Deputy vs Gusto
Compare Deputy and Gusto on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Deputy
Mid-market hourly WFM — Lite $5 / Core $6.50 / Pro $9 per user/mo; $30 invoice minimum; up to 31-day trial.
Best for
- • Multi-location hourly operators who need scheduling + time + labor compliance
- • Teams that will trial Core for up to 31 days before Homebase-style SMB hubs
- • Ops leaders who want WFM AI with a human-in-the-loop
Starting from $5.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Deputy is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Integrations
Choose Deputy if: Multi-location hourly operators who need scheduling + time + labor compliance
Choose Gusto if: US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
Gusto
US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.
Best for
- • US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
- • Teams that want published month-to-month pricing instead of HCM quotes
- • Single-state companies that can start on Simple and upgrade for multi-state
Starting from $49.00/user/mo
No free plan
Deputy vs Gusto at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Starting pricingDeputy
Deputy
Gusto
- Free planDepends
Deputy
Gusto
- User / licence minimumDepends
Deputy
Gusto
- IntegrationsDeputy
Deputy
Gusto
Which HR software is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → Deputy
Best for starting pricing
Deputy publishes a lower researched starting floor ($5/mo vs $49/mo for Gusto). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
- → Deputy
Best for integrations
Deputy leads on integrations (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
Deputy winsDeputy
Deputy publishes a lower researched starting floor ($5/mo vs $49/mo for Gusto). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
Gusto
Trails Deputy on this criterion
Which should you choose?
Choose Deputy if
- Multi-location hourly operators who need scheduling + time + labor compliance
- Teams that will trial Core for up to 31 days before Homebase-style SMB hubs
- Ops leaders who want WFM AI with a human-in-the-loop
Choose Gusto if
- US small businesses running payroll (and benefits) for the first time
- Teams that want published month-to-month pricing instead of HCM quotes
- Single-state companies that can start on Simple and upgrade for multi-state
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
Connecteam
Frontline workforce app with Ops, Comms, and HR & Skills hubs — free ≤10 users; paid hubs from $29/mo annual for first 30 users.
Homebase
SMB hourly WFM (scheduling, time, hiring) priced per location — free Basic ≤10 employees at 1 site; paid Essentials from $24/location/mo annual.
When I Work
Per-user hourly scheduling — Essentials from $2.50/user/mo; Pro $5; Premium $8; 14-day trial. Time & attendance is a paid toggle.
Rippling
Unified people platform (HR + payroll + IT/spend) — published SMB floor $8/user/mo plus $40/mo platform fee; modules are quote-stacked.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
Still deciding between Deputy and Gusto?
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- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
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