Head to head
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll (2027): Which Is Better?
Price, features and who each one suits, side by side.
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Quick answer
- Gusto ranks higher overall (8.9 vs 8.0).
- Pick Gusto for growing teams that want room to add states and benefits.
- Pick QuickBooks Payroll for businesses already using quickbooks online.
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll at a glance
| Item | Gusto | QuickBooks Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8.9 ★★★★★★★★★★ | 8.0 ★★★★★★★★★★ |
| Best for | Growing teams that want room to add states and benefits | Businesses already using QuickBooks Online |
| Starts at | $49/mo | $50/mo |
| Base plan price | Simple: $49/mo + $6 per person (one state) | $50/mo + $7 per employee (Workforce Payroll, formerly Core). Promo: $25/mo base for the first 3 months; the per-employee fee is not discounted |
| Top plan price | Premium: $180/mo + $22 per person | $134/mo + $17 per employee (Workforce Elite). Promo: $67/mo base for the first 3 months |
| Contractor-only plan | None listed; US contractors are billed at the plan's per-person rate, only in months you pay them | Contractor Payments: $25/mo for up to 20 contractors, + $2 per additional contractor (50% off for the first 3 months) |
| Payroll taxes filed | Federal, state and local payroll tax forms (941, 940, 8974 and others) | Federal and state on every plan. Local taxes are not filed on Workforce Payroll; 'certain local taxes' are available on Premium and Elite only, and the disclosures say some local forms must be printed and uploaded by the user |
| Year-end forms | W-2s and 1099s filed | Unlimited 1099-MISC/1099-NEC e-filing on every plan. Employees can get their W-2s in the employee portal; the vendor's pages don't spell out W-2 filing terms for Workforce |
| Pay runs | Unlimited on every plan | — |
| Multi-state payroll | Plus and Premium; Simple covers one state | 1 state included; each extra state is $12/mo on Workforce Payroll and Premium (Elite isn't listed for the fee) |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Month to month, no annual contract, cancel anytime (an annual billing option shows '+10% off'). No pro-rated refunds |
| Direct deposit speed | Next-day on Plus and Premium; add-on on Simple ($15/mo + $3 per person) | Next-day on Workforce Payroll; same-day (run by 7:00 AM PT) on Premium and Elite, for employees only |
| HR tools | Basic PTO on Simple; HR guidance and tools on Premium | Basic employee records on Payroll. Premium adds HR templates, onboarding and time tracking. Elite adds Mineral HR advisors (a paid add-on on other plans) and expert setup |
| Support | Priority phone and chat is a $30/mo + $3 per person add-on on Simple and Plus | Payroll support experts by phone and chat on every plan; Elite adds expert setup and a $25,000/yr tax penalty protection. Support hours aren't listed (sales: Mon-Fri 5 AM-6 PM PT) |
| Rating | 3.3/5 Trustpilot (2,767 reviews) | 3.7/5 Trustpilot (16,965 reviews). This covers all of quickbooks.intuit.com, not just payroll |
| Free trial | — | 30 days free on the base price (an alternative to the 50%-off promo); per-employee fees still charged |
| Links | Gusto | QuickBooks Payroll |
Gusto is the better pick for most small businesses. Its cheapest plan costs less than QuickBooks' cheapest plan at every headcount we priced, and it files local taxes, which QuickBooks Workforce Payroll does not. QuickBooks is the stronger choice when you want next-day deposit on the entry plan or already keep your books in QuickBooks Online. We based this on each vendor's pricing pages and disclosures, checked November 12, 2026.
Monthly cost at 5, 20 and 50 employees
Regular published prices, one state, employees only.
| Plan | 5 | 20 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto Simple (1 state) | $79 | $169 | $349 |
| Gusto Plus | $140 | $320 | $680 |
| QuickBooks Workforce Payroll (no local tax filing) | $85 | $190 | $400 |
| QuickBooks Premium | $153 | $348 | $738 |
QuickBooks advertises 50% off the base fee for 3 months, then the full price: $25/mo becomes $50/mo on Workforce Payroll. The promo never discounts the $7 per-employee fee. The table uses the full price.
Taxes, states, deposit speed and support
Gusto files federal, state and local payroll taxes on every plan, plus W-2s and 1099s, per its pricing page. QuickBooks files federal and state on every plan. Its disclosures say Workforce Payroll does not file local taxes, Premium and Elite handle "certain local taxes," and some local forms must be printed and uploaded by you.
For more than one state, Gusto requires Plus ($80/mo + $12 per person). QuickBooks keeps you on the same plan but charges $12/mo for each extra state on Workforce Payroll and Premium, and an employee's address change can add a state.
Deposit speed favors QuickBooks. Workforce Payroll includes next-day deposit, and Premium and Elite offer same-day if you run payroll by 7:00 AM PT. Gusto includes next-day on Plus and Premium; on Simple it is a $15/mo + $3 per person add-on.
QuickBooks lists phone and chat support on every plan but doesn't publish support hours. Gusto charges $30/mo + $3 per person for priority phone and chat on Simple and Plus. Both run month to month with no annual contract.
The traps on each side
Gusto:
- Simple is one state only, so a single remote hire in another state moves you to Plus.
- Same-day pay is $90 per payroll and instant pay $100 per payroll on Simple and Plus.
- Registering in a new state costs extra, and the price varies by state.
- Trustpilot: 3.3/5 from 2,767 reviews.
QuickBooks:
- The headline price doubles after 3 months.
- No local tax filing on the entry plan.
- No pro-rated refund when you cancel.
- The $25,000 tax penalty protection is Elite only ($134/mo + $17 per employee), with conditions such as forwarding a notice within 15 days.
- Trustpilot: 3.7/5 from 16,965 reviews, covering all of quickbooks.intuit.com, not payroll alone.
Choose Gusto if...
Choose Gusto if anyone on your payroll owes a city or county tax, you pay people in one state and want the lower entry price of the two ($79/mo for 5 employees), or you want local filing without paying for a top tier.
Choose QuickBooks Payroll if...
Choose QuickBooks if you already use QuickBooks Online and want payroll in the same place, you need next-day deposit without an add-on, or you need same-day deposit (Premium). It also fits if your business pays no local taxes, so the missing local filing on Workforce Payroll doesn't cost you anything. Contractor-only teams can use Contractor Payments at $25/mo for up to 20 contractors.
Full reviews: Gusto · QuickBooks Payroll · all payroll services ranked
Sources
- gusto.com/product/pricing (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.trustpilot.com/review/gusto.com (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/core/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/elite/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/contractor-payments/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/disclosure/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/ (checked Nov 12, 2026)
- www.trustpilot.com/review/quickbooks.intuit.com (checked Nov 12, 2026)