Gusto vs OnPay: Battle of the $40 Payroll Plans
Two excellent payroll platforms with identical base pricing. Here's which one wins for your business.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Choose Gusto if:
- ✓ You want benefits shopping/comparison tools
- ✓ You're planning to scale beyond 50 employees
- ✓ Employee experience is a top priority
- ✓ You need modern integrations (Slack, Xero, etc.)
Choose OnPay if:
- ✓ You want true all-inclusive pricing (no tiers)
- ✓ Your accountant/bookkeeper manages payroll
- ✓ You have under 50 employees
- ✓ You prefer U.S.-based phone support
At a Glance
| Feature | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $40/mo + $6/employee | $40/mo + $6/employee |
| Our Score | 4.8/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Best For | Growing teams (1-100 employees) | Small businesses (1-50 employees) |
| Automatic Tax Filing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Benefits Administration | ✅ Yes (with shopping) | ✅ Yes (basic) |
| HR Tools Included | Basic (onboarding, docs) | All features included |
| Time Tracking | Add-on ($6/ee/mo) | Integrations only |
| Mobile App | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Customer Support | Chat, email, phone | U.S.-based phone/email |
| Free Trial | Limited demo | 30 days full trial |
Detailed Comparison
💰 Pricing: It's Actually Identical (Sort Of)
Both platforms start at $40/month base + $6 per employee. A 10-person company pays $100/month with either platform. But here's where it gets interesting:
Gusto Pricing Structure
- Simple: $40/mo + $6/ee (payroll only)
- Plus: $80/mo + $12/ee (adds time tracking, project tracking, hiring tools)
- Premium: Custom pricing (adds R&R, compliance, HR advisor)
- ⚠️ Time tracking costs extra ($6/ee)
- ⚠️ Advanced HR tools require upgrades
OnPay Pricing Structure
- One plan: $40/mo + $6/ee
- ✅ All features included. Period.
- ✅ No tiers, no upsells, no surprises
- ✅ HR tools, onboarding, PTO tracking—free
- 💡 True flat pricing for budget planning
Winner: OnPay — For small businesses that want predictable costs, OnPay's all-inclusive model wins. Gusto requires upgrades for features like time tracking.
⚙️ Core Payroll Features
Both platforms nail the basics. Automatic tax filing, direct deposit, W-2s, 1099s, new hire reporting. You won't miss a tax deadline with either.
| Feature | Gusto | OnPay |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic federal/state tax filing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Direct deposit | ✅ (2-day) | ✅ (2-day) |
| Pay schedules (weekly/bi-weekly/monthly) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Contractor payments (1099s) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Workers' comp administration | ✅ (auto pay-as-you-go) | ✅ |
| Multi-state payroll | ✅ All 50 states | ✅ All 50 states |
| Garnishment handling | ✅ | ✅ |
Winner: Tie — Both platforms are equally strong on core payroll. You can't go wrong.
🏥 Benefits Administration
Both platforms handle benefits, but Gusto's approach is significantly more modern and employee-friendly.
Gusto
- ✅ Benefits marketplace (shop multiple carriers)
- ✅ Health, dental, vision, life, disability
- ✅ 401(k) with Guideline integration (3% match)
- ✅ Commuter benefits, HSA/FSA
- ✅ Employee self-enrollment portal
- ✅ Deductions auto-sync with payroll
- 💡 Employees can compare plans side-by-side
OnPay
- ✅ Benefits administration (no shopping)
- ✅ Health, dental, vision, life, disability
- ✅ 401(k) setup assistance
- ✅ HSA/FSA administration
- ✅ Workers' comp integration
- ⚠️ No benefits marketplace—you find your own broker
- ⚠️ Less modern employee experience
Winner: Gusto — If you're shopping for benefits or want employees to self-enroll easily, Gusto wins. OnPay handles administration well but doesn't help you shop.
👥 HR Tools & Employee Experience
Gusto focuses heavily on the employee experience. OnPay includes solid HR basics but doesn't obsess over UX.
Gusto
- ✅ Beautiful employee self-service portal
- ✅ Onboarding workflows (digital I-9, W-4)
- ✅ PTO tracking and requests
- ✅ Document storage (offer letters, handbooks)
- ✅ Mobile app (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rated)
- ✅ Early wage access (employees can get paid early)
- 💡 Employees love the UX—looks modern, works fast
OnPay
- ✅ Employee self-service (paystubs, tax docs)
- ✅ Onboarding checklists
- ✅ PTO tracking and accrual
- ✅ Document storage
- ✅ Mobile app (functional, not fancy)
- ⚠️ Interface is dated compared to Gusto
- ⚠️ Focuses on function over form
Winner: Gusto — If your employees care about modern software, Gusto wins. OnPay works fine but feels utilitarian.
🔗 Integrations
Gusto
- • QuickBooks Online, Xero
- • TSheets, When I Work, Deputy
- • Slack, Zoom
- • Expensify, Carta
- • 100+ integrations
OnPay
- • QuickBooks Online, Xero
- • QuickBooks Desktop (rare!)
- • TSheets, Deputy
- • Limited app marketplace
- • ~20 integrations
Winner: Gusto — More modern integrations. OnPay wins if you use QuickBooks Desktop.
📞 Customer Support
Gusto
- ✅ Chat, email, phone (business hours)
- ✅ Extensive help center & video library
- ✅ Fast response times (usually <1 hour)
- ⚠️ Phone support can have longer hold times
- 💡 93% of users rate support positively
OnPay
- ✅ U.S.-based phone support
- ✅ Email support
- ✅ Dedicated account support for accountants
- ✅ Fast phone pickup (typically <2 min)
- 💡 Known for excellent human support
Winner: OnPay — If you prefer picking up the phone and talking to a real person in the U.S., OnPay wins. Both have good support.
Pros and Cons
Gusto
✓ Pros
- ✓ Best-in-class employee experience
- ✓ Benefits marketplace for shopping/comparing
- ✓ Modern integrations (Slack, Xero, etc.)
- ✓ Scales well beyond 100 employees
- ✓ Beautiful, intuitive interface
✗ Cons
- ✗ Tiered pricing can get expensive
- ✗ Time tracking costs extra ($6/ee)
- ✗ Advanced HR features require upgrades
- ✗ Phone support can have longer waits
OnPay
✓ Pros
- ✓ True all-inclusive flat pricing
- ✓ All features included (no upsells)
- ✓ Excellent U.S.-based phone support
- ✓ Great for accountant-managed payroll
- ✓ 30-day full-featured trial
✗ Cons
- ✗ No benefits shopping/marketplace
- ✗ Interface feels dated vs Gusto
- ✗ Fewer modern integrations
- ✗ Less ideal for fast-growing companies
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Gusto if:
- • You're a growing company planning to scale beyond 50 employees
- • You want to shop and compare benefits plans in one place
- • Employee experience and modern software are priorities
- • You need integrations with tools like Slack, Xero, Expensify
- • You're willing to pay extra for time tracking or advanced HR features
Choose OnPay if:
- • You're a small business under 50 employees
- • You want predictable, all-inclusive pricing with no surprises
- • Your accountant or bookkeeper manages payroll
- • You prefer U.S.-based phone support over chat
- • You already have benefits sorted and just need administration
The Bottom Line
You can't go wrong with either platform. Both handle payroll flawlessly and have identical base pricing.
Gusto wins if you want modern software, benefits shopping, and plan to grow. It's the best employee experience in payroll.
OnPay wins if you want simple, predictable pricing with all features included. It's perfect for small businesses that don't need the frills.