Gusto alternatives, 2026

Gusto is one of four tools in StackScope's payroll and HR report. The table below shows the other three, Rippling, ADP and Justworks, using the same verified figures as the full report, last verified October 2026. Prices, free-plan limits and catches are shown as reported, with sources on each vendor's pricing page.

Compare directly: Gusto vs Rippling · Gusto vs ADP · Gusto vs Justworks

Vendor pricing: Gusto: full Gusto pricing · Rippling pricing · ADP pricing · Justworks pricing

Tool	Free plan	Entry tier	Mid tier	Top tier / public price	Aggregated sentiment
Rippling	No permanent free plan — trial/promotion only. [VENDOR] Current pricing page routes to custom quote for full configurations. G2 currently says Rippling does not offer a free trial, while Capterra currently labels it as having one — a direct source conflict, not resolved here. [3P — G2 vs Capterra]	Quote required for Payroll[VENDOR] Rippling's live pricing page still does not publish a self-serve Payroll price. Rippling's own 2026 Payroll/HRIS content separately publishes reference figures — $35/mo base + $8/employee/mo — but these are not shown as a checkout/self-serve list price on the current pricing page; see footnote below the table.	Modular — no named mid tier[VENDOR] Additional modules (benefits, time tracking, IT) are priced separately; module-level rate card is not fully public. Rippling's own 2026 content cites Expense Management at $14/employee/mo as one example — not extrapolated into a universal bundle price.	No public top-tier price[VENDOR] Full multi-module configurations route to custom quote	Catch: [3P — G2 + Capterra] Modular add-ons can raise cost and the breadth of features can create a learning curve. Review sentiment from G2 and Capterra; praise centers on unified HR/payroll, automation and intuitive workflows. Capacity: [VENDOR] Supports multi-state U.S. payroll and employee/contractor payroll; no public numeric cap found in current vendor documentation. AI: Current platform markets "Ask Rippling AI" across all data plus automation/custom dashboards; this is bundled platform functionality under the same quote-based packaging, not a separately priced payroll AI add-on. [VENDOR]
ADP	No ongoing free plan. [VENDOR] Current RUN page advertises "Get 3 Months Free*" on the package/add-on comparison; this is a promotion, not a permanent free tier, and the vendor page does not expose full eligibility terms. [VENDOR]	Get pricingEssential Payroll · [VENDOR] public tier, no list price. 5/20/50 monthly and annual: quote required; do not estimate. Current 3-month-free promotion is separate from standard price.	Get pricingEnhanced Payroll · [VENDOR] public tier; quote required. New tier confirmed between Enhanced and HR Pro: Complete Payroll & HR Plus (adds HR HelpDesk, handbook wizard, HR tracking/forms/training) — also quote-only, no public list price. [VENDOR]	Contact SalesHR Pro Payroll & HR — Contact Sales / no public list price; adds enhanced HR support, ATS, LMS, harassment-prevention training and legal assistance. [VENDOR]	Catch: [3P — G2 + Capterra] Some reviewers report occasional slowdowns, wait times and navigation friction; public price transparency is also limited. Review sentiment from G2 and Capterra; praise centers on ease of use, payroll processing, reporting and support. Capacity: [VENDOR] Essential includes multi-jurisdiction payroll and tax filing; no public state-count cap shown. AI: [VENDOR] ADP Assist virtual assistant, payroll inspector (AI-enabled error flagging) and smart timesheet import are now confirmed included across all four public packages — Essential, Enhanced, Complete Payroll & HR Plus, and HR Pro; no separate AI price published.
Justworks	No ongoing free plan publicly listed. [VENDOR] Current pricing page lists paid Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus and EOR. Current page also advertises "3 Months Free!" for Payroll — a promotion, not a permanent free tier; full eligibility terms aren't exposed on the page. [VENDOR]	$8/mo/employee + $50 basePayroll · [VENDOR]. 5 employees — Monthly: $90; Annualized equivalent: $1,080; separate annual-billing list price: not published. 20 employees — Monthly: $210; Annualized equivalent: $2,520; separate annual-billing list price: not published. 50 employees — Monthly: $450; Annualized equivalent: $5,400; separate annual-billing list price: not published. [DERIVED — VENDOR] $50 + $8×employees. New add-ons confirmed on current pricing page: Time Tracking $8/employee/mo, International Contractors $39/contractor/mo. Important: PEO Basic/Plus below are NOT pricier tiers of Payroll — they're a separate co-employment model bundling benefits access, not a feature upgrade path.	$79/mo/employeeAlternative model: PEO Basic (not a Payroll upgrade) · [VENDOR]. 5 employees — Monthly: $395; Annualized equivalent: $4,740. 20 employees — Monthly: $1,580; Annualized equivalent: $18,960. 50 employees — Monthly: $3,950; Annualized equivalent: $47,400. [DERIVED — VENDOR] Separate annual-billing list price: not published.	$124/mo/employeeAlternative model: PEO Plus · [VENDOR] public price; benefits administration included. EOR is separate at $599/employee/mo.	Catch: [3P — G2 + Capterra] Reviewers cite limited reporting/customization and some benefits/pricing limitations. Review sentiment from G2 and Capterra; praise centers on simple HR/payroll administration and support. Capacity: [VENDOR] Payroll includes multi-state payroll and contractor payments; PEO tiers add compliance, HR and benefits — no public numeric cap found in current vendor documentation. AI: New — Justworks MCP connects live Justworks data (headcount, payroll, time off, deductions) to AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT; no separate price is published for it on the current public page. [VENDOR]

FAQ

Common questions

What are the main alternatives to Gusto?

In StackScope's payroll and HR report, the other tools compared are Rippling, ADP and Justworks.

Where do these prices come from?

From each vendor's own pricing pages, cross-checked against independent sources and last verified October 2026. See the payroll and HR report and each vendor's pricing page for the full source list.