Payroll, benefits, and HR compliance platform designed for small-to-mid-sized businesses.
Small businesses with 5-50 employees who prioritize payroll simplicity, HR management, and benefits administration with premium customer support.
Comprehensive cloud-based accounting software with payroll integration for small and growing businesses.
Growing businesses and startups that need robust accounting, invoicing, and financial reporting, or multi-company operations. Best for finance-focused teams without complex payroll/HR needs.
Gusto specializes in payroll and HR with integrated benefits management, while QuickBooks focuses on comprehensive accounting and financial management. Gusto is better for small businesses prioritizing payroll simplicity, whereas QuickBooks serves businesses needing advanced accounting features and multi-entity management.
Choose Gusto if you're a small business (under 50 employees) with straightforward accounting needs and want payroll and HR fully integrated with exceptional customer support. Choose QuickBooks if you need advanced accounting features, manage multiple entities, have complex invoicing requirements, or plan to scale beyond basic payroll operations.
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Choose Gusto if
Small businesses with 5-50 employees who prioritize payroll simplicity, HR management, and benefits administration with premium customer support.
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| Metric | Gusto | QuickBooks | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | $40 base + $6 per employee | — | — |
| Employee Self-Service Portal Rating(score) | 8.1 out of 10 | — | — |
| Maximum Company Size Supported(employees) | 5000+ | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost Per Employee(USD) | $6 | — | — |
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Choose QuickBooks if
Growing businesses and startups that need robust accounting, invoicing, and financial reporting, or multi-company operations. Best for finance-focused teams without complex payroll/HR needs.
| Maximum Employee Count Supported(Employees) |
| Up to 500-1000 |
| — |
| — |
| Average Implementation Time(Days) | 1-3 days | — | — |
| Number of Integrations(Integrations) | 200+ | — | — |
| Customer Satisfaction Score (NPS)(Points) | 72 | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $40 + $10 base | — | — |
| Implementation Timeline(days) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| US Market Share(percent) | ~5% | — | — |
| Global Payroll Countries(countries) | 100+ | — | — |
| Max Employee Capacity(employees) | 500-1000 | — | — |
| Entry-Level Monthly Base Fee($) | Gusto Simple Plan | — | — |
| Mid-Tier Monthly Base Fee($) | Gusto Plus Plan | — | — |
| Maximum Recommended Company Size(employees) | Small to mid-market | — | — |
| State Coverage(states) | All US states | — | — |
| Base Monthly Price(USD) | $35 | — | — |
| Per-Employee Monthly Cost($) | $6-$22 | — | — |
| Base Monthly Price(USD) | $39 | $30 | +30% |
| Payroll Per-Employee Fee(USD per employee) | $6 (included) | $4 (add-on) | +50% |
| Average Support Response Time(minutes) | 5 minutes (phone) | 24-48 hours (email/chat) | -100% |
| G2 Customer Satisfaction Rating(stars (out of 5)) | 4.7 | 4.3 | +9% |
| Target Company Size (Employee Count)(employees) | 1-1,000 | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $46 flat + $6/employee | — | — |
| Typical Implementation Timeline(months) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| Supported Payroll Countries(countries) | USA only | — | — |
| Mobile App Store Rating(stars) | 4.8/5 stars | — | — |
| Starting Price (per employee/month)(USD) | $12-15/month | — | — |
| Implementation Timeline(weeks) | 2-4 weeks | — | — |
| Customizable HR Fields(fields) | 20-30 | — | — |
| Benefits Provider Integrations(carriers) | 100+ | — | — |
| Customer Support Response Time(hours) | 24-48 hours | — | — |
| Optimal Company Size Range(employees) | 1-500 | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(applications) | 150+ | — | — |
All figures sourced from publicly available data. Last updated Jun 2026.
Gusto
Payroll, HR, and benefits management
QuickBooks
Accounting, invoicing, and financial reporting
Gusto
$39/month for 1 employee
QuickBooks
$30/month for Simple Start plan🏆
Gusto
$6 per employee (included)
QuickBooks
$4 per employee (QuickBooks Payroll add-on)🏆
Gusto
Yes - health insurance, 401(k), HSA marketplace🏆
QuickBooks
No - requires third-party integration
Gusto
Limited - up to 10 entities
QuickBooks
Yes - unlimited with Plus plan🏆
Gusto
24/7 phone support (average 5 min wait)🏆
QuickBooks
Email/chat only for most plans (24-48 hour response)
Gusto
4.7/5 stars (2,100+ reviews)🏆
QuickBooks
4.3/5 stars (3,900+ reviews)
Yes, Gusto handles payroll and HR independently, but it lacks comprehensive accounting features. For invoicing, expense tracking, and detailed financial reporting, most businesses use Gusto with a separate accounting tool like Wave (free), Xero, or QuickBooks. Gusto integrates with QuickBooks via API for automated data sync.
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| Attribute | Gusto | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | $40 base + $6 per employee | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost Per Employee(USD) | $6 | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $40 + $10 base | — |
| Entry-Level Monthly Base Fee($) | Gusto Simple Plan | — |
| Mid-Tier Monthly Base Fee($) | Gusto Plus Plan | — |
Show 5 more attributesBase Monthly Price(USD) $35 — Per-Employee Monthly Cost($) $6-$22 — Base Monthly Price(USD) $39 $30 Starting Monthly Cost(USD) $46 flat + $6/employee — Starting Price (per employee/month)(USD) $12-15/month — | ||
| Tax Compliance Automation | Advanced with real-time updates | — |
| State Coverage(states) | All US states | — |
| Compliance Management | User-managed with guidance | — |
| Employee Self-Service Portal Rating(score) | 8.1 out of 10 | — |
| Mobile App Store Rating(stars) | 4.8/5 stars | — |
| Maximum Company Size Supported(employees) | 5000+ | — |
| Maximum Employee Count Supported(Employees) | Up to 500-1000 | — |
| Max Employee Capacity(employees) | 500-1000 | — |
| Maximum Recommended Company Size(employees) | Small to mid-market | — |
| Time Tracking | Built-in time tracking tool | — |
| Payroll Processing | Full payroll management | — |
| Benefits Administration | Third-party integrations | — |
| API Availability | REST API with limitations | — |
| API Access Level | Limited REST API | — |
| Integrated IT/Device Management | No | — |
| Features Included in Base Plan | Payroll, HR, benefits, time-off | — |
| Mobile App Functionality | Full employee self-service and admin | — |
| Employee Benefits Platform | Comprehensive, fully integrated | — |
| Payroll Loan Program | Not available | — |
Show 4 more attributesHR Tools Included Self-service HR tools, employee directory — Customizable HR Fields(fields) 20-30 — Performance Management Capabilities None (no native tools) — Benefits Provider Integrations(carriers) 100+ — | ||
| Average Implementation Time(Days) | 1-3 days | — |
| Implementation Timeline(weeks) | 2-4 weeks | — |
| Number of Integrations(Integrations) | 200+ | — |
| Customer Satisfaction Score (NPS)(Points) | 72 | — |
| Implementation Timeline(days) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Typical Implementation Timeline(months) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| US Market Share(percent) | ~5% | — |
| Global Payroll Countries(countries) | 100+ | — |
| Customer Support Availability(hours/day) | Email, chat, phone (business hours) | — |
| Customer Support Type | Self-service resources, chat, email | — |
| Customer Support Availability(hours/day) | 24/7 phone support | Email/chat, business hours |
| Average Support Response Time(minutes) | 5 minutes (phone) | 24-48 hours (email/chat) |
| Customer Support Hours(hours/week) | 24/7 (168 hours/week) | — |
Show 1 more attributeCustomer Support Response Time(hours) 24-48 hours — | ||
| Customer Satisfaction Rating(relative ranking) | 4.8 | — |
| HR & Talent Management Features | Basic HR, benefits, time tracking | — |
| User Interface Complexity | Highly intuitive, modern design | — |
| Setup Complexity | Low - quick self-setup | — |
| Payroll Per-Employee Fee(USD per employee) | $6 (included) | $4 (add-on) |
| G2 Customer Satisfaction Rating(stars (out of 5)) | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Target Company Size (Employee Count)(employees) | 1-1,000 | — |
| Supported Payroll Countries(countries) | USA only | — |
| Custom Report Builder | 20+ pre-built templates only | — |
| Optimal Company Size Range(employees) | 1-500 | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(applications) | 150+ | — |
Side-by-side comparison of numeric attributes