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It's a split decision.
Choose Gusto for U.S. payroll, tax filing, HR, and benefits; choose Wise Business for international payments, multi-currency receipts, and team spending. They are not close substitutes. Gusto starts at $49/month plus $6 per person on Simple, while Wise lists $0 monthly subscriptions but charges transfer fees from 0.23%; Advanced adds a $31 setup fee. Gusto’s per-person pricing and support complaints are drawbacks; the Wise review flags account-access reports.
01Side by side
| Gusto | Wise Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Simple: $49/month + $6 per person | $0 monthly subscription; transfers from 0.23% |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | $0 monthly subscription; free plan listed |
| Best for | Businesses needing payroll, HR, benefits, and compliance | Businesses sending, receiving, and managing international money |
| Core strength | Payroll, tax filings, HR, benefits, and contractor pay | Transfers, 40+ currencies, team finances, accounting connections |
| Learning curve | Not published on the vendor's site | Not published on the vendor's site |
| Integrations / data | Time, PTO, schedules, and hours sync to payroll | Accounting connections; specific integrations not listed |
| Team / seat costs | $6-$22 per person monthly, depending on plan | No monthly subscription; seat pricing not published |
| Support | Premium includes account support; review cites support complaints | Review flags account-access reports as a serious caveat |
Gusto Choose Gusto if
- Choose Gusto if payroll, tax filings, and HR are priorities.
- Choose Gusto if time tracking should sync with payroll.
- Choose Gusto if you need contractor payments alongside employee payroll.
Wise Business Choose Wise Business if
- Choose Wise Business if you send or receive international payments.
- Choose Wise Business if you need to manage money in 40+ currencies.
- Choose Wise Business if a $0 monthly subscription suits your needs.
02Pricing compared
Gusto’s Simple plan costs $49 per month plus $6 per person per month, and covers basic payroll in one state, tax filings, and basic PTO and holiday pay. Plus is $80 per month plus $12 per person; Premium is $180 plus $22 per person. The pricing page lists month-to-month plans, cancellable anytime, with no annual rates published.
Wise lists a $0 monthly subscription for both Essential and Advanced. That does not mean transfers are free: sending and converting money starts at 0.23%. Advanced also has a $31 one-time setup fee; receiving USD wire and Swift payments costs $6.11. The pricing page lists ATM withdrawals over $250 per month at $1.95 plus 1.95%. Gusto charges more predictably for payroll; Wise’s costs depend on how you move money.
03Features and depth
Gusto is built around U.S. payroll and HR. Its listed features include automated payroll, tax filings, time and PTO tracking synced with payroll, hiring and onboarding, benefits, compliance support, and contractor management. Plan depth varies: Simple is for basic payroll in one state, while Plus adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, and scheduling. Premium includes HR guidance and Gusto Business Compliance.
Wise Business is for international money movement and team spending, not payroll administration. Wise lists international payments, receipts in 40+ currencies, a multi-currency business card, team finance tools, and accounting software connections. Its homepage also lists receiving interest. Both plans include batch payments for up to 1,000 international payments, while Advanced lists paid receipt of USD wire and Swift payments. The short version: Gusto handles paying and supporting workers; Wise handles sending, receiving, and managing business money across currencies. They solve different jobs, so feature counts are not a useful way to pick between them.
04Ease of use and learning curve
There is no direct usability comparison in the published material. The reviews score Gusto 7/10 for ease of use and Wise 6/10, but those scores do not tell us how long setup takes or which product is simpler for your team.
The practical choice is to start with the task you need to manage. Gusto brings payroll, tax filing, and HR workflows together; Wise focuses on international transfers, currency receipts, and team spending. If you need both, expect to evaluate and manage two separate products rather than treating one as a replacement for the other. Gusto’s review flags support complaints, while Wise’s flags reports of account-access problems—both are worth weighing before switching.
Questions people ask
Is Gusto a good payroll service?
Gusto is a fit to consider if you need payroll, tax filings, HR, and benefits in one product. Its review scores features 8/10, but value 6/10 and support 4/10, citing per-person pricing and support complaints. It is not a substitute for Wise’s international payment tools.
Is Wise good for a business account?
Wise Business may suit companies that send international payments, receive money in multiple currencies, or manage team spending. Its plans list $0 monthly subscriptions, but transfers have fees from 0.23%. The review also flags account-access reports, so weigh that caveat against your needs.
What is Gusto’s company size?
The published information does not publish Gusto’s employee count or a company-size figure, so we can’t give a verified number. Its plan descriptions cover basic payroll in one state, expanding multi-state workforces, and growing teams needing HR guidance.
Who is Wise’s biggest competitor?
The published material does not identify Wise Business’s biggest competitor, so we can’t name one as a sourced fact. For this comparison, Wise’s listed focus is international payments, multi-currency receipts, and team spending; Gusto focuses on payroll and HR, rather than serving as a direct substitute.