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It's a split decision.
Choose Justworks if you need PEO-style HR and compliance support, benefits administration, or international employee hiring. Its Payroll plan is $8 per employee monthly plus a $50 monthly base fee; PEO plans start at $79 per employee. Choose Gusto for payroll automation, time tracking, and hiring tools. Simple is $49 monthly plus $6 per person, but covers basic payroll in one state. Neither offers a free plan, and annual rates are not published. Per-person charges affect both totals.
01Side by side
| Justworks | Gusto | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $8/employee monthly + $50 monthly base | $49 monthly + $6/person monthly |
| Free plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Best for | PEO support, benefits, and international hiring | Payroll, HR, hiring, and time tracking |
| Core strength | HR, compliance, and benefits administration | Automated payroll, tax filings, and AutoPilot |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | Not published | Not published |
| Team and seat costs | $8/person plus $50 base; PEO from $79/person | $6–$22/person plus $49–$180 monthly base |
| Support | Expert support; review support score 8/10 | Premium account support; review support score 4/10 |
Justworks Choose Justworks if
- Choose Justworks if you need PEO and compliance support.
- Choose Justworks if benefits administration is a priority.
- Choose Justworks if you hire employees internationally.
Gusto Choose Gusto if
- Choose Gusto if you need basic single-state payroll.
- Choose Gusto if payroll automation and AutoPilot matter.
- Choose Gusto if you want built-in time tracking and scheduling.
02Pricing compared
Justworks starts at $8 per employee per month on Payroll, plus a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Basic is $79 per employee monthly with no base fee; PEO Plus is $124. EOR is $599 per employee monthly. The pricing page lists monthly prices; annual rates are not published.
Gusto Simple costs $49 monthly plus $6 per person, and covers basic payroll in one state. Plus is $80 plus $12 per person; Premium is $180 plus $22 per person. Gusto says plans are month-to-month and cancellable anytime. Neither company offers a free plan, and no free trial is listed. Compare total costs using your headcount and needed services: both have per-person charges, while Justworks’ Payroll plan also has a base fee. Add-ons can change either bill.
03Features and depth
Justworks has a clearer PEO and international-hiring angle. Payroll includes HR tools, expert support, and time-tracking access. PEO Basic adds 24/7 support, 401(k), and applicant tracking; PEO Plus adds medical, dental, and vision administration, HSA/FSA accounts, and mental health benefits. Its EOR plan is for international employees, while international contractors are a separate $39 per paid contractor monthly add-on, supporting over 60 countries. Time tracking is also a paid add-on at $8 per employee monthly.
Gusto puts more listed tools around payroll operations: AutoPilot payroll runs, tax filing, time tracking and scheduling, PTO, hiring workflows, offer letters, onboarding, and digital signatures. Plus includes multi-state payroll and contractor invoice management. Both offer benefits and contractor-related features, but the pricing differs: Gusto’s global contractor payments are $5 per payment to US-based bank accounts, while US contractors are billed at the plan’s per-person rate in months paid. Gusto’s Simple plan is limited to basic payroll in one state.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Our review scores give Justworks a 7.5 for ease of use and Gusto a 7. Neither score tells us how long setup takes or how much training a team needs, so we would not treat the small gap as proof that one is easier to implement.
The feature sets suggest different things to learn: Justworks spans payroll, PEO services, benefits administration, and international hiring. Gusto’s listed workflows include payroll automation, time tracking, hiring, and onboarding. Justworks offers support by phone, email, or chat; PEO Basic lists 24/7 support. Gusto lists Premium account support, while its optional Priority Support costs extra. Check which services you’ll actually use before comparing the learning curve or support bill.
Questions people ask
Is Gusto a good payroll service?
Gusto covers payroll and HR, with tax filings on Simple and payroll automation, time tracking, and hiring tools listed across its offering. Our review scores it 6.3 overall, with lower support and user-sentiment scores. Whether it fits depends on your plan needs and tolerance for per-person charges.
What companies are similar to Justworks?
Gusto is a relevant comparison for businesses looking at payroll, HR, and benefits software. Justworks also emphasizes PEO support and international employee hiring; Gusto’s listed strengths include payroll automation, time tracking, and hiring workflows. The published material does not name other alternatives.
What is Justworks' customer service phone number?
A phone number is not published on the vendor's site. Justworks says customers can contact trained experts by phone, email, or chat through the platform. PEO Basic also lists 24/7 support, but the source does not specify a number or whether that availability applies to every plan.
What companies use Gusto?
The published information does not name Gusto customers or publish a client list, so we can’t verify specific companies that use it from these sources. Gusto is described here as payroll, HR, and benefits software for businesses, with plans aimed at teams with different payroll and HR needs.