The top Gusto competitors and alternatives for 2023

Rippling: Best overall Gusto competitor

Rippling is the top competitor of Gusto. Both platforms are minimalistic and user-friendly despite having high levels of automation. With Rippling, users get not only the full scope of HR tools but IT support as well. Rippling assures they are the only PEO that integrates the work of HR, IT and finance teams in one central dashboard.

Rippling is designed for administrators to enter data only once. The system will then “ripple” the data across the platform to avoid HR teams doing manual, repetitive data entry tasks. The platform can also guide users through complex tax, onboarding and payroll execution with guided steps by steps. It offers all the same features that Gusto offers and adds some interesting HR resources to attract and retain talent.

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Rippling key features

• Automated payroll management: Highly automated payroll run.
• Support for U.S. and international contractors: Full-service for U.S. employees and global contractors.
• HR, IT and finance: Combines HR, IT and finance all in one.

Use cases

• Payroll: Provides features employee retention tax credit for savings opportunities. Supports multiple payment options for payroll processing, Pay-on-Demand (before payroll date) and 24/7 real-time payments. Has built-in safeguards and compliance support to meet tax laws and regulations.
• Employee benefits : Enables employee benefits package, including 401(k) plans, HSAs and the financial wellness tool, FinFit, for a financial wellness program.
• Time and attendance: Provides an industry-customizable cloud-based time and attendance technology.
• Hiring and onboarding: Supports HR with professional guidance from experts and HR solutions to attract and retain talent. Provides communication channels for workers.
• Skill and resources: Offers employee development programs and online courses for training.
• Customer support: All plans include 24/7 multi-channel support.

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Papaya Global: Best for global workforce management

Papaya Global is a global payroll and workforce management platform that specializes in managing HR for international companies that have teams and workers across the globe. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of payroll, taxes, benefits, compliance and other features.

Papaya Global interface is also centralized and requires no advanced technical skills to be managed. The platform offers excellent visibility and automation but is one of the most expensive PEO options in the market. However, with Papaya Global, enterprises can navigate the complex tasks of complying with national laws in more than 160 countries.

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Papaya Global plans are designed for specific functions. The Automate Global Payroll plan starts at $20 per month per employee. Companies can also purchase the Hire Fearlessly plan, which starts at $770 per month per employee, or the Contractor Management for $25 per month per contractor. Finally, the Payroll Intelligence Suite starts at $250 per month.

Key features of Papaya Global

• Global workforce management: The platform is optimized for international operations and managing talent while complying with local regulations in over 160 countries.
• Security: Provides advanced cloud data security.

• Customer support: 9 am to 5 pm ET.

Use cases

• Payroll: Global automated payroll management. Supports all worker types. Offers over 60 currencies and payments delivered within 72 hours.
• Employee benefits: Provides an international health plan to cover employees in more than 160 countries. For U.S. workers, Papaya Global complies with federal requirements.
• Hiring and onboarding: Consolidates all hiring and onboarding processes for all workers (payroll, EOR, contractors) into one streamlined platform that meets each country’s compliance.

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Paychex: Best PEO for value

Paychex is one of the most experienced firms in the PEO market. Founded in 1971, the platform has modernized and today provides cutting-edge technology for all HR and accounting lifecycles.

Paychex offers health benefits for all 50 U.S. states and provides global payroll and contractor features. The platform offers 24/7 support and plans for companies of any size. Additionally, Paychex Flex — its stripped-down version — is praised for its simplicity and cost-effective value. Paychex Flex starts at $35 per month plus $5 per month per employee.

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Paychex key features

• Automation: Automated bookkeeping.
• Payroll and HR: Tax, health and benefit.
• Ability to scale: Offers Paychex Flex as a basic plan and the ability to scale with other plans.
• Pricing: Excellent value (Paychex Flex price is among the lowest in the market).

Use cases

• Small and medium company payroll management: Simple, straightforward and comprehensive features suitable for small and medium payroll management.
• HR tools: Paychex offers HR tools, tax support, benefits administration and more.
• Customer support: Provides 24/7 multi-channel customer support.

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Justworks: Best for small companies

Justworks is a platform that has been operating since 2012, focusing on small and medium businesses. It provides all the HR features other PEO software vendors offer but streamlines operations with a simple user-centered design.

Justworks enables organization-wide payroll, medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, AD&D and more. Its basic plan starts at $59/month per employee. However, the solution can be costly for large companies.

The company’s Plus plan also integrates medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and costs $99 per month per employee. Justworks provides 24/7 support.

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Justworks key features

• Simple and robust platform: Payroll, HR services and compliance.
• Employee benefits : Works directly with health insurance carriers. Depending on the plan, it can provide health insurance benefits, wellness services, deductible HSA, on-demand primary care services, life insurance, 401(k), HSAs, commuter benefits and more.
• Time and attendance: Available for the Basic plan with an extra cost. Feature synced to payroll.

• Customer support: 24/7 support.

Use cases

• Payroll: Automated deposits, one-off payments, payroll tax filings, auto notifications, synced time, attendance and compliance, and W-2s, 1099s and 940/941s filing.
• Hiring and onboarding: Basic features for remote, national, or international teams and contractors.
• Automation: Automatic tax filing, payroll and HR system.

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OnPay: Best for accountants and bookkeepers

OnPay is a payroll, HR and benefits platform with one main difference. The company also focuses on providing accountants and bookkeepers the tools and integration capabilities to customize management.

OnPay has over 30 years of payroll experience and has been keeping up with the latest technology. The platform also enables industries and sectors with specific needs, like churches, NGOs and farms.

Regarding pricing and plan, OnPay keeps things transparent and straightforward. They offer one plan with all features included. The plan costs $40 per month plus $6 per month per person.

OnPay focuses on three cores — payroll, HR and benefits. The payroll features are extensive. The company provides all tax filings and payments, unlimited monthly pay runs, W-2 and 1099 workers, multiple pay rates, reports, time tracking and more. Additionally, it is available for all 50 U.S. states.

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Key features of OnPay

• Full-service payroll: Unlimited monthly pay runs, tax filings and payments, and W-2 and 1099s.
• Integrations: Integrates with various software.
• Essential HR tools and compliance.

Use cases

• Payroll: Direct deposit, debit card or check payments. Multiple pay rates and schedules, garnishments, unemployment insurance withholding and reports.
• Time tracking and attendance.
• Optimized for mobile, multi-state payroll, available in all 50 U.S. states.
• HR: Compliance, automated onboarding flows, e-signing, in-app offer letters, online I-9, W-4 forms and custom personnel checklists.
• Benefits: Health and dental benefits in all 50 U.S. states.

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