Best Gusto Alternatives in 2026
Gusto is popular but not the right fit for every business. Here are the best alternatives based on team size, contractor mix, and budget.
Last updated: 2026-05-20
Quick verdict
For most SMBs under 25 employees: Gusto is still solid, but if cost is the issue try Patriot ($17/mo base) or Wave Payroll ($20/mo). For contractor-heavy teams: Deel or Remote. For startups that need HR + payroll + benefits in one: Rippling. For restaurants and hourly workers: Homebase Payroll or 7shifts.
Why teams look for Gusto alternatives
Gusto's pricing has increased significantly. The Simple plan starts at $40/month plus $6/employee/month — for a 10-person team that's $100/month. The Plus plan ($80/month + $12/employee) is required for time tracking, PTO policies, and next-day direct deposit, pushing a 10-person team to $200/month. Many small business owners find that number hard to justify once they realise how little of Gusto's feature set they actually use.
The most common reasons teams switch: (1) pricing is high relative to what they use; (2) customer support has declined — wait times for phone support have increased and the chat support quality is inconsistent; (3) contractor payments are only included in the Contractor-only plan ($6/contractor/month) or the Plus plan; (4) international payroll requires upgrading to Gusto Global, which adds significant cost; (5) the interface is clean but the mobile experience is weaker than newer alternatives.
Before switching, audit what you actually use in Gusto. Most teams under 15 employees use payroll runs, direct deposit, W-2/1099 filing, and basic PTO tracking. That shortlist of features is your evaluation checklist for any alternative.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Base price | Per employee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Payroll | $17/mo | $4/employee | Budget-conscious SMBs |
| Rippling | $8/user/mo | Varies by modules | All-in-one HR + IT |
| OnPay | $40/mo | $6/employee | Restaurants & nonprofits |
| Wave Payroll | $20/mo | $6/employee | Freelancers & micro-businesses |
| Homebase | $35/mo | Included | Hourly & shift workers |
| Deel | $49/contractor | $19/employee | Contractor-heavy teams |
Patriot Payroll — best budget alternative
Patriot Payroll is the most affordable full-featured payroll option at $17/month base plus $4/employee. For a 10-person team, that's $57/month compared to Gusto's $100–200/month. The feature set covers everything most small businesses actually need: unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit (2-4 day), federal and state tax filing, W-2 and 1099 forms, and employee self-service.
Best for: small businesses with 2–30 W-2 employees who want to keep payroll costs low and don't need built-in HR features like performance reviews or benefits administration. Patriot is also a good fit for businesses with a simple payroll structure — salaried or hourly employees, no complex multi-state requirements.
Watch out for: the interface feels dated compared to Gusto or Rippling. Customer support is US-based and responsive, but the product hasn't had major UX updates in years. Also: direct deposit is 2-4 business days on the basic plan (same-day or next-day requires the $37 base Full Service plan add-on). No mobile app for administrators — only an employee self-service portal.
Rippling — best all-in-one alternative
Rippling combines payroll, HR, benefits, and IT management into a single platform. The modular pricing means you pay for what you use — payroll starts at $8/user/month — but the real value comes from connecting payroll to HR workflows: when you hire someone, their payroll, computer provisioning, software access, and benefits enrollment all happen in one flow. When they leave, offboarding revokes everything in one step.
Best for: startups and scaling companies (15–500 employees) that want to automate the operational overhead of headcount changes. If your HR team spends more than a few hours per hire and per termination on manual tasks across multiple systems, Rippling's automation typically pays for itself within 3–6 months.
Watch out for: pricing is not transparent — you need to get a quote, and the final number depends on which modules you activate. Rippling can end up more expensive than Gusto Plus for companies that only need payroll and basic HR. The platform is also more complex to set up than Gusto — plan for a 2–4 week implementation rather than a same-week launch.
OnPay — best for restaurants and nonprofits
OnPay offers a flat $40/month plus $6/employee structure with a notably broad feature set included: unlimited payroll runs, all 50 states, multiple pay rates, tip handling for restaurants, agricultural payroll, and nonprofit-specific tax forms. There are no add-on fees for things Gusto charges extra for — same-day direct deposit, multiple pay schedules, and garnishment management are all included.
Best for: restaurants, nonprofits, agricultural businesses, and any business with complex payroll scenarios that other tools charge extra for. OnPay's support team is US-based and consistently rated as more responsive than Gusto's — a meaningful differentiator if you ever have a payroll issue on a Friday.
Watch out for: the HR feature set is more limited than Gusto. Onboarding is solid but there are no performance review tools or learning management features. If you need a full HR suite alongside payroll, Gusto Plus or Rippling is a better fit.