When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn In this OnPay vs Gusto review, we’ll dive into the features of two of the most well-known payroll providers on the market. Both OnPay and Gusto are competitively priced, with a wealth of powerful features that help small and medium-sized businesses simplify payroll management and enhance the HR team’s productivity.
OnPay is our pick for our small businesses looking for an affordable, easy-to-use payroll solution, while Gusto is our top choice for growing organizations that are happy to spend a little more in return for enhanced HR features.
Let’s take a look at why in-depth.
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OnPay vs Gusto At a Glance
| OnPay | Gusto | |
| Starting Price | $40 per month + $6 per employee | $40 per month + $6 per employee |
| Free Plan | N/A | N/A |
| Tax Filing | Automated federal, state, and local tax filings and W-2 and 1099 processing | Full-service single-state payroll and W-2s and 1099s |
| Employee Benefits Management | health, dental, retirement and more | Medical, dental, 529 college savings and more |
| Employee Portal | Good range of integrations | Excellent range of integrations |
| Integrations | External integrations | External integrations |
| General HR | – Onboarding – PTO – Compliance – HR templates |
Basic onboarding tools |
| Customer Support | Human support available Monday – Friday | 24/7 support |
| Read Review | OnPay Review | Gusto Review |
OnPay vs Gusto Pricing Compared
OnPay and Gusto are both highly affordable payroll providers. The major difference between them is that OnPay offers a flat-fee monthly plan, while Gusto offers tiered plans that unlock more features the more you pay.
| Provider 1 | Provider 2 | |
| Free Version | No | No |
| Contractor only | N/A | $35 per month + $6 per employee |
| Starter | $40 per month + $6 per employee | $40 per month + $6 per employee |
| Advanced | N/A | $80/mo + $12/mo per person |
| Premium | N/A | Bespoke |
OnPay’s plan and Gusto’s starter plan cost exactly the same. However, OnPay’s plan has more features than Gusto’s starter plan. With OnPay, you can run multi-state payroll, manage PTO, and access a wealth of features that simplify the onboarding process. Gusto’s basic plan doesn’t have these features. It only allows single-state payroll, doesn’t include PTO management, and only offers basic onboarding capabilities.
However, when you invest in Gusto’s Advanced plan, you’ll get access to all of OnPay’s features and much more, including next-day direct deposits, geo-location-infused time tracking, and talent management capabilities.
While Gusto’s Advanced plan does have a big jump in price, the quality and quantity of the features mean the fee is still reasonable. In that sense, we wouldn’t say one provider is better priced than the other. Rather, they target different audiences. We would recommend OnPay’s basic plan over Gusto’s for small organizations that need a basic payroll and HR solution.
Gusto, on the other hand, is an excellent choice for fast-growing or established organizations looking for a platform that can scale their business.
OnPay vs Gusto Payroll Ease of Use
Gusto and OnPay both boast clean, modern, intuitive interfaces. Getting set up is a breeze. Both platforms guide you through the process with setup wizards, and each dashboard is highly user-friendly.
OnPay’s dashboard has the extra edge of being customizable, allowing you to choose the widgets you’d like to see when you first open the software. Gusto doesn’t have this–although it’s definitely not a deal breaker.
Moreover, because OnPay has slightly fewer features than Gusto’s Advanced plan, the interface is less intimidating, with fewer features to click through and learn how to use.
Because of this, we rate OnPay as easier to use than Gusto. However, for medium-sized organizations, the simplicity of OnPay could actually be a hindrance, as they may require the more comprehensive features Gusto offers.
OnPay vs Gusto Key Features
While the features in OnPay’s plan trump Gusto’s basic plan, the capabilities you unlock in Gusto’s higher-tiered plans are a cut above. Here, we’ll look at the standout features of both platforms in more detail, helping you to decide which payroll provider best suits your needs.
OnPay vs Gusto Integrations
When it comes to integrations, Gusto also takes the win. While OnPay offers integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and a handful of time tracking and productivity apps, Gusto comes with a huge range of integration options, spanning point-of-sale, business operations, legal and compliance, and more.
For small businesses with basic structures, all of these integrations might be overwhelming, but larger organizations will appreciate the ability to collate and access all of their data in one interface.
OnPay vs Gusto Scalability
Because Gusto offers a range of in-depth HR and performance management features, as well as payroll, it takes the lead when it comes to scalability. This software is perfect for organizations that plan to grow. OnPay, on the other hand, isn’t as scalable. However, because its plan is a lot cheaper than Gusto’s advanced plan, it is a great choice for small businesses that don’t plan to hire many employees.
OnPay vs Gusto Payroll Customer Reviews
So far, Gusto is our top choice for expanding organizations, while OnPay is our pick for small businesses. But that’s just our take. We also wanted to see what other users thought of each platform, so we took to TrustPilot and G2 to gather real-world feedback.
Across both platforms, users praised Gusto for its ease of use and broad functionality, although some noted that the time-tracking features can be difficult to set up. With OnPay, users also praised the platform for its cost-efficiency but criticized the lack of an auto-pay feature.
Conclusion – OnPay vs Gusto: Which One Wins?
Overall, Gusto’s mid-tier plan beats OnPay as the best payroll provider. With a wealth of HR features and fantastic reporting and analytics, Gusto is an excellent choice for growing and established companies seeking to automate the payroll process. Saying that, for smaller companies looking to prioritize affordability, OnPay is a better option. The basic plan is perfect for small companies that want an easy-to-use payroll solution.
How We Test Payroll Software
When we compare payroll providers, we look at the following factors:
- Pricing – We explore the pricing and plans of both platforms to decide which is the best value for the money.
- Features – We test the features of each provider, looking at speed, usability, and functionality.
- Integrations – We look at the number of integrations offered by each platform.
- Automation – We test each provider’s automation capabilities.
- Ease of use – We put ourselves in the shoes of someone who has never used payroll software before, assessing how intuitive it is to use each platform.
- Third-Party Reviews – We seek out third-party reviews to bring you a broader perspective on each platform.
How to Choose the Best Payroll Software
Choosing payroll software is an important business decision. It’s wise to consider carefully before purchasing to prevent problems later on. So, here are the critical factors to keep in mind:
- Price – Look for a platform that fits your pricing needs both now and in the future. Check for hidden costs and extras that could reduce cost-efficiency.
- Features – Make sure the platform offers all the features you need to run payroll easily.
- Scalability – If you’re planning to grow, does the platform have the capabilities to scale with your business?
- Ease of use – Look for a platform that is easy to use for both you and your employees.
- Integrations – Verify that the provider integrates with your business-critical applications.
- Customer support – Make sure customer support is easily accessible. Ideally, you’ll pick a provider with 24/7 support.
