and payroll tax filing |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Team time syncs to payroll | Payroll syncs with QuickBooks accounting records |
| Team/seat costs | $6–$22/person/month, by plan | $7–$17/employee/month, by plan |
| Support | Review support score: 4 | Review support score: 5 |
Gusto Choose Gusto if
- Choose Gusto if you need payroll plus HR tools.
- Choose Gusto if time tracking should sync with payroll.
- Choose Gusto if hiring and onboarding tools matter.
QuickBooks Online Payroll Choose QuickBooks Online Payroll if
- Choose QuickBooks Online Payroll if accounting sync is a priority.
- Choose QuickBooks Online Payroll if you want a 30-day trial.
- Choose QuickBooks Online Payroll if you need Auto Payroll for salaried direct-deposit employees.
02Pricing compared
According to the pricing pages, Gusto Simple starts at $49 per month plus $6 per person. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll lists at $50 per month plus $7 per employee, so its regular base price is $1 higher and its per-person fee is also higher. QuickBooks advertises a $25 monthly base price for the first three months; the $7 employee fee still applies.
Gusto’s plans are month-to-month and cancellable anytime. QuickBooks lists a 30-day free trial, but neither product has a free plan. QuickBooks also sells Contractor Payments for $25 per month, covering up to 20 contractors, while Gusto’s contractor payments can sit alongside employee payroll. Annual prices are not published for either product. Compare the full monthly bill at your headcount, not just the base price.
03Features and depth
Gusto goes beyond payroll in its listed feature set. Simple includes payroll, tax filings, basic PTO and holiday pay; Plus adds time tracking, scheduling, multi-state payroll and contractor invoice management. Hiring and onboarding, employee benefits, and compliance tools are also part of Gusto’s broader offering, though the published pricing details do not say that every feature is included in Simple.
QuickBooks emphasizes payroll tied to accounting records. Its homepage lists Auto Payroll for salaried employees on direct deposit, payroll tax filing, and AI-assisted pay-run preparation for approval. It also describes time and attendance tracking, with payroll AI collecting data and flagging inconsistencies. Premium adds up to five automated HR workflows; Elite adds unlimited workflow configurations and up to $25,000 in annual tax penalty protection.
Choose Gusto for a wider HR and benefits toolkit. Choose QuickBooks when syncing payroll with QuickBooks accounting is the priority. Benefits, insurance and retirement services can carry separate fees with either product.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published information does not establish which product is easier to learn. The review scores lean slightly toward Gusto for ease of use: 7 versus 6 for QuickBooks, but that is not a guarantee for your team or setup.
The workflow emphasis differs. Gusto combines payroll with HR, hiring, time tracking and benefits, which may mean more features to learn if you only need payroll. QuickBooks centers payroll on accounting records and offers AI-prepared pay runs for approval. If you are switching, check which system will hold your employee and accounting records, and confirm any migration steps directly with the provider; those details are not published here.
Questions people ask
Is Gusto a good payroll service?
Gusto is worth considering if you want payroll alongside HR, hiring, time tracking and benefits. Its Simple plan starts at $49 per month plus $6 per person. The review gives it a 6.3 overall score, while noting per-person pricing and support complaints as drawbacks.
What are the four types of payroll?
The published product information does not define four types of payroll, so we can’t give a sourced list here. It describes payroll products for employees and contractors, with features such as scheduled pay runs, tax filing and contractor payments.
How does Gusto integrate with QuickBooks?
The published Gusto information does not specify how it integrates with QuickBooks or which plans support an integration. QuickBooks Online Payroll’s page says its payroll solutions sync with QuickBooks accounting records. Confirm Gusto’s current integration details with its provider before switching.
What are people replacing QuickBooks with?
The published information does not identify which products people are replacing QuickBooks with. It supports comparing Gusto as one alternative: Gusto offers payroll plus HR, hiring, time tracking and benefits, while QuickBooks emphasizes payroll linked to its accounting records.