Gusto vs Paylocity
Choose Gusto for transparent US SMB payroll (award). Choose Paylocity when mid-market payroll+HR with Community/Ignite AI is the job and you will take a quote. Compare published pricing, hiring, core HRIS, payroll, scheduling, training, time tracking, integrations, and mobile.
Gusto
US SMB payroll + benefits + light HR — Simple from $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22.
Best for
- • Published SMB payroll
- • Month-to-month US pay runs
Starting from $49.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
Choose Gusto for transparent US SMB payroll (award). Choose Paylocity when mid-market payroll+HR with Community/Ignite AI is the job and you will take a quote.
Paylocity is better for
- ✓ Hiring workflow
- ✓ Core HRIS depth
- ✓ Scheduling depth
- ✓ Training depth
Tie
- • Payroll processing
Choose Gusto if: Published SMB payroll
Choose Paylocity if: Mid-market HR + payroll
Paylocity
US mid-market HR + payroll (+ finance/IT) — custom quote (‘Explore Payroll Pricing’); Ignite AI. Landscape vs Gusto.
Best for
- • Mid-market HR + payroll
- • Employee Community / Ignite AI
No free plan
Gusto vs Paylocity 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 pricingDepends
Gusto
Paylocity
- Free planDepends
Gusto
Paylocity
- User / licence minimumDepends
Gusto
Paylocity
- Hiring workflowPaylocity
Gusto
Paylocity
- Core HRIS depthPaylocity
Gusto
Paylocity
Which HR software is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → Gusto
Published SMB payroll
Pick Gusto for Published SMB payroll.
- → Gusto
Month-to-month US pay runs
Pick Gusto for Month-to-month US pay runs.
- → Paylocity
Mid-market HR + payroll
Pick Paylocity for Mid-market HR + payroll.
- → Paylocity
Employee Community / Ignite AI
Pick Paylocity for Employee Community / Ignite AI.
- → Paylocity
Best for hiring workflow
Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (4/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
- → Paylocity
Best for core hris depth
Paylocity is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (5/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
DependsGusto
Gusto Simple $49/mo + $6/person (first-party). Paylocity is a customized quote with no published PEPM.
Paylocity
Gusto Simple $49/mo + $6/person (first-party). Paylocity is a customized quote with no published PEPM.
Hiring workflow
Paylocity winsGusto
Trails Paylocity on this criterion
Paylocity
Paylocity is the stronger fit for hiring workflow (4/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Core HRIS depth
Paylocity winsGusto
Trails Paylocity on this criterion
Paylocity
Paylocity is the stronger fit for core HRIS depth (5/10 vs 8/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Payroll processing
TieGusto
Gusto and Paylocity are close on payroll processing (9/10 vs 9/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Paylocity
Gusto and Paylocity are close on payroll processing (9/10 vs 9/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Scheduling depth
Paylocity winsGusto
Trails Paylocity on this criterion
Paylocity
Paylocity is the stronger fit for workforce scheduling (2/10 vs 6/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Training depth
Paylocity winsGusto
Trails Paylocity on this criterion
Paylocity
Paylocity is the stronger fit for training and SOPs (2/10 vs 5/10). Scores reflect job-cluster fit from vendor documentation, not a lab test of the UI.
Which should you choose?
Choose Gusto if
- Published SMB payroll
- Month-to-month US pay runs
Choose Paylocity if
- Mid-market HR + payroll
- Employee Community / Ignite AI
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
Rippling
Unified people platform (HR + payroll + IT/spend) — published SMB floor $8/user/mo plus $40/mo platform fee; modules are quote-stacked.
BambooHR
SMB/mid-market core HRIS with Core/Pro/Elite PEPM tiers — Core from $10/employee/mo above 25 employees, or $250/mo flat floor for smaller teams.
Greenhouse
Structured-hiring ATS (Core / Plus / Pro) — custom quote by plan, hiring volume, and org complexity; no published seat dollars.
ADP Workforce Now
Mid-market payroll + HR (Select / Plus / Premium packaging) — custom PEPM quote; no published seat $. Landscape vs Gusto.
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.
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- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
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